poor not only suffer

B1 Theinjustice,
they also

Francis reaches
A3 Pope
out to schismatic Old
Catholic Church

C1

struggle against it!

Ugnayan

The News Supplement of

Couples for Christ

Use of violence will worsen

Mindanao conflictbishop

November 10 - 23, 2014

Vol. 18 No. 23

Php 20.00

THE head of the Prelature of Isabela de Basilan asserts waging an all-out campaign
against the lawless elements in Mindanao
is not the solution, stressing that the use of
violence to violence might even encourage
more rebel recruits.
According to Basilan Bishop Martin S.
Jumoad, a solution that emphasizes force
will not earn the government the trust and
confidence of the rebels.
Those perpetrators or lawless elements
We cant do anything about them, run

Bishop to Aquino govt:

Admit your lapses
General evaluation of rehabilitation efforts needed
By Roy Lagarde

A CATHOLIC bishop urged

the Aquino administration to
admit its lapses, express regret
and offer solutions in improving efforts to rehabilitate
areas devastated by typhoon
Yolanda.

One year after the devastating typhoon, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said typhoon-hit communities are still facing major challenges that
the government should have been at the
forefront of addressing.
We need to know what the government has done and what needs to be
done. Lets not be ashamed in admitting our shortcomings because its only
then that we can learn from our own
lessons, Pabillo said.
The bishop, who now chairs Committee on Public Affairs of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines,
also urged the government to make a
general evaluation of its rehabilitation
works and release it to the public.
He said the world needs to know
how much donations the government
received from other countries and what
it has accomplished in one year.
According to him, such an official report would allow more local and foreign
humanitarian agencies to pay closer attention to other related concerns.
Lapses / A6

Families and relatives of victims of typhoon Yolanda gather at the shore of Barangay 88 in San Jose, Tacloban City on October 31, 2014, to perform a rite of
remembrance for their departed loved ones by casting flowers and candles out to the Cancabato Bay that claimed thousands of lives in waves of monstrous
typhoon surges. Roy Lagarde

CBCP head urges moral

agrarian reform

CBCP president Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas. File photo

THE head of Catholic Bishops

Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) asserts that the muchtalked about issue of agrarian reform can only be justified when
governments appropriation of
privately-owned property serves
the higher cause of social justice.

Disguised confiscation
In an official statement issued Nov. 12, Wednesday, four
days before the 10th anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita
Massacre, CBCP president
Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas
Reform / A7

Muslim woman organizes

Christian mass wedding

Corruption
leads to unsafe
highways
CBCP head
LEADING up to the World Day
of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Nov. 16, Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) president
Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas
of Lingayen-Dagupan blasts corrupt workmanship behind substandard roads and infrastructure
that have claimed lives in freak
accidents.
Is it not a fact that many roadtraffic victims lose life or limb
because of ill-constructed roads
and highways, the pathetic handiwork of corrupt workmanship?
Have not many drivers fallen off
cliffs, ridges and road shoulders,
because of inadequate road signs,
ill-lighted highways and the
criminal absence of assistance
that should come from government functionaries tasked with
road safety? he asks in a recent
statement.
Driving with charity
Villegas stresses that the government should construct safe
and reliable highways, rid of the
wages of corruption, and that
maintenance be regular, thorough
and continuous.
According to the prelate, the
United Nations event should not
only be a time of sentimental
remembrance of all who perished
on our highways, but also of firm
resolve that governments, motorists, and pedestrians all share
in the responsibility of keeping
roads safe.
The head of the Archdiocese of
Lingayen Dagupan also regrets
Corruption / A7

Tagle to media: Bring Asian

voice to Vatican

WESTERN narratives and perceptions do not only dominate

in media or cultural conventions,
but also apparently, in the Sala
Stampa (Vatican pressroom)
where journalists from Asia are
rarely seen.
This is the observation made
by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle when he
attended the recently concluded
Third Extraordinary Synod of
Bishops on the Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization held in
Rome on Oct. 5 to 19.
The Sala Stampa or the press
conference was really dominated
by the WestOn the second
conference that I attended, it just
shook me. There was not a single
Asian journalist, in the hundreds
and hundreds of international

journalists. Sad to say, there was

also not a single African, Tagle
said in a press conference held
at the Arzobispado de Manila
last Oct. 30.
So I asked myself, Who will
report on the concerns of Asia?
Who will report on the voice of
Asia being raised in the Synod
hall? And that is precisely the
concern of the Synod, letting
the various and diverse situations and challenges surface,
he added.
Tagle said basing from stories
of existing reports would not
give a complete account of the
events that transpired as the
published stories are already
filtered by media outfits.
I know for a fact that some
people thought that the only topVoice / A6

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle meets the press after the Synod on the
Family on Oct. 30, 2014. FILE PHOTO

Yolanda survivors strength inspiring amid govt

neglect NCCP head
Illustration by Brothers Matias

UNLIKE any mass wedding held in the country,

the recent wedding of 35
Christian couples in Zamboanga City is considered

Conflict / A6

one for the books because it

was organized by a Muslim
woman.
Through the initiative of
Muslim / A6

DESPITE government neglect and disorganization

from day one, an official
of the National Council of
Churches in the Philippines
(NCCP) believes Yolanda
survivors strong spirit is
the real good news.
While the services rendered by non-government
organizations [NGOs] are
laudable, more amazing
is the strength and resourcefulness of survivors
in claiming their rights
and re-establishing their

rights These are inspiring

news in the face of massive
government neglect and
disorganization from day
one, Rev. Rex Reyes Jr.,
NCCP general secretary
said exactly a year after
the disaster in an interfaith
event held Saturday, Nov.8,
at the Trinity University of
Asia.
Slow-paced action
Data from the United
Nations (UN) Humanitarian Shelter Working Group

show 60% (300,000 of the

500,000) of households
whose homes were completely destroyed have either been housed or promised housing by shelter
agencies and local NGOs.
The report mentions
around 205,000 families
still need to be relocated
by the local government
units (LGUs) and the
d e l i v e r y o f t h e E m e rgency Shelter Assistance
Program of the DepartSurvivors / A7

A girls lights a candle for the survivors of Yolanda during the NCCPs Rise
Up for Abundant Life, An Interchurch Forum-A Year After Haiyan on Nov. 8,
2014 at the Trinity University of Asia. NCCP

World News

A2

Save Catholic clinics in Africa they

may be the only ones to fight Ebola
out civil wars which lasted from
1989 to 2003, but shut down in
August after several doctors and
health workers were infected by
Ebola.
We need to reopen this hospitalit was the best in the
country, Msgr. Vitillo said.
According to the World Health
Organization, faith-based organizations own between 30 and 70
percent of health infrastructure
in Africa.
The hospitals are collaborating, and in Liberia there is a
Catholic Council coordinated
by the Franciscan missionary Sr.
Barbara Brillant.
Sr. Brillant said the most difficult thing is to regain the trust
of the people.
Asked which would be the
next step of the Catholic commitment, Msgr. Vitillo said the
Church is doing a lot; we dont
have to start something new. I
believe we should strengthen
our efforts in the most infected
countries to accompany the
people who are working in these
countries, especially fostering a
social mobilization.
Educating people is the first
thing. We try to explain to them
how to properly wash their
hands to avoid the infection, and
we also try to explain to them
that if one relative is infected,
only one member of the family
may be in contact with him to
take care of him.
Another risk of infection is
given by the burial of the corpse
of infected persons, since in
Africa a body traditionally is
thoroughly cleaned in a process
involving many people, and the
burial ceremony is attended by
many members of the family.

The World Health Organization had mandated that the

corpses of Ebola patients be
buried without family members,
but later after Caritas explained
to WHO officials the importance
for many people of having at
least one relative and a member
of the clergy at the burial allowed the presence of a small
number of family members,
albeit at a given distance.
Edward John-Bull, director of
Caritas Sierra Leone, said he had
heard stories of relatives who
have bribed health care officials
to certify a deceased family
member as negative for the virus
so that a normal funeral could be
held, thus increasing the risk of
infection for the family.
Deacon Timothy Flanigan of
Providence, who has an M.D.
and is a professor of medicine
at Brown University, recently
returned from Liberia, where he
volunteered to support the efforts.

ISRAEL, Nov. 6, 2014A Melkite-Greek

Catholic archbishop has lamented recent car
attacks in Jerusalem, saying that such actions
are inhuman and tear down society.
It is terrible not only here, but in Iraq and
Syria, its terrible to see all of this suffering.
We have not been created to kill each other
this way. We are acting like savages, even
the animals are better than us, Archbishop
Joseph Jules Zerey told CNA Nov. 6.
The archbishops comments came in wake
of the second car attack against pedestrians
in two weeks, as a Palestinian man reportedly killed a police officer and injured 13
other people on Nov. 5, ramming a white
A view of Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock and the
van into a group of pedestrians in East Wailing Wall. Credit: Maria Lozano/Aid to the Church in
Jerusalem.
Need. CNA
A similar attack took place two weeks ago,
when a Palestinian drove a van into pedestri- way, its terrible (and) Im very, very sorry for
ans at a train stop in the same area, killing a this, Archbishop Zerey said. I want everybaby and an Ecuadorian woman, according body to work for peace, to love each other and
to respect others. Im very sorry when they
to reports.
The attacks come amid continued clashes are using this way to attack innocent people
at Jerusalems Temple Mount/al-Haram in the streets.
What all people need to understand is that
al-Sharif compound. Known to Jews as the
Temple Mount, the holiest site in Jerusalem, peace is only built through love, humility and
the area also contains the al-Aqsa Mosque and making great sacrifices for the sake of peace
the Dome of the Rock; it is among the holiest and the good of others, he explained, saying
that both sides must do the best they can to
sites in all of Islam.
Recent days have seen an increase in vio- make peace for the sake of their citizens.
Everybody from the two parts has to
lent tension at the site, with young people
throwing rocks and setting off fireworks, at understandI really pray every day for peace
one point causing the compound to be closed among all of us, and I hope we can really arrive to a real peace among all of the people.
down temporarily.
According to BBC News, Hamas militants
To kill innocent people like this is not the

MANCHESTER, England, Nov 7, 2014The president of the Nigerian bishops conference said his
countrys government could defeat the Boko Haram
Islamist militant group if it could muster the same
political will it found to fight Ebola.
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, Nigeria,
suggested that the government could end the
groups attacks on Christians and civilians if it really wanted to in a Nov. 6 lecture at the Jesuit-run
Church of Holy Name in Manchester.
Since the Nigerian government is successfully
fighting the Ebola disease, it can equally, with strong
political will, fight the religious fundamentalism which
threatens the very soul of Nigeria, he said in a speech.
He argued that most Muslims in Nigeria do not
support the activities of Boko Haram, which has
bombed or torched dozens of churches and public
spaces since 2009.
The archbishop said the Nigerian government
should be able to provide a level ground for harmonious coexistence and good relations between
such people and Christians. What do we want of
our government? he asked.
I love my country and I love my leaders, but
what do we want them to do? We want the Nigerian
government to stop the activities of this military
group, which continues to create mayhem, to
create chaos and to anarchy in parts of Nigeria,
Archbishop Kaigama said. (CNS)

Vatican Briefing
Pope Francis recognizes heroic virtue of 12-yearold boy

Cardinal Burke moved to Order of Malta

In an interview with CNA

Nov. 4, Dn. Flanigan stressed
that the Catholic Church is
right on the front lines. I was
working in small clinics run
by the Catholic Churchthese
healthcare workers are totally
committed.
They are anxious for their
own safety, but they are doing
the best they can to keep safe
and they know that if they do
not show up, nobody else will,
so their commitment was really
unbelievable and very heartwarming.
According to the WHO, up
to Nov. 2 there had been 4,818
deaths from the Ebola outbreak,
and more than 13,500 cases.
Next to Liberia, the worse
affected countries are its neighbors Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Outside west Africa, Ebola cases
have been reported in Spain, the
US, Germany, Norway, France,
and the UK. (CNA)

Archbishop decries Jerusalem car attacks:

We are acting like savages

Archbishop: Nigeria must

find political will to stop
Islamist militants

Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes for a 12-yearold Italian boy who died late 1970s as well as seven other
men and women, recognizing all for their heroic virtue.
The Pope authorized the Congregation for the Causes of
the Saints to declare the eight laypersons, priests, and
religious including young Silvio Dissegna as venerable. The move was announced Nov. 7 during an audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato, head of the cause for
saints congregation. Born Jul. 1, 1967 in the Turin province
of Moncalieri, Italy, Dissegna was diagnosed with bone
cancer early 1978. According to the website dedicated to
his cause, www.silviodissegna.org, he spent his illness in
prayer, and exhibited a strong devotion to the Rosary. He
also offered his sufferings up for the Pope, missionaries,
the conversion of sinners, among other intentions. He died
on Sep. 24, 1979 in Poirino, Italy. (CNA)

CNA

ROME, Italy, Nov. 7, 2014

Caritas officials have urged that
in facing the Ebola outbreak in
west Africa, efforts should be
focused on keeping Catholic
clinics open because they are
the best-equipped in the region.
Many hospitals in Liberia, the
nation most affected by the virus,
have closed. Tony Banbury, head
of the UN mission fighting the
virus in west Africa, told the BBC
this week his organization lacks
the resources needed to defeat it.
Because of the closing of
many clinics, there is more risk
of dying by a car accident than
by Ebola, Msgr. Robert Vitillo,
Caritas Internationalis advisor
for health, told CNA Nov. 4.
Msgr. Vitillo spoke at a meeting sponsored by Caritas, during which those involved in the
response to the Ebola outbreak in
west Africa met at the Vatican in
order to coordinate their efforts,
share best practices, and begin
planning the post-epidemic
recovery.
In this process, Catholic hospitals can play a crucial role,
though they have been strongly
hit by the epidemic.
In Liberia, 14 out of 16 clinics of the Church have been
preserved, but many clinics
owned by the government or by
other organization in the area are
closed; and this increases the risk
of an infection, underscored
Msgr. Vitillo.
The Caritas health advisor
mentioned the case of the St.
Joseph Hospital of Monrovia, the
Liberian capital.
Founded in the 1960s, St.
Josephs was the oldest continuously operating hospital in the
country. It stayed open through-

CBCP Monitor

have claimed responsibility for the attack,

calling it a heroic act, and referring to the
driver, who was killed by police, as a martyr.
These latest car attacks fall just two months
after Israel and Palestine established a longterm ceasefire after 50 days of bombing in the
Gaza Strip, which left more than 2,200 people
dead, most of them Palestinians.
Amid the continuing violence, Archbishop
Zerey called on those who have power to
use it in order to save the others, respect the
others, to give human rights to everybody;
human rights (and) love.
He referred to current violent conflicts
happening not only in Jerusalem, but all over
the world, saying that everyone must learn
to respect each other, rather than persecute
one another because they think or believe
differently.
My Christian faith makes me respect the
other and love the other, do the best for the
other. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ came
and gave his life for us, so we can convert and
love the other whatever he is, whether hes a
Jew, a Muslim or any other religion. We have
to respect each other and love each other.
The archbishop explained that he cannot
accept what is happening, and called on
citizens and government leaders worldwide
to work toward building peace and respect
for others, regardless of their faith or religious
convictions.
I have to respect him, respect his human
rights, but also to help the other, whatever he
is, to live in his human dignity. (CNA)

Indonesian bishops new Church

models for mission and ministry
J A K A RTA , I n d o n e s i a , N o v. 6 ,
2014The annual meeting of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of Indonesia (KWI), currently underway
in Jakarta from 1 to 13 November,
brought together all of the countrys
37 bishops to discuss new Church
models in Indonesia to propose
in their respective dioceses. Theologians and lay people, two nuns and
a Muslim scholar are also among the
participants.
During a preliminary three-day
workshop, theologians and prelates focused on the renewed commitment to the pastoral and social
care for the weakest sections of the
population, like people living with
HIV-AIDS in remote areas of Papua,
single mothers, women victims of
sexual violence, the poor and the
marginalized.
The bishops are challenged to
show greater sensitivity on sensitive
social issues of major importance
i n m o d e r n s o c i e t y, F r K a m i l u s
Pantus told AsiaNews. In his view,
following Pope Francis lead, priests
are also called to leave their comfort zone and become active and
involved in the affairs of society.
The seminar saw the participation
of a Jesuit priest (Fr Krispurwana

Cahyadi), a diocesan priest (Fr

Pantus), a Franciscan monk and
teacher (Fr Eddy Kristianto), two
nuns (Sisters Sesilia Widiastari CB
and Tasiana Eny) and an expert
in Islamic law (Achmad Fedyani
Saifudin).
The latter talked about the peculiarities of Indonesia, a nation
founded on the principle of unity
in diversity as outlined in the Constitution and the idea of Pancasila.
This cultural richness should not
be eliminated but should instead be
politically preserved.
In his speech, Fr Eddy Kristianto
explained the position of the Church
on the subject of mission, from Paul
VI and John Paul II to Pope Francis
Evangelii Gaudium.
Sister Sesilia Widiastari focused
instead on the difficulties and hopes
in working daily with people with
HIV/AIDS in Papua, whilst Sister
Tasiana talked about the victims of
violence, single mothers and other
categories of women at risk.
For Fr Pantus, starting with
the question What new model of
Church will be proposed, Indonesian bishops will discuss the new
mission model proposed by the
Argentine Pope. (AsiaNews)

After six years serving as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal

of the Apostolic Signatura, Cardinal Raymond Burke
has been appointed as Patron of the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta. Cardinal Burke, 66, confirmed publicly
in October that Pope Francis informed him of the move.
The American prelate was appointed as chief justice of the
Catholic Churchs highest court in 2008 by Benedict XVI.
Previously, he headed the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Mo.
and the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis. The Order of Malta is
a lay religious order dedicated to offering humanitarian
assistance and medical and social services to the needy.
It was founded in the 11th century to care for pilgrims to
the Holy Land, today it has more than 13,500 members
worldwide. They are supported by tens of thousands of
volunteers. As patron of the Order, Cardinal Burke will
be tasked with caring for their spiritual interests. (CNA)

Economy secretariat advances financial

transparency at the Vatican

The Vaticans new financial management policies focused

on accountability are described in a handbook delivered
by the Secretariat for the Economy last week, an internal
bulletin of the secretariat announced on Wednesday.
Having sound and consistent financial management
practices and reporting helps provide a clear framework
of accountability for all those entrusted with the resources
of the Church, said Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the
Secretariat for the Economy, according to the Nov. 5 bulletin. The new policies will come into effect Jan. 1, 2015. In
the run-up, the Secretariat for the Economy will provide
training and support to Vatican and Holy See offices to
help implement the new policies. The manual on the new
policies was endorsed by the Council for the Economy, and
approved by Pope Francis. Its delivery was accompanied
with a leader bearing headings from both the Secretariat
and the Council for the Economy. (CNA)

Pope urges religious to wage war on terrorism

of gossip

Religious orders and communities must combat the terrorism of gossip, which is even worse than an occasional
physical confrontation, said Pope Francis, a former Jesuit
provincial in Argentina. Meeting Nov. 7 with Italys superiors
of mens orders, which combined have a total of nearly 19,000
members, the pope said the way members of religious orders live should attract people to Christ and the church, and
should be a model for other Catholics of creating harmony
among a varied group of people thrown together by a common call. Please, he told the superiors, dont let the terrorism of gossip exist among you. Throw it out. Let there be
fraternity. And if you have something against your brother,
tell him to his face. Sometimes it might end in fisticuffs, he
said, causing the superiors to laugh. Thats not a problem.
Its always better than the terrorism of gossip. (CNS)

Pope says annulment process should be cheaper

and more efficient

Pope Francis said the churchs marriage annulment process should be more efficient and perhaps even free of
charge, and he decried any attempts to exploit it for profit.
Some procedures are so long and so burdensome, they
dont favor (justice), and people give up, the pope said.
Mother church should do justice and say: Yes, its true,
your marriage is null. No, your marriage is valid. But justice means saying so. That way, they can move on without
this doubt, this darkness in their soul. The pope made his
remarks Nov. 5, in a meeting with diocesan officials and
canon lawyers enrolled in a course offered by the Roman
Rota, the Vatican tribunal primarily responsible for hearing requests for marriage annulments. Pope Francis said
participants at the Oct. 5-19 Synod of Bishops on the family had expressed a desire to streamline the process of
judging requests for annulments, and he noted that he had
recently established a special commission to do so. (CNS)

Pope confirms retirement age of 75 for bishops,

including in Curia

While all bishops offer to resign at age 75, those who are not
cardinals and are working in the Roman Curia--including
as presidents of pontifical councils--automatically end their
service on their 75th birthdays, said a new document from
Pope Francis. The ministry of a bishop in a diocese or in
the Roman Curia requires a total commitment of energy,
and anything -- including age -- that decreases the ability
to dedicate oneself fully to serving the church and the
faithful is a valid reason for offering to retire, said the brief
new document, released by the Vatican Nov. 5. The text of
dispositions regarding the resignation of diocesan bishops
and holders of offices of pontifical nomination was signed
by Pope Francis Nov. 3 and was to take effect Nov. 5. Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, a Vatican spokesman, said
there was nothing truly new in the document, but it is a
strong re-proposal of existing norms. (CNS)

Pope urges prayer, international action to fight

Ebola virus

Pope Francis pleaded for the international community to

take stronger, coordinated steps to annihilate the Ebola virus and help the millions of people impacted by the disease.
As the Ebola virus epidemic worsens, I want to express
my deep concern for this relentless illness that is spreading
particularly on the African continent and especially among
populations that are already disadvantaged, the pope said
Oct. 29 at the end of his weekly general audience. Pope
Francis offered his prayers and solidarity with the sick, as
well as with the doctors, nurses, volunteers, religious orders
and humanitarian agencies working heroically to help
our sick brothers and sisters. I ask you to pray for them
and for all who have lost their lives, the pope said. (CNS)

News Features

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

Pope Francis reaches

out to schismatic Old
Catholic Church
VATICAN City, Nov 1, 2014Despite
continuing theological, ethical and
ministerial differences between the Roman Catholic Church and the schismatic
Old Catholic Conference, the two communions can continue to work together,
Pope Francis counseled on Thursday.
The theological and ecclesiological
questions that arose during our separation are now more difficult to overcome
due to the increasing distance between
us on matters of ministry and ethical discernment, lamented Pope Francis in an
Oct. 30 address to the Old Catholic Bishops Conference of the Union of Utrecht.
However, the two Churches can
continue to dialogue and cooperate in
order to address spiritual crises in the
world. In the meantime, in the heart
of Europe, which is so confused about
its own identity and vocation, there are
many areas in which Catholics and Old
Catholics can collaborate in meeting the
profound spiritual crisis affecting individuals and societies, the Pope said.
The Old Catholic Church is a group
of Churches that separated from com-

munion with the Catholic Church over

the question of papal authority.
After the First Vatican Council,
bishops in parts of Austria, Germany,
and Switzerland formed a communion
of Churches, later claiming apostolic
succession from the Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht, in the Netherlands,
who ordained the groups first bishop.
In the early 20th century the Union
of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches
was recognized as being in full communion with the Anglican Communion. The communion accepts doctrine formed before the Great Schism
in 1054 and the first seven ecumenical
councils, but rejects communion with
the Pope and other doctrines and
practices of the Catholic Church.
In 2009, the International Roman
Catholic-Old Catholic Dialogue Commission produced a report detailing the
two Churches understandings of ecclesiology, the role of the Bishop of Rome,
fundamental points of agreement, and
remaining open questions.
The Oct. 30 meeting, whose Old Cath-

olic members were led by Archbishop

Joris Vercammen of Utrecht, president
of the International Old Catholic Bishops Conference, is the latest in a continuing attempt at ecumenical dialogue
between the Old Catholic Church and
the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Francis explained that since
the Second Vatican Council it has
been possible to build new bridges of a
more profound mutual understanding
and practical co-operation, between
the Old Catholic communion and the
Catholic Church.
This dialogue has led to a better identification of the differences between the
two Churches, but it has also lead to the
realization that in the course of time
new disagreements between us have
emerged, Pope Francis continued.
He suggested that the two communions can support and encourage
one another, especially at the level of
parishes and local communities, in
helping address the spiritual difficulties
facing the continent. (Adelaide Mena/
CNA/EWTN News)

National Day of Prayer marks first anniversary

of Typhoon Haiyan
VATICAN CITY, November
1, 2014Thousands of people in the Philippines gathered on Saturday for Masses
held throughout the country
to remember the victims of
Typhoon Haiyan.
November 8 marks the first
anniversary of the natural
disaster, which killed more
than 7,000 people and destroyed about 500,000 homes.
In an effort to accompany
the people in their remembrance and in the challenges
they face in the ongoing
reconstruction, the Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines called for a
National Day of Prayer on
Saturday. They also issued a
prayer for families affected
by the typhoon. In a gesture
of solidarity, all the church
bells in the Philippines rang

at 6 p.m., local time.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, media officer for the
Filipino bishops, said the
reconstruction this past year
has been difficult because
of the extent of the damage.
Despite so much effort,
we have not achieved even
65 per cent of the reconstruction, he stated.
Msgr. Quitorio acknowledged the important role the
Church has taken on in the
reconstruction.
The Church has been at
the forefront of the work, he
said. I would not be wrong
if I say the biggest help in the
reconstruction has been done
by the Church and Churchrelated organizations.
He noted the significant
contribution of Catholic Relief

Services and the numerous

members of the Caritas Internationalis network worldwide. Most of the work has
focused on building houses
and giving them livelihoods.
The Church is also accompanying the people in their
grief and in their process
toward healing, he said.
Following the example of
Pope Francis, he said, we
make a priority the lives of
the people before we can
reconstruct our own convents and our own churches.
Our chapels have not been
reconstructed. People are
holding their Masses in tents,
makeshift chapels, where
thousands of people gather
on Sunday.
Saturdays National Day
of Prayer is a way for the
Filipino people to also give

thanks for the blessings and

graces they have received
since the disaster.
Now we realize that nothing can destroy our faith, not
even the super typhoon,
he said.
Msgr. Quitorio expressed
thanks on behalf of the people affected by the typhoon
to the international community for its assistance.
It has been a whole year
of pain, a whole year of transformation, a whole year of
faith, he said.
He also expressed gratitude for Pope Francis upcoming trip to the Philippines in January. Msgr. Quitorio said the Pope will meet
with the poor and speak with
them during his time in the
island-nation. (Vatican Radio
/ Laura Ieraci)

A3

Dont be bad Christians,

people may think atheism
is better, pope says

Vatican City - October 29, 2014: Pope Francis greets pilgrims in St. Peters Square before the Wednesday
general audience on Oct. 29, 2014. CNA

VATICAN CITY, Oct 29, 2014 The way

Christians behave can either help and
inspire others, or turn them away from
ever following Jesus, Pope Francis said.
How many times weve heard in our
neighborhoods, Oh that person over
there always goes to church, but he
badmouths everyone, skins them alive.
What a bad example to badmouth other
people. This is not Christian, the pope
said at his weekly general audience in
St. Peters Square Oct. 29.
Causing scandal and being a bad
example turn people off, making them
think, Hey, if that is being Christian,
Ill be an atheist. Thats because our
witness is what makes people see what
it is to be a Christian, he said.
But the churchthe body of Jesusis
also bigger than that because it is made
up of the countless men and women
who are baptized and who believe,
hope and love, as well as offer relief,
comfort and peace in the Lords name,
the pope said.
The visible reality of the church is
not measureable, it cannot be known
in its entirety, he said, because of all
the hidden works of charity and unsung heroic deeds, including within
families with spouses being faithful to
one another, working hard to raise their
children in the faith or with the sick who
offer up their suffering to God.
You cant measure this. Its so great,
so great, he said.
But the church also has a spiritual
dimension, the pope said. And the only
way to understand how the visible and
the spiritual work together in the church
is to look to Christ, who was both human and divine.
Just as Christs humanity served
his divine mission of redemption and

salvation, the church too must use its

visible dimensions to serve the spiritual,
he said.
The visible sacraments and the visible
witness to Christ through serving others are how the church proclaims and
brings Gods love to everyone, he said.
The church is called every day to
be close to every person, beginning
with the one who is poor, the one who
suffers and who is marginalized, so as
to continue to let everyone experience
the compassionate and merciful gaze of
Jesus, he said.
Christ is the model, the model of the
church because the church is his body,
and he is the model for all Christians,
every one of us, Pope Francis said.
By looking to Christ, you cannot go
wrong.
However, he said, people are fragile
and limited. We are all sinners, all of
us, he said, asking his audience to give
a show of hands of those who believe
themselves free of sin.
Lets see, how many hands? You
cant, because we are all sinners, he
said.
While sin and human weakness can
create scandal and plenty of bad
examples in the church, God also lets
people grow in holiness, he said.
Let us ask then for the gift of faith so
we can understand howdespite our
insufficiencies and our deficienciesthe
Lord truly has made us instruments of
grace and a visible sign of his love for
all of humanity.
Yes, we can become a source of
scandal, he said, but we can also
become a source of witness, to be witnesses of what Jesus wants us to do
by what we say with our life. (Carol
Glatz/CNS)

More dialogue between PH, OFW host countries

needed Tagle
Popes Who am I to judge?
misquoted by LGBTex-gay
MANILA, Nov. 1, 2014Often seen
as a threat, Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFWs) would benefit from more highlevel dialogue between the Philippines
and their host countries.
The Church may organize migrant
communities to convince their host
countries that these diaspora communities could be assets and never threats to
recipient countries, Manila Archbishop
Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said during
a press briefing on Oct. 30.
OFWs rights
Asked about possible Church programs for OFWs, Tagle said there are
some indications the Church will facilitate these dialogues among countries to
further protect migrant workers rights
and assure them of just wages.
According to him, countries where
Filipino communities flourish need to
see the unique contributions of OFWs
in their societies.

