Vol. 18 No. 13 June 23 - July 6, 2014 Php 20.

00
CBCP: We do not demand pork
indictees public apology
AMIDST the confusion caused by varying
opinions on the issue, the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on
Friday made clear that it has not demanded
a public apology from individuals allegedly
involved in the multibillion peso pork bar-
rel scandal.
As President of CBCP, I wish to inform
the public that the CBCP has never de-
manded a public apology of those indicted
in connection with the PDAF issue, said
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates
Villegas, president of the CBCP.
Apology / A7
A3 C1
Ugnayan
The News Supplement of
Couples for Christ
B1
Impact investing
for the poor
Pope slams
mafa as adorers
of evil
Good governance
still possible - Tagle
By Raymond A. Sebastin

IN the face of the scan-
dals and problems
racking the Philippine
political system, the
Archbishop of Manila
expresses optimism
that good governance
is still possible.
Institutional communitar-
ian governance is man-made
which means that man can also
change it We cannot excuse
a bad system just because it
has always been so It has
to change for the better, Luis
Antonio Cardinal Tagle said.
In a forum hosted by the
Santuario de San Vicente Par-
ish in the Novaliches diocese
June 14, and attended by hun-
dreds of good governance
advocates, lay leaders, and
parish workers, he noted that
Filipinos can change the way
their country is run.
According to Tagle, Filipi-
nos have to create a culture of
good governance, which will
be second nature to everyone.
To do this, the prelate cited
three qualities, which he said
individual citizens and insti-
tutions, including the local
church, must possess.
He explained, Those in
positions of responsibility
Farmers slam DARs sugar block farming scheme
A GROUP of Hacienda Lu-
isita farmers on Tuesday
criticized the sugar block
farming program of the
Department of Agriculture
(DAR), noting its failure to
work for the best interest
of local farmers, pushing
them closer to hunger, debt,
and poverty.
(The DAR) is out of (its)
mind to say that their pro-
gram is best for the interest
of the farmers as it envi-
sions to get us (working)
together for the greater good
of all and enhance our so-
cial capital, Farmworkers
Agrarian Reform Movement
(FARM) Secretary General
Rodger Amurao said in a
statement released by the
Catholic Bishops Confer-
ence of the Philippines Na-
tional Secretariat for Social
ActionJustice and Peace
(CBCP-NASSA).
Unjust
It is an unjust imposition
that disregards the farm
workers right to choose
which crops to produce,
when, and how to produce
them. This push for sugar
cane block farming does not
take into account the hunger
situation of farm workers,
the FARM added.
The DAR, in partnership
with the Sugar Regulato-
ry Administration (SRA),
began to implement the
sugarcane block farming
scheme in 2012 to increase
sugar-cane production and
make farming more eco-
nomically viable.
It completely disregards
the reality that patches of
rice lands have been de-
veloped inside Hacienda
Luisita through the sheer
hard work of farm workers
in line with their desire to
solve hunger through food
security in their respective
households, the statement
read.
The block farming scheme
is done as part of the sugar
industry initiative to make
the agricultural production
process more cost-effcient
and more proftable per area.
This is primarily done
through encouraging farm-
ers to group their lands
small farms of less than 10
hectarestogether into an
integrated farming block. A
block farm should comprise
an area of between 30 to 50
hectares.
Undue pressure
FARM members claimed
that the DAR is putting
undue pressure on the
farm workers whose right
to receive the full package of
support services is premised
on the implementation of
sugarcane block farming.
By saying that our farm-
worker-beneficiaries will
have greater chances of en-
joying support services if
they organize themselves as
farming blocks, the DAR is
obviously using the delivery
of support services as a le-
verage to pressure the farm
workers into toeing-the-line
in favor of sugarcane produc-
tion, the statement read.
The farmers lamented
that the sugar block farming
scheme has reduced the area
to be redistributed to farm
workers with the agricul-
ture department assigning
portions of the hacienda for
access roads designed to
support the farming scheme.
They added that the
DARs promotion of sugar-
cane block farms threatens
to totally wipe out the food
production areas inside the
hacienda and will turn back
the relative food security al-
ready achieved by some rice
farming occupants.
There is no guarantee
that farm workers will
earn more from sugarcane
production. In fact, FARM
members experiences in the
last fve years offer a con-
trary view. In my case, rice
farming can be a better farm-
ing system option for farm
workers, Amurao said.
I hope they wont force
us to participate in programs
that we do not like, Amu-
rao said in the vernacular,
noting that the government
should instead support the
establishment of experimen-
tal farms for various farming
systems to study the most
ecologically sustainable and
economically viable crops.
(Jennifer M. Orillaza)
Priest-Martial
law victim
seeks redress
A CATHOLIC priest
fled his application for
compensation for being
among the victims of
Martial law abuses.
Redempt ori st Fr.
Amado Picardal said
he was a victim of war-
rantless arrest and tor-
ture for distributing
leafets that denounced
the dictatorship and
stayed in jail for seven
months.
It was a traumatic
experience and after
four decades I am still
occasionally haunted
by a recurring night-
mare that brings back
the feeling of helpless-
ness and terror, Picar-
dal said.
Perhaps, this is a
symptom of the so-
called post-traumatic
stress disorder. Dur-
ing those times, there
was no such thing as
stress debriefing or
psychosocial frst aid.
But even without the
help of psychiatrists, I
have tried to get over
what happened in my
own way and by Gods
grace, he said.
The priest filed his
claim at the Offce of the
Human Rights Victims
Claim Board in Que-
zon City last Thursday
along with 20 other ap-
plicantsamong them
former senator Orly
Mercado.
Meanwhile, I will
just wait for the board
to go through my appli-
cation and make their
approval. The waiting
could take two years,
he said.
Pi cardal became
known as the bik-
ing priest because of
his frequent bike for
peace trips.
According to him,
it is not the money
but the recognition of
the justness of their
fight against human
rights abuses. After
all these years, I never
thought that this day
will come, he said.
The recogni t i on
from the HRVCB is part
of the closure and heal-
ing process. I do not see
Online petition
urges CBCP to
fght dynasties
IN an effort to rid the
country of the anomaly
of political dynasties,
Ang Kapatiran Party
(AKP) launched an on-
line campaign recently
petitioning the Catholic
Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP)
to rally behind its call
for a peoples initiative
against this political fa-
vouritism.
Root problem of cor-
ruption
The partys manifesto,
posted on the activism
site Change.org, reads,
Without the courageous
support of all members
of the CBCP, through
whom the laity across the
nation may be informed
and actively mobilized to
participate, it would be
extremely diffcult to see
this campaign succeed.
AKP lamented that po-
litical dynasties continue
to thrive in the Philippine
political arena despite
the present constitutions
clear stand against the
system.
In a statement on its of-
fcial website, AKP called
political dynasties the
root problem of all the
corruption in govern-
ment, lamenting the fact
that every Congress since
1987 has failed to pass an
Anti-Dynasty bill.
Church and social jus-
tice
The petition adds, On
the matter of support,
we fnd it crucial for us
Christians to act not in
token and inadequate
manner but with singular
Prelate urges devotion plus mission
REITERATING Pope Francis
call to evangelize, Tuguegarao
Archbishop Sergio L. Utleg on
Wednesday, June 19, reminded
devotees of Our Mother of Per-
petual Help in Baclaran of the
need to couple pious devotion
with a sense of mission.
Reach out t o t he un-
churched to those in the
fringes of society. Be the pres-
ence of the Church in places of
sin, of religious indifference,
he said in Filipino.
Quoting a statement made by
then Buenos Aires Archbishop
Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio
during the conclave that cata-
pulted him to the papacy, Utleg
pointed out that the purpose of
Good morning in mass unnecessaryTagle
WHO says the Philip-
pines much-beloved
cardinal doesnt have
a tough side?
In his homily for
the Corpus Christi
mass at t he Sant a
Cruz Church Sunday,
June 22, Manila Arch-
bishop Lus Antonio
G. Cardinal Tagle crit-
icized fellow priests
who, accordi ng to
him, greet their con-
Fr. Amado Picardal gains ofcial recognition as a Martial law victim
for the rst time in more than two decades. CBCP News
Tuguegarao Archbishop Sergio L. Utleg. Edwin Dio
Despabiladeras
Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) calls on the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) to support a peoples initiative against this
political dynasties. CBCP News
Redress / A7
Devotion / A7
Governance / A6
Unneccessary / A6 Dynasties / A6
Organized by Church Peoples Alliance Against Port Barrel, interfaith leaders ring bells as they call on people to join movements against the pork barrel
during a gathering dubbed National Day of Prayer and Vigilance at the Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila on June 25. Roy Lagarde
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PDFaid.com
A2 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
World News
Vatican Briefng
Pope Francis decries persecution of Christians
Pope Francis on June 20 lamented continued persecution
against Christians and other religious believers, encourag-
ing scholars and governments to defend religious liberty.
Nowadays, persecution against Christians is stronger than
it was in the frst centuries of the Church, and there are more
Christian martyrs than in that time, the Pope said June 20 in
the Vaticans consistory hall will participants of the confer-
ence International Religious Liberty and the Global Clash of
Values. Pope Francis said it is incomprehensible and worri-
some that there continue to be discrimination and restrictions
of rights on the sole basis of religious profession. He said
persecution motivated by religious affliation is unaccept-
able. It gives me great pain to see that Christians around
the world suffer the most from such discrimination. (CNA)
Pope: Problem of drug use is not solved by other drugs
In a message for an international conference on enforcing
drug laws, Pope Francis denounced the trend of offering ad-
dicts narcotics as a substitute for hard drugs, stating that it
only worsens the problem. Let me state this in the clearest
terms possible: the problem of drug use is not solved with
drugs! Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be
no yielding or compromise the Pope declared in his June 20
message to the conference participants. To think that harm
can be reduced by permitting drug addicts to use narcotics in
no way resolves the problem he said, adding that Attempts,
however limited, to legalize so-called recreational drugs, are
not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint,
but they fail to produce the desired effects. (CNA)
Vatican theologians acknowledge Archbishop Sheen miracle
Beloved media personality Archbishop Fulton Sheen is one
step closer to beatifcation after a panel of Vatican theologians
unanimously recognized the miraculous recovery of a still-
born baby attributed to Sheens intercession. The Diocese of
Peoria said June 17 that its bishop, Daniel Jenky, was informed
of the decision by the seven-member theological commis-
sion that advises the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
A medical panel advising the congregation had in March
unanimously ruled that there is no medical explanation for
the babys recovery. The congregations cardinals and bishops
will now review the case. If they and Pope Francis approve,
Archbishop Fulton Sheen could then be beatifed. (CNA)
Pope calls torture a very grave sin
Pope Francis called for the abolition of torture, which he
condemned as a very grave sin. The pope made his re-
marks June 22, after praying the Angelus with a crowd in
St. Peters Square. I repeat the frm condemnation of every
form of torture and invite Christians to commit themselves
to work together for its abolition and to support victims and
their families, he said. To torture persons is a mortal sin.