The Catholic Church is also concerned

with the growing phenomenon where
single parents are on the rise not because
of irreconcilable differences between
husbands and wives, Tagle explained,
but because of migration.
Couples separate not because of misunderstanding, but because of love, he
added. Either the husband or the wife
would find a job abroad to send their
children to school.
Tagle added there is also a need for
deeper pastoral care for Filipinos overseas and their families back home.

Thinking of families back home

He recalled attending a forum organized by the Pontifico Collegio Filippino
in Rome during his recent trip to Italy
for the Synod on the Family where a
number of the OFWs who attended
wept while talking about their families
back home.
Tagle quoted one of them saying If

not only because of povery, I would not

have left my spouse and children in the
Philippines.
He said several of them admitted
thinking of their love ones almost all
the time, even while working.
The 57-year old prelate recounted
how a Filipina working as babysitter
could not but help think of her children
while feeding her wards, wondering,
Who is feeding my own children back
home?.
However, she would later on realize that her wards are her children as
well, Tagle said.
This, for me, is the Paschal mystery,
he added.
The cardinal also shared how he
has been traumatized by airports
as he gets to meet mothers glued to
their mobile phones as if assuring
their young children that everything
will be alright. (CBCP News/Melo
Acua)

Tell God you want to be a saint prelate to faithful

NAGA City, Nov. 6, 2014
Ask and it will be given to
you is a well-known Bible
that also apparently applies
to pursuing everyday holiness. According to a prelate,
the faithful should be more
vocal to God about their
desire for sainthood.
Man is invited to become
a saint; but God wants him
to speak [the desire out]
loud and from the heart,
said Caceres Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona at Mass he
celebrated for the departed
clergy of Caceres on Nov. 1,
All Saints Day, at the Resurrection Garden Chapel of the
Holy Rosary Major Seminary
in Naga City.
Modern forgetfulness
However, according to the
Caceres prelate, One of the
greatest sins we have today
is forgetfulness. We forget
that we are sealed by God.
Tirona added that priests,
too, at times, forget that they
must provide light and di-

rection to the faithful, not

darkness and hindrances.
According to Tirona, one
antidote to forgetfulness is
ardent longing.
A constant, vocal desire to
be with Jesus, he explained,
will fuel ones passion in his
pilgrimage to the Kingdom
of God.
The invitation to be
Christ-like is so strong and
powerful in the Gospel that
it leaves no space for compromise, shallowness and
mediocrity, Tirona said.
He emphasized the Cross
and how Christs disciples
should be ready to suffer in
the name of Christ.
Through the Cross
There is no other way
[other than the Cross] to
the Kingdom of the Father,
Tirona added.
The saints serve as our
reminder that if we stay
close [to Jesus] and rest in
Him, we shall also shine the
light of Christ, he explained.

Caceres Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona. Natalie Hazel Quimlat

For Tirona, the saints are

those who have embraced
the Beatitudes and have lived
in Christ.
The Beatitudes unlock the
door that Jesus opened for us.
It is the way to sanctification
but it is not the way of the
world for it is the very life of
Jesus Christ, he said.
According to Tirona, the
goal of mans life is to partake in the eternal joy of
Gods Kingship.
However, to enter the

Kingdom of God, one must

be like the saints an embodiment of the Beatitudes,
by insert[ing] oneself into
the person of Jesus, he
added.
In closing, the prelate
prayed for strength, conversion and transformation for
the community.
Tirona noted, Ultimately,
our celebration today is a
celebration of the goodness
of the mercy of Gods love.
(Natalie Hazel Quimlat)

QUEZON City, Nov. 6, 2014A former

gay man laments that some LGBT rights
advocates have taken Pope Francis now
famous, rhetorical question to mean the
opposite of its intentionthat the Holy
Father has become more relaxed on the
issue of homosexuality.
Ansel Beluso, a Catholic media practitioner actively involved in Couples for Christ
Foundation for Family and Life, shares
in a Facebook post that gay activists tend
to quote the controversial papal sentence,
If a person is gay, and searches for God
and has good will, who am I to judge?,
without understanding its full import.
Authentic searching
When a person searches for God, he
acknowledges his sinfulness; and the
reason he searches for God is because
he desires healing and liberation from
his sinfulness. If the gay person does
not acknowledge his sinfulness, his
searching for God cannot possibly be
authentic, he explained.
According to Beluso, LGBT advocates
have simplistically interpreted the
popes statement to mean: If a person
is gay, who am I to judge?
Beluso stresses the two qualifiers are
crucial in understanding the essence of the
popes message as they define the kind of
gay person he was referring to when he
rhetorically asked, Who am I to judge?
Why will one search for God if he
believes he is sinless and, therefore, has
no need for forgiveness that results in
healing, liberationand redemption?
the Radio Veritas broadcaster asks.
Beluso points out that Pope Francis
referred to will, specifying it as good
will which differs from the compound
word goodwill.
When a person has good will, he
desires to do the Will of his Maker. This
desire flows from the thirst to be one
with God who created him in His divine
image and likeness. If a persons desire
is to live out the ways of the world and
thereby ignore the Way of the Lord, he
cannot possibly be proceeding from a
good will, he asserts.
Hope for gays
According to Beluso, when the Holy

Radio Veritas broadcaster Ansel Beluso. File photo

Father made the rhetorical question, he

had in mind homosexual people who
desire to change and be healed by
the Lord, not gays who not only live
out the sinful lifestyle unrepentantly
but propagate the gay agenda on the
world and impose their immorality
on others.
To homosexuals who see nothing
wrong with the lifestyle they pursue
I just hope you can also find it in you
to similarly respect the choice and
decision of those who seek a different
patheven though, sadly, you disagree
with it, he declares.
To Christian homosexuals desiring
change, believe that God has sown deep
within you the seed of renewal and
restoration. There is hope. Believe you
can do it by the grace of the Lord. And
know that when you seek God with all
your heart, He Himself will give you the
grace to find Him, Beluso adds.
Pope Francis created a media frenzy
with his statement If a person is gay,
and searches for God and has good will,
who am I to judge? during an informal
press conference with Vatican reporters
aboard the papal plane following the
World Youth Day held in Rio de Janeiro
in July 2013.
Beluso, who initially joined Singles
for Christ, left the homosexual lifestyle
in the 1990s, following a spiritual conversion. He is now married to his wife,
Joyce, and has three children. (Raymond
A. Sebastin)

Opinion

A4

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

EDITORIAL

A more understanding, embracing Church

THE recently held Episcopal Synod--a fraternal meeting of
Bishops chosen from all over the Catholic world formally
summoned by the Pope in order to assist him in the exercise of
his Papal ministry--received a good amount of attention from
the general public primarily because of the amiable personal
traits and unique relational attributes of the good and kind
Pope Francis. While the Church is founded by Christ, she is
nevertheless governed by men of the cloth who are continuously
in need of guidance in their task of giving ministerial service
to all peoples all over the world in need and receptive thereof-not exclusively but especially those counted among her flock,
irrespective of their race, color and tongue.

By the way, sure, there are dear and endearing, blessed and even
saintly people in the Church--but there are also sinners in the fold.
These, too, have to be attended and cared for in the Church. Sure,
there are admirable and lovable individuals in the Church--but
there are also erring persons among her members. These, too,
have both the need and the right to be attended to and served by
the Church. The truth of the matter is that more than proclaiming
Saints, the Church is called and sent for the conversion of sinners.
Who compose the Church thus addressed and enjoined by the
Synod to be more understanding, comforting and embracing
of people who could have lost their sound moral value system,
who could have turned their back on God and instead come to
worship wealth, power, vice? The Church herein thus enjoined
by the Synod are the Laity (98%), the men and women Religious
(1%) and the Clergy (1%). Bonded together and working together,
they make a formidable people the world over, to make their
Church more understanding, comforting and embracing of
those who for one reason or another have distanced themselves
from the Church on account of their irregular living--keeping in
mind that the Church is established by Christ more for those who
sadly lost God in their earthly pilgrimage than those who have
and hold on to God on their way to the hereafter and beyond.

The Churchs teaching on social questions

THE Churchs teachings concerning contingent situations
are subject to new and further developments and can be open
to discussion, yet we cannot help but be concrete--without
presuming to enter into details--lest the great social principles
remain mere generalities which challenge no one. There is a
need to draw practical conclusions, so that they will have
greater impact on the complexities of current situations.
The Churchs pastors, taking into account the contributions of
the different sciences, have the right to offer opinions on all that
affects peoples lives, since the task of evangelization implies
and demands the integral promotion of each human being. It
is no longer possible to claim that religion should be restricted
to the private sphere and that it exists only to prepare souls for
heaven. We know that God wants his children to be happy in this
world too, even though they are called to fulfillment in eternity,
for he has created all things for our enjoyment (1 Tim 6:17),
the enjoyment of everyone. It follows that Christian conversion
demands reviewing especially those areas and aspects of life
related to the social order and the pursuit of the common good.
Consequently, no one can demand that religion should be
relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence
on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness
of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events
affecting society. Who would claim to lock up in a church and
silence the message of Saint Francis of Assisi or Blessed Teresa of
Calcutta? They themselves would have found this unacceptable.
An authentic faith--which is never comfortable or completely
personal--always involves a deep desire to change the world, to
transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it.
We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us,
and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its
tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths
and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us
are brothers and sisters. If indeed the just ordering of society
and of the state is a central responsibility of politics, the Church
cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for
justice. All Christians, their pastors included, are called to show
concern for the building of a better world. This is essential,
for the Churchs social thought is primarily positive: it offers
proposals, it works for change and in this sense it constantly
points to the hope born of the loving heart of Jesus Christ. At
the same time, it unites its own commitment to that made in
the social field by other Churches and Ecclesial Communities,
whether at the level of doctrinal reflection or at the practical level.
--Evangelii Gaudium, #182-183, 2013

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The said Synod was pastoral in intent and finality, fraternal in

spirit and vision. It was meant for service to people--not in terms
of official doctrinal pronouncements, but rather in form of practical
observances that are definitely not intended to censure but to embrace
instead those veering away from her teachings, and possibly even
leaving her fold. In other words, the Synod is intended to make the
Church inclusive not exclusive, embracing not alienating, gathering
not driving people away. In line with the vision and mission of the
Holy Father himself, the Synod wants and envisions a Church that
is kind not cruel, that is compassionate not ruthless. The Synod is
envisioned to proclaim and affirm a Church that is wherefore more
understanding, comforting, and embracing of people in general.
Why? Because the Church is well aware of two basic over-all
Commandments: Love God, and Love your neighbor--neither
one nor the other but both of them inseparably together.

Gender identity and

difficulty
HOMOSEXUALITY is no longer an acceptable word on account of its negative
connotations if not insulting implications.
The truth is that updated behavioral sciences have in effect done away with the
term. Much less acceptable are such phrases
as Sexual Anomaly, Sexual Disorder, and
the like. The phrases are insulting, to say
the least. The phrase Same Sex Attraction
is neither consoling to hear nor inspiring to
talk about. And there is now the well-known
LGBT or LGBTS, the meaning of each
initial is neither that considerate nor respectful--although the said group abbreviation
appears acceptable to those concerned as of
the moment.
Hence the emergence of the above-cited
phrase: Gender Identity Difficulty. Among
other things: It uses gender and wherefore
does away with the term sexual which to
some, if not many people, sounds rather base
or demeaning. It points out the key issue in
the phenomenon, which is in the realm of

and thats the truth

baduy but she gets her way
because Fr. Trek supports her,
even against his better judgment.
They are sure theres nothing romantic between the two
because shes old enough to
be his grandmother; rather,
they add: We understand that
Maam Matrona donates a lot
a lotto the parish projects,
we appreciate that, but we also
wish she wouldnt donate so
much to Fr. Trek. Every time
she comes back from abroad
theres always a pasalubong
for him from Ferragamo, Bally,
Florsheim. Its hard to just
laugh it off, they say, because
the obvious bond between the
twoyung pagkakampihan ng
maglolang iyanaffects their
efficiency and tends to turn off
competent parishioners whose
talents could really improve
things in the parish.
In another parish, Fr. Pol is
known for his often sour disposition. Hindi naman siya
masama, sumpungin lang, (Hes

Fidelity and
the changing world
WE need to understand that fidelity to any
commitmentwhether to marriage and
family, or a company, or an organization, and
especially to a charism and vocationhas
to contend with the obvious fact of life that
there is also change.
Life is in a constant flux, and our sense of
fidelity and commitment should know how
to cope with this reality without getting lost.
Fidelity should not just be a matter of blind
adherence to certain principles and promises. It has to be understood in a dynamic
way that requires constant vigilance and
monitoring of new developments, a continuing process of renewal and purification, of
adjusting and adapting, of loosening certain
things while tightening the essentials.
Of course, when we talk about fidelity we
refer primarily to something that should not
change. We should be very clear about what
would comprise as essential and necessary
in any commitment, and what would simply
be incidental. The former should be held
permanently no matter what, while the latter
may or even should change.

Views and Points

identity not of the person concerned but

about his or her socio-affective constitution.
It brings to fore the difficulty felt and at
times even suffered by the individuals concerned whom a good number of men and
women look upon with curiosity, if not with
ridicule even. In other words, the phrase
Gender Identity Difficulty emphasizes the
big probability, if not downright certainty
that the persons concerned are not exactly
happy, much less are they actually celebrating their predicament.
Question: What exactly causes the said Difficulty, which, in effect, seems to afflict more
and more individuals in the course of time?
Answer: Many are the causes invoked none
of which however is altogether satisfactory,
much less certain although individual, as well
as, group efforts are being exerted in favor of
its attenuation, if not complete neutralization.
Some of the usual causes invoked for the
emergence of the Difficulty are the following-none of which is that certain: Family Blood-

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

IN his reflection on the priesthood at Casa Marta last January,

Pope Francis cautioned priests
against becoming smarmy.
Now that sounds like something
British teenagers say all the time,
but given his style and personality, the pope couldnt have chosen a more precise word, because
smarmy means ingratiating
and wheedling in a way that
is perceived as insincere or excessive. Tell me if smarmy
applies to the following priests
(whose identities we will hide
under fictitious names):
His most available parishioners claim that Fr. Trek is okay
except for one weaknesshe is
under the saya of a rich matron
in our parish. They note that
he is normally easy to get along
with until conflicts arise, in the
parish council, for example.
View points and personalities
clash but fair or unfair, rain or
shine, the rich matron prevails.
Her ideas may not be the best,
they may even be corny or

Oscar. V. Cruz, DD

line, Parenting Dysfunction, Parental Deficit,

Environmental Background, Contraceptive
Blood Leftovers, Food Hormones, Peer Influence,
Bullying/Browbeating, Sadistic Experience, and
other cause which though indirectly are, by
and large, already included in one or the
other aforementioned presumed causes.
This simply means that behavioral experts
the world over are still in the dark about the
many particulars of the Difficulty.
The following observations are in order.
One, those with the Difficulty did not really
choose to be thus burdened. Two, they are
neither necessarily happy nor jubilant for
having the Difficulty. Three, those already
with the Difficulty are at times even ridiculed
and looked down upon by other people.
Four, more often than not, they have their
special talents in different agenda for the
good and welfare of society. Five, the truth is
that it is those without the difficulty who are
the authors of gross actions and misbehavior,
mortal vice and flagrant evil in society.

The priests, 2
not really bad, hes just moody),
parish leaders say, pag may
sumpong, hindi mo malapitan,
kahit kailangang-kailangan mo
na ang pirma niya, matatakot
ka kasi parang bulldog sa bangis
(When hes in a bad mood, hes
unapproachable, even though
you need his signature badly
you keep distance because hes
as ferocious as a bulldog).
Fr. Pols parishioners have
learned to tolerate certain delays in parish procedures due
to his moods, which they see as
some kind of chronic illness, but
Nagtataka lang kami, bakit pag
ang kausap niya ay si Mayor o si
Gob, nagagamot ang sumpong
niya? (We just cant help wondering why he seems cured of his
moods when hes dealing with
the mayor or the governor).
Pope Francis further said last
January, And how damaging to
the Church are smarmy priests!
Those who put their strength in
artificial things, in vanity, in an
attitude... in a cutesy language...

But how often do we hear it said

with sorrow: This is a butterflypriest, because they are always
vain... [This kind of priest, even
though anointed] does not have
a relationship with Jesus Christ!
He has lost the unction: he is
smarmy.
Instead of smarmy, however, squirmy is what the following incident made me feel.
One day I was invited to dinner
at an institution where many
priests reside. After dinner
which was sumptuous by any
standardwe all went to something like a recreation room, with
tables and chairs and a huge TV
set. Oh, I gleefully thought to
myself, were going to watch a
movie! But before I could ask
what movie that was, the priest
setting up the system started to
test the mic. Ah, so...its singalong time, its a videoke room!

Some priests came in
with plates of hot dogs and
drinks both soft and hard. And
And Thats The Truth / A5

Fr. Roy Cimagala

Candidly Speaking

Even in the matter of fidelity and commitment to a certain charism, we have to be

most discerning about what is essential in
it and what is not. Thats because no matter
how spiritual and supernatural it is, when
it impacts into our life, it cant help but be
received in human terms that always can
stand further deepening and purifying.
This is not to mention that later on, the
same commitment is understood, expressed
and lived in different ways, depending on all
kinds of circumstances, factors and conditions we are all subject to.
For example, the same charism may be
lived differently according to the different
cultures of the people involved, and other
factors like the social environment, historical background, not to mention, personal
circumstances, etc.
A charism in the 16th century, one that has
developed into a kind of structure through
the years, would look different now than
when it was first received. Its still the same
charism, but it certainly has assumed many
layers of conditionings that are supposed

to strengthen it, not weaken it. Fidelity to it

does not mean living it the way it was lived
in the 16th century.
For it to survive, any charism has to deal
always with the flowing changes of the
world. It should not be afraid of the world,
taken the way it is, warts and all, for it is there
where God is talking to them.
Otherwise, that charism can deteriorate
into an enclosed, introverted, pharisaical
system, detached from God who also speaks
to us through the things of the world, and
sooner and later would be saddled with
all sorts of legalisms, traditionalism and
bureaucracy, and even exuding a repulsive
holier-than-thou aura.
Theres a certain unity involved in being
faithful to a commitment, but a unity that is
not uniformity. Theres also a certain exclusivity involved in any commitment, but one
that that is open to the things of the world.
This distinction is crucial, and everything
should be done to make that distinction clear,
because it is very easy for us to confuse them.
Candidly Speaking / A7

Opinion

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc in Altum
THE Year of the Laity started on December
03, 2013, First Sunday of Advent, and is
about to close on November 23, 2014, the
Feast of the Solemnity of Christ the King.
With the theme Called to be Saints, Sent
Forth as Heroes, all the Archdiocesan and
Diocesan Councils of the Laity and Parish
Pastoral Councils, as well as different lay
organizations, took action to show their support for a successful Year of the Laity. They
Chose to Be Brave in doing what they are
supposed to do, to evangelize, to defend and
to stand firm in their Catholic faith.
Different sectors of the laity held their
respective activities with focus on: the
non-practicing and lapsed Catholics, the
young professionals, broken families, the
homeless and jobless, the homebound (sick,
handicapped, elderly), the fisher folks and
laborers, addicted friends, government employees, civic organizations, public school
teachers, the indigenous peoples, the lay
saints and Catholic, Filipino heroes.
Now more than ever, the laity learned that
they are co-responsible and collaborators of
the clergy in Church activities. The clergy
realized that the laity is empowered by the
Church to work hand in hand with them.
The closing event of the Year of the Laity
will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2014
at 8:00 oclock in the morning at St. Andrew
Cathedral, Paraaque City. Details will be
announced later. Everyone is invited to the
occasion, as sponsored by the Sangguniang
Laiko ng Pilipinas.

***
In response to the Year of the Laity, several
dioceses in the country celebrated Halloween not just for fun, as done in the past. If
before, children wore costumes of demons,
vampires, witches, zombies, etc., now children wore the costumes of their favorite
saints. Several parishes held their March of
Saints or Parade of Saints. Evil creatures
are no longer presented. Saints are portrayed
as the real heroes. May their tribe increase!
We need more saints sent as heroes. That is
the very purpose of designating November
1 as All Saints Day, to commemorate
Christians whom the Church believes are in
heaven. It is hope that children who dress
up as saints will imitate the saints virtues,
becoming themselves the new witnesses of
the faith for the future generation.

May the celebration of All Saints
Day in the future stop the pagan way of
wearing scary costumes, instead, let Halloween be highlighted by the lives of the saints.
***
One year had already passed since super
typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc on Central
Visayas. Millions of survivors still endure
brutal poverty; more than 7,350 people
died, several are still missing. Up to this day,
many victims still wait for decent homes to
live. These were what Yolanda had done as
it came in from the Pacific Ocean with the
strongest winds ever recorded in history,
with tsunami-like storm surges more than
two-storeys high.

Chiaroscuro
TEA Tea Teacher Anne?
the boy was clearly nervous to
ask the teacher something.
Yes, Clyde? What is it?
Is it okay to be afraid of my
shadow? His face suddenly
blushed with shame.
His classmates started to laugh
and tease him.
Class! Teacher Anne called
everyones attention.
The children obediently piped
down.
Lets all listen to Clyde, after
all we also have our own fears,
she explained.
Teacher Anne? Are you afraid
of spiders? Gabriella asked.
Yes, and especially the ones
with looong, thin, hairy legs!
Yuuuck! Gabriella squirmed
in her chair.
Me, tooo! Nirva rubbed her
goose-bumps-filled arm.
Okay, okay class. Lets all
now listen to Clyde first, Teacher Anne reminded them.
I Uhm Im scared coz
it always follows me. And its
creepy when it hides under my
feet
Yup, thats creeepy! A boy
also admitted his own fear of
shadows.
Clyde, Teacher Anne tried
to hide her giggle, you know
theres a story about a boy like
you who was scared of his shadow?
Really, Teacher Anne?
He prayed to Jesus, so that He
would take away his shadow.

What did Jesus say? Rubie

asked.
Jesus said that everything in
the world has a shadow. But He
said that shadows arent real.
They are only patches that lack
light, or parts that are not hit by
the suns light. Thus, whats real
is the suns light.
But did Jesus take his shadow
away? Clyde asked.
No, but He told the boy that
there was only one place where
there are no shadows: thats
Heaven! Because in Heaven,
Gods light passes through the
soul that has been cleansed of
all sin.
***
Perhaps, like Clyde we too can
fear the shadows of our life.
These are the shadows of our
defects, miseries and especially
our sins. And like the boy in the
story, we may fail to understand
that evil in the world is only the
absence of a due good.
The shadow of sin, sadly does
exist, and unlike the outline
of our own shadows they can
be really felt, seen, heard and
recalled. They also linger on for
years until we die. Their effects
even remain in those we have
been led to sin or weakened by
our bad example. And if one dies
without being sincerely sorry for
them, sin can forfeit the person of
eternal joy and peace which God
destined him to possess.
The cause of sin, however,
unlike shadows isnt the light of

Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, SThD

Along The Way

THERE are many Catholics who hold on to
the view that those who live in sin cannot receive Holy Communion. The phrase living
in sin is often exclusively associated with
couples living as husband and wife who are
not married in Church (including the civilly
married), those divorced and remarried,
those who are separated from their spouse
and now living-in with another partner.
These are the people who are not allowed
to receive Holy Communion.
What impression does this view give?
Only those who violate the 6th and the
9th commandment are considered living
in sin. Their sin excludes them from communion with Christ and the Church, the
body of Christ, thus they are not allowed
Holy Communion. Those guilty of murder,
theft, corruption, abortion, torture, lying
can receive Holy Communion. Of course,
they must first go to confession. Those
officially living in sin even if they go
to confession, still cannot receive Holy
Communion unless they live as brothers
and sisters.
The recent extraordinary synod has taken
the issue of whether those living in sin-referred to as those in irregular unions-can be allowed to receive Holy Communion.
The bishops were divided on this issue (the
proposal did not get the required 2/3 majority vote) and this will continue to be hotly
debated during the forthcoming Synod of
Bishops in 2015.
It seems to me that the term living in
sin is applied in a very narrow sense.

Closing the
Year of the Laity
Despite the loss of lives and damage to
properties experienced by the residents of
the area, their faith in God survived. They
never lost faith in the Lord. They need the
mercy and compassion of Pope Francis, as he
visits the victims in January 2015.
As many survivors lost family and friends,
their grieving will never end. Thousands are
expected to go to the mass graves. Let us
continue praying for the survivors and their
dead. Let us continue our support for them.
***
The clergy of the Diocese of Kalookan
will hold the LaYKo si Pads Concert on
November 14, 2014, Friday, 7:00pm at PICC
Plenary Hall, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. The proceeds will finance
the health care of its clergy. The concert is
also the tribute by the clergy to the laity, in
the Year of the Laity, who unceasingly and
devotedly are serving the Church. Tickets are
available in all parishes and schools of the
Diocese, and Curia office at phone number
(02) 288-9035.
***
I wish our sister Victoria Santiago and
sister-in-law Ma. Loreto Santiago, wife of
my brother Bobby, a very Happy Birthday.
I also greet Fr. Ildefonso De Guzman, Jr., Fr.
Mhandy Malijan, OP, Fr. Octavio Bartiana,
Fr. Luisito Alambra, Fr. Lauro Mozo,vMSC
and Fr. Rey Amante a very Happy Birthday.
Happy Sacerdotal Anniversary greetings to
Fr. Luisito Alambra, all from the Diocese of
Kalookan.

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

Whatever
Gods goodness and grace. It is
the result of the disoriented light
of intelligence and weakened
will within every person due
to original sin. These wounded
and darkened faculties can cause
man to disorderedly choose
self-centered goods that lead
him away from Gods light and
to neglect love for his neighbor.
The real tragedy in this, as
many would assume, isnt so
much that we commit sin. Rather, it is forgetting that the Light
of our Lords Resurrection has
banished all shadows caused
by original sin, the darkness of
death and the confusion sown
by the devil. This recalls the
words of St. Josemara There are
some who pass through life as
through a tunnel, without ever
understanding the splendor, the
security and the warmth of the
sun of faith. (The Way, no. 575)
Our Risen Lord invites us, as
He revealed to His own Apostles, to face His light rather than
his shadows and ultimately to
encounter the source of that
light: the compassionate and
loving Face of Jesus.
It is essential to realize that in
our spiritual battles, more than
trying to solve the problem of
sin we must strive more to encounter Christs Face, our Light.
Facing Jesus will undoubtedly
help us to know ourselves sins,
weaknesses, attachments, etc.
but this is only one feature of His
divine light.

Another aspect of our Lords

light is to show the path of virtue
and help us to grow in it. Imagine how ridiculous it would be
for someone to use a flashlight
in the dark and attempt to light
away all the shadows in a dark
room? This is sometimes the sad
caricature of our daily battles.
Christ doesnt shed His light
upon our soul to simply banish
the shadows. He wants us to
focus on what He is illuminating inside or outside us. He may
want a more refined faith, by our
loving and mindful fulfillment of
our pious practices. He may ask
for more hope in Him, by living
detachment from worldly securities or comforts. He may require
more charity by asking us to bear
some incomprehensible cross.
St. Josemara says: Our Christian vocation does not take us
away from our place in the
world, but it requires us to cast
aside anything that would get in
the way of Gods will. The light
that has just begun to shine is
only the beginning. We have to
follow it if we want it to shine
as a star, and then like the sun.
(Christ is Passing By, no. 55)
This is our life here on earth!
God in His love has already lit
our souls with His grace through
Baptism. It is now our task in life
to always trust in Him, so that
we may learn to see His light
through our shadows and we
shall one day be all light in His
presence.

Living in Sin

It gives an impression that the Church

is obsessed only with sexual sins and
harshly punishes them by excluding
them from Eucharistic communion-excommunication. What about those
who violated the other commandments?
Strictly speaking, the term living in sin
applies to most people--if not all--and not
just those in irregular unions. There are
may others who live in sin: criminals,
thieves, corrupt politicians and policemen, the greedy capitalists who destroy
the environment, those who engage in
violence, those who perpetuate an unjust
system. Sinners are not just those who
commit wrong-doing, they also include
those who are self-righteous, self-centered,
those who fail to love and care for others.
All of us, human beings, are sinners--we
all live in sin--and in need of Gods mercy.
If those who live in sin cannot receive
communion, how many can really receive
communion? Can those who preside at the
Eucharist receive communion? The clergy
are not immune to sin.
If Eucharistic communion is only for the
sinless, the perfect ones, then how many
are qualified to receive Holy Communion?
The Eucharist is a celebration of Christs real
presence in our midst Who invites all of us-including sinners--to be one with Him and
with the Christian community--His body. It
is a celebration and sign of our communion
with Him and with the Church. It is true that
our sinfulness can alienate and separate us
from Him, but it does not totally cut us off

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

By the Roadside
Mission as a movement
of standing by
IN the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus
makes it clear that mission is an
outward movement (the command to go rings through the
ages) geared at making disciples
of all nations (Mt 28:19-20). Concretely, though, it meant the apostles going first toward fellow Jews
and drawing them into making a
fellowship with the new Moses
and the new Solomon in Jesus,
the so-called Son of David.
That is to say, the ad gentes
phrase has a starting point: the
place and the unit of humanity
in which the messengers of the
Good News find themselves.
As a matter of fact, did not
Jesus see His own mission as
initially confined to the lost
sheep of Israel and only upon
having been spurned by his fellow Jews that he realized he was
also being sent to the Gentiles,
the other more diverse units of
the nations? But we are going
ahead of the Jesus mission story.
In any case, what do I mean
by mission as a standing by
instead of a going towards
the world?
First, it means that the going
towards must, first of all, be an
encounter with the recipients of
the Good News in the totality
of who and where they are. The
messenger(s) cannot proclaim
the Good News unless he knows
how best to present it to its recipients, an urgency that calls for an
encounter that cannot be skindeep. Lovers do not say I love
you to each other authentically
without first getting to know one
another. How can Gods love be
proclaimed to people we have
not truly encountered beyond the
level of clich and superficiality?
Second, mission as standing
by recognizes that mission is a
decision first by God to draw us
to Him out of love, which is why
He sent us His Son to be with
us where we are. The Eucharistic
Preface on Christmas Day speaks
this language of love when the
Child on the manger makes visible the God we cannot see. It is
also our decision as messengers
of the Good News to be a servant
to this divine extravagance. In
coming down to us and becoming human like us, God shows
Himself to be standing by us.
Third, mission as standing
by means that where we are
as recipients and proclaimers
of the Good News includes our
geography, our race, our culture,
our joys, our sufferings. For instance, the collective experience
of the clergy of the Diocese of
Borongan during and after super typhoon Yolanda has made
clear to us a deeper level of suffering in which to meet and get
to know our people. Although
looking like ordinary Catholics,
the hitherto unknown depths of
loss and devastation had transformed our people somehow
into a different unit of humanity
scarred by culture of shock and
impoverishment. They are most
in need of the Good News but

the Good News needs them, too,

to showcase its gifts: the restoration of the ability to listen again
to Gods love rather than to the
horrors of a runaway environment and a too imperfect government, both local and national.
Four, mission as standing
by sees that when a person
is in deep trauma or suffering
sometimes the best care or service we can extend is just to offer
our availability, to, as it were,
stand by his/her side, making
ourselves ready to respond to his
or her needs. One of the most
painful things I ever heard from
Yolanda survivors was the criticism about priests (especially in
Yolandas Ground Zero) not
being visible to simply tell them
they were not alone. I sometimes
respond to the bearers of this
complaint which, to me, was
essentially a cry for the Good
News of standing by: Maybe
your priest was also as traumatized as you were and did not
even know how to respond to
his own trauma. To them and
others, I pinpoint the disciples
who ran away when they saw
the tremendous suffering of
Jesus their Master. Some priests
also ran away upon seeing
the tremendous sufferings of
Yolanda survivors, unable to see
the face of the Master in them.
But let me say this, too: Many
more priests stood by their
flock (and still stand by them)
before, during and after Yolanda.
And yet, let us go back to the
matter of priests who did not
make visible the invisible God of
love. Did they commit a failure
of ministry? Well, did not the
disciples have the same failure
when they ran away from the
suffering Jesus? Rather than
condemn the pastors who failed
to pasture their sheep, let us remember, at times, they also need
to be pastored themselves.
Finally, Jesus Himself carried
out this mission when He stood
by the sinners and outcasts,
enduring with them the scorn
and condemnation of the selfrighteous (perhaps as vicious as
the winds and waves of Yolanda).
Jesus stood by the sick, the
infirm and the possessed, His
presence bringing the power of
healing, cure and liberation from
evil, which were signs of the inbreaking Kingdom of the Father.
By the way, Mama Mary did
likewise. Showing herself to be
the foremost disciple of her Son,
she stood by the suffering Savior hanging on the Cross. This is
the message of the Stabat Mater
hymn. Our experience as Yolanda
survivors tells us loudly that, like
her Son, she keeps standing by
us, bringing us the Good News of
her Son by her intercession and
caring love. That is, till we are on
our feet again and able to walk
by them to bring the same Good
News to others
So, if you decide to join the
Mission of Standing By, you are
in the best company.

And Thats The Truth / A4

from Him nor separate us from his love. He

continues to invite us to his Table and nourishes us in our journey through life.
We are all sinners called to be saints. All
our life is a journey and a perpetual struggle
to overcome sin and to become the best version of ourselves that the Lord wants us to
be. We fall and fail so many times, but the
Lord does not give up on us. Full of mercy
and compassion, He continues to seek us out
and welcome us into His Table-Fellowship
offering His friendship. This is what the
Church is called to be.
Christ condemned the Pharisees for making people feel that they were excluded from
Gods kingdom because they could not faithfully and rigorously fulfill the precepts of the
law. These were the self-righteous experts of
the law who were scandalized by Jesus for
eating with sinners and outcasts, the people
who called Him a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners. We
should not imitate the Pharisees.
The Church will not condone sin and
wrong-doing. The Church will remain faithful to her doctrines, including her teachings
on marriage and family life. We cannot expect the Church to approve of divorce or gay
marriage. The Church will continue to fulfill
her prophetic mission--denouncing evil and
the culture of death, announcing the Good
News and calling people to conversion. But
the Churchs pastoral care and compassion
will exclude no one--not even those who
have fallen and failed and those who feel
they are outside the flock.

faster than lightning the songs beganMy Way, Leaving on a Jet

Plane, Besame Muchowhile the images flashed on the screen
girls in bikinis. Blondes, red heads, brunettes, they strutted about,
draped themselves on velvet couches, bared their nubile bodies on
the beach, and popped their over-endowed breasts before the camera.
These bikini bombshells were the standard background visuals for
all the songs. All the songs! Even when a priest was belting out a
Beatles favoriteWhen I find myself in times of trouble Mother
Maaaary comes to me, speaking wooords of wisdom let it beeeee.
I observed the angles of the shots, the focusand concluded with
certainty that the cameramen who took these videos never suspected
there would be men with a vow of chastity among their audience.
I had thought long ago that due to my vast experience, nothing
could shock me anymore. That night I was proven wrong. Nothing
prepared me for that. Stunned but nonetheless concerned, I politely
asked my host, the superior of the house, Does this always happen?
You know these videoke picturesWith drinks and pulutan pa,
when we had just had a very rich dinner? Fr. Superior said matterof-factly but with a tinge of resignation in his voice, Yeah, yan ang
gusto nila eh! (Yeah, thats what they want). Really? Gosh, I told
him, I hope you choose people you invite to this! Not everybody
will understand you. He assured me he had believed I would
understand.
I did understand but I couldnt help being squirmish about it.
Being in a roomful of priests singing with their eyes on a screen
animated by those barely- clad Caucasian bodies, I was suddenly
reminded I was female. I had never before felt so uneasy being
female, because my gender never got in the way of my work.- In
the late 70s, many years before my hair turned gray, I crossed the
Atlantic on board an oil tanker with 43 seamen, interviewing them
and gathering data for two weeks, from New York to Rotterdam
and backnot one moment did I feel ill at ease about being the
only woman on board. But now, trapped by civility with a dozen
anointed men in a virtual videoke bar, I, a hardboiled journalist, was
absolutely stupefied. My only consolation was, it was a joy listening to the singing priests. In fairness, I must say ALL of them have
wonderful, recording-quality voices. (To be continued)

Local News

A6

CBCP official lauds Pinoys in

Ebola countries
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP)s Episcopal
Commission on Health Care (ECHC) is
all praises for Fr. Anthony Patrick Santianez and other overseas Filipinos like
him who, despite risks to their health
and lives, are actively involved in the
fight against the dreaded Ebola virus.
=In an interview over Church-run
Radyo Veritas, Fr. Dan Cancino, CBCPECHC executive secretary, expressed
his admiration for Filipino volunteers,
many of them missionary priests and
some laity, who have opted to remain
in their host countries to help contain
the killer virus.
What our fellow Filipinos abroad are
doing in a time of epidemic like this one
serves as a valuable inspiration to all of
us. It also shows that the Church will
always be the first to offer herself when
sick people need a caring hand, he said.
According to the priest, these Filipino
Ebola busters can be considered soldiers on a mission.
Besides looking after Ebola patients,
Cancino shared they are also engaged
in intensifying the campaign against
the virus.
Although the country remains Ebolafree, the CBCP-ECHC executive secre-

Fr. Anthony Patrick Santianez (center) is a Filipino missionary in Sierra Leone, a West African country, which
has a recorded total of 4, 862 Ebola cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
File photo

tary has called on the public to do their

part in helping to spread information
about the virus, particularly on how it
can be prevented.
The priest stressed cooperation among
the government, especially its health
agencies, the private sector as well as the
Church, is key to ensure that the virus

will not enter Philippine territory.

The latest data from the World Health
Organization (WHO) place the number
of Ebola fatalities at over 4,900.
The victims are mostly from the
West African countries of Sierra Leone,
Liberia, and Guinea. (Raymond A.
Sebastin)

Conflict / A1

after them Finishing them

all? I think that is not the solution because that will just
add more problems. I think
the government must act like
a mother that will look for
aid in order to win their trust
and confidence to the calls of
law, the bishop said.
In his recent interview over
Church-run Radyo Veritas,
the prelate said extreme poverty from which most people

in Mindanao suffer is at the

root of the conflict.
I have been in Basilan. Parang paulit-ulit na lang ang
pangyarari. [It seems things
happen all over again.] I
think the approach should
really be no longer through
guns. I ask the government to
really give more educational
and livelihood programs
to those areas, especially in
Sumisop, he added.

Instead of an armed response, Jumoad suggested

that government officials find
ways to assure the rebels that
Mindanaoans are not secondclass citizens, and that they
get educated and have the
means to support themselves
and their children.
The Philippine Star reported
earlier that six troopers, including a junior officer, were killed
Sunday, Nov. 2, in Basilan in

an ambush by members of the

Abu Sayyaf group (ASG).
Rear Admiral Reynaldo
Yoma, chief Task Group
Zambasulta, shared that the
team led by 2nd Lt. Jun Corpuz were on security patrol
when they came under attack
by 20 ASG militants around
7:30 a.m., Sunday at Sitio
Monpol, Barangay Libug,
Sumisop town. (Raymond A.
Sebastin)

Muslim / A1

Hja. Sarah Handang, principal of Lima

Elementary School in Barangay Baluno, a
mass wedding was solemnized on Oct. 23
to legitimize children who were formerly
unable to get birth certificates because
their parents were not legally married.
An advocate of interfaith harmony,
Handang said she felt satisfied and
fulfilled, knowing that after the mass
wedding, her students would finally
be able to get their birth certificates

processed.
Aside from organizing a Christian
wedding, Handang also lets Christian
catechists to teach religion at their
school every Tuesday and to have
Mass celebrated in the campus every
Thursday.
Despite being a practicing Muslim
in a predominantly Christian campus,
Handang, who wears a sulban everyday
for the last four years she held her post,

does not consider religion an obstacle

to peaceful and harmonious relations
with her students and the Christian
community of the barangay.
Despite being criticized by her fellow
Muslims, Handang continues to put her
interfaith harmony advocacy into action
saying, The Quran tells us to love our
fellowmen. What I am doing is one way
of showing love for my fellowmen.
(CBCP News)

Corruption / A1

LEADING up to the World

Day of Remembrance for
Road Traffic Victims on
Nov. 16, Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) president Archbishop
Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan blasts corrupt
workmanship behind substandard roads and infrastructure that have claimed
lives in freak accidents.
Is it not a fact that many
road-traffic victims lose life or
limb because of ill-constructed roads and highways, the
pathetic handiwork of corrupt workmanship? Have not
many drivers fallen off cliffs,
ridges and road shoulders,
because of inadequate road
signs, ill-lighted highways
and the criminal absence of
assistance that should come
from government functionaries tasked with road safety?
he asks in a recent statement.
Driving with charity
Villegas stresses that the

government should construct safe and reliable highways, rid of the wages of
corruption, and that maintenance be regular, thorough
and continuous.
According to the prelate,
the United Nations event
should not only be a time
of sentimental remembrance
of all who perished on our
highways, but also of firm
resolve that governments,
motorists, and pedestrians all
share in the responsibility of
keeping roads safe.
The head of the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan
also regrets that the Philippines seems to have more
enforcers looking out for
traffic violators than ones
on lonely stretches of highways, mountain passes, and
dangerous road turns ready
to render assistance to motorists in trouble.
He also reminds pedestrians to exercise prudence
when crossing highways,

adding that help should be

always available, especially
to the elderly and the mentally impaired.
The prelate advises motorists to drive with that
charity by which Christs disciples are to be distinguished,
pleading with the public to
see traffic-rules for what they
are: recognition of the rights
of others.
Lack of prudence
Villegas notes how Roadtraffic victims, whether motorists, unwary pedestrians,
or simple bystanders, are
often referred to as accident
victims given that accident
suggests an unfortunate
confluence of events about
which people are generally
helpless.
The truth of the matter though, is that most of
the time, road-traffic victims suffer because of lack
of prudence and a failure
of simple providence, the

egregious violation of traffic rules (such as those that

limit driving speeds) and
conduct that is not only
criminally actionable but
morally reprehensible, such
as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol,
the prelate explains.
If we ask God to make
all things work for the wellbeing of those who use our
highways, we also ask God
to instiLl responsibility, prudence and above all charity
on our all motorists, because
motorists are, in fact, the biggest threat on the highways,
Villegas adds.
If this be our resolve on
this day of remembrance,
then the words of the rite of
blessing will indeed come
true: In every place stay
close to your servants who
trust in You, and wherever
they go, be their leader and
their companion, he says.
(CBCPNews/Raymond A.
Sebastin)

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

2 Aeta grandmas train on

solar power engineering
TWO Aeta grandmothers from a Catholic ethnic community in Central Luzon
are undergoing a 6-month training on
solar power engineering in a school in
India for indigenous people.
Sharon Flores and Evelyn Clemente
from Subic, Zambales are currently preparing to become solar power engineers
at the Barefoot College in Rajasthan, said
Sr. Eva Fidela Maamo, Foundation of Our
Lady of Peace Mission, Inc. (FOLPMI).
They are studying the assembly, maintenance, and repair of solar units, together with about 50 women from poor
and powerless communities across the
globe, said Japhet E. Miano Kariuki,
Senior Consultant of OLLI Consulting
Group, Inc., a project collaborator.
Solar energy experts
The participants to the 6-month
training have not received any formal
education since birth, he said. But the
education they will obtain at the Barefoot College will make them specialists
in solar power engineering.
After graduating from the training in
March next year, Flores and Clemente
will be capable to help provide their
tribal community with electricity with
the sun as the source, Kariuki said.
Upon installation of the solar equipment, the ethnic village will need not
go through the power rate increases
imposed on residents in Metro Manila

and other parts of the country, he said.

The tribe will only need to replace
their solar cell battery every five years
or so.
Electricity for 100 homes
According to Kariuki, the program is
tapping companies to raise the Php 2.6
million needed to acquire solar equipment good for the 100 houses in the Aeta
community.
The Aeta Resettlement and Rehabilitation in sitio Gala, barangay Aningway
Sacatihan, in Subic currently has over
130 families, Maamo said.
Flores and Clemente are residents of
the resettlement, where the Aetas formerly living on the foot of Mt. Pinatubo
were relocated after its eruption in 1991,
she said.
The resettlement is being supervised
by FOLMPI, which aims to promote
total human development among the
Aetas, Maamo said.
To achieve this,the foundation built
a school for kindergarten, primary and
secondary students in the resettlement
area in 2004 in partnership with the
Department of Education.
Diwata, Philippine Mine Safety
and Environment Association, and
Land Rover Club of the Philippines
also worked together to send Flores
and Clemente to the Barefoot College.
(Oliver Samson)

Lifetime awardee Arevalo honored

at 36th CMMA
2014 JAIME Cardinal Sin Catholic
Lifetime Achievement Awardee
Fr. Catalino G. Arevalo, SJ. was
honored in a segment at the 36th
Catholic Mass Media awards night
held at the GSIS Financial Center
Theater, Pasay City on Oct. 29.
Arevalo, whom no less than the
late Jaime Cardinal Sin recognized
as the Dean of all Filipino Theologians, has written more than 9,000
pages of theological writing full
of insightful and in-depth studies
with an Asian emphasis. In 1997,
Sin awarded Arevalo with the Pro
Ecclesia et Pontifice award.
This is why Fr. Revs, as he is fondly called by students and friends
is considered the Father of Asian
Theology, not to mention The
Godfather of hundreds of priests.
More than his invaluable and
visionary contribution as a leading
theologian, it is his personal witness
as a man of God and his passion for
the Gospel that have won him the
award, Asian Catholic Communicators. Inc. (ACCI), an association of
Catholic media organizations in
the Philippines and Asia, said in a
press release.
The ACCI, which also congratulated other Jaime Cardinal Sin
Catholic Book awardees, lauded
Arevalos exemplary Catholic life
and apostolic zeal, noting how his
Christian values and ideals can be
seen both in his works and in his life.
The other awardees were: Fr.

Christian Buenafe, and Jesus Dacillo, PhD. et. al. for Best Book on
Ministry category entitled Spirit
Moves; Grace Nono for Best Book
on Spirituality for the book Song
of the Babaylan; Bo Sanchez for
Best Book
on Family Life, entitled The Old
Path of Loving Relationships; Alberto Agra for Best Book on Youth
and Children, Life as it should be;
a Citation plaque for Fr. Eugene Salgado Elivera and Fr. Joselito Alviar
Jose for Best Book on Theology with
their book, Morality of the Heart.
The 36th CMMA themed Communication at the Service of an
Authentic Culture of Encounter
emphasized Pope Franciss message
during the World Communications
Day on June 1.
The late Jaime Cardinal Sin established the Asian Catholic Communicators. Inc., (ACCI), which honors
authors and publishers yearly
through the Cardinal Sin Catholic
Book Awards night.
ACCI comprises the following
members: Paulines Publishing
House, Bayard Assumption Media
Foundation, Catholic Book Center ,
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. , Communication Foundation for Asia, Institute of Spirituality in Asia Jesuit Communications
Foundation Inc., Logos Publication,
Shepherds Voice Publications, St
Pauls and Word and Life. (CBCP
News)

Voice / A1

ics discussed in the Synod were divorce

and same sex unions. I assure you that
they were discussed, but those were not
the only concerns, he said.
Raising this observation, Tagle called
for equal representation by urging media
organizations in Asia to send their representatives to the Vatican, enabling them
to come up with a first-hand account of

events that transpired in the city.

I am appealing to you, especially to
those who are covering this for the Filipinos or for AsiaIf it is possible for you
to be assigned to the Vatican full-time
[please do so], you would have greater
access to events and you wont need
to rely from the report of other media
outfits, he said. (Jennifer M. Orillaza)

Lapses / A1

So this is our appeal to the

government and from this we
can all together assess the situation, he said.
Pabillo also called on the
countrys leadership to admit its
shortcomings, saying denying
them will not solve the problem.
As they say, these calamities
will be the new normal in our
country so I hope we learn from
what happened. This already
happened during typhoon Sendong and Pablo but it seems that
we are not learning anything in
terms of rehabilitation, Pabillo
said.
Death toll
The former head of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) also called for the
governments official death toll
for Yolanda amid claims that up
to 18,000 people died from the
typhoon.
There are conflicting reports
on the figure at one point set
at a devastating 10,000 before
settling at the current figure of
6,200 with around 1,000 more
still missing.
The government should have
an official figure because as of
now there are different reports,
Pabillo said.

He also appealed to the government not to hide the real

death toll so there will finally
be closure and for the relatives
of the victims.
The prelate earlier called on
Congress to decide whether
those listed as missing until
now due to Yolanda should be
officially dead for their relatives to receive death benefits.
We will appeal to Congress
to reduce the number of years
before a missing person can be
declared officially dead. Otherwise, it will take four years or
more, and relatives of the victims
are still unable to get the benefits
reserved for them, he added.
Integrated human development
The Nassa, meanwhile, has
rolled out as much as 9.7 million, about P563 million, for the
relief, rehabilitation, and recovery of over two million typhoon
survivors.
Fr. Edu Gariguez, NASSA
executive secretary, said the
amount, mostly donations from
at least 41 various Caritas Internationalis member-organizations in six continents, makes up
the total budget of the Churchs
humanitarian arm for typhoon
Yolanda recovery.

The funds are being used in

implementing the Churchs integrated human development
program REACH Philippines
(Recovery Assistance to Vulnerable Communities Affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines)
in the Archdioceses of Iloilo, Capiz,
Cebu, and Palo; the Dioceses of
Kalibo, Antique, Borongan, and
Calbayog; and the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa.
Gariguez said REACH Philippines, not only responds to the
physical needs of each survivor,
but incorporates a holistic view
on recovery by including six
components: shelter or housing,
food security and livelihood,
WASH (water, sanitation and
hygiene), DRR (disaster risk
reduction), community organizing, and ecosystem recovery.
One more beautiful aspect of
our program is that it is not just
about shelter, but we respond to
integrated human development,
part of that is livelihood and
security, even spiritual formation, community organizing.
Resiliency is also community
empowerment. So this is the entire package. The beauty of this
is that the people get to participate, they themselves build the
houses, he explained.

REACH Philippines covers

130 remote communities with
roughly 141,112 beneficiaries
who had previously not received
much help.

The priest mentioned that by

April 2015, CBCP-NASSA is set
to appeal for an additional fund
of Php300 million for ecosystem
rehabilitation.

On track
Gariguez revealed that NASSA, along with its partner dioceses, is currently overseeing
the construction of 3,753 permanent housing units or disaster
resilient-shelters, 1,600 of which
have recently been completed
and are already livable.
Most of what the government builds are bunkhouses,
the Churchs target until March
is to put up more than 3,000
houses, thats why we are right
on track even budget-wise thats
why we can finish by March, he
explained.
The priest shared they have set
up as many as 35,550 WASH facilities, and handed over 70 food
security and livelihood projects
to 10,125 household beneficiaries
in Yolanda-hit communities.
Gariguez admitted that while
acquiring land which will be
used as resettlement sites remains a problem, the Church
continues to scout for locations
where houses of Yolanda survivors can be safely built.

20,000 houses in 3 years

The Catholic Relief Services
(CRS), the humanitarian arm
of the US Catholic Bishops
Conference also plans to build
as many as 20,000 housing units
for Yolanda survivors in the next
three years.
Apart from shelters, Arnaldo
Arcadio, emergency program
manager of CRS Philippines,
said that the agency also intends
to generate livelihood opportunities for 9,000 affected families
and provide 23,000 decent latrines.
Now, were focusing on some
projects. Our target includes constructing 20,000 houses, coming
out with livelihood recovery assistance for Yolanda-hit families,
and setting up 23,000 latrines,
he said.
According to Arcadio, CRS has
been in ground zero of Yolanda conducting relief operations
and building emergency shelters, especially in the first three
months after the devastation.
Weve been in the commu-

nities struck by Yolanda since

day one, helping out families,
ensuring they had food to eat
and emergency shelters where
they could stay temporarily...
And because it often rained then,
we also distributed tarpaulins.
he said.
CRS was able to assist as many
as 43,000 families, most of whom
are in the provinces of Eastern
Samar and Leyte, including
Tacloban City and other towns
and cities under the Archdiocese
of Palo, Arcadio added.
He noted that the Cash for
Work program CRS launched
in the first three months after
Yolanda, benefitted roughly
6,400 families.
CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of
the Catholic community in the
United States.
It carries out the commitment
of the bishops of the United
States to assist the poor and
vulnerable overseas.
Inspired by the Gospel, CRS
vows to cherish, preserve and
uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster
charity and justice, and embody
Catholic social and moral teaching. (With reports from Raymond A. Sebastin)

Diocesan News

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

A7

Grow in courage, hope Borongan bishop

GUIUAN, E. SamarHope.
Courage. According to the
Bishop of Borongan, these two
virtues mean a lot to typhoon
Yolanda survivors, especially in
light of the first anniversary of
the natural calamity on Nov. 8.
Let us grow in being resilient
Christians by growing in our
courage to hope, said Borongan
Bishop Crispin B. Varquez during a celebration of the Holy Eucharist he presided over together
with the priests of the diocese
on Nov. 8 at the Town Plaza of
Guiuan, E. Samar.
He described the faithful present as rising up with faith,
smiling; [people who] have
overcome.
This was met with the crowds
applause.
In his homily, Varquez said
that although we are not remembering a happy memory,
we are celebrating this holy
sacrifice in a spirit of thanksgiving because we are the witnesses
of Gods mysterious ways, of
His unfathomable wisdom and
goodness.
We have come to realize the
importance of our faith. Without

faith, we would not be able to

see through the darkness of the
situation, he added.
Attended by hundreds of people from all over Eastern Samar,
the bishop reminded everyone
to be thankful amidst the difficulties and problems brought
by the typhoon.
Let us be thankful that in
the midst of terrible experiences
because of the devastating typhoon, we are still hereslowly
rising up, Varquez said in
Filipino.
The Bishop also thanked everyone who helped, are currently
helping and those whose help
are still coming. Many thanks
to all of you, he said in the
vernacular.
He also emphasized that
through the assistance and support from different people, we
have become convinced that God
loves us.
Varquez admonished everyone to help each other and work
together so that everybody will
rise and be saved. In the midst
of the super typhoon, we have
seen the importance of helping
one another, the bishop said.

A man stands in the ruins of a parish church in Brgy. Asgad, Salcedo E. Samar, a year
after the typhoon Yolanda disaster. Roy Lagarde

In the end, Bishop Varquez

told everyone that Resiliency
is the key.
He said that it is important to
become resilient individuals
and familiesbuild resilient
communitiesraise resilient
livelihood.
Let us ask for the grace to
firmly believe that God will
never abandon us, Varquez
encouraged everyone.
Program report
The diocese also released

recently a progress report on its

two-phase program for Yolandaaffected communities.
According to the Dioceses
Commission on Social Action,
Justice, and Peace (DCSA-JP),
the first phase of the program
involved emergency response,
and was implemented from
December 2013 to March 2014,
providing survivors their basic
needs.
Some 3,000 food packs, courtesy of the Diocese of Naga, and
9,000 non-food item packs con-

taining wash kits, thermal kits,

and kitchen utensils were given
to devastated communities.
Moreover, unconditional cash
grants amounting to P2.5 million benefited as many as 3,500
families, while 2,250 received
materials for backyard farming
like seeds and agricultural tools.
The DCSA-JP office received
and dispensed relief goods and
monetary donations from different parts of the world to
Yolanda-affected communities.
Once the emergency response
was in place, the Borongan see
focused on the programs second
phase, recovery and rehabilitation, which started in April 2014
and is expected to run for the
next three to five years.
With its partner organizations, the program seeks to provide transitional shelters to 780
households; full latrines to 600,
fishing boats and gear to 380 fishermen; farming implements and
seedlings to 400 beneficiaries;
poultry animals to 300; alternative livelihood opportunities like
small businesses to 240; and 100
hogs and 100 goats to various
household groups.

Among these partner organizations are the Catholic Bishops

Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP)s National Secretariat
for Social Action, Justice, and
Peace (NASSA), Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Germany, Don
Bosco, Manos Unidas, Kolping,
and LUPPA.
The Borongan Diocese and
Don Bosco have since built some
180 transitional shelters in the
towns of Mercedes and Salcedos,
while in Balangiga, each family in seven barangays received
construction materials.
To help survivors earn a living,
160 fishing boats were donated
to Yolanda-hit Eastern Samar
municipalities.
Furthermore, the diocese
plans to conduct interventions
for building disaster-resilient
communities.
Leadership development programs for community leaders are
also set to strengthen capacities
of community groups like livelihood associations and sector
groups, as well as to support parish efforts. (Roel Joe E. Abonal
with reports from Raymond A.
Sebastin)

Prelate calls for unity Heroes, not villains, highlighted

among lay groups
in Halloween fest
DAVAO City Like a band of different
musical instruments playing in harmony. In a similar way, lay organizations,
are called to unity and mutual support,
says a prelate.
This convention is important not
to show off that we are better than the
other. We need one another. We need
to encourage one another, said Archbishop of Davao Romulo G. Valles.

Mutual support
Prior to the closing Mass of the 4th
ACLAIM Convention at the St. Francis
Xavier Regional Major Seminary in
Catalunan Grande on Oct. 18, the prelate asked representatives of some 50 lay
movements and groups in Davao to be
friends and support one another.
Archdiocesan Council of Lay Apostolate and Integrated Movements
(ACLAIM) vice president Eduardo Pacana noted how lay groups are likened
to a band of different instruments.
The archbishop is our conductor. We
can only play good music harmoniously
if we will follow the direction of the
archbishop, he added.
Valles also praised the laity in Davao

for being active in their faith, living

their faith, trying to be holy.