A very grave sin. Pope Francis related his statement to the
observance June 26 of the United Nations International Day
in Support of Victims of Torture. The U.N. General Assembly
proclaimed the day in 1997 to promote enforcement of the
1987 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which the Vatican
is a signatory. (CNS)
Pope asks prayers, dignified welcome for refugees
Addressing Mary as mother of refugees, Pope Francis of-
fered prayers for the millions of people in the world forced to
fee their homelands, and he asked Catholics to reach out to
them with assistance and a real welcome. Remember, Jesus
was a refugee; he and Mary and Joseph had to go to Egypt to
save his life, the pope said June 18 at the end of his weekly
general audience. Pray to Mary who knows the pain of being
a refugee. Anticipating the U.N.s World Refugee Day June
20, Pope Francis led an estimated 30,000 people in praying
the Hail Mary for all those forced to leave their homelands
to fee conficts and persecution. Millions of familiesmil-
lionsof every religious faith have sought refuge in many
countries around the world, the pope said. Even when they
reach a safe place, they live with the members of dramas
and wounds that cannot be healed easily. (CNS)
Religious liberty includes being able to live faiths values,
pope says
Real religious liberty includes the freedom to live according to
the values taught by ones faith, Pope Francis said. Religious
freedom is not just a matter of thought or private devotion,
the pope said June 20. It is the freedom to liveboth pri-
vately and publiclyaccording to the ethical principles that
are a consequence of the truth found. The pope addressed
organizers, speakers and participants in a Rome conference,
International Religious Liberty and the Global Clash of Val-
ues. The conference was organized by the centers for Law
and Religion and for International and Comparative Law at
St. Johns University in New York and the Department of Law
at Romes LUMSA University. (CNS)
On World Refugee Day, bishops
implore U.S. to address Syria
SEATTLE, Wash., June 20, 2014
The chairman of the U.S. Bish-
ops Committee on Migration
declared the refugee situation in
Syria a humanitarian disaster
and called on the U.S. to increase
resettlement in a statement for
World Refugee Day.
The Syrian refugee crisis in
the Middle East has reached a
point of humanitarian disaster,
stated Bishop Eusebio Elizondo,
the auxiliary bishop of Seattle, on
June 20. Although the United
States has provided overseas
support to these refugees, other
forms of relief, including pos-
sible resettlement of the most
vulnerable, should be seriously
considered.
According to a United Nations
estimate, approximately three
million Syrians have fled the
country since the civil war began
there. Catholic Relief Services
reported that 4.5 million Syrians
have been internally displaced
in the confict.
In addition, Bishop Elizondo
declared the surge in child mi-
grants to the U.S. from Central
America and Mexico to be a
refugee situation. These chil-
dren are indeed fleeing for their
Syrian refugees in the Bekaa valley in Lebanon stand in line to receive aid. Melkite Greek
Archeparchy of Furzol, Zahle and the Bekaa
lives and must be looked at
through a protection lens, not
through an enforcement lens,
he said. We must not send
them back if they have valid
protection claims. It would be
akin to sending them back into
a burning home.
The Bishops declaration of a
refugee situation follows what
experts told CNA June 19 that
at least some of the migrants
could be considered refugees
and thus be granted asylum.
The number of unaccompanied
child migrants has reportedly
doubled each year since 2011. An
estimated 47,000 have crossed
the U.S.-Mexico border so far
in 2014.
The chief factor driving the
migration of the children is
violence in the region, reported
the bishops offce of Migration
and Refugee Services. The report
cited another study by the bish-
ops conference, which stated
that violence and coercion,
including extortion, kidnapping,
threats, and coercive and forc-
ible recruitment of children into
criminal activity are perpetrated
by transnational criminal organi-
zations and gangs have become
part of everyday life in all these
countries, exerting control over
communities.
The Bishops have called on the
U.S. to respond to both crises,
asking the government to grant
an emergency increase in the
number of Syrian resettlements
to 15,000 for the 2014 fscal. In
addition, the bishops pleaded for
the U.S. to work for a ceasefre in
Syria and initiate serious peace
negotiations.
In regard to the migrants on
the U.S.-Mexico border, Bishop
Elizondo asked Congress to set
aside just under $3 billion for
the Offce of Refugee Resettle-
ment for the 2015 fscal year to
prepare for the increase in mi-
grants to the U.S., and establish
an interagency fund to address
the root causes of the migration
and preempt children from their
perilous, unauthorized migra-
tion by providing safe and
legal avenues for them. (CNA/
EWTN News)
Bishop Pates, Pax Christi USA call for diplomacy
to resolve Iraq crisis
WASHINGTON, June 20,
2014Saying the United
States has a special re-
sponsibility to the people
of Iraq, the chairman of
the U.S. bishops Com-
mittee on International
Justice and Peace called
for diplomatic measures
rather than a military re-
sponse to the crisis facing
the country.
In a letter to Susan E.
Rice, national security
adviser, Bishop Richard
E. Pates of Des Moines,
Iowa, called upon the
U.S. to urge Iraqi political
leaders to form an in-
clusive government so
that people who feel they
have no voice in the coun-
trys affairs are included
in its governance.
Our nat i on bears
a special responsibil-
ity toward the people
of Iraq. The U.S.-led in-
vasion and occupation
unleashed both sectarian
conficts and extremism
in Iraq, two tragic un-
intended consequences
that have profound and
continuing repercussions
for the people of Iraq,
Bishop Pates wrote June
19.
I r aq s c r i s i s was
spawned by the rapid
movement of thousands
of armed members of
the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant through
much of northern Iraq.
The militant organiza-
tion has readily killed
Muslims and Christians
while functioning with
military efficiency dur-
ing its press toward the
capital of Baghdad dur-
ing June.
It is critical that all
ethni c and rel i gi ous
groups are represented
at the table of governance
so that the common good
of all is served, he said.
Extremists have been
exploiting the divisions
born of exclusion and the
weakening of the rule of
law.
Bishop Pates said dip-
lomatic efforts also must
be undertaken in neigh-
boring Syria. He urged
Rice and U.S. offcials to
work with other coun-
tries, particularly Iran,
Russia, Saudi Arabia and
all responsible parties in
Syria.
It is critical to obtain
a ceasefre, initiate seri-
ous negotiations, provide
impartial humanitarian
assistance and encourage
efforts to build an inclu-
sive society in Syria,
the letter said. These
actions will help protect
the rights of all citizens,
including Christians and
other minorities.
Pax Christ USA also
called for a fully in-
cl usi ve i nternati onal
diplomatic process to
address the burgeoning
Iraqi crisis and the con-
tinuing violence in Syria
rather than any military
response by the United
States or other countries.
The Catholic peace
organization urged the
United Nations to initiate
multilateral diplomacy
involving organizations
such as the Arab League.
Sister Josie Chrosniak,
a member of the Sisters
of the Humility of Mary
who chairs Pax Christi
USAs national council,
told Catholic News Ser-
vice that the challeng-
es facing Iraq will be
resolved only through
nonviolence action and
diplomacy.
As an organization
committed to the belief
in nonviolence we do
continue to be saddened
by all the violence in the
world, but most espe-
cially at this time by the
violence that is causing
increased suffering to
the people of Iraq, Sister
Josie said.
Military intervention
would serve only lead to
more confict, she said.
The more we fight,
the more people will fght
us. We really believe the
only way for any kind of
solution to be reached
is through the United
Nations. The U.N. has
the ability to address
the concerns for all the
people in the area, all of
the countries involved,
Sister Josie explained.
In its statement, Pax
Christi USA maintained
that U.S. military inter-
vention will not achieve
the peace and stability
that the people of Iraq
deserve.
A military solution
whether it includes air-
strikes or ground troops
or an increase in the fow
of weapons into Iraq
will only serve to increase
the suffering of the Iraqi
people, not alleviate it,
the statement said. (CNS)
Kyiv Greek Catholic archbishop tells Orthodox
brothers not to believe propaganda, look at the truth
MOSCOW, Russia, June 19,
2014Against the backdrop of
the Ukrainian crisis, tensions
are getting worse between lo-
cal Catholics and the Ortho-
dox Patriarchate of Moscow,
which continues to denounce
the Greek Catholic Church in
Ukraine for its alleged involve-
ment with Western policy vis-
-vis Russia.
In making an appeal for rec-
onciliation through AsiaNews,
the Major Archbishop of Kyiv,
Sviatoslav Shevchuk, wants
Moscow recognizes the dignity
of the Ukrainian people and
open a sincere dialogue based
on truth.
Do not believe propaganda!
We are not your enemies, we
are brothers; we want to be good
neighbors, have friendly rela-
tions and close cooperation with
you, the head of the Ukrainian
Greek Catholic Church said as he
directly addresses his Russian
brothers.
We regret that [Russian] state
propaganda is creating an image
of the Ukraine as an enemy, he
added in a telephone conversa-
tion with AsiaNews. We do not
want to do anything that harms
or is likely to spurn the dignity
or freedom of the Russian Or-
thodox Church. We just want an
open and honest dialogue, which
might eventually lead one day to
reconciliation.
Recently, the two highest of-
fcials in the Moscow Patriarch-
ate, the Orthodox Primate Kirill,
and the head of the Department
of Foreign Church Relations,
Metropolitan Hilarion, attacked
the commitment of Greek Catho-
lics in the Ukraine in favor of
Maidan protests.
Greek Catholics have in fact
launched a crusade against
Orthodoxy, the Patriarchates
foreign minister said in April,
reiterating the old belief that
Uniatism (a term used in a
derogatory manner to describe
Greek Catholics in communion
with the Pope) is a special project
of the Catholic Church, aiming
to convert the Orthodox to Ca-
tholicism.
This language offends us,
Shevchuk said. They define
us a human project and not as
the body of Christ. This means
denying the Ukrainian Greek
Catholic Church the dignity of
being a Church.
We are sorry that our fellow
Christians attack us, by using
state propaganda-style tactics
and not through a proper eccle-
siastical message, the bishop
noted.
Moscow has the right to in-
terpret social events in Ukraine
in its own way, but we Christians
must always tell the truth, he
added.
In late March, Patriarch Kirill
harshly attacked Greek Catho-
lics, condemning the direct
involvement in political ac-
tivities, with statements against
the Russian Orthodox Church.
This, he warned, casts very
sad shadow on relations be-
tween the Patriarchate and the
Vatican.
Whilst the Catholic bishop
says he is sceptical about a pos-
sible schism within Russian
Orthodoxy and the creation of
a single Ukrainian Orthodox
Church, independent of Mos-
cow, does acknowledge the
need for the Russian Orthodox
Church to rid itself of political
ideology. (AsiaNews)
Brazilian diocese offers
foreign language Masses
during World Cup
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil, June
20, 2014The Archdiocese of
Belo Horizonte one of the 12
Brazilian cities hosting World
Cup matches has announced a
program of multi-lingual Masses
and cultural events for those at-
tending the tournament.
Under the theme Play for
Life, the archdiocese will provide
activities throughout the soccer
tournament throughout its dura-
tion, from June 12 to July 13, it
said in a statement released in
Portuguese, Spanish, and English.
In addition to Masses and
concerts, the archdiocese is also
organizing seminars and edu-
cational campaigns to help fght
human traffcking.
Masses and Confessions are
being offered in Spanish, Ger-
man, Arabic, and English, as well
as in Portuguese.
Daniel Cote, a Colombian
journalism student who visited
the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy,
said, coming here is like being
in heaven. After arriving here, I
had no doubt that I was on holy
ground, a sacred place.
On June 18, Bishop Joao de
Medeiro Silva, an auxiliary of
Belo Horizonte, said Mass at the
Archdiocesan Sanctuary for Per-
petual Adoration to begin an all-
night vigil, which was attended
by hundreds of faithful. The
archdiocese announced that all
there prayed taht the World Cup
would be a moment of fraternity
among the nations, furthering
their peace and harmony.
Belo Horizonte is located 270
miles north of Rio de Janeiro; the
archdiocese serves 3.3 million
faithful, some 70 percent of the
population.