Blessing to the archdiocese

ACLAIM spiritual director Msgr.
Paul Cuison seconded this sentiment
by saying, The laity is a blessing to
the Archdiocese of Davao.
Pacana added that ACLAIM existed
because of the collaboration of the different lay organizations and movements
in Davao, saying they share the common purpose of supporting the archdiocese in collaboration with the clergy.
Long before the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)
declared the Year of the Laity, ACLAIM,
which has gathered yearly for four years,
existed as an organized council of the laity.
Archbishop Valles said Year of the
Laity is just a passing year, but the
convention of ACLAIM will be a yearly
gathering that everyone will look
forward to.
According to Pacana ACLAIM aimed
to create a solemn and festive atmosphere for the convention as part of the
celebration of the Year of the Laity. (John
Frances C. Fuentes)

Corruption / A1

that the Philippines seems to have

more enforcers looking out for traffic
violators than ones on lonely stretches
of highways, mountain passes, and
dangerous road turns ready to render
assistance to motorists in trouble.
He also reminds pedestrians to exercise prudence when crossing highways,
adding that help should be always
available, especially to the elderly and
the mentally impaired.
The prelate advises motorists to drive
with that charity by which Christs disciples are to be distinguished, pleading
with the public to see traffic-rules for
what they are: recognition of the rights
of others.
Lack of prudence
Villegas notes how Road-traffic
victims, whether motorists, unwary
pedestrians, or simple bystanders, are
often referred to as accident victims
given that accident suggests an unfortunate confluence of events about which
people are generally helpless.

The truth of the matter though, is

that most of the time, road-traffic victims suffer because of lack of prudence
and a failure of simple providence, the
egregious violation of traffic rules (such
as those that limit driving speeds) and
conduct that is not only criminally
actionable but morally reprehensible,
such as driving under the influence of
drugs or alcohol, the prelate explains.
If we ask God to make all things
work for the well-being of those who
use our highways, we also ask God
to instiLl responsibility, prudence and
above all charity on our all motorists,
because motorists are, in fact, the biggest threat on the highways, Villegas
adds.
If this be our resolve on this day of
remembrance, then the words of the rite
of blessing will indeed come true: In
every place stay close to your servants
who trust in You, and wherever they
go, be their leader and their companion, he says. (CBCPNews/Raymond
A. Sebastin)

Reform / A1

of Lingayen-Dagupan explains land

reform merely becomes disguised
confiscation by the State of private
property when it casts itself off from
this moral mooring.
This also means that the underlying
motive as well as the defining criterion
for any enhancement, expansion or
amendment of the agrarian reform
law presently in place must be social
justice, he shares.
Unless it takes all the demands to
heart, Villegas fears that a legislature
that has not seen urgency in other
matters of national concern involving
social justice cannot credibly enact an
enhanced or improved agrarian reform
law.
Legal loopholes
According to the prelate, investigations into doubtful acquisitions by
government officials of considerable
land, often in scandalous proportions, only mean that the law has
been violated.
Villegas laments persons otherwise
disqualified from amassing vast tracts
of land in contravention of the law
have, in fact, done so.
Genuine law reform and resolute
law implementation must address

this, he stresses.
The 54-year old prelate says many
pastors nationwide attest that farmerbeneficiaries have, through subterfuge,
successfully alienated their acquisitions, defeating the purpose as well as
the intendment of the program.
While on the one hand, this speaks
of a downright irresponsibility on the
part of farmer-beneficiaries, it also
suggests that they needed assistance
from government, from the Church,
from NGOs to succeed in their new
roles as land-owners but sadly, at
least according to their perception,
received no such assistance, Villegas
states.
Empowerment
He points out that the nagging
problems of the redistribution of land
resources in the country cannot be
solved by the mere passage of laws or
the amendment of legal provisions.
The Church, for one, is called to that
charity that takes the form of empowering new land-owners so that they may
truly enjoy the self-determination that
characterizes persons as Gods free sons
and daughters, he adds. (Raymond A.
Sebastin)

BACOLOD CityIn response to the Year of the

Laitys exhortation Filipino Catholic Laity: Called
to be Saints Sent Forth
as Heroes, the San Sebastin Cathedral Parish of
Bacolod celebrate a Parade
of Saints on Oct. 31, 2014
at 5 p.m.
It is observable in recent
years that these evil creatures are no longer depicted
as such, but are now presented as heroes in movies, Fr.
Deogracias Aurelio Camon,
Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral Parish lamented.
Its about time that the
Church proposes the saints
as the real heroes, he
stressed.
According to Camon, the
parade of the saints aims to
inculcate in children a love
for Jesus, the Blessed Virgin
Mary and the saints as real

The young saints of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in the district of Arevalo, Iloilo
City have Pope Francis as their special guest during their alternative Halloween
festival on Nov. 1, 2014. John Rey Gilioagan Iroma

heroes who have overcome

the evils of this world.
The parade started from
the San Sebastin Cathedral
and proceeded to the St.
John Paul II Tower, which
was built by the diocese of

Bacolod to honor St. John

Paul II, known to have canonized more saints during
his pontificate than all past
popes combined.
The aim of the parade is
to provide an alternative to

the secular practice of Halloween which is celebrated

with children wearing costumes as vampires, witches
and other beings which are
considered evil or demonic,
Camon explained.
According to Camon, the
organizers hope that as children dress up as saints,
they will imitate the saints
virtuesbecoming themselves the new witnesses
of the faith for the future
generation.
Children from the various
Basic Ecclesial Communities
(BEC) of the San Sebastian
Cathedral participated in the
parade of the saints.
In the Catholic liturgical
calendar, Nov. 1 is designated as All Saints Day
to commemorate Christians
whom the Church believes
intercede from heaven. (Fr.
Mickey Cardenas)

CYO elects new officers

TAGAYTAY City--The Catholic
Youth Organization (CYO), one of
the first youth groups in the country, has elected a new set of officers
for the year 2014-2016 during their
12th National Biennial Convention
on Oct. 24 to 26 at Villa De Oro,
Tagaytay City.
The newly elected CYO National
Officers are Aristotle Brecino, National President; Rolan Bayona, VP
for Luzon; Arvin Martinez, VP for
Mindanao; Lourdez Navarro, National Secretary; Jermilyn Vargas,
National Treasurer; and Theresa
Ballo, National Auditor.
Our main goal is to strengthen the
CYO all over the country as what Fr.
Willmann did and to re-activate and

create new charters, units, as well as,

to organize our youth who will be
the future leaders in the Philippines
and will serve the Catholic Church,
Brecino added.
According to him, the last national
convention was held in 2004, ten
years ago and the organizations
incapability to conduct biennial conventions in the previous years was
because of a dormant national office
and officers.
Brecino, who became the CYO
interim president for 8 years, said
the recently held national convention was initiated by the interim officers and active CYO units in Metro
Manila.
Aside from electing officers, the

convention, which carried the theme

Moving Forward with Faith and
Beyond, aimed to ratify the amendments to the CYO Constitution and
by-Laws in accordance with the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines-Episcopal Commission
on Youths (CBCP-ECY) recommendations; to build camaraderie
and boost leadership among participants; and to help in the awareness campaign for the Cause of the
groups local founder, Fr. George J.
Willmann, SJ.
The Catholic Youth Organization in
the Philippines was organized in 1938
by Fr. Willmann with the Sampaloc
Parish of Our Lady of Loreto as its
pilot unit. (YO)

Survivors / A1

ment of Social Welfare and

Development (DSWD) is
yet to begin in earnest.
Reyes lamented President
Benigno S. Aquino III (PNoy)
approved the blueprint for
comprehensive housing
and resettlement only last
weekor almost a year since
the disaster struck.
The priest faulted PNoys
allegedly slow-paced action and pussy-footing.
He shared the recent findings of the Commission on
Audit (COA), as reported
by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) on Sept. 12, 2014,
showed that thousands of
food packs, canned goods,

bottled water, body bags, and

rice spoiled or missing; millions of pesos worth of goods
and funds unaccounted for,
and close to a billion pesos
of funds still unused months
after the super typhoon pummeled Eastern Visayas.
Procedural lapses, non delivery
PDI cited weaknesses in
the performance of key government agencies: low use
of funds, procedural lapses
or deficiencies in tracking
receipts and use of funds,
serious flaws in the procurement and contracting processes, delay in the delivery
or non-delivery of goods,

among others.
This sad state of affairs
repeated each time disaster
strikes is an indictment of
a government that pays lip
service to the basic needs of
its citizens, denying them of
their rights. It cannot go on
like this given that this country is one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate
change, Reyes stressed.
The head of the countrys
biggest group of mainline
Protestant and non-Catholic
churches shared NCCP remains involved in rehabilitation work delivering relief,
clean water, livelihood, housing, psychological and edu-

cational support to selected

Yolanda-hit communities in
Leyte, Samar and Iloilo.
The effectiveness of our
relief and rehabilitation efforts is based on the principle
that survivors have a right to
live. At the same time, they
are part of the process made
possible by the time-tested
practice of community organizing where they affirm selfdetermination. We could not
have done it the way we did
without the committed community organizers, he said.
Still, there is much more
to be done as the needs are
great, Reyes added. (Raymond A. Sebastin)

Candidly Speaking / A4

And when we confuse them, we

infringe on the legitimate freedom of
the people involved, and the charisms
and spiritualities would sooner or later
become irrelevant and useless. They
would lose their vitality.
The Church itself, born in a very
dramatic way on Pentecost, has to
undergo all kinds of changes without
compromising its essence of being the
Mystical Body of Christ, the People of
God. It has to contend with all kinds of
historical developments.
Its body of doctrine has grown tremen-

dously. Its attitude to the ethos of the different ages of its history has also changed
accordingly. While remaining the same
and holy because of Christ who is its
head, its changeable aspects undeniably
have gone through continuing renewals,
purifications and corrections.
Thus, any interest in pursuing and
living fidelity has to entail a continuing
clarification of what is essential and
what is not. This will require nothing
less than a living contact with God
who is the quintessence of fidelity in
a changing world. It certainly would

not be enough to rely solely on some

philosophy or ideology.
It would be wrong and dangerous
either to focus simply on the essential
core of the commitment, the subject of
fidelity, without making reference to the
changing circumstances, or vice-versa,
to focus exclusively on the changing
circumstances without clarifying the
essential core.
Both the essential and the incidentals,
the permanent and the changeable have
to be continually clarified for fidelity to
any commitment to be achieved.

A8

People, Facts & Places

Churchs Patron of
the Arts concert set
IN a press briefing held Thursday, Oct. 30, Manila Archbishop
Lus Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle
announced that preparations are
already underway for Patron
of the Arts, the annual musical
event spearheaded by RCAM
along with Jesuit Communications (JesCom) in support of the
Churchs programs and projects.
The concert-for-a-cause is
scheduled on Dec. 12, the Feast
of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at
the Meralco Theater in Pasig
City, coinciding with the anniversary of Tagles episcopal
ordination and his taking possession of RCAM.
Now on its third year, proceeds of the upcoming charity
concert will help cover the educational expenses of poor but
deserving students of RCAM
who may want to study in parochial schools.
Previous Patrons benefitted
the Manila Cathedral-Basilica,
which had needed a major renovation to make it earthquakeresistant, as well as the Domus
Mari Foundation, RCAMs
social housing arm.
Fr. Carlos V. Reyes, executive
director of Domus Mari, shared
the Church has always been a
patroness of the arts.
The arts express human aspirations in a most appropriate
manner, and the Church being
both a human and divine institution has also expressed her
love for God through the arts,
he said, recalling great artists
Raphael and Michelangelo, and
great musicians Bach and Mozart.

According to the priest, the

cardinal wants to highlight the
Churchs support for genuine
arts that uplift mans spirit
through its reflection of the
beauty of God found in Creation, namely, the beauty
of nature, human spirit, and
Gods creation ultimate creation, the Church.
In an earlier CBCPNews post,
Tagle lauded the Church for being the repository of so much
art expressions, paintings, sculpture, music, architecture and
for embracing and promoting
the arts.
Christian art, therefore, has
become not just an aesthetic
experience, but a spiritual experience as well, not just a feast
for the senses, but for the soul as
well, Tagle added, stressing that
on a human level the reconstruction and salvation of the world
depends so much on artists.
Asked why the Church mounts
a concert when others means for
raising funds are available, the
prelate answered, Sublime
things, noble things, spiritual
things are best expressed in art.
Like his Renaissance predecessors, he believed that
artists can lead all of us to
deep truths which serve as
foundations of civilization
and of a community that
knows what justice, truth,
and communion mean.
The cardinal pointed out
these things which cannot be
taught by ideology can only
be intuited and expressed by
artists. (Raymond A. Sebastin)

UST exhibit promotes

Marian devotion

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

Fun run to celebrate Yolanda

survivors resiliency
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP)s National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice,
and Peace (NASSA), along
with Caritas Philippines, is
scheduled to hold a Commemorative Fun Run on Nov.
15, Saturday, 4:00 a.m. at the
Quirino Grandstand, Luneta,
for the anniversary of typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan).
As we commemorate its
anniversary, CBCP-NASSA/
Caritas Philippines would like
to celebrate that resilient spirit
so intrinsic to Filipinos, says
Cceres Archbishop Rolando
Tra Tirona in a circular.
Dubbed Rising Above Yolanda: Celebrating the Resilient
Filipino Spirit, the activity
themed We stood the storm
We rebuild lives strong, is just
one of many lined up to pay
tribute to the thousands who
died and the thousands more
who survived the calamity in
Nov. 8, 2013.
The prelate, who is also the national director of CBCP-NASSA,
describes the experience [of
Yolanda] as so tragic and the
conditions so dire that it will
take years for the affected communities to recover.
But thanks to the grace of our
ever-living God, the figures were
quickly reversed. Hundreds of
individuals and organizations
came to offer and provide immediate assistance, he shares.
According to him, thousands
of relief goods, shelter materials, hygiene kits, and livelihood
packages were distributed, and
millions from around the world
gave little things they had for
the survivors.
So after a year of total chaos,
the Filipino spirit has steadfastly
risen above the disaster that was
Yolanda, Tirona notes.
A year ago, we have responded to a call for compassion and mercy. This year, we
are called to respond to a celebration of resiliency, strength
of character, and thanksgiving,
the prelate adds.

Quoting 1 Timothy1:12, Tirona

declares, I thank Christ Jesus
our Lord, who has given me
strength, that he considered me
faithful, appointing me to his
service.
Fees are PhP 250 for the 3-ki-

lometer run and 5-kilometer

run inclusive of bib singlet, and
PhP 600 for 10-kilometer run
inclusive of bib singlet, RFID,
and tech-shirt.
Holy Mass will be celebrated
to mark the end of the fun run.

For further information, interested parties may contact (+639)

49-4147-177, (+639) 17-3140-220,
(02) 527-41-63, or visit www.caritasphilippines.org. (Raymond A.
Sebastin)

Calungsod musical producer dies

The UST Theological Societys exhibit on the Blessed Virgin featured her various images
at the Rectors Hall at the UST Central Seminary last Oct. 27 to 29, 2014. Justy More

THE University of Santo Tomas

Theological Societys exhibit on
Mary featured her various images at the Rectors Hall at the
UST Central Seminary last Oct.
27 to 29, 2014 and aimed to increase Filipino families love for
the Blessed Virgin as patroness
of the Philippines.
Novaliches Bishop Emeritus
Teodoro Bacani presided over
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist after the viewing of the
images of Mary on the exhibits
first day and stressed the significance of Mary in our midst and
to our nation as a whole.
Theological Society president
Sem. Christian Dale Dakila opened
the exhibit with a message stressing the importance of the Filipino
tradition of recognizing Mary as
Queen of Filipino families.
Maria Ana Harper, former

president of the Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippine also shared her testimony
about the loving presence of
our Mother Mary in the traditional Filipino families, which
she said, the faithful should
emulate in the face of secularism.
Fr. Roberto Luanzon, Jr. OP,
vice rector of the UST Central
Seminary blessed the exhibit in
the presence of Bishop Bacani,
seminarians, guests, religious
men and women.
Fr. Benildus Ma. Maramba,
OSB, a Benedictine monk, together with the UST CS Psalterion, rendered a piano piece as
a musical tribute offered to Mary.
Similarly, the UST CS Quintet
and UST String Quartet also
entertained the guests with classical, instrumental renditions.
(Vanessa Puno)

BOB Serrano, producer of the acclaimed Teen

Saint Pedro (TSP) The Musical, died on Oct.
31 from cardiac arrest at the Cardinal Santos
Hospital in San Juan City. He was with his
wife, Aileen.
Head of the musician-missionary group
29 A.D., Serrano was supposed to meet his
wife at a mall, but collapsed and could no
longer be revived.
He was 55.
Diagnosed with congenital enlargement
of the heart, Serrano, who produced all of
TSPs local and international shows, including those in Australia, Dubai, had been
called a walking time bomb by doctors.
My heart is broken, but God is with
me, Aileen Serrano was overheard telling
Couples for Christ leaders from Kuwait visiting his wake at the Santuario de San Jose,
Greenhills on Nov. 1.
Those close to him like Emer Guingon of CFC
Central A3, who also played the shipwrecked
Chinese pirate Choco in TSP The Musical, saw
particular significance in Serranos time of death
at 3:00 p.m., the hour of Divine Mercy.
On this fateful day, brothers Bobs Big
heart finally said good bye, Guingon said
in a Facebook post on Oct. 31.
Hundreds expressed grief over the passing

Teen Saint Pedro The Musical producer Bob Serrano appears onstage during one of the casts curtain calls. Emer Guingon

of a respected CFC leader, some sending their

condolences from as far as Mauritius and Seychelles, where he had recently gone on mission.
The 29 A.D. Musicionaries, which Serrano
started with his wife, performed A Tribute
for Bob on Nov. 4 at 8:40 p.m.

A funeral mass for Serrano will be celebrated on Nov. 6 at 8 a.m. at the Mary
the Queen Parish in Greenhills, San Juan
City. Interment will follow at 11 a.m. at
Heritage Park, Taguig City. (Nirvaana Ella
Delacruz)

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

Pastoral Concerns

B1

The poor not only suffer injustice,

they also struggle against it!
(Address of Pope Francis to the participants of the World Meeting of Popular Movement,
held on October 28, 2014 at the Vatican)
called to transform. Solidarity,
understood in its deepest sense,
is a way of making history,
and this is what the Popular
Movements do.
This meeting of ours does
not respond to an ideology.
You do not work with ideas;
you work with realities such
as those I mentioned and many
others that you have told me
about you have your feet
in the mud and your hands in
the flesh. You have the odor
of neighborhood, of people, of

They do not understand that

love of the poor is at the heart
of the Gospel. Land, roof and
work, what you struggle for,
are sacred rights. To claim this
is nothing strange; it is the
Social Doctrine of the Church.
I am going to pause a while on
each one of these, because you
have chosen them as the motto
for this meeting.
Land. At the beginning of
creation, God created man,
custodian of His work, charging
him to cultivate and protect it.

family. We must never forget

that Jesus was born in a stable,
because there was no room
in the place; that his family
had to leave their home and
flee to Egypt, persecuted by
Herod. Today there are so
many homeless families, either
because they have never had a
home or because they have lost
it for different reasons. Family
and dwelling go in hand. But,
moreover, to be a home a
roof must have a community
dimension, and it is in fact

called, elegantly, persons in a

street situation. It is curious
how in the world of injustices,
euphemisms abound. A person,
a segregated person, a person
put aside, a person suffering
poverty, hunger, is a person in
a street situation: an elegant
word, no? You must always look
though I might be mistaken is
regard to some -- but in general,
behind a euphemism there is
a crime.
We live in cities that build
towers, commercial centers,

for his hospitality. Thank you,

Eminence, for your work and
your words.
This meeting of Popular
Movements is a sign, it is a
great sign: you have come to
put in the presence of God, of
the Church, of peoples, a reality
that is often silenced. The poor
not only suffer injustice but
they also struggle against it!
They are not content with
empty promises, excuses or
alibis. Neither are they waiting
with folded arms for the aid
of NGOs, welfare plans or
solutions that never come or,
if they do come, they arrive in
such a way that they go in one
direction, either to anaesthetize
or to domesticate. This is a
dangerous means. You feel
that the poor will
no longer wait;
they want to be
protagonists;
t h e y o rg a n i z e
themselves,
s t u d y, w o r k ,
claim and, above
all, practice that
very special
solidarity that
exists among
those
who
s u ff e r, a m o n g
the poor, whom
our civilization
seems to have
forgotten, or at least really like
to forget
Solidarity is a word that is
not always welcomed; I would
say that sometimes we have
transformed it into a bad word,
it cannot be said. However, it is
a word that means much more
than some acts of sporadic
generosity. It is to think and
to act in terms of community,
of the priority of the life of
all over the appropriation of
goods by a few. It is also to fight
against the structural causes
of poverty, inequality, lack of
work, land and housing, the
denial of social and labor rights.
It is to confront the destructive
effects of the empire of money:
forced displacements, painful
emigrations, the traffic of
persons, drugs, war, violence
and all those realities that many
of you suffer and that we are all

struggle! We want your voice

to be heard that, in general, is
little heard. Perhaps because it
annoys, perhaps because your
cry bothers, perhaps because
there is fear of the change
you call for, however, without
your presence, without really
going to the fringes, the good
proposals and plans we often
hear about in international
conferences stay in the realm of
an idea, it is my plan.
The scandal of poverty
cannot be addressed promoting
strategies of containment that
only tranquilize and convert
the poor into domesticated and
inoffensive beings. How sad it
is to see that, behind alleged
altruistic works, the other is
reduced to passivity, is denied.

I see that there are dozens of

farm workers here and I want to
congratulate you for protecting
the earth, for cultivating it and
for doing it in community.
I am concerned about the
eradication of so many brother
farm workers who suffer
uprootedness, and not because
of wars or natural disasters.
The monopolizing of lands,
deforestation, the appropriation
of water, inadequate agrotoxics are some of the evils that
tear man from the land of his
birth. This painful separation,
which is not only physical,
but existential and spiritual,
because there is a relation with
the land that is putting the rural
community and its peculiar
way of life in notorious decline
and even in risk
of extinction.
The other
dimension
of the now
global process
is
h u n g e r.
When financial
speculation
conditions
the price of
foods, treating
them like any
m e rc h a n d i s e ,
millions of
people suffer
and die of
hunger. On the other hand,
tons of food are thrown away.
This is a real scandal. Hunger
is criminal; nourishment is
an inalienable right. I know
that some of you are calling
for agrarian reform to solve
some of these problems, and
let me tell you that in certain
countries, and here I quote
the Compendium of the
Social Doctrine of the Church,
agrarian reform is, moreover,
a political necessity, a moral
obligation (CSDC, 300).
I am not the only one who
says it. It is in the Compendium
of the Social Doctrine of the
Church. Please, continue the
struggle for the dignity of the
rural family, for water, for life
and for all to be able to benefit
from the fruits of the earth.
Second, roof. I said it and
I repeat it: a house for every

in the neighborhood where

the great family of humanity
begins to be built, from the most
immediate, from coexistence
with ones neighbors. Today
we live in huge cities that are
modern, proud, and even vain.
Cities that offer innumerable
pleasures and wellbeing for
a happy minority. However,
a roof is denied to thousands
of our neighbors and brothers,
including children, and they are

engage in real estate business,

but they abandon a part of
themselves in the margins, in
the fringes. How painful it is to
hear that poor settlements are
marginalized, or, worse still,
they want to eradicate them!
Cruel are the images of forced
displacements, of bulldozers
pulling down small houses,
images so like those of war. And
we witness this today.
You know that in many of the

CBCP News

I AM happy to be among
you; moreover, I will share a
confidence with you: this is the
first time I have come down
here; I had never come here
before. As I was saying, I am
very happy and I give you a
warm welcome.
Thank you for accepting the
invitation to discuss so many
grave social problems that
afflict the world todayyou
who suffer inequality and
exclusion in your own flesh.
Thank you to Cardinal Turkson

popular slums where many of

you live values exist that are
now forgotten by rich centers.
The settlements are blessed
with a rich popular culture:
there the public area is not
just a place of transit but an
extension of ones home, a place
where bonds can be generated
with neighbors. How lovely
are the cities that surmount
sickly mistrust and integrate
those who are different and
make of integration a new
factor of development. How
lovely are the cities that,
also in their architectonic
design, are full of areas that
connect, relate and foster
the recognition of the other.
Therefore, neither eradication
nor marginalization: we
must follow the line of urban
integration. This word must,
henceforth, displace totally the
word eradication, but also those
projects that pretend to varnish
poor neighborhoods, tidy the
fringes and put makeup on
social wounds instead of curing
them by promoting a genuine
and respectful integration. It is
a sort of makeup architecture,
no? And it is going that way.
Let us continue to work so that
all families have a dwelling
and so that all neighborhoods
have adequate infrastructure
(sewage, light, gas, asphalt and
I go on: schools, hospitals, or
first aid rooms, sports clubs and
all the things that create bonds
and unite; access to health
careI saidand to education
and tenancy security).
Third, work. There is no
worse material povertyI must
stress itthere is no worse
material poverty than one that
does not allow for earning
ones bread and deprives one
of the dignity of work. Youth
unemployment, informality,
and the lack of labor rights
are not inevitable; they are
the result of a previous social
option, of an economic system
that puts profit above man; if
the profit is economic, to put it
above humanity or above man,
is the effect of a disposable
culture that considers the
human being in himself as a
consumer good, which can be
used and then discarded.
To d a y, a d d e d t o t h e
phenomenon of exploitation
and oppression, is a new
dimension, a graphic and hard
hue of social injustice; those that

Poor / B4

Or, worse still, businesses

and personal ambitions are
hiding: Jesus would call them
hypocrites. How lovely is a
change when we see peoples
in movement, especially their
poorest members and young
people. Then the wind of
promise is felt that revives
the hope of a better world.
My desire is that this wind be
transformed into a whirlwind
of hope.
This meeting of ours responds
to a very concrete desire,
something that any father,
any mother wants for his/her
children; a desire that should be
in everyones reach; however,
today we see with sadness
the majority increasingly far
away: land, roof and work. It
is strange, but if I speak about
this some say the Pope is a
Communist.

CBCP News

I know that some of you are calling

for agrarian reform to solve some of
these problems...and here I quote the
Compendium of the Social Doctrine
of the Church, agrarian reform is,
moreover, a political necessity, a moral
obligation (CSDC, 300).

Updates

B2

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

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

I have noticed that in the prayerspresently
used at the end of the Massin preparation
for the papal visit next year, there is a
specific call to more frequent reception of
Holy Communion, and to confess ones
sins. I could not help but notice the lack
of parallel structure between the call to
frequent Communion on the one hand and
a more generic confession of ones sins on
the other. Personally, I would have preferred
a more explicit mention of the Sacrament of
Penance or Reconciliation (since confession
of ones sins could be interpreted to include
a simple confession directly to God or even
the I confess at the beginning of the Mass.
However, putting that observation aside,
my question now is the lack of regular
schedule for confessions in my parish, and
the seemingly generalized practice of having
to ask the priest for the sacrament. Even
more disconcerting for me is the practice of
many priests of just hearing my confession
wherever convenient for them at the moment
I ask for ite.g., in the rectory, on a pew
at the back of the church, or once even in a
corridor. Has the confessional box become
obsolete? My teen-age son says it is preVatican.

THIS issue is neither pre- nor postVatican, but rather belongs to the
wisdom of the Churchs long pastoral
experience, formalized in norms
that have found their way in the two
codifications of Canon Law in the 20th
Century.
The Proper Place for the Sacrament
of Penance
The Code of Canon Law establishes
the norms for the present question in
the following terms:
Can. 964 1. The proper place for
hearing sacramental confessions is a church
or oratory.
2. The conference of bishops is to
issue norms concerning the confessional,
seeing to it that confessionals with a fixed
grille between penitent and confessor
are always located in an open area so
that the faithful who wish to make use
of them may do so freely.
3. Confessions are not to be heard
outside the confessional without a just
cause.
Proper place does not mean the only
place, but rather the most apt for the
sacred character of the sacrament, which
is at the same time an ecclesial action.
Thus, a sacred placea church or oratory
(1)is the most adequate place for its
celebration. But nothing impedes the
administration of this sacrament in other
places if there is a just cause (3)e.g.,
the sick in hospitals, the elderly or
handicapped in their homes, or any
faithful who may need the sacrament
in a moment away from an oratory or
church.
Likewise, nothing impedes the
competent authoritythe Episcopal

conference according to 2from

allowing the installation of a
confessional in another place, or indeed
the establishment of another seat for
the administration of the sacrament.
In fact, the Sacred Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faithin the
Ordo Paenitentiae (2.XII.1973), n.38
authorized the Episcopal Conferences
to determine the proper place for
the ordinary administration of the
sacrament of penance, with the end
of making it more effective. This gave
rise to the construction of the so-called
reconciliation room in churches
especially in Europe and the U.S.and

The Proper Seat for the Sacrament

of Penance: Confessional with a fixed
grille.
Can. 964, 2 deals with the seat for
the administration of the sacrament
Ad sedem confessionalem quod attinet
although this nuance may be lost in
the English translation of the canon. Its
greatest novelty lies in the normative
faculty that the Code confers on the
Episcopal Conferences in this respecta
faculty, however, which is bound up with
the universal norm that confessionals with
a fixed grille between penitent and confessor
are always located in an open area so that
the faithful who wish to make use of them

right of every faithful (both penitent

and confessor) to defend his integrity
and honor against the slightest danger
of suspicion.2 This last point bears closer
examination.
The most noteworthy difference
between the present c. 964 and cc.908-910
of the old Code of Canon Law of 1917
is the disappearance of the prohibition
of hearing the confession of women
outside the confessional in ordinary
circumstances (cf. CIC 17: c.910, 1 and
c.909, 1). Far from relaxing the norms of
prudence in this regard, what the present
canon intended to do is to remove the
apparent discrimination against women

the disappearance in many places of

the traditional seat for the sacrament
of penance: the confessional box.
In the Philippines, the CBCP has
established thatsubject to the provision

may do so freely.
A well-known canonist sums up the
rationale behind this type of confessional
as follows: a) it safeguards the necessary
discretion and reserve; b) it guarantees

in the tenor of the aforementioned

canons of the old Codex, leaving it to
the mature judgment of the confessor
to observe those norms in the most
opportune way.

The bishops are encouraging the faithful to prepare for the papal visit by
going to confession, it may be a good time for them to oblige the priests to
observe fixed hours of confession daily in the churches, where the faithful
can approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the time-revered manner:
in a confessional with a fixed grille.
of c.964, 2a reconciliation room may be
used, upon request of the penitent, as an
alternative to the confessional, provided that
it is located in a visible place (e.g., with a
glass pane)1

the right of the penitent to confess

his sins without necessarily revealing
his personal identity; c) it facilitates
the understanding of the sacramental
character of the act; d) it protects the

In fact, an authentic interpretation

by the Pontifical Council for the
Interpretation of Legislative Texts, in a
Response dated 7.VII.1998, significantly
widened the scope of the norm of c.964,

CBCP News

Restoring the habitual use of the confessional

2. Indeed, if up to that moment the norm
had always been understood in terms of
the right of the penitent to demand the use
of a confessional with grille, this Response
positively declared a similar right of the
confessor to demand the use of a confessional
with grille for the administration of the
sacrament of penance in a specific case.
The underlying value being protected,
of course, is the integrity and honor
of the confessor, whoon the other
handshould be mindful of what is laid
down in c.277, 2: Clerics are to conduct
themselves with due prudence in associating
with persons whose company could endanger
their obligation to observe continence or
could cause scandal for the faithful.
After all, one cannot help but wonder
why the norm prohibiting the confession
of women outside the confessional under
ordinary circumstance ever got into the
juridic system of the Church. Even if
the specific laws against it have been
abrogated, in favor of a more general
formulai.e., not precisely focusing
on women, the criterion remains:
confessors should avoid a situation that
could endanger their obligation to observe
continence or cause scandal for the faithful.
The situation of sacramental confession
and one might add, even to a greater
extent due to the longer exposure, that
of spiritual directionputs the woman
penitent and the confessor in such a
degree of intimacy that, given mans
fallen nature, cannot but be an occasion of
unnecessary temptation. It is not specious
to surmise that the unfortunate cases of
violations of priestly celibacy could not
have startedsave for a few exceptions
in any other situation but that presented
precisely by sacramental confession or
spiritual direction, which are normally
the only occasions when a priest in his
right senses would be in a private and
intimate conversation with a woman.
Hence the norm of prudenceborn of
centuries of experienceprescribing
the use of the confessional with a fixed
grille, in a visible place in the church or
oratory.3
Conclusion
After all the foregoing, it is clear that
the practice of hearing confessionsof
women or otherwisein another seat
other than the indicated confessional
with a fixed grille in the church or oratory
may not only be imprudent, but even
infringes on the right of the faithful to
remain anonymous when approaching
the sacrament of penance.
Furthermore, not having a regular
schedule for the celebration of this
sacrament runs counter to the right of
the faithful to have abundant access to
the sacraments, while at the same time
increasing the chances precisely of their
having to ask the priest for confession at a
time when it may be less than convenient
for the priest to go to the indicated seat,
which is the confessional.
Now that the bishops are encouraging

Confessional / B7

Genuflections by Concelebrants
(Father Edward McNamara,
professor of liturgy and dean
of theology at the Regina
Apostolorum university,
answers the following query:)
Q : A t a re c e n t p r i e s t s
meeting someone asked
if concelebrating priests
should genuflect before
taking the chalice, especially
if they have already
consumed the sacred host. -J.F., Boston, Massachusetts
A. The logistics of priests
communion during
concelebration is governed
by some basic rules, but
at times some adaptations
have to be made in
virtue of particular local
circumstances such as the
space available and the
number of priests.
First of all, we can examine
the basic rules as found in
the General Instruction of
the Roman Missal.
240. While the Agnus
Deiis sung or said, the
deacons or some of the
concelebrants may help the
principal celebrant break
the hosts for Communion,
both of the concelebrants
and of the people.
241. After
the
commixtion, the principal
celebrant alone, with hands
joined, privately says the
prayerDomine Iesu Christe,
Fili Dei vivi(Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of the living
God) orPerceptio Corporis
et Sanguinis (Lord Jesus
Christ, with faith in your
love and mercy).
242. When this prayer
before Communion

is finished, the principal

celebrant genuflects and steps
back a little. Then one after
another the concelebrants
come to the middle of the
altar, genuflect, and reverently
take the Body of Christ from
the altar. Then holding it in
their right hand, with the
left hand placed below, they
return to their places. The
concelebrants may, however,
remain in their places and take
the Body of Christ from the
paten presented to them by the
principal celebrant or by one
or more of the concelebrants,
or by passing the paten one to
another.
243. Then the principal
celebrant takes a host
consecrated in the same Mass,
holds it slightly raised above

245. The Blood of the

Lord may be received either
by drinking from the chalice
directly, or by intinction, or
by means of a tube or a spoon.
246. If Communion is
received by drinking directly
from the chalice, one or other
of two procedures may be
followed:
a.The principal celebrant,
standing at the middle of the
altar, takes the chalice and says
quietly,Sanguis Christi custodiat
me in vitam aeternam(May the
Blood of Christ bring me to
everlasting life). He consumes
a little of the Blood of Christ
and hands the chalice to the
deacon or a concelebrant. He
then distributes Communion
to the faithful (cf. above, nos.
160-162).

chalice is always wiped either

by the one who drinks from
it or by the one who presents
it. After communicating, each
returns to his seat.
247.The deacon reverently
drinks at the altar all of the
Blood of Christ that remains,
assisted, if necessary, by some
of the concelebrants. He then
carries the chalice over to the
credence table and there he
or a duly instituted acolyte
purifies, wipes, and arranges
it in the usual way (cf. above,
no. 183).
248. The Communion of
the concelebrants may also
be arranged so that each
concelebrant communicates
the Body of the Lord at the altar
and, immediately afterwards,
the Blood of the Lord. In this

Communion from the chalice,

as has just been said.
The Communion of the
deacon and the purification
of the chalice take place as
already described.
249. If the concelebrants
Communion is by intinction,
the principal celebrant receives
the Body and Blood of the
Lord in the usual way, but
making sure that enough of
the precious Blood remains in
the chalice for the Communion
of the concelebrants. Then
the deacon, or one of the
concelebrants, arranges the
chalice as appropriate in the
center of the altar or at the side
on another corporal together
with the paten containing
particles of the host.
The concelebrants approach

The concelebrants either consume first the host and then take the chalice or, as would
be more common in this situation, they dip the host in the chalice. Before he consumes
the Eucharist, each concelebrant says quietly, May the body and blood...
the paten or the chalice, and,
facing the people, says theEcce
Agnus Dei(This is the Lamb of
God). With the concelebrants
and the people he continues,
saying theDomine, non sum
dignus(Lord, I am not worthy).
244. Then the principal
celebrant, facing the altar, says
quietly,Corpus Christi custodiat
me ad vitam aeternam (May
the body of Christ bring
me to everlasting life), and
reverently receives the Body
of Christ. The concelebrants
do likewise, communicating
themselves. After them the
deacon receives the Body and
Blood of the Lord from the
principal celebrant.

b. The concelebrants
approach the altar one after
another or, if two chalices
are used, two by two. They
genuflect, partake of the Blood
of Christ, wipe the rim of the
chalice, and return to their
seats.
c. The principal celebrant
normally consumes the Blood
of the Lord standing at the
middle of the altar.
d. The concelebrants may,
however, partake of the Blood
of the Lord while remaining in
their places and drinking from
the chalice presented to them
by the deacon or by one of the
concelebrants, or else passed
from one to the other. The

case the principal celebrant

receives Communion under
both kinds in the usual way
(cf. above, no. 158), observing,
however, the rite chosen in
each particular instance for
Communion from the chalice;
and the other concelebrants
should follow suit.
After the principal
celebrants Communion, the
chalice is placed on another
corporal at the side of the altar.
The concelebrants approach
the middle of the altar one after
another, genuflect, and receive
the Body of the Lord; then they
go to the side of the altar and
consume the Blood of the Lord,
following the rite chosen for

the altar one after another,

genuflect, and take a particle,
dip it partly into the chalice,
and, holding a purificator
under their chin, consume the
intincted particle. They then
return to their places as at the
beginning of Mass.
The deacon also receives
Communion by intinction
and to the concelebrants
w o rd s C o r p u s e t S a n g u i s
Christi (The Body and
Blood of Christ) makes the
response Amen. The deacon,
however, consumes at the altar
all that remains of the Precious
Blood, assisted, if necessary,
by some of the concelebrants.
He carries the chalice to the

credence table and there he

or a duly instituted acolyte
purifies, wipes and arranges
it in the usual way.
Thus, according to No.
246, the concelebrants do
genuflect before partaking
of the chalice even though
they have already consumed
the sacred host.
This would mean that,
in those cases where the
concelebrants take the host
a t t h e a l t a r b e f o re t h e
principal celebrant says:
Behold the Lamb of God
(No. 242) and also consume
the chalice at the altar, they
make two genuflections.
It is not specified whether
priests make a genuflection
if the hosts and/or the
chalice are brought to them
at their places. In most cases
it is probable that the very
need that demands that
the hosts be brought to
the priests in their places
would also preclude each
one making a genuflection
before taking the host.
The rubrics do not
e x p l a i n t h e re a s o n f o r
the genuflections before
both host and chalice
which are not made by the
principal concelebrant.
I would hazard a guess
that, since it is probable
that priests who received
the host at their places
omit the genuflection, then
establishing a genuflection
before taking the chalice at
the altar assured that they
could make this visible act
of reverence and adoration
at least once.
Although it is always
preferable that the

Concelebrants / B7

Features

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

B3

Peace is for all

EVER since humans learned to

use violence in pursuit of an
ambition or to settle dissentious
issues, humanity never again
knew what true peace is. And
yet as we gather here today for
the WORLD ALLIANCE OF
RELIGIONS FOR PEACE, there
are still groups of people and
nations engaged in the game
of violent struggle destroying
long established culture, killing
people in a wild search for unity
and tranquility! There is a certain
madness in the use of violence
even to achieve peace.
Historians admitted that
WORLD WAR II (which ended
only 69 years ago) was probably
the most destructive conflict
in the history of mankind. The
loss of lives among the warring
nations were 15 million dead
among the military and 34 million
dead among innocent civilians,
including 6 million who were
methodically exterminated by
sick minds in prison camps.
Nearly 50 million people were
slain in that violent struggle
between two mutual hatreds.
They called the exercise a war
where guns and cannons blasted
enemies and civilians, while
the minds of leaders went wild
beyond the guidance of reason.
The greatest war the world
had ever seen ended in 1945. But
has the world achieved peace?
Humanity appears to have
misunderstood the portentous
omen at the closing of war
hostilities, because of its induction
into the nuclear age, power
and weaponry. And because
of the immense destructive
power of this newly discovered
energy, any threat of another
war nuclear explosion, nay even
just the irresponsible boast of its
possession can keep humanity
teetering in fear before a balance
of terror. Fear can never be a
prelude to peace. In fact it is only
when fear has been completely
eliminated that we can claim
access to the threshold to peace.
Peace is possible. Again it has
been re-echoed in this WORLD
ALLIANCE OF RELIGIONS
FOR PEACE. Peace is within our
grasp; but it is not achieved or
gained through the muzzle of the
gun or by conquering an enemy.
When one scouts the horizon
and believes that there is
absolutely no opposition in
sight, no one may yet declare
peace, because peace is not a force
that has overpowered an enemy.
Peace is a state in life where a
person works, rests, sleeps and
wakes up to find out anytime
that he has no enemies and there
are no threats to his life, being or
possession. He who lives in an
environment of peace ultimately

sees that everyone has become

a brother, a sister or a friendly
neighbor.
In our Christian belief the
positive root of peace is in
the virtue of charity or what
we commonly call love. Even
love among humans finds its
beginning in the goodness of
God that we discovered in
Jesus Christ. It is only love
that can induce the person to
accept another; it is love that
disposes the offended to forgive
the offender. Forgiveness is
at the heart of peace, because
clemency and forgiveness, as
inspired by love, can cut short
the sequential cycle of hatred and
violence which has the tendency
to alternately repeat itself to no
end. Lex Talionis (an eye-for-aneye law) does not end violence;
it encourages revenge.
Where does peace come from?
First they tell us where it cannot
come from! Peace, peace to the
far and the near, says the Lord;
and I will heal them. But the
wicked are like the tossing sea
which cannot be calmed, and its
waters cast up mud and filth. No
peace for the wicked! Says my
God. (Isaiah 57: 19-21).
Since the seed of peace is love,
one cannot seek peace from the
outside ones self. It is said that
when a man has already found
peace within himself, it is utterly
useless to look for it elsewhere.
Thus, when a person is at peace
with himself he will encounter
peace everywhere.
When one says that peace is
within our grasp, it means that it
will be possible to tread the path
to peace. Somehow a peaceful
person understands that to
forgive is to take the first step to
fostering peace among aggrieved
people, because forgiveness (to
forgive) is an important function
of love. Peace is not possible

FILE PHOTO

(Address of His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal B. Rosales, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila, delivered to the participants of
the World Alliance of Religions for Peace held in Seoul, South Korea on September 16-19, 2014)

one must begin with ones self-right in the mind and deep in his
heart. We are here gathered in
this great hall by the hundreds,
but the initiation to peace is in
the heart of everyone. No person
can draw anyone to peace, if he
does not have a peaceful heart.
As Saint Augustine once said, to
love is to have it. Or, as has been
said more than once, there is no
other way to peace: peace is the
way to peace.
An assured gentleness is
always coupled with peace.
Between persons in peaceful
relation there already is a

Any dialogue or exchange

in life ultimately reveals that
no matter how people may
differ in language, cultures,
upbringing, status or belief, the
needs are nearly all the same.
Desires converge on the same
values: Life, Dignity, Food,
Liberty Education, Work, Health,
Justice and Peace. There has to
be an equalizer to any form of
inequality and indignity slapped
against a person or a nation.
The lessons from the history of
wars remind us that war and
aggression need not be used as
tools to correct injustices or other

heading for ruins/ (Matthew

6:25). There is no strength in
division, especially if division
is upheld by ambition, anger or
pride. But if we listen to the heart
there really is no disunion, for as
Pope Francis recently said when
people prater there are no such
fields like North or South, East
or West. When people call on
God they make only one family
of people expressing the same
needs. Differences in philosophy,
ideology, standard in life, wealth,
poverty, education, ignorance,
weakness and strength are plain
and leveled before one God who

Somehow a peaceful person understands that to forgive is to take the first step
to fostering peace among aggrieved people, because forgiveness (to forgive) is an
important function of love.
among unforgiving people. Like
love, peace begins at the heart.
We do not have to belabor the
question as to which is prior
and what was after. When two
persons are at peace with each
other, they are united. When they
are banded together, they are a
peaceful people.
Peace be with you was the
greeting of the Lord and Master
Jesus Christ to His disloyal
friends, forgiving completely
failed friendship. There can be
no peace without forgiveness.
To actualize or to achieve peace

connectivity of desires. Between

communities or nations
in peaceful coexistence the
sameness of desires already
exists. In an honest dialogue for
peace a desire to eliminate strife
and contention is presumed. An
Acceptance of what each person
is levels the ground to accept
similarities. Forgive, and you
will be forgiven, the Master
reminds us. (Luke 6:37). Mutual
forgiveness is the path to peace,
because we are all sinners.
At the heart of peace is
Concordia or oneness of heart.

mistakes.
If there is hunger, let those
who have more to eat share some
food with those who are starved,
and there will be peace. if the
law cannot be bent to favour the
weak, let the strong ones lend a
supporting hand, and peace will
be with all. A violent struggle
need not be employed to redress
inequality, shame or injury. The
late Pope Pius XII once said,
Nothing is lost by peace, but
everything may be lost at war.
The Master declared that a
kingdom divided against itself is

is called by many names, but

remaining the same loving Father
to all.
He knows what we need, and
we will all find fulfillment in Him.
Peace, Unity and Charity are
all gifts from God and no pure
human effort can achieve perfect
and lasting Peace, Unity and
Charity. This is the reason why
man needs to ask for these gifts
from the Almighty. We all want
peace, then, pray for and beg
God for peace; we need to be one,
pray to God for Unity; we need
to become more compassionate,

and then let us ask God for

Charity.
There is such a day as the
Assisi Prayer for Peace for all
World Religious Leaders.
If we keenly observe our
surroundings the challenges
to Peace is not just political,
ideological or geographical.
The dramatic differences in the
collective economy of nations
in the world, the inequalities
and the distribution of wealth,
particularly in poorer countries
are very disturbing.
Justice and Peace may
even work actively among
deprived peoples of nations by
accompanying and educating
them start the work for peace and
equality by reserving and sharing
little things for people with great
needs. In our experience a small
tool for peace is to support a small
Fund For the People animated
by a systematical instruction or
catechesis/catechism on Justice,
Unity and compassion, where
every one is asked to give small
money. (Pondo ng Pinoy).
Little efforts and shares for
Peace, Unity and Compassion
become great when done in the
spirit of the Original Giver/
Dispense of Peace, Unity and
Compassion. The road to peace
is like the path to the Kingdom;
the kingdom itself is like the small
mustard seed.
Beginnings are always small.
But lets us begin!

Koreas Church of Martyrs

By Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ
WHEN Pope Francis chose Korea for
his first apostolic visit in Asia on August
25-28, 2014, during the 6th Asian Youth
Day, some questions were raised. Why
was Korea chosen where Catholics are
only a minority? Why not India where
the Christian tradition dates back to
the time of St. Thomas? Or perhaps
East Timor, the most Catholic country
in Asia today in terms of percentage of
the population. The warm reception that
Pope Francis received from Catholics and
non-Catholics alike bypassed many of
these questions. Yet, it is good to look at
the distinctive features of the Catholic
Church in Korea that must have attracted
Pope Francis and his advisers in choosing
Korea as his first destination in Asia.
An indigenous Church
First, the Faith was brought to Korea
not by foreign missionaries or priests
but by Korean lay persons who had
heard about Christianity in China.
Korean scholars were able to read books
on Catholicism written in Classical
Chinese. Among these was a widely-read
treatise on The True Doctrine of God
written by Fr. Matteo Ricci (1552-1610).
Ricci was among the first of several
Jesuit missionaries to enter the Middle
Kingdom. Instead of direct proclamation
of the Faith, these early missionaries
engaged Chinese scholars in a dialogue
involving Western sciences, eventually
leading to questions about God and
religion. Intellectuals of the Joseon
Kingdom in Korea were attracted to the
principles of Christianity that gradually
challenged the social structures of an
hierarchal society based on Confucian
principles.
By the late 18th century, the theoretical

aspects of Christianity had begun to

attract adherents to become practicing
Catholics in Korea. In 1784, Lee Seunghun joined an official delegation to China
and was baptized in Beijing. Returning to
Korea, Lee baptized several more of the
learned and formed a faith community
in Seoul in a house on the site of the
present Myeongdong Cathedral. A
decade later in 1794, a Chinese priest

A suffering Church
However, Fr. Kim Dae-geons ministry
was cut short when he and almost
all the other early Korean priests
suffered martyrdom. This is the second
characteristic of the Church in Korea: a
Church of martyrs. The Confucian elite
of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) could
not accept the egalitarian values taught by
Catholicism. In particular, as an offshoot

acknowledge as inculturation.)
For almost a hundred years,
persecutions were carried out against
Catholicsin 1801, 1839, 1846, and
1866. An estimated 10,000 believers were
martyred during this periodincluding
mostly lay men and women, across social
classes, and even entire families. During
the bicentennial celebrations in 1984,
Pope John Paul II canonized 103 blessed

The martyrs list

includes ordinary lay
people in rural areas,
some nobles, three
French bishops and
eight priests. Entire
families were also in the
roster. Indeed the blood
of martyrs has become
the seed of Christianity
in Korea.
entered Korea in response to the needs
of this first generation of Korean lay
Catholics for access to the sacraments.
With the help of more priests from the
Paris Foreign Missions Society by 1836,
the fledgling indigenous church in Korea
continued to grow. And by 1845, Andrew
Kim Dae-geon was ordained as the first
Korean priest.

of the Chinese Rites Controversy wherein

the Vatican prohibited the observance of
traditional Confucian rites for ancestors,
Korean Catholics adhering to this
prohibition were perceived as rejecting
all social order. (The Jesuit missionaries
on the other hand had advocated for
allowing these ancestor rites to continue
as a form of what the Church today would

martyrs. During his visit, Pope Francis

beatified 124 more martyrs. Korea, north
and south, is said to have the fourth
largest number of canonized saints in the
history of the Catholic Church.
A guide book for the Asian Youth Day
in Daejeon includes the personal accounts
of several of these martyrs of the Faith
consisting of various forms of torture, and

execution by beheading or hanging. St.

Andrew Kim Dae-geons last words to
the faithful while he was in prison are
particularly moving: Be steadfast and
let us meet in heaven. God will soon
send you a much better pastor than I. So
do not grieve but practice greater charity
and serve the Lord so that we may meet
again in Gods eternal mansion. He was
a priest for only a year and was martyred
at the age of 26 years.
The Jeoldusan Martyrs Shrine in
Seoul today is erected on the riverside
promontory where the martyrs bodies
were thrown onto the Han River.
Jeoldusan means the beheading
mountain. The shrine includes a
memorial chapel and a reliquary where
relics of 28 martyrs are kept. A museum
also showcases the instruments of torture
such as the rack, wooden handcuffs, a
stone with rope for strangulation, etc.
The martyrs list includes ordinary lay
people in rural areas, some nobles, three
French bishops and eight priests. Entire
families were also in the roster. Indeed the
blood of martyrs has become the seed of
Christianity in Korea.
An expanding Church
This is the third characteristic of the
Church in Korea: a fast-growing Church.
Over the past ten years, the Catholic
population has grown by 70%. The papal
nuncio in Korea, Filipino Archbishop O.
Padilla, told us that the Catholic Church
administers an average of 100,000 adult
baptisms a year! By the end of 2011 the
church had 5.3 million Catholics, or 10.3%
of the total population. If Protestants
and Catholics are grouped together,
Christians in Korea today constitute
nearly a third of the population. Another
third would be Buddhist, while the
remaining third would have no particular

Korea / B7

Features

B4

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

Caritas Manila report: A year after Yolanda

The SVD JPICIDC Rehabilitation
Efforts
TYPHOON Haiyan, known as typhoon Yolanda in the
Philippines, was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever
recorded, which devastated portions of Southeast Asia, on
November 8, 2013. It is the deadliest Philippine typhoon on
record, killing at least 6,268 people in our country alone.
The Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Integrated
Development Center (JPIC-IDC) of the Philippine Southern
Province of the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) was on the
forefront of relief operations as it immediately tied up with
our schools in the South due to the presence of the SVD on
the area. \
However, our giving of relief goods lasted only for around
two weeks. On the third week after the Typhoon Yolanda, the
JPIC-IDC started their house-building efforts. While many
organizations and government agencies concentrated in the
city, the JPIC-IDC concentrated in the remote areas of Leyte.
As of May 18, 2014, there have been a total of 3,032 houses
being built in the far-flung barangays of the municipalities of
Tolosa, Dulag, Dagami, Burawin, La Paz, Mayorga and Julita.
When I first visited these places, I wondered how our SVD
missionaries and our mission partners in the rehabilitation
efforts discovered these areas. Going to the project areas
seemed like eternity of rough roads as these adopted barangays
are very far from the highway.
The JPIC-IDC, Inc. is a faith-based Non-Government
Organization (NGO), registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The organization started with the
efforts of the Divine Word Missionaries in strong partnership
with Karl Kuebel Stiftung (KKS) of Germany. Its directionsetting body, the Board of Trustees is composed of seven
persons representing varied sectors from the church,
academe and the community. For the past thirteen years, the
organization has been implementing more than 15 projects
in the areas of education, economic development, human
and community development, and advocacy for women
and children. The JPIC-IDC, Inc. was founded in 1999 by a
group of catholic lay leaders, the SVDs and the Holy Spirit
Sisters (SSpS).
On May 8 this year, JPIC-IDC extended their housebuilding efforts in Bantayan Island. The organization has
been operating silently in the island for a decade through
community organization with livelihood, scholarship, and
cooperative development. It took 5 months before the
organization helped this part of Northern Cebu due to the
obvious minimal help felt in the area.
As of June 4, 2014, 50 houses have been donea fast job
Efforts / B5

Caritas Manila

By Fr. Felmar C. Fiel, SVD

By Hazel Ann Salubon

TYPHOON Yolanda, one of the strongest
typhoons recorded, hit several provinces
in the Philippines last November 8,
2013 taking away thousands of peoples
lives and leaving thousands of families
homeless.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda,
Caritas Manila, the leading non-profit
organization and social services and
development agency of the Archdiocese
of Manila, was able to receive donations
amounting to P268.3Million (in cash and
in-kind).
C a r i t a s M a n i l a i n i t i a l l y re l e a s e d
P140Million worth of cash and in-kind
donations to those affected by the typhoon.
As an immediate response, 132,837
families were given Caritas manna
emergency relief bags containing 5 kilos
of rice, assorted canned goods, noodles,
biscuits, coffee and sugar. A great number
of these affected families came from Leyte,
Samar, Naval, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo,
Capiz, Cebu, Masbate and Palawan. As the
needs of affected families vary, other nonfood items were distributed to each family
through the affected dioceses. Non-food

items consists of hygiene packs, assorted

medicines, mosquito nets, blankets, tools
(chainsaw), tarpaulins, slippers, solar
lamp, water filters, etc. Cash assistance,
initially at P6.8Million was also distributed
as emergency cash assistance to families
with sick and disabled members needing
immediate medical attention.
After relief, Caritas Manilas recovery
and rehabilitation efforts began. A total
of P18Million for livelihood projects,
shelter assistance, chapel and convent
reconstruction were initially given to
Palo, Leyte, Borongan and Calbayog Cities
(15 chapel constructions and repair of 1
parish rectory), Salcedo, Eastern Samar (10
motorized and 11 non-motorized fishing
boats), San Dionisio, Iloilo (71 motorized
fishing boats) and in San Carlos, Negros
Occidental (60 shelter assistance). These
projects were aimed at assisting the
displaced and affected families in their
struggle to return to normal life.
Aside from that, P32.212M was used
for Vocational/College scholarships
intended for the education of students,
with additional 967 YSLEP (Youth Servant
Leadership and Education Program)
Scholars from Leyte, Samar and Palawan.
In San Dionisio Iloilo, for livelihood

of displaced fisherfolks, 15 units fishing

boats were distributed. For the farmers in
Eastern Samar, 2,000 beneficiaries received
various farm tools and implements.
Ongoing projects
With the support of Mr. Manny V.
Pangilinan, Mr. Ryan Cayabyab, and the
generosity of the performing artists, the
June 11 benefit concert RISE! Rebuilding
from the Ruins generated P23Million
to help in Caritas Manilas continuous
reconstruction efforts. Together with
PLDT-Smart Foundation and One Meralco
Foundation, over 20 companies and
families responded to the call of rebuilding
chapelsdesigned not only to give
Yolanda survivors a new place of worship,
but as community multi-purpose and
evacuation centers. All 23 RISE! chapels in
Leyte and Eastern Samar will be turnedover before Christmas.
Caritas Manila continues its Damayan
Sa Haiyan rehabilitation phase,
focusing on Education, Livelihood and
Reconstruction. About P60Million is
allocated for its 3rd round of projects
(from September 2014 till May 2015)
to benefit more communities in Leyte,
Samar, Cebu and Palawan.