So far in the tournament,
Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 and drew
against Mexico. They will play
Cameroon June 23.
The U.S. beat Ghana 2-1 on
June 16, and is scheduled to play
Portugal June 22.
On June 20, Italy lost to Costa
Rica 1-0; Switzerland is matched
against France; and Honduras
will play Ecuador. (CNA/EWTN
News)
More Zhejiang churches to be torn down in demolition
campaign, Christians ready to fght to the end
WENZHOU, China, June 20, 2014A
dozen more churches in Zhejiang province
face destruction today as part of an offcial
demolition campaign against churches
labelled as illegal structures. A Pingyang
county pastor, who declined to be named,
said worshippers from at least three of the
countys churches had vowed to fght the
demolition to the end.
We will defnitely guard our churches,
he said, adding that the churches had re-
ceived the demolition notices last Sunday
and their deadline had been postponed
to today. It was not immediately clear
whether the churches were government-
approved ones or if they were unauthor-
ized home churches.
Meanwhile, churches in Pingyang
issued a public letter voicing their con-
cerns about the increasingly aggressive
campaign to destroy their places of wor-
ship. [The removal of crosses in some
churches] has caused deep panic among
nearly a hundred thousand believers and
swirling rumors in society. It has led to
... unrest, stated the letter, which was
circulated online.
In Zhejiang, about 360 churches or
buildings with crosses affxed on them
have been forcibly torn down in the Three
Rectifcations and One Demolition cam-
paign since January, according to United
States-based religious rights group China
Aid.
The action appears to be a form of reli-
gious persecution, but local government
offcials say the campaign targets only
structures that breach building codes.
A Christian man from Pingyang, who
declined to be named, said religious policy
had tightened so much since January that
churches now could hardly get local
governments approval to extend their
structures even if they already had land
permits. (AsiaNews)
Kyiv Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk
asianews.it
A3 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
News Features
Pope slams mafa as adorers of evil
VATICAN CITY, June 21, 2014
In his homily at the Saturday
evening vigil mass during his
day trip to Italys southern Ca-
labria region, Pope Francis de-
nounced the dishonesty and vio-
lence perpetrated by members of
the local mafa.
When adoration of the Lord
is substituted by adoration of
money, the road to sin opens to
personal interest When one
does not adore the Lord, one
becomes an adorer of evil, like
those who live by dishonesty
and violence, Pope Francis said
on June 21 at the outdoor mass
in Sibari, Italy.
Your land, which so beau-
tiful, knows the signs of the
consequences of this sin. The
Ndrangheta (Calabrian mafa)
is this: adoration of evil and
contempt of the common good.
This evil must be fought, must
be expelled. It must be told no,
he urged.
Those who have chosen the
evil road, such as the mobsters
are not in communion with
God. They are excommuni-
cated, he said.
His homily, preached for the
feast of the Corpus Christi fo-
cused on the importance of ador-
ing God alone.
And, for this faith, we re-
nounce Satan and all of his temp-
tations; we renounce the idols of
money, vanity, pride and power.
We, Christians, do not want to
adore anything or anyone in this
world except Jesus Christ, who
is present in the Holy Eucharist,
he emphasized.
Christians adore God who is
love and who in Jesus Christ
has given himself for us, who
has offered himself on the cross
for the expiation of our sins and
by the power of this love is risen
and lives in the Church.
A Christians adoration of
Jesus present in the Eucharist
will also bear fruit in fraternal
charity, noted Pope Francis.
The people that adores God in
the Eucharist is the people that
walks in charity.
The Holy Father urged the
congregation to witness to
concrete fraternal solidarity in
families, parishes, and ecclesial
movements.
The Lord Jesus does not cease
to raise up gestures of charity in
his people who are journeying!
he exclaimed.
Furthermore, it is the Eucha-
rist that unites the followers of
Jesus, making them one fam-
ily, the People of God gathered
around Jesus, the bread of life.
If you adore Christ and walk
behind him and with him, your
diocesan Church and your par-
ishes will grow in faith and in
charity, in the joy of evangeliza-
tion, he encouraged.
You will be a Church in
which fathers, mothers, priests,
religious, catechists, children,
the elderly, (and) young people
walk together, one alongside the
other, supporting one another,
helping one another, loving one
another as brothers, especially in
moments of diffculty.
The pontiff also repeated his
much-used encouragement to
young people. I have said it
before and I say it again now:
do not let your hope be stolen!
he exclaimed. Adoring Jesus in
your hears and remaining united
to him you will know how to
oppose evil, injustice, violence
with the force of good, truth and
beauty.
Pope Francis concluded his
homily by invoking Mary, the
woman of the Eucharist, who
will help you remain united,
also by means of your witness,
so that the Lord will continue
to give life to the world. (CNA)
Pope, Anglican archbishop urge
joint action to share Gods love
VATICAN CITY, June 16,
2014Although they have
not yet reached full uni-
ty, Roman Catholics and
Anglicans continue their
dialogue, come together
in prayer and work side
by side, including on a
new project to combat hu-
man traffcking around the
world.
I thank God that, as
disciples sent to heal a
wounded world, we stand
together with persever-
ance and determination in
opposing this grave evil,
Pope Francis told Anglican
Archbishop Justin Welby of
Canterbury June 16 during
a meeting at the Vatican.
Archbishop Welby, the
spiritual leader of the
worldwide Anglican Com-
munion, was in Rome to
hold his second meeting
with Pope Francis, to visit
Anglican communities in
the city and to participate
in a meeting of the Global
Freedom Network, which
they and other faith leaders
founded to combat human
trafficking and modern
slavery.
The Global Freedom
Network can achieve much
practically to dismantle
what you have so often
rightly said is a grave crime
against humanity, Arch-
bishop Welby told the pope.
It is a crime that we all
need to overcome as a mat-
ter of urgency, as a matter
of human dignity, freedom
and wholeness of life. May
God give us the resolve
and cooperation we need
together.
Archbishop Welby par-
ticipated in a meeting June
15 with the chairman of
the networks board and
several cardinals who are
members of its council.
According to Vatican Ra-
dio, one of the topics for
discussion was strategizing
ways to ensure the churches
slavery proof their own
chain of suppliers, ensur-
ing that any company they
do business with treats its
employees fairly.
In his meeting with the
archbishop, Pope Francis
said Jesus question to the dis-
ciples in Capernaum, What
were you arguing about on
the way? could apply to the
Roman Catholic and Angli-
can churches as well.
When Jesus put this
question to his disciples,
they were silent, the pope
said. They were ashamed,
for they had been arguing
about who was the greatest
among them. We, too, feel
ashamed when we ponder
the distance between the
Lords call and our meager
response.
Wishing not the same
as hoping Tagle
MANILA, June 13, 2014
Wishes and hopes, arent
they the same? Accord-
ing to Manila Archbishop
Cardinal Tagle, a certain
person named Jesus spells
the difference.
We wish for that, but wish-
es are not hope. People may
have many wishes but not
have hope, he said at a June
10 press conference on the
upcoming 51st International
Eucharistic Conference (IEC).
Hoping in a person
According to Tagle, who
was present together with
the three other Filipino
cardinals, even English
shows the difference be-
tween wishing and hoping.
Even grammatically,
in English, we say I wish
that, but you say I hope
in. We only hope in a per-
son. We hope in God, he
said, noting that the IECs
theme on hope, Jesus in us,
the hope of glory, is such
with good reason.
Tagle, who shared he was
able to attend the last two
IECs, the one in Quebec,
Canada and Dublin, Ireland,
said the fact that God has al-
ready come to us is already
a greater reason for hope.
Hope never fails
We are not hoping in
someone who is distant,
someone is coldWe place
our hope in someone who
has been a refugee, some-
one who was betrayed,
someone who was home-
less, someone who was the
object of ridicule, someone
who was killed but some-
one whom God raised back
to life. He is in us thats why
we have hope, he added.
The theme of the IEC,
Tagle noted, is not about
feeting caprice and wishes,
but about the deepest thing
that defnes a human being
and a society hope.
Many of our wishes
will not come true, but
our hope will never fail.
And we hope we will have
that strong message as we
prepare for the Interna-
tional Eucharistic Congress
through our lives, through
our relationships, through
the dynamism of Jesus who
is in us, he said in closing.
The 51st IEC will be held
in Cebu City on January
24 31, 2016.
The event is expected
to draw as many as 15,000
local and international del-
egates. (CBCP News)
Indigent Bohol students
to receive bikes
MANILA, June 13, 2014
More than a hundred stu-
dents in Bohol who walk
miles to school will re-
ceive bikes this year from a
foundation that lends and
donates bikes to motivate
learning among less for-
tunate school kids despite.
About 120 deserving
Pagnitoan National High
School (PNHS) students
in Maribojoc will receive
mountain bikes after the
frst grading period, Bikes
for the Philippines presi-
dent Joel F. Uichico said on
June 9.
The foundation consid-
ered students who walk at
least three kilometers from
home to school, he said.
Recipients also have to
undergo basic training on
the proper use of bicycles,
maintenance, and traffic
rules.
As of now, Bikes for the
Philippines has already
trained and instructed over
50 students from PNHS,
Uichico said.
Students can ride the
bikes only if they have
completed the basic course,
he said. Uichico noted the
recipients can use the bikes
only when going to school.
Driving the bike for pur-
poses other than attend-
ing school or lending it
to another person can be
grounds for revocation of
the privilege, he said.
During summer vaca-
tions, the bikes will be
stored in a warehouse.
After Baclayon Nation-
al High School in Bohol,
which is the first school
Bikes for the Philippines
adopted, the foundation
chose PNHS as its second
school since about 90 per-
cent of its students walk
to school due to lack of a
means of transportation in
the area, Uichico said.
The bikes will remain
on loan while the students
fnish high school, he said.
After graduation, they can
take ownership and full
responsibility of the bikes.
They can even sell them.
The bikes are donated to
the foundation by Bikes for
the World. (Oliver Samson)
We need spiritual direction, not 1Direction youth leaders
ILOILO Ci ty, June 11,
2014More spiritual di-
rection, not One Direction.
This is the collective senti-
ment expressed by leaders of
an Iloilo parish youth min-
istry who spoke up recently
amidst the controversy sur-
rounding the British music
group One Direction.
Rising to the Year of the
Laitys challenge Choose
to be Brave Frances Isabel
Isa Catolico and Gerald
Jed Flores, Education
Coordinator and Assistant
Education Coordinator re-
spectively, of the Jaro Par-
ish Youth Ministry (JPYM)
of the National Shrine of
Our Lady of Candles in
Iloilo told CBCP News
young people need more
spiritual direction and good
role models, not BI or bad
infuences such as the one
given by One Direction.
True role models
For young people to fnd
their true direction in life,
Catolico mentioned the
need for authentic role-
models.
The frst models for me
are my parents, followed
by our elders in the youth
ministry, she said.
She also cited the im-
portant role priests play
among the youth, saying
Priests have an important
infuence on us especially
when they make them-
selves available for spiritual
direction or counseling.
Flores added, The saints
are very important role-
models. Even if they lived
many years ago, their life
and teachings have an in-
fluence on me and other
young people.
Among the saints, he
considers St. John Paul II
as the one who inspires
him most because he was
the frst Pope and saint to
visit Iloilo and he was the
Pope who reached out to
young people, especially
through the World Youth
Days (WYDs).
Earlier, an appeal was
made by CBCP Commission
on Youth executive secretary
Fr. Conegundo Garganta to
parents to forbid their kids
from watching the concert
of One Direction, or 1D, that
will be held in Pasay City on
March 2015.
The advice was given
by Garganta after a video
circulated online showed
two band members smok-
ing what the singers them-
selves referred to as an
illegal substance. It was
also reported that some
parents had even gone out
of their way to buy 1D
concert tickets at a price of
P17,950 each.
P18k tickets
Catolico, a student of
the Western Visayas State
University, thinks that it is
impractical for parents to
shell out nearly P18,000 for
a VIP ticket or for students
to spend P2,000 for the
lowest-priced ticket just for
a one-night concert.
Flores, a Colegio de San
Jose student, while not in
favor of an outright ban
of the 1D concert for fear
of a backlash by other
countries towards Fili-
pino artists who perform
abroad, agreed with the
idea of forming the con-
sciences of parents and
their kids.
Our country is among
the poorest in Asia. It is not
justifable to spend so much
money just for a one-night
concert. Even among the
rich, even if it is their right
to spend their own money,
they should be sensitive to
the plight of their neigh-
bor. he said.
Catolico admits that she
enjoys listening to the mu-
sic of 1D but she does not
consider herself a fan of
the group. She observed
that many young girls who
overly-idolize celebrities
have ended up living in
a fantasy world. She says
that she knows of girls who
even imagine that they are
girlfriends of boy band
members.
Flores, on his part, said
the youth, being impres-
sionable, might not distin-
guish between performance
from the life of celebrities
whom they consider their
idols. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas)
Under Gods merciful
gaze, he said, we cannot
claim that our division is
anything less than a scan-
dal and an obstacle to our
proclaiming the Gospel of
salvation to the world.
Pope Francis and Arch-
bishop Welby acknowl-
edged the differences that
still divide Catholics and
Anglicans, but they reaf-
frmed their support for the
Anglican-Roman Catho-
lic International Commis-
sion, which is their offcial
theological dialogue body,
and for the International
Anglican-Roman Catholic
Commission for Unity and
Mission, which promotes
joint prayer and common
activities.
While in Rome, Arch-
bishop Welby officially
launched the commissions
websitewww.iarccum.
orgwhich includes de-
scriptions of the two bodies,
the joint statements they
have issued over the past 50
years and thousands of his-
torical documents related to
the offcial dialogue.
The website also includes
information from about a
dozen national Anglican-
Roman Catholic dialogue
committees.
Archbishop Welby also
met briefy with members
of the St. Peters Cricket
Club, the team of Catholic
priests and seminarians
who will face a team from
the Anglican Church in
England in September.
In an interview with Vati-
can Radio, the archbishop
said he was visiting the Vat-
ican in order to build on his
relationship with the pope
and promote continued
joint action, particularly on
behalf of those who are suf-
fering. I think the churches
are called by Christ to be
reconciled reconcilers; to
be those who reach out in
reconciliation.
He described as absurd
the idea that the churches
will settle for joint action
on issues related to social
justice and peace at a time
when they fnd their theo-
logical dialogue difficult.
The dialogue has not come
to a standstill, he said,
both international commis-
sions are engaged in very
serious dialogue.
We are children of God.
We are called together to
deepen our understand-
ing of how we are to live
as Gods children in this
world, loving one another
and loving the world as
he did, the archbishop
said. Both the theologi-
cal dialogue and practical
initiatives are necessary, he
added. (CNS)
Pope Francis rides in the popemobile during a General Audience. Stephan Driscoll
Anglican Bishop Justin Welby is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He
replaces Archbishop Rowan Williams. Lambeth Palace/Picture Partnership
Manila Archbishop Cardinal Tagle
CBCPNews
Recipients of the mountain bikes from Bikes for the Philippines now have
an easier and faster way to get to school every day. Joel F. Uichico
2 cardinals remember 1st Eucharistic Congress in PH
MANILA, June 13, 2014 The
year was 1937. Two of the coun-
trys cardinals were literally
young boys at the time, but both
have vivid memories of the 33rd
International Eucharistic Con-
gress, the first one held in the
Philippines.
Remarkably, Ricardo Cardinal
Vidal was a frst communicant
during the said event.
In all our preparation for the
Eucharistic Congress, we were al-
ways focusing on Christ. We have
to memorize the theme which
was in Spanish, he said, noting
that the young communicants
could not even understand Span-
ish but sang the theme song all the
same.Cardinal Vidal also shared
it was his frst time in Manila, the
sight of which amazed him.
All the roads were concrete
[I thought] napakayaman pala
nito! (Manila is so rich!), Vidal
added.
At a press conference on June
10 for the upcoming 51st Eucha-
ristic Congress to be held in Cebu
City, he also recounted that it was
his frst time to see a cardinal
[I thought] what kind of a
priest is he? All in red. He looked
like a queen because of the 24
yards of train, Vidal said, re-
membering his young self s
thoughts.
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales,
though a bit younger, said he was
old enough to remember parts of
the historic event in 1937.
When the 33rd International
Eucharistic Congress was held
in Manila, my mother took me
to Luneta. At the time, I wasnt a
Christian yet, I was still pagan,
he said, noting that at 4 years old,
he was still too young to receive
holy communion.
Rosales, who turns 82 in a few
weeks, said he could remember
the big columns put up in Lu-
neta for the occasion but could
not understand what was go-
ing on.
What would remain longer in
his and his familys memories
were the Eucharistic candles
given away during the event.
We came home with candles,
Eucharistic candles with pic-
tures inside the candle, which
my mother only lit only during
baptisms, confrmation, birthdays
and events. Thats what I could
remember of the International Eu-
charistic Congress, Rosales said.
The Philippines receives the
honor to host the IEC for the
second time this January 24 31,
2016 when Cebu City plays host
to the 51st International Eucharis-
tic Congress.
The event is expected to draw
15,000 delegates from all over
the world.
The Congress will also feature
open air masses open to the pub-
lic that could easily gather 1 mil-
lion people. (CBCP News)
A4 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
NEWS coverage these days may not be as im-
partial and respectable as I would want it to
be, but sometimes it is valuable for its power
to send me down to my knees. Absorbing the
news from all media lengthens my to-pray-
for list. For instance, Ive recently added
Senator Bong and Senator Jinggoy to that
list. For all the Masses offered and prayers
said on their behalf, on top of the loyalty of
their followers, and their occasional expres-
sions of faith in God, they are still fnding
it extremely diffcult to accept their lot in
this politicking worldto put up with suf-
focating heat in their quarters that are also
rat-and-roach infested. Of course, they are
merely accused, so why subject them to such
punishment? Correct. But, as believers in
God that they claim to be, can they not rely
on their faith to see their situation from a
loftier point of view?
Guilty or innocent they have much to be
grateful for: IF indeed they are plunderers,
they deserve even worsewhy should they
be given anything the other prisoners are
being deprived of? They should be thankful
that life is now offering them a chance to be
actually in solidarity with the poorest of the
poorno aircon, no TV, no cell phone, no
gadgets, et al. They should be thankful they
have food at all, sanitary toilets, and living
quarters big enough for fve poor families.
Perhaps after this experience they would
feel more for the poor they have deprived
of their rightful conveniences. But IF they
are innocent of the charges leveled against
them, then, wont even the memory of all
the communion hosts they have taken stir
in them a ineffable sense of gratitude for
the undeserved persecution and deprivation
because it means they are being granted the
privilege to participate in our Lord Jesus
suffering. Wasnt Jesus innocent when He
was sent to die on the cross?
The communion queues at our churches
are unbelievably long. I wonder how this
helps us as a nation to transcend our medioc-
rity. Our thoughts are shallow, our ambitions
selfsh, our level of contentment incredibly
cheap and low; and we cannot seem to be
that concerned about affairs outside of our
puny fences. China and the United States
are deploying submarines in our waters
and yet we care more about what happens
to the teleserye characters. A considerable
percentage of our rural areas have no clean
drinking water and adequate electricity and
yet our technocrats are aiming to send our
own satellite in outer space. We are sup-
posedly looked up to as a faithful Catholic
Christian nation in this part of the world and
yet (fnish the sentence).
At the risk of sounding simplistic, I dare
say that there is something amiss about the
way we regard the Body and Blood of Christ
that we ingest at least weekly.
I have a confession to make. As a writer
and occasional speaker I fnd this thing
about eating my fesh and drinking my
EDITORIAL
Opinion
Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief
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THE Synod Fathers have rightly pointed to the need for a
defnition of the lay faithfuls vocation and mission in positive
terms, through an in-depth study of the teachings of the Second
Vatican Council in light of both recent documentation from the
Magisterium and the lived experience of the Church, guided as
she is by the Holy Spirit.
In giving a response to the question Who are the lay faithful,
the Council went beyond previous interpretations which were
predominantly negative. Instead it opened itself to a decidedly
positive vision and displayed a basic intention of asserting the
full belonging of the lay faithful to the Church and to its mystery.
At the same time it insisted on the unique character of their vocation,
which is in a special way to seek the Kingdom of God by engaging
in temporal affairs and ordering them according to the plan of
God. The term lay faithfulwe read in the Constitution on
the Church, Lumen Gentiumis here understood to mean all
the faithful except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to
a religious state sanctioned by the Church. Through Baptism the
lay faithful are made one body with Christ and are established
among the People of God. They are in their own way made sharers
in the priestly, prophetic and kingly offce of Christ. They carry
out their own part in the mission of the whole Christian people
with respect to the Church and the world.
Pius XII once stated: The Faithful, more precisely the lay faithful,
fnd themselves on the front lines of the Churchs life; for them the
Church is the animating principle for human society. Therefore,
they in particular, ought to have an ever-clearer consciousness not
only of belonging to the Church, but of being the Church, that is
to say, the community of the faithful on earth under the leadership
of the Pope, the head of all, and of the Bishops in communion
with him. These are the Church ....
According to the Biblical image of the vineyard, the lay faithful,
together with all the other members of the Church, are branches
engrafted to Christ the true vine, and from him derive their life
and fruitfulness.
Incorporation into Christ through faith and Baptism is the source
of being a Christian in the mystery of the Church. This mystery
constitutes the Christians most basic features and serves as
the basis for all the vocations and dynamism of the Christian life
of the lay faithful (cf. Jn 3:5). In Christ who died and rose from
the dead, the baptized become a new creation (Gal 6:15; 2 Cor
5:17), washed clean from sin and brought to life through grace.
Therefore, only through accepting the richness in mystery that
God gives to the Christian in Baptism is it possible to come to a
basic description of the lay faithful
-- Christifdeles Laici, #9
THE Philippines is not a hopeless case. But it will take generations
for an ingrained culture of corruption to disappear, if that is possible.
From day one, Philippine governance was already wallowing in
dirt that was condoned by both the governors and the governed.
A budding reporter of Manila Chronicle, Celso Cabrera,
documented in January of 1949 what Jose Avelino, the frst Senate
President of this Republic, said in a caucus of party leaders. His
exact words in Spanish were Para que estamos en poder? or
What are we in power for? In the Cabrera news story, Avelino
reportedly lectured that if the leadership could not condone
corruption, it should at least tolerate it. (Incidentally, the Aquino
Administration in Proclamation No. 759 has just declared August
5 this year as a special non-working holiday in the three provinces
of Samar to mark the 124th birth anniversary of the frst Senate
President Jose Avelino who is also known as the Father of the
Philippine Workmens Compensation Law.)