Poor / B1

cannot be integrated, the excluded are

discarded, the leftovers. This is the
disposable culture and I would like
to enlarge on this, though I do not
have it written down, but I have just
recalled it now. This happens when
at the center of an economic system
is the god of money, not man, the
human person. Yes, at the center of
every social or economic system must
be the person, image of God, created
to be the controller of the universe.
When the person is displaced and
the god of money comes there is this
inversion of values.
And, to make it graphic, I remember
a teaching of about the year 1200. A
Jewish Rabbi was explaining to his
faithful the story of the Tower of Babel,
and he then recounted that to build
that Tower of Babel, much effort was
required; the bricks had to be made,
and to make the bricks one had to
have mud and bring straw, and knead
the mud with the straw, then cut it in
squares, then dry it, then cook it, and
when the bricks were cooked and cold,
take them up to build the Tower.
If a brick fella brick was very
expensive given all the workif a
brick fell it was almost a national
tragedy. The one who dropped it was
punished or suspended, I dont know
what they did to him; but if a worker
fell, nothing happened. This happens
when the person is at the service of the
god of money, and this story was told
by a Jewish Rabbi, in the year 1200,
explaining these terrible things.
And in regard to discarding, we
must also pay some attention to
what happens in our society. I am
repeating things I have said, which are
in Evangelii Gaudium. Today, children
are disposed of because there is no
food or because they are killed before
being born children are discarded.
The elderly are disposed of, well,
because they are useless, they do not
produce, neither children nor the
elderly produce; then, with more or
less sophisticated systems they are
slowly abandoned and now, as in
this crisis it is necessary to recover
some equilibrium, we are witnessing
a third very painful discardingthe
discarding of young people. Millions
of young people, I do not want to
give a figure because I do not know it
exactly and the one I read about I think
is somewhat exaggerated, but millions
of young people are discarded from
work, are unemployed.
In the countries of Europe, and these
are very clear statistics, here in Italy,
there is slightly more than 40% of

unemployed young people; you know

what 40% of young people meansa
whole generation, cancelling a whole
generation to keep the balance. In
another country of Europe it is over
50% and in that country of 50%, in the
south 60%, are clear figures, discarded
bones. The disposal of children, of the
elderly, who do not produce; and we
have to sacrifice a generation of young
people, we dispose of young people to
be able to maintain and balance again
a system at whose center is the god
of money and not the human person.
Despite this, this disposable culture,
this culture of leftovers, so many of
you excluded workers, so many of
you excluded workers, leftovers of this
system, invented your own work with
all of what seemed that you could not
give more of yourselves but you,
with your craftsmanship that God
gave you, with your quest, with your
solidarity, with your community work,
with your popular economy, have
achieved it and are achieving it. And
let me say it to you, that in addition to
work, it is poetry. Thank you.
Henceforth every worker, be he
or not in the formal system of
salaried work, has the right to fitting

A short time ago I said, and I repeat

it, we are living the Third World War
but in quotas. There are economic
systems that must make war to
survive. Then arms are manufactured
and sold and with that, the balance
sheets of the economies that sacrifice
man at the feet of the idol of money,
obviously are healed. And no thought
is given to hungry children in refugee
camps; no thought is given to forced
displacements; no thought is given
to destroyed homes; not thought is
given now to so many destroyed
lives. How much suffering, how much
destruction, how much grief there is.
Today, dear sisters and brothers, the
cry for peace rises in all parts of the
earth, in all nations, in every heart and
in Popular Movements: No more war!
An economic system centered on the
god of money also needs to plunder
nature, to plunder nature to sustain
the frenetic rhythm of consumption
that is inherent to it. Climate change,
the loss of bio-diversity, deforestation
are already showing their devastating
effects in the great cataclysms we
witness, and you are the ones who
suffer most, the humble, those
who live near coasts in precarious

system, out of the center and been

replaced by something else. Why is
idolatrous worship rendered to money.
Why has indifference been globalized!
Indifference has been globalized: why
should I care what happens to others so
long as I can defend my own? Why has
the world forgotten God who is Father;
it has become an orphan because it left
God to one side.
Some of you said: this system can no
longer be endured. We must change it;
we must put human dignity again at
the center and on that pillar build the
alternative social structures we need.
It must be done with courage, but also
with intelligence, with tenacity but
without fanaticism, with passion but
without violence. And among us all,
addressing the conflicts without being
trapped in them, always seeking to
resolve the tensions to reach a higher
plane of unity, peace and justice.
We, Christians, have something very
lovely, a guide of action, we could say
a revolutionary program. I earnestly
recommend that you read it, that you
read the Beatitudes that are in chapter
5 of Saint Matthew and 6 of Saint Luke
(cf. Matthew 5:3 andLuke 6:20) and
that you read the passage of Matthew

Today, children are disposed of because there is no food or because they are
killed before being born children are discarded.
remuneration, to social security and
to retirement coverage. Here there
are cardboard dwellers, recyclers,
peddlers, seamstresses, artisans,
fishermen, rural workers, builders,
miners, recovered business laborers,
all sorts of members of cooperatives
and workers in popular jobs who are
excluded from labor rights, who are
denied the possibility of joining labor
unions, who have no adequate and
stable income. Today I want to join
my voice to yours and support you
in your struggle.
During this meeting, you have also
talked about Peace and Ecology. It is
logical: there cannot be land, there cannot
be a roof, there cannot be work if we do
not have peace and if we destroy the
planet. These are such important topics
that the nations and their grass-roots
organizations cannot fail to debate. They
cannot stay only in the hands of political
leaders. All the peoples of the earth, all
men and women of good will, we must
raise our voice in defense of these two
precious gifts: peace and nature Sister
Mother Earth, as Saint Francis of Assisi
called her.

dwellings or who are so vulnerable

economically that, in face of a natural
disaster, lose everything. Brothers
and sisters: creation is not a property,
which we can dispose of at will; much
less so is it the property of a some, of
a few: creation is a gift, it is a present,
a wonderful gift that God has given
us to take care of and to use for the
benefit of all, always with respect
and gratitude. Perhaps you know
that I am preparing an encyclical on
Ecology: be sure that your concerns
will be present in it. I thank you, I take
the opportunity to thank you for the
letter I received from the members
of the Rural Way, the Federation of
Cardboard Dwellers and so many
other brothers in this respect.
We talk of the earth, of work, of
a roof we talk about working for
peace and taking care of nature.
However, instead of that, why do we
get used to seeing how fitting work
is destroyed, how so many families
are dismissed, how rural workers are
expelled, how war is engaged in and
nature is abused. Why has man, the
human person been taken out of this

25. I said it to the young people at Rio

de Janeiro, with those two things you
have the plan of action.
I know that among you there are
persons of different religions, jobs,
ideas, cultures, countries, continents.
Today you are practicing here the
culture of encounter, so different from
that of xenophobia, discrimination
and intolerance, which we witness so
often. Among the excluded there is that
encounter of cultures where the whole
does not cancel the particularity, the
whole does not cancel the particularity.
That is why I like the image of the
polyhedron, a geometric figure with
many different faces. The polyhedron
reflects the confluence of all the
partialities that keep their originality
in it. Nothing is dissolved, nothing
is destroyed, nothing is dominated,
everything is integrated, everything is
integrated. Today you are also looking
for that synthesis between the local and
the global. I know that you work day
after day in what is close and concrete,
in your territory, your neighborhood,
your place of work: I invite you also
to continue looking for that broader

perspective; may our dreams fly high

and embrace everything.
Therefore, that proposal seems
important to me which some of
you have shared with me that these
movements, these experiences of
solidarity, which grow from below,
from the subsoil of the planet, should
come together, be more coordinated,
meet one another as you have done
these days. Be careful, it is never
good to confine a movement in rigid
structures, that is why I said you
should meet; much less is it good to
try to absorb, direct or dominate it; free
movements have their own dynamic
but yes, we must try to walk together.
We are in this hall, which is the hall
of the old Synod; now there is a new
one, and synod means, in fact, to
walk together: may this be a symbol
of the process that you have initiated
and that you are carrying forward.
The Popular Movements express
the urgent need to revitalize our
democracies, so often kidnapped by
innumerable factors. It is impossible
to imagine a future for society without
the active participation of the great
majorities and that protagonism
exceeds the logical proceedings of
formal democracy. The prospect of
a world of lasting peace and justice
calls us to overcome paternalistic
welfarism; it calls us to create new
ways of participation that include
the Popular Movements and animate
local, national and international
government structures with that
torrent of moral energy that arises from
the incorporation of the excluded in the
building of a common destinyand
this, with a constructive spirit, without
resentment, with love.
I accompany you with my heart on
this journey. Let us say together from
our heart: no family without a dwelling,
no rural workers without land, no
worker without rights, no person
without the dignity that work gives.
Dear sisters and brothers: continue
with your struggle, you do good to
us all. It is as a blessing of humanity.
I leave you as a memento, as a present
and with my blessing, some Rosaries
made by artisans, cardboard dwellers
and workers of the popular economy
of Latin America.
And in this accompaniment I pray
for you, I pray with you and I want
to ask Our Father God to support and
bless you, to fill you with His love and
accompany you on the way, giving you
abundantly that strength that keeps us
standing: that strength is hope, hope that
does not disappoint. Thank you.

Statements

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

B5

The CBCP President on the request to mediate in

the Government-NDF dialogue
THE National Democratic
Front presents itself as the
umbrella organization of which
the Community Party of the
Philippines - New Peoples
army is supposedly its military
arm. We make these statements
with trepidation because we
are not sure about the degree of
cohesiveness that exists between
the top echelons of the Front and
local cadres of the New Peoples
Army. We have been informed
by members of the government
peace panel that they were under
the impression that many of the
attacks and raids conducted
on the local fronts were hardly
ever known andif everonly
belatedly acknowledged by
Utrecht leaders.

regrettably been used by the rebel

forces to recruit membership
especially in far flung barangays
that have had to labor under the
burden of supplying food and
sustenance to the members of he
New Peoples Army. And while
insurgents complain that some of
their leaders have been arrested
while on safe-conduct passes, it
is our understanding that such
passes were issued to allow
their representatives to attend
negotiations and conferences,
and not for the purpose of
consolidating membership.

FILE PHOTO

The Situation
The Government of the
Philippines has repeatedly
acceded to peace talks,
appointing top-level negotiators
even requesting the involvement
of the good offices of such foreign
governments as the government
of Norway. Regrettably, none of
these prolonged, and expensive
negotiations have borne
substantial fruit. The cessation
of hostilities usually declared on
the occasion of negotiations have

Our Mission
When the Catholic Bishops
Conference mediates, when it
engages in dialogue, when it
initiates negotiation, when it
gets adversaries talking to each
other, it does so at all times
as herald of the Gospel and
servant of the Kingdom of God.
Truth and justice are therefore
its primary and non-negotiable
guideposts, and when it does not
find these present, or when, in
its discernment, made in prayer
and docility to the prompting
of the Spirit, it does not find
a disposition to sincerity and
trustworthiness in the parties to
the dialogue, the CBCP will not

lend itself to a fruitless exercise

or to a charade visited on the
entire country.
Communism and Capitalism
We the bishops of the
Philippines will continue to
pray for a peaceful resolution to
this long-festering problem of
insurgency in the country. While
events of recent history have
proven with historical certainty
the impracticability of such
socialist societies as the nowdefunct Soviet Union and Eastern
Europe once espoused, neither
must we forget Pope Francis
constant teaching that unbridled
and unprincipled capitalism
cannot be any better and is as
exploitative and oppressive
particularly on the marginalized.
We encourage qualified lay
persons to contribute to the
dialogue and to foster that spirit
of openness and sincerity that
alone can make negotiations
promising.

The CBCP for its part
categorically states that it cannot
take in the role of initiating,
convening, mediating or presiding
over a dialogue between the
National Democratic Front and
government representatives. We

Dialogue / B7

The CBCP President on United Nations Agrarian Reform as a

World Day of Remembrance for Road continuing project of
social justice
Traffic Victims

Road Traffic Victims

R oad-traffic victimswhether these
are motorists, unwary pedestrians or
just bystanders who happen to be where
the reckless and thoughtless also happen
to beare often referred to as accident
victims. But accident suggests an
unfortunate confluence of events about
which we are generally helpless. The
truth of the matter though, is that most
of the time, road-traffic victims suffer
because of lack of prudence and a failure of
simple providence, the egregious violation
of traffic rules (such as those that limit
driving speeds) and conduct that is not
only criminally actionable but morally
reprehensible, such as driving under the
influence of drugs or alcohol.

Government Action
But we must also ask of officials of
government about their implication
in road accidents. Is it not a fact that
many road-traffic victims lose life or
limb because of ill-constructed roads
and highways, the pathetic handiwork
of corrupt workmanship? Have not
many drivers fallen off cliffs, ridges and
road shoulders because of inadequate
road signs, ill-lighted highways and the
criminal absence of assistance that should
come from government functionaries
tasked with road safety? There seem,
especially in the Philippines, to be more
enforcers on the lookout for traffic
violators than those on lonely stretches of
high way, mountain passes and dangerous

nor any obstacle hinder them on their way.

Make all things work their well-being and
true benefit,
so that whatever they rightly desire
they may successfully achieve.
If we ask God to make all things work
for the well-being of those who use our
highways, we also ask God to instil
responsibility, prudence and above-all
charity on our all motorists, because
motorists are, in fact, the biggest threat
on the highways. But this is a prayer not
only for motorists but for pedestrians as
well, for pedestrians do use highways
as well and we implore Gods protection
on them.
Commitment
This day of
re m e m b r a n c e m u s t
also be a be a day
o f F I R M R E S O LV E
-that GOVERNMENT
c o n s t ru ct sa fe an d
reliable highways, rid of
the wages of corruption,
and that maintenance be
regular, thorough and
continuous;
- that MOTORISTS
drive with that charity
by which Christs
disciples are to be
distinguished in their
regard especially for
other motorists and for
pedestrians, placing
on the highway only
roadworthy vehicles
and recognizing trafficrules for what they
are: recognition of the
rights of others;
- that PEDESTRIANS
be prudent when they traverse our highways
or stroll through them, and especially when
the elderly and the mentally impaired take
to our highways, help should be available
to them.
FILE PHOTO

ROADS and highways have figured

prominently in the growth of civilizations.
Distant hamlets and settlements, far-off
native kingdoms and tribes, came under
one rule, particularly in Roman times.
The Romans had two powerful weapons
by which to forge first a Republic, then,
an empire: an immensely recondite legal
system that continues to live on in its
progeny of different legal systems, and the
roads they build that continue to amaze
and dazzle with their sophistication and
the engineering acumen that went into
their construction. These roads are neither
just confined to Rome nor to Italy lone,
but through out a large expanse of the
globe over which they exercised dominion.
Roads connected and united; they created
a nation; they marked
out an empire.
The Opening Words
of the presider at the
Blessing of Means
o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
establishes the
theological link:
Christ, the
Son of God, came
into the world to
g a t h e r t h o s e w e re
scattered. Whatever
contributes to bring
us closer together
therefore is in
a c c o rd w i t h G o d s
plan. Thus those
who are separated
from each other by
mountains, oceans
o r g re a t d i s t a n c e s
are brought nearer to
each other whenever
n e w h i g h w a y s a re
built or other means
of transportation are
developed.

road turns ready to render assistance to

motorists in trouble!
Prayer and Blessing
So World-Remembrance Day for RoadTraffic Victims should not only be a time
of sentimental remembrance of all who
perished on our high ways, who have
borne tremendous loss and who continue
to suffer. We take inspiration from the
Blessing of a Highway:
O God, of boundless mercy and majesty,
neither distance nor time separates you
from those you watch over,
In every place stay close to your servants
who trust in you
and wherever they go
be their leader and their companion....
Let no adversity harm them

If this be our resolve on this day of

remembrance then the words of the rite of
blessing will indeed come true: In every
place stay close to your servants who trust
in you, and wherever they go, be their
leader and their companion.
From the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines, November 16, 2014
+ SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS, D.D.
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
President, CBCP
November 16, 2014

NOT too long ago I issued a statement on the Comprehensive

Agrarian Reform Program and its implementing law, lauding
its achievements as well as candidly pointing out the challenges
that still had to be hurdled. The CBCP is once more being asked
about the expanded and enhanced version of the program
and whether it remains not only legally but morally justified.
Agrarian Reform as Moral Imperative.
Unless the expropriation of privately owned property serves
the higher cause of social justice, agrarian reform cannot hardly
justified. When it casts itself off from this moral mooring, land
reform merely becomes disguised confiscation by the State of
private property. This also means that the underlying motive as
well as the defining criterion for any enhancement, expansion
or amendment of the agrarian reform law presently in place
must be social justice -- and this is exactly what is disturbing
because our Legislature that has not seen urgency in other
matters of national concern involving social justice cannot
credibly enact an enhanced or improved agrarian reform law
unless it takes all the demands of social justice in their entirety
to heart. Some Concerns of Law Reform
The present spate of investigations into questionable
acquisitions by officials of government of considerable tracts
of land--often in scandalous proportions -- leaves no doubt that
the law has in several ways been circumvented and persons
otherwise disqualified from amassing vast tracts of land in
contravention of the law have in fact done so. Genuine law
reform and resolute law implementation must address this. It is
also a fact to which many of our pastors throughout the country
bear witness that farmer-beneficiaries have, through some
subterfuge, successfully alienated their acquisitions, defeating
the purpose as well as the intendment of the program. While
on the one hand, this speaks of a downright irresponsibility
on the part of farmer-beneficiaries, it also suggests that they
needed assistance from government, from the Church, from
NGOs to succeed in their new roles as land-owners bad sadly, at
least according to their perception, received no such assistance.
Clearly, therefore, the nagging problems of the redistribution
of land resources in this country cannot be solved by the mere
passage of laws or the amendment of legal provisions. The
Church, for one, is called to that charity that takes the form of
empowering new land-owners so that they may truly enjoy
the self-determination that characterizes persons as Gods free
sons and daughters. Family Fragmentation and the Vacuity
of Land Reform Agrarian reform envisioned the family as an
economic unit, endeavoring to give each family that portion
of Gods earth on which it labored so that together, having
impressed the marks of their personhood--both as individuals
and as a family--on the land, it would be truly be theirs. But
this idyllic picture is slowly fading, sliding over into the realm
of fiction, for the sad reality is that the Filipino is now very
frequently a fragmented family, youngsters setting as their
priority migration to some foreign land with the result that
continued ownership of the land their parents once lovingly
tilled becomes a matter of indifference.
Again, it is clear that the issue goes far beyond legal
considerations and touches on the very mission of the family
and life apostolate of the Church. Agrarian reform, the CBCP
continues to hope, should be a potent instrument of social
cohesion and the flourishing of the family as the domestic
church. THE CBCP THEREFORE requests the Legislature to
consider the foregoing points in its project to expanding and
enhancing the agrarian reform program, even as it calls on
various church groups, lay groups in particular, as well as
Reform / B7

Efforts / B4

well done as they envision of building

284 houses in Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island,
Cebu. Thats already a lot in a span
of less than a month. I was also there
during the turn-over of these houses.
The recipients were very excited as
they cleaned the surrounding for their
transfer that evening.
The project extended to the nearby
Hilantagaan Island. When I visited the
only high school in the island before
the start of classes, only one room
was renovated, and it was not even
completed since several windows were

still not repaired. The school received

military-style tents for their students.
But I wondered if students would like
to stay in that kind of tent, especially
under the scorching heat of the sun
when the classes started.
JPIC-IDC immediately came to the
rescue! Not only did our organization
provided relief goods and school
materials, we also volunteered to repair
their school buildings.
And yes, we also have rehabilitation
efforts in Bohol. On October 4, Fr. Tony
Salas, SVD, invited me to the turn-over

of the model houses of the University

of San Carlos to the residents of Brgy.
Ubay in Tubigon, Bohol. The islet can
be travelled via a small boat from
Tubigon Pier for around 45 minutes.
It is a very small island. It has a total
population of 251 people. Together with
4 other priests, we blessed the houses
to the delight of the residents. As a side
note, a wheelchair was also given to a
polio-victim mother in the area. She
and her family were brought to tears.
She is the only one in the island to have
a wheelchair.

As of November 8, 2014, exactly one

year after the typhoon Yolanda, JPICIDC have built close to 6,000 houses in
Leyte, Bohol and Cebu. And the number
is still counting. And they are doing it
silently. May they forgive me for not
remaining quiet on their heroic efforts.
Thanks to the many generous SVD
mission offices in Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, Australia, Technny
and many others, local or foreign,
who generously share funds for the
rehabilitation efforts. Thank you also to
our many mission partners who stood

by our side. God bless you and may your

gifts increase for Gods greater glory.
My special thanks to my SVD confreres,
who in way or the other, extended their
talents, abilities, time, and resources. Its
worth quoting what Fr. Eugene Docoy,
SVD said during the rehabilitation efforts:
We, the Divine Word Missionaries, in
times of pain and difficulties, reaffirm
our calling to be at the forefront whenever
our services are called for. For this is the
only way we make gospel values alive,
real and dynamic to the people we vowed
to serve.

Ref lections

B6

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

King of the Universe
Mt. 25:31-46 (A) November 23, 2014

What leads people to

heaven or hell
Solemnity of Christ the King, Mt.
25:31-46 (A) November 23, 2014
A PERSONAL judgment at the end of life and a universal
judgment at the end of time come as no surprise. Man was
created free but also accountable. Everyone will have to
account to the Eternal Judge for the way he/she has used His
gifts and opportunities.
The personal judgment is the most devious because
everyone is accountable for ones behavior and must receive the
deserved reward or punishment. But since we are all linked in
a web of communion and solidarity, it is also appropriate that
each human being should know the effect of the behavior of
everyone on all others, whether for good or bad. The Universal
Judgment will bring to everyones knowledge everybodys
deeds and their effects. This also is fair and proper for during
our earthly life our knowledge is very limited in many ways.
However, what comes as a surprise in the dramatized
account of the Last Judgment presented by Jesus, is the
limited scope of accountability. Though granting that the
instances mentioned by the Judge are not exhaustive, the
fact remains that they are all and only about our attitudes/
actions toward people. Not a single question about our
attitude toward God.
This is surprising indeed forafter allwasnt it Jesus
Himself who stated that the greatest commandment is to
love God with all ones heart, soul, and mind? (See Mt
22:37-38.) And was He not the one who taught His disciples
to pray, and who wanted them to pray at all times? (See
Lk 18:1.) He himself spent hours in prayer. (See Mt 6:9
and Lk 6:12.) And yet, today, we seem to learn from Him
that what will matter in the end will be only the way we
treat our neighbor, especially the needy! Only the second
set of commandments seems to hold...

We seem to learn from Him that

what will matter in the end will be
only the way we treat our neighbor,
especially the needy! Only the second
set of commandments seems to hold
Reflecting further, however, the surprise ceases. Actually,
we find that it could not be otherwise. With the Incarnation,
God has become a brother to every human being. It is not
just a matter of proximity and relation, but a matter of
effective identification. We have to see, love and serve God
in our neighbor. As Jesus himself states in todays Gospel,
Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do
unto me! (See Mt 25:40.)
The Last Judgment is the mystery of the Incarnation brought
to its utmost practical consequences. It is not that God and
our love for Him have been left out. They are in, and
in the most concrete and challenging manner, embedded as
they are in the very people that we usually avoid: the hungry,
the sick, the unpleasant, the convicts... These are some of the
categories of people in whom it is so difficult to see Christ,
the all-holy God-man.
To see and serve Christ in them demands not only mercy
and generosity, but also an immense faith. The Final Judgment
will be a judgment on our practical acceptance of the Word
who became flesh, a judgment on our Yes to the God
steeped not only in our nature, but even in our very needs.

Boston

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

By Fr. Joseph Pellegrino

THE dirty walls of the place of
execution resounded with the
shout, Viva Cristo Rey! Long
Live Christ the King! And
Blessed Miguel Pro completed
his life, his arms held out wide
in the form of a cross. His
shout was the defiant cry of
the Cristeros, the Catholics of
Mexico who were determined to
restore the reign of Jesus Christ
in a land that was suffering
the most intense anti-Catholic
persecution since the time of
Elizabeth I of England.
Miguel Pro was born to a
family of miners in Guadelupe,
Mexico in 1891. He was a
very spiritual child. He was
adventurous. He was witty. He
was intelligent. He was called
Cocol because as a child when
he almost killed himself on one
of his adventures, he regained
consciousness with his frantic
parents and relatives praying
around him, and said, I want
Cocol, a sweet bread. Cocol
would become the endearing
name his family would call him,
and his clandestine name when
he became a priest.
At 20 years old Miguel embraced
his passion to live for Kingdom of
Jesus Christ. He renounced the
world and entered the Society
of Jesus, the Jesuits, in El Llano,
Mexico. By that time it was
dangerous to be a Catholic in
Mexico, even more dangerous to

be a priest. By 1914 the seminary

was closed and the seminarians
fled to Texas and New Mexico,
where Miguel continued his
education, eventually being sent
to study in Spain and in Belgium.
Meanwhile, back in Mexico, a
new Constitution made it illegal
for Catholics to practice their
faith outside of a few designated
churches. The country continually
looked for ways to destroy the
faith. Its prime method was to
eliminate priests.

personal hatred for Jesus Christ

and vigorously enforced antiCatholic measures throughout
the country. In Miguels home
state of Tabasco, the governor,
Canabal, closed all churches and
forced the priests whom he did
not kill into hiding.
Fr. Miguel Pro found ways to
reach out to the people. Catholics
in a village would receive a
letter saying that Cocol was
coming. He would come in the
middle of the night dressed as a

He would come in the middle of the

night dressed as a beggar and baptize
infants, bless marriages and celebrate
Mass. He would appear in a jail
dressed as a police officer and bring
communion to condemned Catholics.
Miguel was ordained a priest
in Belgium in 1925. He had
numerous stomach ailments
and operations. It looked like
his life would come to an early
end. Perhaps he used this to
convince his superiors to allow
him to return to Mexico to see
his family once more. Once
he arrived he joined the fight
for Christ in his homeland.
The situation in Mexico was
grave. The new president,
Calles, declared that he had a

beggar and baptize infants, bless

marriages and celebrate Mass.
He would appear in a jail dressed
as a police officer and bring
communion to condemned
Catholics. He would go into the
rich neighborhoods to procure
funds for the poor of Mexico
City dressed as a fashionable
businessman, complete with a
fresh flower on his lapel. He
very quickly became a hero for
the faith among the Catholics
of Mexico. The government

learned about him and sought

out ways to discredit him while
looking to arrest him. He was
accused of involvement in
an assassination attempt on
the former president; caught,
arrested and quickly sent to the
firing squad. President Calles
had the scene meticulously
photographed and published
on the front pages of all of the
newspapers of Mexico in order
to scare the Catholics into
submission. He even allowed a
funeral convinced that no one
would come and giving him
the opportunity to say that the
faith, like Miguel Pro, was dead.
Instead 20,000 to 30,000 people
came. Throughout the funeral
they shouted Fr. Pros last words,
Viva Cristo Rey.
Sixty one year later, on
September 25, 1988, Miguel
Pro was beatified by Pope St.
John Paul II as an American
martyr. Today is His feast day,
the anniversary of his death,
November 23rd.
Viva Cristo Rey! Our
commitment also is to Christ
the King. Like Blessed Miguel
Pro, we cannot allow anything
to destroy the passion within
us for the One whose death
showed us the way to life. We
need to fight for the Kingdom.
This means standing up against
the materialistic forces of evil
seeking to destroy to world. This
means seeking out those who
are longing for the presence of
King / B7

Bishop Pat Alo

Bo Sanchez

Soulfood

ENCOUNTERS

Do The Boring Basics

I DO a lot of incredibly exciting stuff
in my life.
I preach an average of 200 talks a year.
Each year, I take numerous airplane
rides, hopping around islands and
nations. Right before my eyes, I see
lives changed, souls converted, families
reunited.
Each year, I also publish 4 books
and write 400 magazine articles and
newsletters.
M y
mailbox
overflowswithgrateful
letterspeople telling
me how God has
powerfully touched
their lives through
simple, ordinary words
from my books.
Im also in the
leadership team
of many dynamic
organizations, doing
the craziest, zaniest,
most wonderful
things in the world, like publishing
transformational literature, counseling
the wounded, building communities, and
working with the poorest of the poor.
And as if Im not busy enough, I also
run a few personal businesses.
Yes, I do a lot of thrilling, awesome,
exhilarating things!
And often, strangers will walk up
to me after a talk and ask me, How do

you do all that you do?

So I tell them my secret formula: I
consistently do the basics.
A t least, I struggle hard to be
consistent!
Examples?
E very morning, I enjoy Gods
embrace.
Every morning, I chew on His Word.
Every morning, I eat the very healthy

dayimagining the blessings I want to

receive.
In other words, my friends, Im
boring.
Im monotonous.
Im repetitive.
I do the same basic things again and
again and again and again
T his is my message to you: I
now realize that the reason I can do
all those thrilling,
exciting, exhilarating
stuff is because I do
the boring basics
every single day of
my life. Every day,
Im grateful. Every
day, I think positive.
Everyday, I love.
Every day, I select
what I watch, what
I read, what I listen
toand stick to what
can make me grow.
Every single day.
The more I live on planet earth, the
more I agree with Jim Rohn when he said
that Theres really nothing mysterious or
magical about success. Success is simply
the consistent application of fundamentals.
Powerful words.
Be boringly consistent when it comes
to the basics.
And in time, youll find exciting
success knocking at your door.