Of late, it was Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle who, in the face of the
worst corruption cases that this country has ever encountered, saw
hope and opportunity for reform in Philippine governance. In a
forum held in Novaliches last June 14, the good Cardinal announced
his conviction that good governance is still possible. He said,
Institutional communitarian governance is man-made, which means
that man can also change itwe cannot excuse a bad system just
because it has always been soIt has to change for the better.
But the reform has to begin with everyone elsewith the voters
most especially. According to the Cardinal, Filipinos have to
create a culture of good governance, which will be second nature
to everyone. To do this, he exhorts every citizen, institution,
including the Church, to choose leaders with competence, integrity
and commitment to the common good.
In a CBCP Statement titled Pastoral Exhortation on the 1998
Elections the bishops said, In choosing our leaders in the
political community it would be most logical to look frst at the
platforms and programs of the different political parties. But
unfortunately in our country there are practically no differences
in the platforms and programs of the different parties. Proof of
this is the ease with which candidates even for the highest offces
transfer parties or form alliances when their personal interests suit
it. We need to focus our attention on the qualities needed by our
elective public offcials...We ask you to vote into offce, especially
as President and Vice-President, candidates who have exhibited
COMPETENCE, PERSONAL INTEGRITY and COMMITMENT
TO THE COMMON GOOD.
While the rumor mill says the PDAF cases were fled to bury strong
candidates for the 2016 elections, it may actually be the start of a
cultural change that everybody has been dreaming ofa culture
that will gradually give birth to good governance.
Fr. Roy Cimagala
Candidly Speaking
Candidly Speaking / A7
Who are the Lay Faithful?
Good governance still possible
Heading a family and
heading a nation
Remembering Rhodora
A holy puzzle
Oscar. V. Cruz, DD
Views and Points
Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
and thats the truth
And Thats The Truth / A6
IT is not a secret that being head
of a family is not for the weak
in will, much less for the feeble
in mind. If much is required to
get marriedsuch as in terms
of knowing and attending to
the many serious obligations
inherent to the matrimonial
csovenant per semuch more is
demanded in fulflling the day-
in and day-out imperatives of
family life which is the standard
sequel to the said covenant. So
it is that there is the wife and
mother as well, to love and be
faithful to, support and give
attention to. And there are fur-
thermore, the children to care
and provide for, to teach and
guide, to mold in their character
and value system.
A family head consciously
or otherwise, slowly enhances
his sense of responsibility and
gradually improves his leader-
ship capacity. In other words,
for a man to get married and to
raise a family is not only mak-
ing him a responsible adult,
but also helping him in his
maturation process such as in his
sense of personal prudence and
realization of his vision for his
familysuch as the education
and future of his children, plus
their well-being as adults in the
years yet to come when gone he
already is.
There is a whale of difference
between a man who makes the
deliberate option to remain sin-
gle for one prudential reason or
another and a man who simply
does not want to get married for
dubiousenigmaticreasons.
Such is the reality of someone
who refuses to get married
although he has the possibility,
plus all the resources for mat-
rimonial purposes. Such is the
phenomenon of somebody who
continues avoiding marriage
even after having one amorous
relationship after another. And
such is the case of an individual
who, in fact, avoids marriage
while repeatedly dangling him-
self as a bachelor on different
public occasions.
Among other things, having
a family is a proper and op-
portune preparation even for
eventually governing a whole
nationconsidering that head-
ing a family demands dedicated
and responsible leadership, not
to mention constancy and inge-
nuity in leading a people. No.
This is not meant to say that
someone with many families is
the best-prepared man to head
a country. Such a reality is, in
fact, a marked syndrome of ir-
responsibility plus amorality
that already disqualify that man
concerned even but in heading
a family.
Without the least intention of
belittling much less insulting
anyone anywhere, the on-the-
ground truth of the matter is that
someone who avoids marriage
for one enigmatic, dubious rea-
son or another, the same would
fnd it really perplexing if not
futile to assume a leadership
positionespecially so on the
national level.
IT must have been during my
freshman or sophomore high
school year when we had a
new, bubbly teacher in English
Literature who asked us to study
a poem titled, The Rhodora, by
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
I, at first, like all the other
boys in class, was hesitant to do
the assignment because of the
prevailing prejudice that subjects
like Literature were more for
girls than for boys.
But I did it just the same,
draggingly, of course, but more
to avoid trouble, since I was
quite sure I would be asked to
say something about it in class.
Little did I know that I would fall
in love with the poem. In fact, it
was the frst time I felt something
special toward literature.
I was fascinated by its musical
and lyrical tone, bewitched by
its cadence and rhythm. More
importantly, it delivered a strong
message so appealing to both my
mind and heart. It has since then
become indelible in my memory.
It was a message that I did
not expect after reading the frst
few verses that described what
I thought were merely ordinary
observations. I was told before-
hand that the Rhodora was actu-
ally just a plant, information that
worsened my misgiving about
the class assignment.
But now I realize that the ele-
ment of surprise is part of the
beauty of any literary piece. That
was what happened to me. I was
pleasantly surprised, and then
somehow affected...quite deeply.
The misgiving turned into a
blessing. My misgiving actually
set me up for a big kill in myself.
The verse that attracted me
most was this: Rhodora! / If
the sages ask thee why / This
charm is wasted on the earth
and sky, / Tell them, dear, / That
if eyes were made for seeing, /
Then beauty is its own excuse
for Being.
In my adolescent mind then, I
readily agreed to that statement.
Beauty was a very precious and
rare commodity. And I under-
stood beauty as an exclusively
physical affair. It was hard for
me then to see beauty around.
Back in the province, there must
have been some pretty faces, but
not one that sparked awe and
fascination.
And so, I thought beauty could
only be found in the movies, in
the magazines, and in those oc-
casional visits of movie stars and
starlets during town festas. If
eyes were made for seeing...
kept ringing in my mind.
Years passed, and the scenario
has altered quite signifcantly.
This time, you see beauty in the
physical sense in abundance. A
worldwide industry of make-
up and make-overs, plus the
increasingly powerful support-
ing structure of networks has
made that possible. But I also
realize that these have somehow
exposed the false character of
beauty in the physical sense.
Beauty and human perfection
cannot be confned to the physi-
cal alone. There is a lot of fction,
deception, and fantasy involved
there. Neither can beauty be
a matter of feeling good, or of
being popular. These ideas of
beauty cannot satisfy the deepest
longings of our soul.
Beauty has to be found in
something more profound. It
cannot be skin-deep alone. It
has to correspond to a more
complete set of criteria based on
our true and ultimate dignity as
persons and as children of God,
created in the image and likeness
of God. It has to satisfy our deep-
est expectations that defnitely
go beyond the material and the
natural.
These days, we have to be
A5 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Opinion
Atty. Aurora A. Santiago
Duc in Altum
Good governance
Trickle Charged
for Heaven
Dads think different
Honesty in Scriptures
Brian Caulfeld
Half-a-world away
Duc In Altum/ A7
Rev. Eutiquio Euly B. Belizar, Jr., SThD
By the Roadside
Fr. Francis Ongkingco
Whatever
SAN FRANCISCO, Califor-
niaIn the midst of the pork
barrel scam, His Eminence, Luis
Antonio Cardinal Tagle, is opti-
mistic that good governance is
still possible in our country. He
noted that Those in positions of
responsibility must be competent.
Ours must be a system of what you
know and can, not of whom you
knowa system of qualifcations,
not connections Those most
qualifed for an offce do not get it be-
cause another applicant who knows
someone inside has already taken it
in spite of poor credentials People
in authority should practice profes-
sionalism and respect for policies
and procedures Theres no place
here for bending the rules to give in
to a friends request.
***
In this connection, one can
look at what Pope Francis has
done since he was elected Head
of the Catholic Church. Only a
few months after his election
as the Vicar of Christ, His Holi-
ness had already shown how
he would govern the Universal
Church as a true disciple of
Christone of modest living,
kindness, and in communion
with others.
Modest living. Pope Francis
refused the magnificence of
residing in the Apostolic Palace
and the use of the papal car.
He chose to stay in Casa Santa
Marta, because he wants to be
with his priests. The residence
is the Vatican City guesthouse
that hosted him and the other
Cardinals during the conclave
which elected him as Pope - they
can reach the Sistine Chapel by
shuttle bus or by a short walk
inside the Vatican Gardens. The
five-story building is used as
residence of priests and bishops
who work in the Vatican. Half
the rooms are available for car-
dinals and bishops visiting Rome
for audiences or other offcial
occasions.
Act of kindness. Pope Francis
could be seen walking the streets
of Vatican, to the consternation
of his security staff. He stopped,
kissed, embraced and hugged
people along the route of his
Popemobile.
Communion with others.
Pope Francis priority is the
protection of life and family; as-
sistance to the poor, the children,
the elderly, the mentally-retard-
ed, physically disabled; support
for the youth; hope for peace, es-
pecially in countries where there
is confict, dispute and rebellion;
prayers, aid and assistance to
refugees and victims of natural
and man-made disasters, calami-
ties and catastrophes; an end to
corruption in governments and
in the Church.
***
Pope Franci s denounced
corrupt politicians, business-
men and priests. He said it is a
handy sin, for, when one has
authority, one feels powerful,
one feels almost like God. He
stated that the poor are the ones
who end up paying for the dam-
age wrought by the corruption
of the powerful. Think of the
hospitals without medicine, the pa-
tients who did not receive care, the
children without education. They
are the modern Naboths, who pay
the price for the corruption of the
haughty. And who pays the price
for the corruption of a prelate? The
children pay, who cannot make the
sign of the cross, who do not know
the catechism, who are not cared
for. The sick who are not visited, the
imprisoned, who receive no spiritual
attention. Corruption is paid by the
poor: the materially poor and the
spiritually poor. The pope said
the only way out for those who
exploit others for their personal
gain is to beg forgiveness and
return what they have wrongly
taken through service to others.
Doing what he preaches, Pope
Francis, in his clean up of the
Vatican fnances, dismissed the
fve-man board of Vaticans Fi-
nancial Information Authority
(AIF) - the Holy Sees internal
regulatory office, whose term
ends in 2016. The Pope ap-
pointed four experts from Swit-
zerland, Singapore, the United
States and Italy as replacements.
Reformers inside the Vatican
had advised the Pope to appoint
professionals with international
background to work with Rene
Bruelhart, a Swiss lawyer who
heads the AIF. Since his arrival,
the AIF has spearheaded reforms
to bring the Vatican in line with
international standards on fi-
nancial transparency and money
laundering.
Moneyval, a monitoring com-
mittee of the Council of Europe,
said the Vatican had enacted
signifcant reforms, but must still
exercise more oversight over its
bank. Pope Francis, who said the
Vatican fnances must be trans-
parent in order for the Church to
have credibility, decided against
closing the IOR on condition
that reforms, including closing
accounts by people not entitled
to have them, continued.
***
Pope Francis hope and sup-
port for the youth is never-end-
ing. Like his predecessor, St. John
Paul II, the Pope wants to meet
with the youth, like what he did
at the World Youth Day in Bra-
zil. He will visit South Korea on
August 14 to 18, 2014. His visit
focuses on three main themes:
youth, martyrs and peace. The
motto of the journey is Rise
Korea, clothe yourself in light, the
Lords glory shines upon you.
He will meet with the youth for
the Asian Youth Day. He will
preside over the beatifcation of
PEOPLE are hungry for power! In our age
heavily dependent on gadgets and gizmos,
battery life is an important consideration
before buying any gadget. This is more
evident now when we see more and more
people purchasing power banks that allow
them to conveniently charge their device
anytime, anywhere.
Practically, anyone who lives in civiliza-
tion has enough and easy access to electrical
sources to charge their devices. But city-
dwellers are still insecure that they might
get caught running low on power and not be
able to call, chat, surf, text or miss an eventful
selfe! [SIGH!]
Perhaps, this will become more intense if
our country enters again into another phase
of major serial power failures that we had
once horribly experienced in the not-so-long-
ago past. Sales for power banks will surely
soar, and people buying gadget will always
consider how much talk & net hours the
gadget can provide.

* * *
If this is how important maintaining bat-
tery power is to us, I wonder what we are
doing to also store up enough grace power:
the only one that can charge us properly
to reach heaven. Grace power, in the form
of Gods charity dwelling in our hearts, is
the only condition that allows the person to
connect with God. When we are discharged
of this power, we are incapable of reaching
God. Only God can give us grace, only He
can make us holy. But how can we spiritually
charge ourselves?
The three common levels of battery
monitoring and charging utilities may be a
helpful analogy. These are Fast Chargethe
use of constant current to perform a fast
charge; Full Chargethe current is reduced
when the battery if almost charged; Trickle
Chargekeep the electrons fowing inside
the lithium battery, making up for self-
discharge and allows longer life.
Fast charge usually occurs when our bat-
tery levels are low. This is what happens
when we may unfortunately lose grace by
falling into a grave and mortal sin. This
discharges us by flling us with self-love.
Charity is short-circuited and we are power-
less to connect with God.
We get a fast charge of grace when, for
example, we go to confession immediately.
But we shouldnt only wait for such precarious
occasions. It would be like frantically charging
our phones or tablets only when they get as
low as 10%. Moreover, one need not limit
fast charges to sinful moments. One can get
a fast charge when going to Mass, offering
some corporal or spiritual works of mercy,
and other pious devotions.
A full charge complements the fast charge.
It stresses more the element of constancy
in our spiritual engagements. This stage
isnt the result of sporadic spiritual need
for healing. It is more like a stable phase
that is maintained by a committed desire
to love God and others. Thus, one has a set
of spiritual norms, sacrifces, and even the
sacraments. Here, one is charging not only
for himself, but also for others.
The trickle charge, my favorite, is a stage
that completes the two previous stages. This
consists in a trickling but constant fow of
love that penetrates even the most insignif-
cant realities of daily life. For example, one
exerts the effort as St, Josemara used to
teach to not only open or close a door gently,
but couple it with a short, simple prayerful
invocation. This also applies when turning
on or off a light switch, being cheerful in a
traffc jam, remaining calm we cannot con-
nect to the internet and so on with many
other thousand common details.
These little but love-flled actions, keep
the electrons of grace vibrant in our hearts
and souls. As a result, we are able to live
more in the same vibes as God. We become
vital channels of His grace to the world and
others. Our trickle-charged-souls are more
capable of enduring the trials of this world,
of exuding a constant love and sacrifce here
on earth.
One day, if we are faithfully charged, we
shall receive Gods reward in Heaven: Good
and faithful servant, because you have been
faithful in the small things, enter into the joy
of your master! There we shall be eternally
linked to Grace itself, that will fll us with
everlasting joy and peace.
PICTURE this. A newborn lies
in a bassinette, wrapped tightly
in a hospital blanket, with a cute
woolen skullcap covering the
fuzz of hair on his head. Mom
looks from her bed, exhausted
from giving birth but glowing
as she gazes at the angelic face
of her child, pulling on the heart-
strings of love that will never
wear out.
Dad looks at the baby and
feels an immense sense of pride
and achievementthats my boy
(or girl)and appreciation for
his wife, but a thought comes
unbidden into his mind that he
tries desperately to dismiss. This
tightly wrapped, little bounc-
ing baby has the look, feel and
contours of a football. He could
(gently) cradle that baby in his
arm and run to the end zone. Not
that he ever would do it, or even
remotely imagine that he should.
But the image is there because
dads think different.
Mothers often think what
if? Dont ride the bike in the
street, what if you fall into traffc?
Dont play on the stairs, what
if you trip? But dads tend to live
in the moment with their kids.
Wow, look at him beat the car
down the hill on his bike! What
a lithe landing my little ballerina
made after tripping down the
stairs. Where moms sometimes
see disaster, dads can assess
potential.
Such differences are caught
in a familiar scene, when dad
fnally decides that baby is big
enough to toss in the air with a
full release and catch. Deep in
his psyche, hes been waiting
for this moment ever since he
suppressed the thought of his
baby as a football. He contained
himself for a year as the little
guy grew, lifting him gently,
spinning him slowly in circles
with both hands while support-
ing the head, and maybe even
daring to hold the baby above
his own head.
But al l careful l y choreo-
graphed caution is thrown
to the wind as the 1-year-old
makes his first tentative run
across the room into dads
hands. A long-dormant instinct
kicks in as dad feels the rush
and wonder of holding his
amazing, one-of-a-kind child
who just abandoned himself
with utter delight into his
strong and able hands. In one
motion that has been repeated
since the dawn of humanity,
dad clasps the toddler, propels
him smoothly above his head
andyesreleases. Up, up, in
total freedom and freefall, the
child hangs aloft and begins his
descent. There is dad, totally
engaged and focused, his hands
poised to catch this little bundle
from its heavenly orbit. There is
the child, with a slight look of
terror in the eyes, but with the
widest smile and most incred-
ibly giddy laughter that may
ever stir from his or her soul.
And there is mom, caught off
guard, ready to reach out yet
not sure whether to grab the
child before clobbering her
husband.
Dad catches and draws his
precious offspring to his chest,
and the child yells, Again! But
dad knows that the paternal mo-
ment has passed as he hands the
child into his wifes arms. There
will be other moments, and if
he doesnt drop the child in the
next year or so, mom may actu-
ally come to enjoy the traditional
child toss.
Dad does this not to be dan-
gerous or drive his wife to the
edge. Consciously or not, dad
has his own loving list of what
ifs for the care and welfare
of his child. What if his little
one never learns to take a risk
or face down fear? What if he
never makes skid marks on the
sidewalk or yells, Look, mom,
no hands! What if his child
never crosses the street alone or
ventures deep into the woods to
hear the silent stillness beneath
the trees, where nature rests and
God speaks?
With my own two boys, I am
aware that I must push them
gently from home. A few times
a year, we hike up a mountain
where the trails are marked ac-
cording to toughness. Last fall,
we took the most challenging
route, climbing at one point
over bare rock while looking
out for copperheads lurking in
the crevices. On the way down,
the younger boy ran along the
graded path to show us that he
wasnt tired, and tripped on the
gravel. The knee wound bled
badly and I rinsed it with bottled
water till we got home, where
my wife washed it with disin-
fectant and applied a bandage. I
could see that my son was torn
between the rugged freedom of
the path and the sterile safety of
the home.
A week later, as the wound
started to lose the scab, I told
him he would likely have a small
scar. He looked worried until I
showed him a scar on my foot
which I got when I was about
his age, doing something risky.
He looked at my foot and at his
scabby knee, and gave me a wink
that said everything would be
fne. In this shared moment, he
came to know that dads think
different.
IT is like a wild boar let loose on the streets of national con-
sciousness. The raging pork barrel controversy involving,
as of now, several lawmakers (three senators, a number of
congressmen) and their aides, a businesswoman, private
citizens and other government officials continues to rile,
bewilder, shock and distress many. Public interest rises,
especially as more evidence is presented on the extent and
amount of public money adjudged to have been stolen.
The drama surrounding the issuance of arrest warrants,
actual and imminent surrenders of the accused, and the
media coverage of the storys every detail only heighten
it. All these should not distract us from the core issue. The
travesty of honesty in government seems, at times, beyond
belief. In addition, from all indications, we have yet to see
the matter beyond the tip of the iceberg. Now since the
Philippines claims to be a Christian country (if the major-
ity of its citizens were to be the criterion of judgment),
people who regard the Bible as their guiding light in life,
aside from Apostolic Tradition and magisterial teaching
(for Catholics), need to bear in mind what the Scriptures
say on honesty apart from the simple ordinary common
sense it is associated with.
So we ask: What do the Scriptures say about honesty?
The PMA honor code motto is a good place to start in our
consideration of honesty in the Scriptures: I will not lie,
cheat or steal, or tolerate others who do so [my wording].
Even Websters New World College Dictionary affirms this
as a working definition of honesty.
It is by no means easy to say that Scriptures have a
specific and clear-cut definition of honesty. On the other
hand, there are several verses and passages from both the
OT and the NT that, on various contexts and circumstances,
address aspects of our working definition and even go
beyond it.
General Meaning Covering the Model Christian Conduct. St.
Paul, for example, gives us a comprehensive exhortation
that covers honesty as we understand it but also includes
aspects of the model Christian life linked to honesty: Fi-
nally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if
there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen
in mepractice these things, and the God of peace will be
with you (Eph 4:8-9).
Focus on the Mouth: Truthful Words. The Scriptures put
premium on the quality of words from a persons mouth as
a vehicle of truth not falsehood. Put negatively, dishonesty
in words is frowned upon and is opposed to faithfulness
which is lauded. Lying lips, the book of Proverbs states,
are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully
are his delight (Prov 12:22). This point is also reaffirmed
elsewhere in the same book: Better is a poor person who
walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and
is a fool (Prov 19:1). Also among the seven things abomi-
nable to the Lord is a lying tongue aside from haughty
eyes,hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises
wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false
witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord
among brothers (Prov 6:16-20).
From a Christian perspective St. Paul characterizes ly-
ing as incompatible with the new life in Christ a Christian
puts on: Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have
put off the old self with its practices (Col 3:9). This is
one occasion, among others, on which St. Peter agrees:
Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him
keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking de-
ceit (1 Pt 3:10-11). The most emphatic declaration comes
from the Lord himself and his words cement the focus on
honesty in words that should characterize his disciple:
Let what you say be simply Yes when you mean yes or
No when you mean no; anything more than this comes
from the evil one (Mt 5:37). It is because of this that St.
James, another pillar of the Christian life, sees a lying
tongue as a denial of the true religion or faith in Jesus
Christ: If anyone thinks he is religious, and does not
bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, that persons
religion is worthless (Jas 1:26).
Focus on the Deed: Righteous Behavior. The letter to
the Hebrews recognizes that honesty in ones acts does
not simply require a persons will but also the help of
Gods grace. Consequently its writer makes an urgent
request: Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a
clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things
(Heb 13:18). This prompts me to ask: How much do we
pray for honesty in ourselves and in our leaders? In Luke
Jesus uses as criterion for honesty in ones behavior the
good one wishes for himself from others: And as you
wish that others do to you, do so to them (Lk 6:31). In
Matthew he sees this as the full expression of the teach-
ings of Moses and the prophets: So whatever you wish
others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the
Law and the Prophets (Mt 7:12). St. Paul expands on the
Lords teaching to include not repaying evil for evil and
steering clear of a vengeful spirit: Repay no evil for evil,
but give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably
with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to
the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I
will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy
is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something
to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on
his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good (Rom 12:17-21).
This is certainly an interesting point because obviously
those of us who are victims of dishonesty in government
many times desire to get even. In fact, there are vigilantes
who actually punish and even kill dishonest criminals.
That response, though admittedly human, suffers from
the same evil nature of any dishonest act that we ab-
hor. In a word, the Christian faith does not tolerate evil
both as an end and as a means. Lets take, for instance,
those who work or engage in business to earn a living.
Earning a living is a good objective in life but it should
not admit of evil ways or means. So says the book of
Proverbs (again): A false balance is an abomination to
the Lord; but a just weight is his delight (Prov 11:1).