Unforgettable memories

THERE is no gainsaying the fact that

our lives on earth are but temporary and
there is an end to a lifetime. But etched
in our minds are the memories of youth
with our parents love and care; memories
of those who from a sincere love taught

parents (Papa and Mama) and other close

relations who taught us in word and deed
(i.e. concretely) this very love of God and
of every fellow human being so that we
may actually put into practice as widely as
possible that very love which Jesus wants

us the principles of right living and

discipline. That is the kind of love we are
most inspired to communicate and share
with our fellow humans so the spirit of
love may everywhere flourish as Jesus
desired it. And we are grateful to our

us to bring into concrete realization. After

all, what will life be worth for if there be
no love in the world?
The memories are unforgettable
because of the accompanying love behind

breakfastmade up of nothing else but

fruits.
Everyday, instead of exposing myself
to bad news, I drink deeply of good news
available around me: I voraciously read
inspiring books and listen to inspiring
audio teaching.
Every night, like a little boy, I thank
God for His blessings of that day.
And every night, I plan for the next

CBCP News

The reason I can do all those thrilling, exciting,

exhilarating stuff is because I do the boring
basics every single day of my life. Every day, Im
grateful; I think positive; I love; I select what I
watch, what I read, what I listen toand stick to
what can make me grow.

Encounters / B7

Social Concerns

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

B7

Preda

Saving and
healing the
jailed children
of poverty

Children as young as 9 and 10 years old can be found in the Navotas City Jail.

By Rev. Fr. Shay Cullen

RICARDO, 13, was squatting in the
corner of an overcrowded cell, his
head was resting on his knees and his
hands covered his head. He was hiding
his child-like face. It was a defensive
posture for self-protection. He was a
youth prisoner without being charged
and with no credible evidence against
him. He was wrongfully accused of
stealing money.
That was not his biggest problem. It
was how to save himself from being
raped again by the 17- and 18-year olds
and the bigger men who were allowed
into the cell at night. He was taken out
at night and brought to an adult cell
nearby and raped there. He was kicked
and beaten if he fought back against it.
He was overpowered and gang-raped.
He cried most of the day and cried
most of the night. His life was a misery.
He had lost all hope. He seldom ate the
handful of dirty rice and spoonful of
vegetables handed to him in a plastic
bag. Apparently, this is considered
normal by the authorities and they know
or think nothing about the harm it does
to the youth. The children will become
angry and rebellious to authority and

untrusting of adults and will want to

get revenge on their jailers and abusers.
There they languished in utter
boredom as prisoners behind bars and
unjustly made to wear the stigma of
a criminal youth. They are vulnerable
to abuse and bullying and are totally
powerless to change their lives or get
justice. Their voice will never be heard,
their pain never felt, their fear and
insecurity remains unknown.
They are the forgotten children of

Ricardo was found and saved

with many other youths in similar
circumstances by Preda Foundation
social workers and brought to the
Preda home for children where he is
recovering with therapy and care from
his life-shattering traumatic experiences.
Thousands of young children
are locked up every year in similar
conditions around the Philippines.
Preda Foundation is campaigning to
have the government officials respect

He was taken out at night and brought to an adult cell nearby and raped
there. He was kicked and beaten if he fought back against it. He was
overpowered and gang-raped.
poverty coming from intolerable slums
and deprivation and having been
conditioned all their lives to accept that
they were good for nothing, better
off to be dead, or may have heard
from their own parents, I wish you
were never born. They are the children
from the negative view of life, the red
platform of negativity as explained by
the inspirational writer and speaker
Declan Coyle in his book The Green
Platform.

and obey the law. It seems to be having

some impact.
A few weeks ago, a delegation of
local government officials in charge of
youth in conflict with the law in their
respective municipalities throughout
the Philippines came to visit the Preda
New Dawn Home for Boys in Castillejos,
Zambales. They were ordered by the
office of the Secretary of Interior and
Local government to go on a orientation
tour of non-government-run centers

Confessional / B2

Concelebrants / B2

Korea / B3

the faithful to prepare for the papal visit by

going to confession, it may be a good time
for them to oblige the priests to observe fixed
hours of confession daily in the churches,
where the faithful can approach the Sacrament
of Reconciliation in the time-revered manner:
in a confessional with a fixed grille.
There is talk of a massive Eucharistic
Celebration at the Quirino Grandstand
and Luneta, to parallel if not exceed the 4
Million crowd during the last visit of Pope
St. John Paul II in Manila. If even just half of
those 4,000,000 people were to go to Holy
Communion worthilyi.e., duly prepared
by going to the Sacrament of Confession
as the bishops are encouraging everyone to
dothen between now and then, 2 million
confessions must be heard in Metro Manila
and the neighboring provinces! Even if all the
priests in Luzon spent several hours daily in
the confessional from now on until the papal
visit, they would not be able to prepare that
number of people. Hence, the sooner they
start and the more generously they give
themselves to this ministry, the better they
would be preparing their respective flocks
for the visit of the Vicar of Christ.

concelebrants approach the chalice at the

altar, there might be circumstances where
the number of concelebrants or the lack
of space could make this very impractical
or take an inordinate amount of time. For
example, even great Roman basilicas such
as St. Pauls and St. John Laterans have
relatively small altars which are difficult
to approach from more than one side.
There are, therefore, other possible
procedures for the communion of large
numbers of concelebrants. Deacons or
concelebrants go in pairs to the other
concelebrants. One brings the paten
with the hosts, the other the chalice and
purificator. The concelebrants either
consume first the host and then take the
chalice or, as would be more common in
this situation, they dip the host in the
chalice. Before he consumes the Eucharist,
each concelebrant says quietly, May the
body and blood .
A rarer situation is when the space
b e t w e e n ro w s o f p r i e s t s m a k e s i t
impossible to move between them, for
example, if priests are in choir stalls or a
stadium-like arrangement. Thus, although
it is not specified in the liturgical books, I
think it would be allowable for the pairs
of deacons or concelebrants to take up a
fixed spot toward which the concelebrants
approach, genuflect if possible, and take
the host and dip it in the chalice. I have
observed this method used with reverence
at some major events.
In these cases, those presenting the
hosts and the chalice never say anything.
Concelebrants take the host from the paten
themselves and do not receive it from
another minister.

religious affiliation.
The AYD Guidebook points
out some factors behind the
Catholic Churchs phenomenal
growth: Part of this growth can
be attributed to the Churchs
positive perception by the
general public for its role in
the democratization of South
Korea, its active participation in
various works of social welfare,
and its respectful approach to
interfaith relationship and matters
of traditional Korean spirituality.

Footnotes:
1 Cf. W.C.Paguio, Notes on Sacraments and Sacramentals: According to the Revised Code of Canon
2 Cf. VV.AA., Manual de Derecho Cannico (2nd ed.),
Pamplona (1991), p.528.
3 It is interesting to note that in the revision of the Code,
the norm prohibiting the confession of women outside
the confessional had been re-introduced. A petition to
delete it in 1981 was rejected, giving the reason that
such was the mind of Paul VI. Thus the norm remained
in the different schemata of the new Code, up to the final
Schema of 1982. Unfortunately, it disappeared after the
final revision. Cf. Communicationes, 15 (1983), p.207.

Dialogue / B5

Encounters / B6

are of the firm persuasion that

under the present circumstances,
this cannot be part of our ecclesial
mandate as an episcopal conference.

those considerate acts or services

of honest and sincere people We
cant help but remember and
relive the happy memories by
sharing such goodness to other
persons too. Thats how love is
repaid with love, as they say in
Spanishamor con amor se
paga.
God who has always been the
origin and source of all good
things and happenings, knows
and rewards every good act.
To Him ultimately belongs all
the honor and glory and praise.
And since in this world there is
the constant struggle between
good and evil, we have to do our
part in fighting for the victory of
goodness over evil, especially
by raising the banner of Jesus
Christ whose main aim was to
save humanity from the forces of
Satan and all other evil followers
opposing the banner of Jesus
Christ whose aim is eternal
salvation and felicity for us all.

From the Catholic Bishops

Conference of the Philippines,
Manila, November 10, 2014
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archb ishop o f L i n g ay e n Dagupan
President, CBCP
Reform / B5

NGOs, to do their part to see to

the meaningful fruition of this
program.
From the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines,
November 12, 2014
+ SOCRATES VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
CBCP President

looking for best practices in the care of

children suspected of having violated
the law that can be replicated in their
respective cities and municipalities.
Preda executive director Francis
Bermido showed them around the
Mediterranean-style villa that is a
beautiful, happy home, as well as an
education and therapy center for as
many as 40 boys, ages nine to 16. They
freely choose to stay there of their own
free will and could easily leave if they

King / B6

Alliance of Religions
ThisexplanationfortheChurchs
growth in Korea also summarizes
its fourth characteristicas a
peace-building Church. Korea is
still divided between North and
South, with a threat of nuclear
war and devastation over the
myriad high-rise buildings of
Seoul that stand as symbols
of a technologically advanced
society. The challenges of peacebuilding on the one hand and the
erosion of values in a secularized,
consumerist society on the other
hand were some factors behind the
convening of the World Alliance of
Religions Peace Summit (WARP)
on September 17-19, 2014, in
Seoul. This was organized by a
movement, Heavenly Culture,
World Peace, Restoration of Light
(HWPL), chaired by Mr. Man Hee
Lee. A former soldier in the Korean
War, Mr. Lee resolved to spread

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wanted to. There are no gates, guards,

fences or punishment of any kind at
the home.
The holistic multi-discipline recovery
program of life at the center was
explained to the delegation of local
government officials and they met
several of the 16 Preda professional staff
that care for the children in the home.
Giving respect, dignity, affirmation,
encouragement and positive green
platform support is the best education

and therapy they could have. We hope

the visitors learned that this is what the
children deserve and are entitled to by
law. This is what we learn from living
on the Green Platform of Life.
Besides the hardships of detention
centers, the majority of boys at the
Preda open center are from broken
homes. Children of broken, unstable
homes have many psychological
problems even if they have never been
detainees. Most have been abandoned
by their fathers and a young boy
growing up without the support, role
model and good example of a loving
father from early childhood will surely
develop a deep identity crises and carry
feelings of deprivation and unsatisfied
needs into adulthood. He may become
demanding and emotionally unstable
and project his anger onto those who
care for him.
Permanent relationships will be
difficult to achieve and it will be a
struggle to overcome urges and drives
for self-satisfaction and exclusive
attention-seeking. So it is with the
boys at the Preda Home. It will be a
challenge that helpers, therapists and
social workers must meet with patience
and understanding. In such cases there
is much healing needed.

the message of peace in his visits

to other countries.
Together with Emeritus
Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales
of Manila and Bishop Angelito
Lampon of Jolo, I was invited by
the HWPL organizers to share
the efforts of peace-building
in Mindanao. Chairman Lee
himself had exerted efforts to
meet several key leaders of the
conflicting parties in Mindanao.
On the opening day, Seouls
Olympic Stadium was filled with
60,000 people and delegates from
more than 100 countries. On the
second day, invited international
speakers joined a forum on peacebuilding experiences in various
parts of the world. On the third
day, a Peace March in Olympic
Park highlighted the universal
aspirations for peace.
Although the Catholic Church
itself in Korea was not directly
involved in the WARP Summit,
the inter-faith nature of the
gathering brought the various
churches and faith communities
together. The Unity of Religions
Agreement signed by major
religious leaders and public
officials ended with their clarion
call: We recognize that when
religions become united, wars
will end, and peace will come
to the world. This has been the
will of God and the purpose
of religion for the past 6,000
years.

the Lord. This means serving the presence

of the Lord in those who call out to us in
pain, the hungry and thirsty, naked and
sick, the stranger and imprisoned, and all
those who are reduced to the lowest levels
in our society.
Viva Cristo Rey! Governments rise and
fall, countries rise and fall, but the Kingdom
of God is forever. We are the soldiers of
this Kingdom. We are the soldiers of Jesus
Christ. We fight His battles in our homes
and in our hearts. We keep both, home and
heart, pure for Him. We fight on the streets
reaching out to the lowly of the Gospel
reading. We fight in our workplaces and
in our schools, proclaiming our faith with
voices that resound off the walls of hearts
of those who would wish us dead. We die
for Jesus Christ. We live for Jesus Christ.
Viva Cristo Rey!
At Miguel Pros beatification, John Paul,
II said, Neither suffering nor serious
illness, neither the exhausting ministerial
activity, frequently carried out in difficult
and dangerous circumstances, could stifle
the radiating and contagious joy which
Blessed Miguel Pro brought to his life
for Christ and which nothing could take
away. Indeed, the deepest root of selfsacrificing surrender for the lowly was
his passionate love for Jesus Christ and
his ardent desire to be conformed to him,
even in death.
Blessed Miguel Pro is one of the millions
of our predecessors who shout out to us that
life only has meaning when that life is the
life of Jesus Christ. We live for Jesus Christ.
We are members of His Kingdom. We are
his soldiers.
Viva Cristo Rey!

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Entertainment

B8
Moral Assessment

Abhorrent

Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome

Exemplary

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey,

Jr.), a top-notch lawyer in Chicago,
returns to his hometown after
so many years in Carlinville,
Indiana, to attend his mothers
funeral. His visit evokes
memories of his past, touching
wounds caused by the estranged
relationship with his father,
Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert
Duvall). This makes him want to
fly back to Chicago soon after the
funeral. On the plane, he receives
a phone call from his brother
telling him that their father has
been arrested for murder charges.
This compels him to stay on so
he could defend his fathera
reputable judge of their town.
However, the cobwebs of their
familys past, hurts and grudges
will not make it easy for both of
them to win the case.
The Judge is an intense familycourt drama highlighting the
acting prowess of Downey and
Duvall. The father-son complex
dynamics set in the legal back
drop is interesting enough to
make the film stand for the rest
of the running time. However, the
excessive subplots that are mostly
unnecessary and left unresolved
distract the film from its central
conflict and do not add-up to the
otherwise compelling narrative.
The films best moments are
the ones that are quiet, honest,
and simplethe father-son,
father-daughter, grandfathergranddaughter, brother-brother
scenes are very basic ones but
emotionally charged. Most of
the films highlights happen in
the courtroom but the real drama
lies in the quietness of moments
when we see the complicated
web of emotions displayed in the
conversations and confrontations
of the lead characters, and even

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

Technical Assessment

Poor
Below average

Average

Above average
E
xcellent

THE JUDGE
DIRECTOR: David Dobkin
LEAD
CAST: Robert Downey, Jr.,
Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent DOnofrio,
Jeremy Strong
SCREENWRITER: Nick
Schenk, Bill Dubuque
PRODUCER: Susan Downey,
David Gambino, David
Dobkin
GENRE: Drama
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros
LOCATION: United States
RUNNING TIME: 2 hours, 20
minutes
Technical Assessment:

Moral Assessment:
CINEMA rating: V14
MTRCB rating: PG

in scenes when we literally hear

nothing but pregnant pauses and
angst-filled stillness.
Amidst the courtroom drama
and familial conflict, forgiveness
and integrity are at the core
of the film. Hanks and Judge
Josephs characters are equally
complex and complicated. Both
are resentful and have axes to
grind with each other. Both are
good legal authorities, Hank as
a lawyer, and Joseph as a judge.
The audience can see clearly
where both are coming from as the
narrative unfolds. Both are neither
really good nor really bad.they
are just byproducts of their past.
But then, the present compels both
men to make difficult decisions
this time around, each has a
different take on the law. Here, it
is clearly depicted that wisdom
comes with age as Judge Joseph
stands firm on his integrity as a
judgeto uphold the law even

if it would result in his own

incarcerationgiven his delicate
condition. Integrity above self
that is what he wants to imply.
He resents the time when he had
to bend the law for emotional
reasons. Hank has to learn all
this in timethat sometimes,
it is necessary to lose a case for
the greater good. The law makes
everyone equal, and that is very
clear in the film. As Hank comes to
this realization, he slowly starts to
melt down and forgive his father,
and himself. Most commendable
in the film is highlighting the
significance of love and family
in anyones lifewhatever your
stature is. In the end, no matter
what one has achieved, one
would always come back to his
or her roots. Achievements are
nothing compared to meaningful
relationships one buildsand
it starts with the family where
everyone is accepted (Hanks
youngest brother is intellectually
challenged, yet he is very much
loved in the family), where
everyone makes sacrifices (Hanks
eldest brother, Glenn, has given
up baseball for the sake of family),
and everyone loves everyone in
their own ways. Sometimes, they
fail each other, but no one really
fails in love. And thats what The
Judge really all aboutlove that
is thicker than blood. However,
some subplots distract the film
from the core messagethere is
the insinuation of possible incest
which is totally unnecessary, and
the unresolved marital conflict
of Hank that stayed in the
backseat while he makes amends
with an old flame. These create
confusion even if they are just in
the sidelights. CINEMA finds the
film suitable only to audience 14
and above.

Buhay San Miguel

Brothers Matias

Know St. Teresa of Avila

The budding woman

Nick Dunne (Affleck) comes home on his

5th wedding anniversary but instead he
finds his house in disarray and his wife,
Amy (Pike), missing. The media pick
up on the story as Amy is a celebrated
New York childrens book author and
the entire community begins to support
the search for her. The local police, led
by Detective Boney (Dickens), uncover a
trail of clues supposedly left by Amy for
Nicks anniversary treasure hunting, and
evidence against Nicks violent nature
and murder cover up begin to surface.
The Nick and Amy love story unfold from
opposing views of Nicks narration and
Amys diary, but the truth is soon learnt.
David Finchers Gone Girl is a flawless
adaptation of its literary counterpart.
Viewers hold their breath as much as
the readers did at every turn of Gillian
Flynns book. The plot is a genius of
a narrative with unexpected reveals
and intelligent developments. The
unparalleled timelines and non-linear
storytelling heighten the tension of
the mystery like the flawless icing of
a perfectly baked cake intoxicating
the viewers to hang on to each scene.
Love gone sour is not a new storyline
but in the creative visions of Flynn and
Fincher, the ill-fated Nick-Amy love
affair turns brilliantly evocative. Affleck,
Pike and Dickens deliver a restrained
but powerful interpretation of their
characters. So do all the other supporting
and minor casts who play their roles with
deliberate passion and rawness. The
screenplay is witty and almost haunting.
There are several memorable and
quotable lines, not only because of the
cadence and rhythm but because viewers
feel these lines are spoken directly to
them. The ending might not work well
with everyone but it does disturb deep
enough to make the viewer flinch and
rethink his personal life. Gone Girl is one
of those masterfully adapted films that
work with or without the book.
Gone Girl pokes at two things:
marriage on trial and media giving trial.
On the one hand, we see ordinary couple
falling in and out of love, building and
breaking a relationship. While Amys
character has some psychological issues
that probably rationalize her crimes, we
have to see how Nick and Amy decided
to move on with their marriage when
faced with a financial crisis at first and
emotional crisis eventually. Marriage
needs work from both parties. Working

GONE GIRL
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike,
Neil Patrick Harris
Story and Screenplay:
Gillian Flynn
Cinematographer: Jeff Cronenweth
Editor: Kirk Baxter
Genre: Drama-Suspense
Location: Missouri
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Running Time: 149 minutes
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
MTRCB : R13
CINEMA rating: V18

to keep the marriage requires two

ingredients: honesty
and selflessness. These go beyond
simple commitment and romance
because when a partner decides to live for
himself and bend the truth, a relationship
is doomed.
On the other hand, we see how razor
sharp media is in sensationalizing to the
point of satire. Did media live up to its
purpose to expose the truth or a truth that
sells? Did media become a stronghold for
the voiceless or was it merely a reenactment
of selective voices that make the ratings?
Media in Gone Girl is a mockery of the
profession as it is in real life these days.
Sadly, a lot of people choose to buy and
swallow sensationalism rather than
become discerning and informed viewers.

Even though my mother was so virtuous, I did not imitate her good
qualities the bad ones did me much harm, Teresa would write in the
Book of Her Life. She loved books of chivalry. But this pastime didnt
hurt her the way it did me, for she did not fail to do her duties Teresa
got so hooked on reading romantic literature (which she and her mother
did in secret from her father who disapproved of it) that it became like an
addiction, convincing her that she could not be happy without a new book.
As the years passed, Teresa was to write that I began to be aware of
the natural attractive qualities the Lord had bestowed on mewhich
people said were many. Teresa charmed people, she was an attractive,
sociable girl who could not help liking peopleas long as they also
liked her.
Her mother died when Teresa was 12. When I began to understand what
I had lost, she wrote, I went, afflicted, before an image of our Lady and
besought her with many tears to be my mother. Age 12 is a delicate age for
any girl to lose her mother; soon Teresas flirtation with vanity began. At
14 I began to dress
in finery and to
desire to please and
look pretty, taking
great care of my
hands and hair and
about perfumes and
all the empty things
in which one can
indulgefor I was
very vain. I had no
bad intentions since
I would not have
wanted anyone
to offend God on
my account. For
many years I took
excessive pains
about cleanliness
and other things
that did not seem
in any way sinful.
Now I see how
wrong it must have
been.
She did not see
any wrong, either,
in the friendship Biographers have described Teresa as more plump
than thin, having white skin, black eyes, delicately
she had with older shaped mouth, shining black hair, somewhat thick
female cousins with dark brown eyebrows tinged with red, perhaps
whom she shared resembling this painting Spanish Lady by Carl
conversations and von Steuben (1788-1856).
vanities that so
changed Teresa and impressed their worldly traits upon her
She
imitated her favorite relative, a frivolous girl who frequented the Cepeda
household and took Teresa for a friend and confidante. Her fathers and
sisters efforts to wean her from this bad influence proved futile because,
as Teresa herself would say, I was strikingly shrewd when it came to
mischief. A friendship with one of her cousins in view of a possible
marriage caused the budding woman to do things in secret, abetted by
the fact of having maids around, for in them I found a helping hand in
every kind of wrong. More than fearing God, Teresa feared staining her
reputation. the danger was at hand, and my fathers and brothers
reputation was in jeopardy as well.
After a few months of experiencing such domestic turbulence, Teresas
father realized that his favorite child at age 14 should not be left anymore
without a female watchdog. Thus in 1529, he packed her off to a nearby
Augustinian convent that ran a kind of finishing school where other young
women of her class were being educatedon social graces, home arts, and
things like needlepoint and embroidery, cooking, child careand really
being prepared for a devout domestic life. (To be continued)

CBCP Monitor

C1

Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

The News Supplement of

Couples for Christ

Our Journey to and Experience of the Synod

By George & Cynthia
Campos
Cynthia and I were both in
awe when we received a letter
from the Vatican signed by the
Secretary General of the III Extraordinary Synod of Bishops.
The letter stated that we have
been appointed by his Holiness
Pope Francis as AUDITORS. A
mixed feeling enveloped us. The
first things that came into our
mind was, Why us? How were
we chosen? What is the role of an
Auditor? Can we live up to the
expectations?
As if that wasnt enough, we
were once again surprised when
we received another letter from
the Vatican that we were chosen
to share our lived experience
based on Part II Chapters 3 and
4 of the Instrumentum Laboris, the working manual of the
Synod. We would no longer just
be Auditors, but also sharers. We
were given the rare opportunity
to speak in front of the Pope, Cardinals and Archbishops. What
a privilege! The mixed feelings
seemed to bore a hole into our
insides. We had to read and reread many times the designated
chapters in Instrumentum Laboris for us to be able to understand
the message and how we could
relate this section into our life
experiences.
We thought that the challenges
that came our way in our 27
years as a married couple were
isolated and stand-alone experiences. Experiences that taught us
individual lessons which made
us stronger in faith, committed in
marriage and to love each other
more. But God deliberately allowed us to experience all those
challenges, which He interconnected together like a tapestry,
for us to have a beautiful and
meaningful sharing in the Synod.
He had the Synod in His plan
more than 30 years back.
We prepared ourselves for the
Synod physically, mentally, emo-

CFC at the Synod, clockwise from top left: the Campos couple asking Pope Francis to sign the Pearl Book; Anglicus C, the small
working group where the Camposes belonged; George and Cynthia taking turns in their sharing; the vigil at St. Peters Square; a
glimpse of what happens during the Synod.

tionally and spiritually. We went

to priests and nuns (contemplative and active) for us to have a
picture on what is it like to be in
a Synod, help us frame our sharing and to be prayed over. Our
CFC brethren likewise helped
us prepare.
Pre-Synod inspirations
We arrived in Rome late afternoon of October 4, just in time
to refresh ourselves to join the
Holy Father and the thousands
of faithful at St. Peters Square
for the special prayer vigil on the
eve of the opening of the Synod.

Pope Francis discussed the human longing for a stable family

thru a narrative on what transpires in the evening as every
member of the family is home.
He emphasized the important
role of the family thru these
words: The evening is now
descending on our assembly. It
is the hour in which one gladly
returns home to meet at the same
table, in the warmth of affections,
of the good done and received,
of meetings that warm the heart
and make it grow, good wine
that anticipates in mans days the
celebration without end.

It is also the heaviest hour for

one who finds himself face to face
with his loneliness, in the bitter
twilight of broken dreams and
plans: how many persons drag
their days in the blind alley of
resignation, of abandonment,
if not of rancor; in how many
homes the wine of joy has failed
and, therefore, the flavour the
wisdom itself of life Of these
and others we make ourselves
voice with our prayer.
Pope Francis then spoke of
three prayer intentions for the
synod: Above all, we ask the
Holy Spirit, for the gift of listen-

How does the Synod impact the

CFC global community?
By George Campos
The family, through the centuries, has
always been attacked in various forms
and fronts. The Church, through Gods
grace, has stood firm and defended the
family. At this present age, we could
see the challenges on family growing
in intensity.
On one side, sacramental marriage
is being presented as obsolete and irrelevant. The definition of marriage as
we all know as the union of man and
a woman is being changed. Cohabitation, divorce, divorce and remarried,
same sex union, polygamy and single
parenthood are on the rise with statistics being used to reinforce arguments.
On the other side, globalization
has brought with it subtle attacks on
the family. The poor, migration, war,
overseas work and inter-cultural and
inter-religious marriages have presented new challenges on marriage. As
His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal
Tagle elaborated, separation, in the
Philippine context, is due to the love
for the spouse and family. The parents
or one of parent has to leave and be
separated from the family for years to
work in a foreign land for him/her to
be able to provide the financial needs
of the family.
The Bishops are all in one accord about the basic teaching of the
Churchthat the lost sheep must be
found and brought back to the fold
with mercy and compassion. The
source of differences among some of
the Bishops, if I may call it so, could be

in the manner and depth of intervention

to be done.
The Challenge for CFC
CFC being a movement intended for
the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life has a very big role in putting into life and fruition the output of the
Synod. As Archbishop Patrick DRozario
of Bangladesh has been repeatedly telling
us--Couples for Christ, you have a big
work ahead of you! This has been echoed
by other Bishops and with their desire to
have CFC present in their Dioceses.
For one, our Family Ministries have to
strengthen and deepen their engagement
with the youth. The youth of today needs
to be more enlightened and educated on
our faith and on marriage. They should
be given an extensive appreciation of
Christian values to which they will anchor
their faith. This way, we can be assured
that the next generations will carry on the
culture of life.
CFC needs to engage itself more in
Parish responsibilities and in guiding,
especially, the young married couples.
CFC needs to journey with these young
couples to mentor them every step of the
way and serve as role models that a happy
and successful marriage is possible.
Third, CFC needs to discern and look
deeper into its heart on how to respond
to the needs of the cohabiting, separated,
divorced, and divorced and remarried
couples. CFC has also to face the reality of
same-sex relations and the need to pastor
these individuals.
The Jacob's Well ministry/program is a
very good vehicle to bring forth into light
the CFC response. Knowing the pitfalls

ing for the Synod Fathers. We

invoke an openness toward a sincere discussion, open and fraternal, which leads us to carry with
pastoral responsibility the questions that this change in epoch
brings The secret lies in a gaze:
. Because, if we truly intend to
walk among contemporary challenges, the decisive condition is
to maintain a fixed gaze on Jesus
Christ If we assume his way of
thinking, of living and of relating,
we will never tire of translating
the synodal work into guidelines
and paths for the pastoral care
of the person and of the family.