The book of Leviticus states it positively: You shall do
no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight
or quantity (Lev 19:35).
What is the point of our long discourse? As far as Philip-
pine (and world) society is concerned, honesty is vital as it
is an aide to justice. Justice, according to Pope Benedict VI
in Deus Caritas Est, is what runs societys political life. In
the words of St. Augustine in The City of God, there is no
right where there is no justice.
A6 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Local News
Promote the BECs Tagle
MANILA Archbishop Luis
Antonio Cardinal Tagle
last Saturday called on the
Catholic faithful to manifest
the characteristics of a re-
newed church through the
promotion of Basic Eccle-
sial Communities (BEC) in
every Catholic household.
In his talk during the Ma-
nila Archdiocesan General
Pastoral Assembly (MAG-
PAS), Tagle stressed the
importance of BECs as the
expression of a renewed
Church, as decreed by the
Second Plenary Council of
the Philippines (PCP II).
Basic Ecclesial Commu-
nities, under various names
and formsBasic Christian
Community, Small Chris-
tian Communities, Small
Lay Communities, Cov-
enant Communitiesmust
be vigorously promoted for
the full living of the Chris-
tian vocation in both urban
and rural areas, Tagle said,
citing the words of PCP II
in his talk held at the Paco
Catholic School last June 7.
According to Tagle, PCP II
emphasizes the need for BECs
to rally the faithful behind
the Second Vatican Councils
vision of a renewed Church
and for the full living of the
Christian vocation.
PCP II does not tell us
to establish BECs only in
places where it would be
easily accepted. What the
PCP II urges us to do is
promote it, regardless if it
would be easy or hard, he
said in Filipino.
Communion, participation
Noting the different char-
acteristics of a renewed
church, Tagle called on the
faithful to live in commu-
nion with one other, noting
that individual differences
should not serve as a hin-
drance to achieve unity in
diversity.
Even if each of us has
different backgrounds,
state of life, and natural
talentthese should not
stop us to live in solidarity
with others. Communion
opens our hearts and doors
to anyone, he said.
Seeing the importance of
equality in dignity, Tagle
said no worldly standard
may belittle the dignity
possessed by each and ev-
ery person.
In the eyes of the world,
a sense of equality might
be hard to attain. But in
the renewed Church of
Communion, regardless
of who you are and what
you have become, we are
all equal because we are
all created with dignity,
baptized Christians in the
name of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus, and the Almighty
Father, Tagle said in the
vernacular.
Giving and receiving
Parti ci pati on among
members of a community
is also a mark of a renewed
church, the archbishop said,
noting that the Year of the
Laity is a very timely op-
portunity to fulfll this mis-
sion.
Participation comes
i n t wo ways ever y-
one gives, everyone re-
ceivesParticipation in
the Phi l i ppi nes means
enabling the lay people
to participate more fully
in the life of the Church
and its task of mission,
Tagle said.
The vision of PCP II of
a renewed church in the
Philippines is a more active
participation of the laity in
the life and mission of the
Church. Live a life of serving
and following Christ in your
respective communities, he
added. (Jennifer M. Orillaza)
Quevedo: Become
what you are
LOOKING beyond appear-
ances and perceived weak-
nesses, Orlando B. Cardinal
Quevedo tells young Filipi-
nos and the poor, become
what you are.
Become who you are
Christ present in you, Christ
be represented by you, said
Quevedo during a press
conference on June 10 for the
51st International Eucharis-
tic Congress in 2016.
He singled out the seg-
ments of young people and
the poor in the country to
point out the specialness of
their particular situations
and how Jesus is in them.
When you become what
you are, young people, poor
people, you can change our
country for the better, said
Quevedo, who currently
serves in the archdiocese of
Cotabato.
In what seemed like the
ultimate paradox, Queve-
do also called poor people
privileged.
You are the privileged
faces of Jesus. Privileged
because Jesus himself said
so, he said, quoting Mat-
thew 25:45, which reads
Truly I tell you, whatever
you did not do for one of
the least of these, you did
not do for me.
The poor, Quevedo said,
are the privileged ones in
our country because Christ
is in them.
You carry Christ in your
own faces and through your
own hearts, he added.
Quevedo al so asked
young Filipinos to be open
to the reality of the person
of Jesus. When they do so,
he said, young people, the
hope of the future, will
become like Him.
In closing, the newest
Filipino cardinal to be ap-
pointed by Pope Francis,
said all of these can be pos-
sible because of Jesus in
whom all of us hope. (CBCP
News)
Yolanda survivors eager for papal visit
TYPHOON Yolanda survivors in
Eastern Visayas await Pope Fran-
cis visit and anticipate eagerly
what is expected to be a historic
visit early next year, a Church
offcial said.
Palo Archbishop John Du said
Catholics are getting ready for a
once-in-a-lifetime experience to
see the pope.
The popes visit is another big
blessing. We are happy for the
blessing that come to usthe pope
is coming, the peoples solidarity
and the overwhelming generosity
of the people, Du said.
He said the papal visit would
certainly boost the morale of
survivors of Yolanda, especially
those who are struggling to re-
build their lives.
Slowly, we are recovering and
we are restoring the houses that
were destroyed. The [repair] of
Palos cathedral is almost done.
We are really prepared for the
coming of the pope, said Du.
The archbishop also said help
from various dioceses and for-
eign Catholic organizations make
Gods love visible to the survi-
vors.
From the very start, I thought
of what to do and where to start
and where I could get [resources].
Now, I could see the Gods hands
area really visible. The love of
God is very concrete in this event
that happened in our lives, he
added.
The region is home to a large
Catholic population, which was
devastated by the super typhoon
that claimed thousands of lives
and brought about P89 billion
worth in damages.
Du said in the archdiocese of
Palo alone, 70 out its 76 parishes
were totally destroyed by Yolanda.
In the Diocese of Borongan in
Eastern Samar, Bishop Crispin
Varquez said around 15 parishes
were affected by the typhoon.
(CBCPNews)
For Yolanda survivors, who continue to struggle to get back to normal day-to-day living, Pope
Francis upcoming visit is something to look forward to. CBCP News
Imus bishop opposes
Cavite water project
CAVI TE S Cat hol i c
Church offcials, includ-
ing a bishop have joined
calls to stop a project that
threatens the provinces
water supply.
According to Ochie
Tolentino of the dio-
ceses Ecology Ministry,
Imus Bishop Reynaldo
Evangelista has been
monitoring the contro-
versial project of the
PTK2 H2O Corporation
and is well aware of the
problem the province
faces because of its pro-
posed water intake and
infltration system.
When he (Evange-
lista) learned of the vio-
lations that the propo-
nents committed, he was
convinced that the proj-
ect must be opposed,
Tolentino said
Having backed the
Writ of Kalikasan, fled
by a group of concerned
citizens, the church is one
with the vocal opponents
of the project.
In fact, Tolentino said,
over church-run Radio
Veritas, the diocese is
planning to fle a separate
Writ of Kalikasan to
make sure that the project
will not push through.
She added that the wa-
ter project will be among
the topics that will be
discussed in the diocesan
celebration of the Sea-
sons of Creations this
coming September.
The water system
seeks to supply 10,000
cubic meters of potable
water to Tagaytay Citys
commercial establish-
ments, hotels, and real
estate proj ects in 20
years. (CBCPNews)
must be competent. Ours must be a
system of what you know and can,
not of whom you knowa system
of qualifcations, not connections.

No place for bending rules
Tagle lamented that often those
most qualifed for an offce do not
get it because another applicant
who knows someone inside has
already taken it in spite of poor
credentials.
He pointed out that people in
authority should practice profes-
sionalism and respect for policies
and procedures.
Theres no place here for bend-
ing the rules to give in to a friends
request, he explained.
Service for the common good
and love for country, the prelate
stressed, should propel rulers into
action, not self-interest.
They should not be ashamed
of being FilipinosThey should at
all times have in mind the good of
every Filipino, he said.

Be brave for the right reason
The cardinal made statement
as the country is beset by the P10
billion pork barrel scam and other
graft cases involving government
offcials.
The government offcials who
steal public funds have the gall
to do it, as they are thick-faced,
insensitive, very brave, Tagle said.
But that is not the kind of brav-
ery being asked of us, he added
during the forum with the theme
We choose to be brave: Filipino
lay leaders are todays good gov-
ernance advocates.
Half in jest, half in earnest,
the cardinal aired doubts over
the Choose to be brave slogan,
encouraging the faithful instead
to be brave for the right reason.
Bravery is not enough. It must
be coupled with nobility, integrity,
honor, justice, fear of God, patrio-
tism, and love of nature, he said.
The courage of thieves and cor-
rupt politicians, Tagle emphasized,
is not the kind the Church dreams
each Filipino Catholic of having.
The prelate regretted that many
people often find it easier to be
brave for the wrong reason.
When its about cheating and
corruption, they instantly become
brave. Whats more, they become
creative But when they are
being called to be holy, they fold
up, they get timid, he pointed out.
According to Tagle, bravery and
sanctity must go together.
If you love your country, you will
not do anything that will put your
country to shame, he said. (with
reports from Mark Lloyd Ranque)
Governance / A1
gregations during mass
good morning good
afternoon, or good eve-
ning, stressing that the
gesture, though expressed
with the purest of inten-
tions, is superfluous.
With all due respect,
my brother-priests, but
I do not see the need for
saying good morning
and si mi l ar greet i ngs
when God s real pres-
ence in the Holy Eucha-
rist alone suffices, he
told those members of the
clergy present in Filipino.
He asked, Is not the ex-
pression The Lord be with
you more than enough?
Tagle laments priests
who seem to give more
emphasis on good morn-
ing than on the all-im-
portant The Lord be with
you.
Many of them, the car-
dinal regrets, will instinc-
tively repeat wishing their
parishioners good morn-
ing when a Good morn-
ing, Father is not fast
forthcoming, but are com-
pletely oblivious when
The Lord be with you is
unreciprocated.
Tagle begs the clergy to
do away with this habit.
According to him, any
person can wish another
good morning, but The Lord
be with you is heard only
during mass, which explains
why it must be emphasized.
The prelate was at the San-
ta Cruz Church (Our Lady of
the Pillar Parish Church) to
preside over the mass for the
Solemnity of the Most Holy
Body and Blood of the Lord
(Corpus Christi). (Raymond
A. Sebastin)
Unneccessary / A1
competence and integrity.
AKP r emi nded t he
Filipino bishops of the
Churchs important role
in the fght for social jus-
tice, as described by Pope
Francis.
According to the Argen-
tine pontiff, As long as the
problems of the poor are
not radically resolved
by attacking the structural
causes of inequality, no
solution will be found for
the worlds problems or,
for that matter, to any prob-
lems.
AKP stressed, A collec-
tive action of the Church
(laity with the clergy and
religious) to enact a nation-
al legislation prohibiting
political dynasty through
peoples initiative is clearly,
in the words of Pope Fran-
cis, attacking structural
causes of inequality. (Ray-
mond A. Sebastin)
Dynasties / A1
blood as one of the hardest truths to convey
to people. When it comes to this beautiful
and profound truth of the Body and Blood
of Christ, people hunger in silence for ex-
planations. Many of those I meet at retreats
or seminars admit that while they may be
taking communion regularly, and do believe
that they are taking no less than the Body and
Blood of Christ itself in the form of a wafer,
they still want to put a handle to their beliefs,
to have something solid to say, especially as
non-believers chide them about Jesus making
of them cannibals in a sense.