In fact, every time we return to

the source of Christian experience, new paths and un-thought
of possibilities open up. This is
what the Gospel hints at: Do
whatever he tells you.
October 5, Sunday, was the
official start of the Synod. A
concelebrated Mass was offered,
with Pope Francis as the main
celebrant at St Peters Basilica.
The Popes homily based on
Isaiah 5:1-7 and the Gospel of
Matthew 21:33-43 described the
Lords vineyard, His dream
for His people whom He planted
and nurtured with all His love
can become a holy people. The
Lord entrusted His dream,
His people to the chief priests
and elders for them to nurture,
protect and tend. But because
of their greed and pride, Gods
dream was not realized.
Pope Francis challenged the
Shepherds in the Church to better nurture and tend the Lords
vineyard, to help realize His
dreamto be vigilant as not to
succumb to pride and greed, to
take care of the family with freedom, creativity and hard work.
He said that the Synod is not an
avenue to discuss beautiful and
clever ideas, or to see who is
more intelligent. Everyone must
be guided by the Holy Spirit
that gives us that wisdom which
surpasses knowledge, and enables us to work generously with
authentic freedom and humble
creativity.
The Synod proper
The General Assembly (plenary sessions) started on the
Monday October 6th until the 10th
with two sessions each: one in the
morning and the other in the late
afternoon. The plenary started
with the opening statement of
Cardinal Baldisseri, the Secretary
General of the Synod of Bishops.
The Cardinal presented the timeline and the preparatory events
that led to the III Extraordinary

Synod/ C4

1ST ANCOP USA Disaster Preparedness

Summit Held In Chicago

of the program, CFC has to reevaluate

the program. CFC acknowledges that
such couples need to be pastored and
guided back to the Lord.
Moving Forward
On October 4 - 25, 2015 the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod
of Bishops will be convened. This
Synod will mark the 50thanniversary
of the Synod of Bishops with the theme
The Vocation and Mission of the Family
in the Church and in the Contemporary
World. The purpose of this Ordinary
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is to
continue the work of the III Extraordinary General Assembly by reflecting
further on the points discussed so
as to formulate appropriate pastoral
guidelines for the pastoral care of the
person and the family (Instrumentum
Laboris, III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops).
I pray that CFC be given again that
honor and privilege to be represented
in this forthcoming Ordinary Synod.
But more than that, I pray that Couples
for Christ would grow more in its relation with the Church and its leaders.
As "Families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth", Couples
for Christ all the more needs to take to
heart what our brother Vic Gutierrez
said during last month's MC Teaching Night: for Couples for Christ to
embrace humility and obedience,
given its very significant role in the
transformation of individuals and the
renewal of families from all nations of
the world.

By ANCOP USA Communications

CHICAGO, IL. I commend ANCOP
USA for hosting this Summit before
a catastrophe takes place and not after, said Philippine Consul General
Generoso D.G. Calonge of Chicago in
his welcome remarks to ANCOP USA
leaders during the opening of the 1st
ANCOP USA Disaster Preparedness
Summit held at the Westin North Shore
Hotel in this city.
The Filipino diplomat also honored
ANCOP USA for what it is doing for
poor Filipinos.
Calonge welcomed the Summit participants from around the United States
and the Philippines. He also gave an
update on the rebuilding efforts by the
Philippine government after Typhoon

Yolanda.
Referring to the 25 typhoons that visit
the Philippines yearly, Consul General
Calonge observed that the Filipino
spirit is water proof.
After an invocation given by ANCOP
USA President Eric Villanueva, Roger
Santos, ANCOP USA Executive Director & COO, gave a presentation about
ANCOP and where it stands today in its
programs of poverty alleviation.
Santos was followed by the five principal speakers who discussed catastrophe and disaster mitigation procedures
and shared actual experiences in assisting victims of calamities, including
Typhoon Yolanda victims in the Visayas.
Two of the speakers came from Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official
ANCOP Summit/ C4

Ugnayan

C2

November 8, 2013. We all remember the date quite

well. The Philippines is a country frequently visited
by typhoons, but many would attest that Yolanda
(international name Haiyan) is one of the worst, if not
the worst that ever hit. With a casualty count of close
to 10,000 and loss to property of nearly Php 90 billion,
the perenial question is: how can Central Visayas pick
up the pieces a year after?
Looking at the photographs and having genuine

encounters with the survivors of typhoon Yolanda,

one could say definitely that the Filipino spirit is
waterproof. The relief operations have long been
over, and now, the rehabilitation phase is slowly but
surely underway.
Let us then get a glimpse of what has been
happening in the affected areas and how we as a
community, have been responding to the call for
mercy and compassion.

God is always watching

By Reginita Masalihit
I am a widow with three sons.
In February 2008, our faith was
somehow put to the test when
at that time, my husband Nilo
was dignosed with a growth
in the left parital lobe of his
brain. It was November 21st.
I brought him to Manila for
treatment, but at 9:00 PM of
that same day, he complained
of severe headache. Before we
knew it, he was lying in the
ICU, comatose. Three days
later, we decided to bring him
home to Tacloban. But the following day, the 25th, he passed
away.
Everything happened so
fast. The only thing that got
us through was the love and
care of our CFC brethren in
Tacloban. Of course, I knew
that God was taking care of us,
my sons and I. It was a painful
loss, but somehow I found the
strength from the love of community and the assurance that
God favors those who serve
Him.
And then last year, November
08, 2013 to be exact, another
grave test confronted me and
my children. Our house was
located in San Jose near the
Airport of Tacloban. As customary, all the visitors from
Manila, especially the leaders,
were brought to the house for
breakfast, especially if they had
taken the first flight. However,
on that particular morning, a
rather unwanted guest visited
ustyphoon Yolanda. Things
happened very quickly that
morning. It seemed that as soon
as Yolanda made landfall, water
rose to about 15 to 17 ft high,
reaching the roof of houses in
our residential area. We sought
refuge at the second floor of our
house, but since the wind was
so strong, the glass windows
broke one by one. For fear of
being hit by broken glass, we
decided to go back to the first
floor of the house.
My children and I stayed together in one room, reciting the
Holy Rosary. Suddenly, blackish water suddenly spurted
inside our home. We attempted
to rush out of the room but were
unable to open the door. I have
seen how fast the water gushed
by way of the windows and all
other potential inlets. It was

the first time ever that I experienced such tremendous fear,

especially when I realized that
we had nowhere to go.
The grilled windows certainly could not provide a possible
exit for us. The water continued
to flow so rapidly that we were
almost trapped. My eldest son
started asking help from his
father, my deceased husband.
My second child attempted to
destroy the ceiling, forgetting
that it was actually the flooring
of the second floor and making
the action actually pointless.
My youngest son, Matthew,
was already crying but he never
ceased to pray, intently talking
to our Lord, Lord, You allowed
us to survive for the past five
years without Papa. Is this
Your plan for usto just die
this way?
When he opened his eyes,
that was when he saw a white
seemingly shadow smiling at
him, pointing his hand to the
aircon unit. Alerted, Matthew
shouted aloud, The aircon! At
that time, the water was already
up to my shoulder. Hurriedly,
my two older sons took out the
aircon unit from its carriage
without any difficulty at all,
pushing it out of the way. That
allowed the three of them to
successfully get out of the room.
I cannot comprehend how they
did it so easily. Adrenaline rush
perhaps? But I prefer to call it
Gods great grace.
However, we had another
problem: I couldnt fit through
the hole left by the aircon unit!
At that time, seeing my children safe was all that mattered
at that time. But my children
were adamant and thought
of all possible ways to get me
out of the room. My second
son swam back in, endlessly
instructing me to get out of the
room through the outlet. The
water that time was already up
to my neck. I attempted again,
with my heart and mind silently
saying my prayers, and miraculously, I slid out so smoothly.
We hurriedly swam towards the
second floor of our house, with
the water chasing us.
Even in the safety of the
second floor, we were bracing
ourselves to climb to the ceiling
of the second floor if in case the
waters would continue to rise,.
And then we heard cries for
help from outside. My sons

then hurriedly smashed one of

the walls to let our neighbors
in. I felt my heart swell as I took
into my arms the 11- monthold baby boy, our first refugee, who was shaking in the
cold. He was followed by his
7-months pregnant mom.
At the end of the day, a total
of 5 families were in the house
with us. In the midst of the
pain of devastation, I felt the
enormous blessing of another
chance at life, and knowing
that there was no casualty from
our subdivision. Sadly however, outside our village, many
families had lost many of their
loved ones.
The days that followed were
even more gruelling and complicatedno food, no water,
no dry clothes to wear, no basic
commodities and utilities. The
situation was aggravated by
the annoying and unhealthy
smell of decaying bodies that
remained in the streets. Six
days after the tragedy, my
children and I were able to
leave Tacloban for Manila, to
seek refuge in the home of my
siblings. And as we watched
the news on TV, it seemed that
the situation in Tacloban when
we left did not at all improve.
In fact, it had gone from worse
to worst.
The tribulation allowed me
significant realizations, foremostly, the recognition of Gods
perfect plan. Four years back,
that was in 2009 to be exact, we
had our aircon unit replaced
in order to save on energy
consumption. The grills that
originally caged the first aircon
unit no longer fit the replacement unit, so I decided not to
have it installed anymore. Unknowingly (but certainly, with
Gods hands at work) it was
so designed in order that there
will be an available exit for us
during the calamity.
And, God without a doubt,
loves us so greatly because all
of usmy children and I
survived that killer typhoon.
Surely, God spared me and my
family because there is still a
mission that we need to fulfill.
No matter what happens, I
shall continue to nurture this
desire to faithfully serve Him
all my life. As for me, my children and my entire household,
we will tirelessly serve the
Lord.

Unit Cost
5,000.00

Busuanga, Palawan
Capiz
Bohol
Cebu
Total
TRANSITION HOMES
Eastern Samar
Bantayan & Bogo, Cebu
Total

TOTAL

FISHING BOATS
Western Samar
Total

PERMANENT HOMES
TACLOBAN LEYTE-CROSS
CATHOLIC
TACLOBAN ANCOP CANADA &
SMCARES

TOTAL

There is still so much to be done, but in our

own little way, we can do a lot more as long as we
do it out of love. It is not an accident that the CFC
community theme for next year is "Love more!" It is
not a coincidence that the Holy Father has scheduled
a visit to the Philippines in January 2015 either. With
the Papal visit scheduled two weeks before the Love
more weekend, Pope Francis can truly be CFC's role
model on how we as a community can love more.

ANCOP Canada, SM Cares do their share

in Tacloban Rehab efforts

One year after the onslaught of typhoon

Yolanda, CFC ANCOP has been busy going
about the necessary rehabilitation efforts,
among them the ongoing construction of
permanent relocation houses in Palo, Leyte
(Bgy. San Agustin).
This project, which consists of 58 houses,
is fully funded by USA-based Cross Catholic
Outreach..
The 7,000 sq2 lot was donated by the ArchDiocese of Palo headed by His Excellency
Archbishop John Du. Completion of the
entire community is expected on or before
the visit of Pope Francis in the area.
The ongoing construction is collaborated
by CFC/FM members together with the
sweat equity of future homepartners. As
always, CFC will render the soft programs
from homepartners profiling, Values Formation for Parents and children and other
sustainable programs for all of them.
In New Cawayan, Tacloban, Leyte, CFC
Ancop Tekton Foundation Inc. (CFCATFI)
through the donation of ANCOP Canada has
fully funded the construction of 100 homes

in collaboration with SM Foundation Inc. and

the Archdioces of Palo who also donated the
land. The event was graced by His Excellency Archbishop John Du, executives of SM
group headed by Ms. Annie Garcia, President
of SM Supermalls; Mrs. Fernan, SVP of SM
Prime; Ms. Elena Bautista Horn, Consultant
for SM Cares; Mrs. Romualdez, the mother
and representative of Cong. FM Romualdez;
a representative of the Office of the Mayor of
Tacloban; barangay officials and some CFC
leaders and members of Leyte.
The entire place, which is rougly 3 hectares, is expected to host to around 600
houses complete with multi-purpose hall,
basketball court and other community
amenities.
According to SMFI executives, the first 400
units are expected to be completed in 6 to 8
months from groundbreaking day. An earlier
signing of the Memorandum of Agreement
was held last October 8, 2014 together with
Ricky Cuenca, President of Ancop Canada.
CFC is expected to also provide the entire
soft program for this big project.

Quan=ty Total
300
1,500,000.00
20
100,000.00
14
37
298
130
799

70,000.00
185,000.00
1,417,860.00
390,000.00
3,662,860.00

20,000.00

30

600,000.00

17,000.00

50
88

850,000.00
1,450,000.00

12,000.00

6
6

72,000.00
72,000.00
5,184,860.00

Unit Cost

Quan6ty

Total

58

10,730,000.00

Php185,000

200,000
100,000

100
30

3,000,000.00

ORMOC - IMS

135,000

16

2,200,000.00

ORMOC CHARIS SINGAPORE

135,000

22

2,970,000.00

TACLOBAN-PIRA

185,000

10

1,850,000.00

ORMOC ANCOP AUSTRALIA

135,000

15

BOGO, CEBU- ANCOP UAE

Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

ANCOP USA partners with Google for Yolanda donation mobile app

REHABILITATION SHELTER KITS, TRANSITION

HOMES & FISHING BOATS
Leyte
Iloilo

CBCP Monitor

20,000,000.00

2,025,000.00
42,775,000.00

ANCOP USA recently received a Google grant to create the ANCOP USA nonprofit donation App through the onetoday.
google.com. ANCOP USA will be launching the Help Rebuild Typhoon Yolanda Areas through the donation App for all
Android and Apple iPhone users.
In a recent email, ANCOP USA Executive Director and COO Roger Santos said, Google has a long-standing commitment
to supporting nonprofits and to doing good. One Today makes fundraising easy for nonprofits like ANCOP USA.
All transaction fees for users of the One Today App have been waived by Google.

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

C3

We heeded the call, we prepared, we were ready

By Alfonso Bediones Jr.
I have experienced strong typhoons
before but never as strong as Yolanda.
This was the remark of CFC member
Victor Langurayan, a Barangay Kagawad in Brgy. Gabuan, Roxas City, Capiz.
Both he and his wife Fatima are also
active in the Padre Pio Mission Station
Parish where they serve as lay minister
and lector, respectively.
Recalling now the events that transpired a year ago, Vic said that they
already started preparing when the
news came out days before that there
was a super typhoon coming and was
most likely to hit Capiz. They made
sure they would have enough food and
candles, secured their other belongings
for evacuation.
As a barangay councillor, Vic had
also been busy working with the other
barangay officials in preparing the other
families in their barangay. For one, they
converted the Barangay Hall into a temporary evacuation center.
His wife Fatima or Ging on the otherhand, together with her church group
gathered to pray in the church.
On the eve of November 7, 2013, the
news then said that Capiz was already
under Signal No. 4. They then moved
out the children to a more secure place
with relatives. Both husband and wife
stayed behind. Vic helped in securing

other families (families whose houses

were not made of strong materials) to
evacuate to the Barangay Hall, while
Ging and her group held another
prayer vigil in the church by praying
the Rosary.
We did not sleep that night, because
we were already securing some families in
the evacuation center. And in the morning
we also gave out food, Vic said.
When the typhoon came, Ging had
to leave their house too and moved to
her fathers house where it was safer.
She said, We huddled under the table
in the kitchen and prayed. That was all
we could do.
Vic narrated, We lost our house but
at least our family was safe. That was
the most important thing and we thanke
God he was with us.
In the morning, we did some cleaning and brought some food to other
relatives also. We were lucky our community was prayerful that only houses
and properties were destroyed, and
lives were spared.
We were grateful that many people
extended their help and support to us
from our Barangay and City Government, and many other groups who
reached out. The relief goods and the
Shelter Kits of CFC ANCOP were a great
help. Our house may not be finished yet
but at least now we have something.
The same thing with Lyda Moron a
HOLD member of Roxas City, Capiz.

She and her family also prepared upon

learning that a super typhoon was coming. They secured whatever personal
belongings they could manage, placed
them under the table and covered it
with trapal. They also prepared food
and candles. And since their house was
not made of strong materials and was
already old, they moved out and sought
shelter in their neighbors house. Sis
Lyda said, Im even willing to lose my
house provided my family will be safe.
Their house too was totally damaged.
But unlike the Langurayans, help
after the typhoon was not as easy to
get for Sis Lyda. For the first week, she

and her children had to struggle to go to

places where help like relief goods were
being given. At one time they were late
and another time they were refused.
But the Lord was good, she said.
For help did eventually come from various people that somehow helped them
through. Her husband has epilepsy, and
works making uniforms for the Army.
And she is also selling food stuffs that
she personally makes to help buy her
medicines for her diabetes.
She was extraordinarily glad, when
she received the Shelter Kits from CFC
ANCOP. She said I was really praying for it in the morning that I can have

materials to rebuild our house, when a

sister came over and told me that the
Shelter Kit has arrived. I was thanking
the Lord for answering my prayer.
Like the Langurayans, Sis Lydas
home is still far from finished but at
least it is now livable. Maybe they both
still have some ways to go in rebuilding
their homes and their lives, but the lesson they learned from all this they said
is to heed the call always when there
is a calamity coming and prepare. Do
not wait for the last minute. And put
your trust and faith in the Lord always.
In the end at least you can say you did
your best.

Love More: Turning sorrow into dancing

To commemorate the devastation of typhoon Yolanda, members of Couples for Christ Leyte gathered
last November 8, 2014 for the CFC Leyte Great Community Build (GCB) at the Our Lady of Guadalupe
ANCOP Village, San Agustin, Palo, Leyte.
It was a day of faith, hope and love. It was a day of forgiveness and reconciliation as well. Thanks
to Boboy Igot for making the gathering possible, and to Msgr. Bernie Pantin for visiting the future
ANCOP Community site. CFC Leyte was also grateful to our partners, namely the Archdiocese of Palo
thru Archbishop John Du; the Palo LGU; and, Cross Catholic USA. Above all, the Yolanda survivors

thank the Lord for touching the lives of CFC brethren all over Leyte (six sectors), for the hard work of
the ANCOP Program Implementing Team, and ANCOP Samahan who helped in the great build. CFC
Leyte targets to complete and turnover 60 houses to the home partners by December 31, 2014.
Majority of the GCB volunteers stayed overnight at the site.
The entire CFC Leyte offers this great build to all those who lost their lives during Yolanda's wrath
on November 8, 2013, as well as in memory of a dear brother and friend who joined our Creator last
October 31, 2014, Bob Serrano.

ANCOP Summit / C1

relief and development agency of the Catholic

Church in the United States.
Brian J. Backe, Senior Director of US Programs
& Resources at CRS and Caroline Brennan, Senior
Communications Officer of CRS Global Humanitarian Response Team, narrated their experiences in the
field and their strategies while responding to disasters and catastrophes. They shared details of CRS
relief operations in the Yolanda areas in the Visayas.
Brennan reported that CRS helped in cleaning
the Typhoon Yolanda devastated areas in Leyte by
working with 9,000 people. Throughout the Haiyan/ Yolanda areas of destructions, Brennan said
CRS had completed 2,208 small houses, while 4,213
are still under construction. She said their goal is
to build 20,000 shelters for the typhoon victims.
The CRS speaker also reported on the job
training they conduct for the displaced typhoon
victims, which is recognized by the Philippine
government that often lead to job placements.

Dr. Joe Yamamoto, a member of CFC International Council & President of CFC ANCOP Tekton,
gave an overview of the extent of damages brought
by Typhoon Yolanda. He cited damages to property
at P89.6 billion and 6,300 people killed.
He likewise mentioned the two medical/surgical
missions conducted by ANCOP USA in southern
Philippines which treated close to 10,500 patients
in two provinces.
Dr. Lana W. Galicia, a medical practitioner in
California who is a member of Couples for Christ,
also spoke at the Summit about medical mission
during disaster . She shared her experiences as
member of the medical/surgical mission that
treated some 10,000 poor people in 8 Iloilo towns
last February.
Volunteerism During Disaster
The last speaker was Henry Capello, Founding
President and Executive Director of Caritas in

Veritate International, an NGO and a confederation

for Integral Development and Human Progress.
Capello outlined the various steps, procedures
and protocols that an NGO should adopt in order
to be able to respond to a disaster with maximum
efficiency. He stressed, however, that first and foremost, any disaster response, in order to have meaning, should bring with it the face of Jesus Christ.
Capello was given a standing ovation by the
Summit delegates at the end of his talk, which
lasted over an hour.
An open forum was conducted after each
speaker.
Judging from the feedback obtained from the
participants during the Workshop that followed
the talks, the delegates, who were volunteer
leaders of ANCOP around the US, were inspired
by what they heard and were motivated by the
relevant information they gathered in relation to
ANCOPs work for the poor.

The News Supplement

of Couples for Christ

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

Ugnayan

C4

Vol. 18 No. 23

November 10 - 23, 2014

The Synod and CFCs Call to Love More

sage of hope would be powerfully expressed and shared. Hope in the
transforming power of the love, mercy and compassion of Christ. Hope
in Gods faithfulness and in the healing might of His word. Hope in
what and who the Catholic Churchs represents. As Pope Francis said
in one of his previous writings, Let us follow Jesus, knowing that He
accompanies us and carries us on His shoulders. This is our joyful hope
that we must bring to this world. For believers, for us Christians, the
hope that we bring is set against the horizons of God, which has opened
up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock, which is God.
This is the very message of the Synod. Despite the diversity of views
among the Synodal Fathers on the realities presented on the pastoral
challenges of the family, the image of a caring Church was strongly
manifested. The Catholic Church hears and listens, not only looks but
intently gazes, behold and ponders the present realities, issues, problems, dilemmas, challenges and difficulties of her flock, specifically the
couples and the family which we are all a part of individually. It was
so reassuring to witness how the shepherds in the church put their
hearts and minds into the daunting task entrusted to them of tending
the flock.

By Cynthia Campos
As I gazed at the crucifix hanging on the wall, my heart was drawn
to the passion that Christ willingly embraced to redeem us. He was
the manifested love of the Father to humankind. Jesus was compassion, mercy and charity personified. His suffering, crucifixion
and death opened heavens gate to man, His resurrection ushered
the birth of eternal hope.
The reality of sin
Indeed, man is besieged daily by the lure of sin. Sin has become
a popular commodity in the guise of rights and entitlements. The
distorted means of freedom is turning men into slaves of the flesh,
of selfishness, greed and pride. Dying to self, sacrifice and love for
others are now rarely found in mans hierarchy of values. Individualism, secularism, hedonism and many more ideologies pervade the
society today. Wars, persecutions, famine, illnesses, calamities both
natural and manmade are happening in the different parts of the
world. Different religions, cultures and beliefs create divisions and
confusion on what is moral and not moral, on what is acceptable
and not, on what is good and not. Poverty not only materially but
more so spiritually robs off mans dignity as a person as well as his
identity as a follower of Christ.
But there is hope
But amidst this chaotic situation we are in, hope is so much alive
in the heart of the Catholic Church and its faithful. It is this hope
that led Pope Francis to call this Extraordinary Synod of Bishops
on the family. He believes that in and through the family, the mes-

poverty of love. Man is in dire need of genuine and authentic love.

There is that hunger to be cared for, to be understood, to be accepted,
to belong. There is that deep-seated desire in mans heart to be loved...
to be a beloved. But man has yet to grasp the depth of Gods love.
Man needs to encounter Him and experience His presence in their
lives. Man must be accompanied and led to encounter the truth of
his beloved-ness.

A Synod of openness
Pope Francis opening exhortation in the plenary admonished everyone to really share what was in their minds and what the Lord prompts
them to say, to listen with the heart and with respect. He reiterated that
there must be openness, synodality and collegiality among the body,
and invoked the guidance of the Holy Spirit for each and everyone.
At the plenary, as the lay participants shared their lived experiences
based on their assigned topics, and as each of the Synodal Fathers presented their interventions, we were all given a first hand knowledge
on the challenging realities that each country and continent faces. We
gained a deeper global understanding on the pressing concerns of the
family, its gravity and complexity and how culture and traditions contributed to the uniqueness of their situations. It was truly mind-boggling
how to address the multitude issues and questions presented. One in
his finite mind might be tempted to be disheartened or discouraged, be
overwhelmed and shaken but the Spirit of hope never left us.
The laity in the Synod
In this Synod, the voice of the laity was heard. The personal testimonies gave the Synodal Fathers a feel of the circumstances encountered
by the married couples in their daily struggles to remain faithful to the
teachings of the Church and to the covenant they made to God and to
each other in marriage. Each couples lived experiences afforded the
Church leaders to get a grasp of how a relationship could surpass great
trials, endure the beatings of life, and triumph over the many marital
adversaries. The central message in the testimonies is, Yes, successful
marriage is attainable and it is beautiful!
But how about those who happened to fail in their marriages, who in
one way or another have been victims of circumstances or have made
some bad decisions in their lives? This was not a question but a cry for
understanding, a statement of helplessness , a plea for a chance to rise
up again and experience joy in living.
Personal reflection
As George and I continue to reflect on what we heard, seen and felt in
the Synod, we came to realize that the world indeed is in povertythe

Synod/ C1

October 13 to 16 to come up with recommendations on the Relatio Post Disceptationem. The output of the 10 working
groups were collated and incorporated
in the Relatio Post Disceptationem which
became the Relatio Sinodi.
Post-Circuli Minori
The General Assembly was again convened on October 17 to discuss the Nuntius (Message to the People of God). The
core message of the Nuntius is summed
in the following text: Christ wanted
his Church to be a house with doors
always open to welcome everyone.
The Church recognizes the challenges
that the faithful are experiencing and is
willing to reach out and journey with
them leading and bringing them back
to the Lord.
On October 18, Saturday, the Relatio
Synodi was put to a secret vote per paragraph. Each paragraph would need 123
votes (2/3) to be accepted. Three paragraphs namely; 52, 53 and 55 did not get
the required number votes. Paragraph
52 touched on the possibility of giving the divorced and remarriedaccess
to the Sacraments of Penance and the
Eucharist. Paragraph 53 stated that
these unions can have fruitful recourse
to a spiritual communion as opposed to
the sacramental communion. Paragraph
55 was on homosexual tendencies and
unions. These sections would be referred

Synod of Bishops. He also set the tone of

the Synod by praying that this Assembly might be the privileged place of this
synodal collegiality, which proclaims
the Gospel by walking, and that it might
be imbued with a new openness to the
Spirit, by an approach and manner of
life and witness which ensures a unity in
diversity and apostolicity in catholicity.
The next presentor, Cardinal Peter
Erdo, the General Relator, on his Relatio ante disceptationem (Report Prior to
Discussion), introduced the work of the
Synod, emphasizing the main points
in relation to which the intervention
and discussion of the Assembly should
develop. Cardinal Erdo challenged the
Synod to try to bring to todays world,
beyond the circle of practicing Catholics
and considering the complex situation
of society, the attractiveness of the
Christian message about marriage and
the family, giving answers that are true
and full of charity, because the world
needs Christ. It is in this period that the
Bishops presented their interventions.
Cynthia and I shared in the morning of
October 7. We were given four minutes,
just like everyone else. We shared the
events that led us to give up our careers
and in so doing giving our life in service

to the Lord through CFC. Cynthia also

shared the challenges that came her way
during her 4th pregnancy and the lifethreatening disease that she had.
The output of the interventions, the
Relatio Post Disceptationem (Post-Discussion Report), summarized the Synod
Fathers interventions during the plenary session and served as the basis of
discussion by the small working group.
One of the big surprises that came
our way was how we were introduced.
Cardinal Tagle, one of the three Delegate
Presidents of the Synod, was the one
presiding during that day, started by introducing Couples for Christ from from
its beginnings, to where it is now and its
reach. He so clearly presented the CFC
Vision and Mission, the leadership, the
various ministries, the recognition by the
Vatican and the community from where
CFC originatedLigaya ng Panginoon
(Joy of the Lord). His parting words
were, Couples for Christ is the gift of
the Filipino people to the whole world!
Indeed, a very strong endorsement and
affirmation coming from His Eminence!
This introduction of Cardinal Tagle
was reinforced by the other Synod Bishops during the intervention, morning
breaks and/or during the small working

groups. His Excellency Cardinal Dolan of

New York even energetically proclaimed,
I have Couples for Christ in my Archdiocese! Archbishop Louis Chamniern
Santisukniran of Thailand mentioned in
the plenary hall during his intervention
the wonderful work that CFC is doing
in his Archdiocese. Cardinal Napier and
Archbishop Brislin both of South Africa
and Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti
Nashenda of Namibia were some of the
clergy who greatly appreciate the work
of CFC. Cardinal Wuerl of Washington
DC and Archbishop Kurtz of Louiseville,
Kentucky and USCCB President, and
other Bishops also had high regard for
CFC. This endorsement of Cardinal Tagle
also made it easier for me and Cynthia
to introduce ourselves and CFC to the
Bishops.
Circuli Minori (Small Working Groups)
The delegates were subdivided into 10
working groups according to the major
languages. Cynthia and I were assigned
to Anglicus (English) C group with
Archbishop Kurtz of Kentucky, USA as
the moderator and Archbishop Brislin
of South Africa as the Relator. We were
26 in the group.
The work groups discussed from

to later for further study.

The central message of the Relatio
Synodi can be gleaned from Paragraph
11, which states: the Church is conscious of the need to offer a particularly
meaningful word of hope, which must
be done based on the conviction that the
human person comes from God, and
that, consequently, any reconsideration
of the great question on the meaning
of human existence can be responsive
to humanitys most profound expectations. The great values of marriage and
the Christian family correspond to the
search that characterizes human existence, even in these times of individualism and hedonism. People need to be
accepted in the concrete circumstances
of life. We need to know how to support
them in their searching and to encourage
them in their hunger for God and their
wish to feel fully part of the Church, also
including those who have experienced
failure or find themselves in a variety
of situations. The Christian message
always contains in itself the reality and
the dynamic of mercy and truth which
meet in Christ.
The Relatio Synodi, as the output of
the Synod, will be submitted to Pope
Francis. The Pope has the prerogative
to accept the report as is or to revise as
he deems fit. The report shall also serve
as the input for the XIV Ordinary Synod
of Bishops on October 2015.