A question on an article of faith is not some-
thing that can be answered like 2 + 2 = 4, but
being virtually puzzled, they wish for answers
that the mind can endorse. They are not satis-
fed being reminded of the eminent Thomas
Aquinas wordsFor those with faith, no ex-
planation is necessary. For those without, no ex-
planation is possibleparticularly now when
young people want absolute certainty and are
battered from all sides by conficting doctrines,
individualism, and godless ideologies.
People commonly associate faith with mira-
cles such as instant healing or desperate prayers
granted, hardly aware that the most effective
faith is trusting God so much each day that it
makes us welcome our every problem as His
way of showing us how He operates in our life.
Faith comes when an external fact pierces our
heart of hearts and seizes us there; as the work
of the Spirit it cannot be rushed, and so we pray
to be patient toward the holy puzzles dwelling
in our being, while we try to quietly love our
doubts and questions themselves.
If we only believed what faith in the Body
and Blood of Christ can do in us and in our
liveswe would crave that little white host
each day, before we are consumed by anxieties
over earning a living or living in style. The
Eucharist is not just us receiving His Body and
Bloodit is also Him offering Himself to us. If
those half-hearted about the truth of Christs
Body and Blood would just stay long enough
in the silence of their hunger, they will fnd the
answers they are seek.
Im not sure Im making senseor if my
favorite Theology professor Fr. Jesus Merino
would turn in his grave over my volubilitybut
its my truth I tell, and I tell it not to convince
nonbelievers but to affrm those who do know
what Christs Body and Blood is. And thats
the truth.
And Thats The Truth / A4
At a press conference on June 10, 2014 in Manila, Orlando B. Cardinal
Quevedo gives a special message to young Filipinos and the poor,
encouraging them, become what you are. CBCP News
Devotion should lead to service liturgist
TRUE to imitating Mary
as their model, Marian
devotees should not be
content with prayer devo-
tions, but should let this
special love lead to service
of others, says a liturgist
from the Archdiocese of
Jaro in Iloilo.
More than socialization
It is important to re-
mind the different confra-
ternities and Marian orga-
nizations that part of the
duty of its members is not
just personal devotions,
but also to do apostolate,
said Msgr. Alejandro P.
Esperancilla, special as-
sistant for liturgical affairs
of the National Shrine of
Our Lady of Candle, who
observed that devotions
to the Blessed Virgin in
particularas practiced
by the majority tend to
become too personal and
subjective.
While Esperancilla ac-
knowledges the contribu-
tions of groups like the
Legion of Mary in evange-
lization efforts, he empha-
sizes the need for Marian
organizations to go beyond
mere fanfare and socializa-
tions and participate more
actively in the apostolate
and missionary endeavours
of their respective parishes.
He shared that family
and community prayers,
block rosaries, the celebra-
tion of the communal sac-
rament of penance with
individual confession and
absolution, Basic Ecclesial
Community (BEC) prayer
gatherings, and others that
have a communitarian-
neighborhood dimension
must be fostered.
Esperancilla recalled that
the Barangay sang Birhen
(Our Lady of the Barangay)
had been at the forefront
even before the concept of
BEC was popularized.
Quoting the Second Ple-
nary Council of the Philip-
pines [PCP II], he shared
that the Blessed Virgin is
the Mother of the commu-
nity of Disciples and we
may learn from her way of
life what we need to be as
a community of disciples.
The bishops of PCP II,
with the millions of poor
Filipinos in mind, challenge
devotees of Our Lady to
do their share in works of
justice, freedom and peace.
Works of justice and free-
dom
PCP II stresses that de-
votion to Mary shows itself
in works, and the works
which are needed today
in the Philippines are the
works of justice and free-
dom from oppression.
The shri ne l i t urgi st
warned that devotion to
Mary, which does not col-
laborate in works that bring
about justice, peace, recon-
ciliation, and freedom, is
a devotion that is far from
the Mary presented in the
Gospels who far from be-
ing timid, did not hesitate
to proclaim that God vin-
dicates the humble and the
oppressed.
In its call for renewal of
popular devotions PCP II
states that we must not give
members of other religious
denominations reason for
impugning the True Faith,
Esperancilla said.
He added that the faithful
must avoid all excesses in
their prayers and practices,
especially those which will
lead others to think that
Catholics worship Mary
and the saints and that they
are more important than
Christ. (Raymond A. Se-
bastin with reports from
Fr. Mickey Cardenas)
At a recent gathering of lay and religious leaders on June 7, 2014 at the
Paco Catholic School, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle called
on the faithful to promote the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) with even
more enthusiasm. FILE PHOTO
Marian devotion is one of the trademarks of Filipino popular religiosity.
CBCP News
A7 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Diocesan News
wary of a thick, dominant
culture that considers beau-
ty almost exclusively in
the physical sense only.
We have to feel the need
to transform that culture
slowly but steadily. Its an
urgent task that has to be
done if we want to avert a
disaster much worse than a
Yolanda or a magnitude-7
earthquake.
We have to recover the
original and authentic na-
ture of beauty, one that is
organically linked to God
and His commandments,
and that goes far beyond
satisfying merely material
and natural categories.
We have to present in
convincing terms, argu-
ments and actuations that
beauty should not be al-
lowed to be hijacked by
physical and natural crite-
ria. It has to be understood
as living out, for example,
the beatitudes as articu-
lated by Christ.
Thats where beauty re-
ally lies. Its achieved when
we learn to love as Christ
loves us, which means,
loving even our enemies.
Thats because thats where
our perfection is achieved.
For sure, this ideal of
beauty is at the moment
considered to be like a
Rhodora -- precious, rare,
hidden. But it should be
common in the future and
in eternity.
Candidly Speaking / A4
Malolos cathedral school burns down
MALOLOS City, Bulacan
A raging fire burned be-
yond recognition large por-
tions of Malolos cathedrals
Immaculate Conception
School for Boys (ICSB) in
Barangay Santo Rosario on
June 13 at past 3 a.m., but
the centuries-old church
itself is safely intact.
In an interview over ra-
dio station DZMM, Malo-
los Cathedrals Monsignor
Pablo Legaspi shared that
the old school building
was built in 1937 mostly
of wood, which explained
why it caught fre so easily.
In a Facebook post later
that day, Malolos Bishop
Jose Oliveros expressed his
thanks to those who prayed
for the fires immediate
containment.
Thanks to all FB friends
for your prayers and concern.
The fre has been contained.
Thanks be to God it did
not spread to the buildings
around. Sad to say, the ICSB
old building is completely
burned down, he said.
According to Oliveros,
one third of the new build-
ing was burned, while the
Cathedral itself was spared
except for some burn marks
on the dome ceiling caused
by sparks.
He also thanked God
because the MCST [Mis-
sionary Catechists of St
Therese], the Diocesan
Pastoral Center and the
Bishops residence were
untouched by the fre.
Local Bureau of Fire Pro-
tection (BFP) officers re-
ported that the fre reached
the third alarm despite the
ongoing rainfall in the area.
With over 20 destroyed
grade-school classrooms,
authorities assess the total
damage at an estimated P20
million.
The fre was easily con-
tained leaving the high
school department build-
ing and the Immaculate
Concept i on Cat hedral
(Malolos Cathedral) un-
scathed.
ICSB offcials are coordi-
nating with the local gov-
ernment for the use of the
sports convention center
as temporary class area for
the schools 1,000 students.
(Raymond A. Sebastin)
Malolos cathedrals Immaculate Conception School for Boys (ICSB) in Barangay Santo Rosario
Friday caught re past 3 a.m on June 13, 2014. The MCST [Missionary Catechists of St Therese,
the Diocesan Pastoral Center and the Bishops residence are intact. Bishop Jose Oliveros
Little remains of the Malolos cathedrals Immaculate Conception School for Boys (ICSB) in
Barangay Santo Rosario Friday after a recent re gutted the building in the wee hours of June
13, 2014. Bishop Jose Oliveros
Jaro organizes lay formation program
JARO, Iloilo CityHeeding Pope
Francis call to fill the Churchs
need for spirit-flled evangeliz-
ers and of the Year of the Laitys
challenge Choose to be Brave,
the Jaro Archdiocesan Commission
on Catechesis and Catholic Educa-
tion (ACCCE) organized a special
formation program for lay people
from June 14 to 15.

Magna Carta for the laity
Held at the Punta Villa Resort,
Iloilo City, the focus of the program
was the study of Christifdeles Laici.
This is intended to facilitate
among lay Christians a continued
process of Christian maturation. It
is hoped that, when put to good
use, the community members will
be enriching and forming each
other, ACCCE program director
Prof. Linda Tacorda said.
According to Tacorda, the Apos-
tolic Exhortation Christifdeles Laici
was chosen as the programs main
focus because it is referred to as the
magna carta for all lay people.
It is an integral and brilliant
synthesis of the teachings of Vati-
can II on the laity, enriched by the
post-Council experience compiled
during the Synod of Bishops in
1987, Tacorda added.
Aside from the study of Christif-
deles Laici, as well as training and
application of the contents of the
said document to guide the action
of lay people in a parish setting,
participants of the program also
benefted from the Formation Guide
based on the Apostolic Exhortation.
Tacorda said the Formation
Guide was designed to help par-
ticipants study more deeply the
contents of Christifideles Laici
through individual study, prayer-
refection, discussion and sharing
in small groups.
Teachers of the Faith
According to Tacorda, the ACC-
CE was able to procure a copy of
Christifdeles Laici in Hiligaynon,
which the participants used during
the seminar-workshop.
The Formation Guide based on
Christifdeles Laici itself, was writ-
ten, to accompany the study of the
said document in view of helping
the parishes through their Parish
Councils to train their own fellow
believers in living the Faith.
Tacorda further expl ai ned
Hence, it is intended that this
training can be replicated by the
participants in their own parishes,
to reach out to the vast majority
of people and with them discover
and value the beauty of their call-
ing by living their lay spirituality
in todays world and moving this
world nearer to the Kingdom.
Christifdeles Laici is the Apos-
tolic Exhortation on the Vocation
and Mission of the Lay Faithful in
the Church and in the World, which
was signed by Pope John Paul II.
(Fr. Mickey Cardenas)
The Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (ACCCE) organized
a special formation program for lay people from June 14 to 15. The participants participate
actively in the workshop proper of the seminar. Archdiocese of Jaro
City of Mary
Mediatrix to rise
in Guimaras
BACOLOD CityIn honor
of Marys title Mediatrix of
All Grace, groundbreaking
ceremonies for the pro-
posed City of Mary Me-
diatrix were held on May
31 in Barangay Alaguisoc,
Jordan, Guimaras.
According to Marinel
Magalona, President of
the Movement and Apos-
tolate for the Marian Age
(MAMA), the proposed
shrine will be a center of
devotion to Mary under
the aspect of her universal
mediation. It will house
facilities for retreats, pil-
grimages, catechesis, and
other courses of formation
based pm authentic Mar-
ian spirituality grounded
on the teachings of St.
Louis Grignon de Mont-
fort, author of the spiritual
classic True Devotion to
Mary.
Devotees of the Blessed
Mother, Mediatrix of All-
Grace, led by Magalona
and Mrs. Nieves Puyod of
the National Movement
for Mary Mediatrix of All-
Grace together with about
200 people gathered in
Guimaras for this occasion.
The groundbreaking cer-
emonies were led by Bishop
Jose Colin Bagaforo of the
Archdiocese of Cotabato.
Fr. Elijah Pantorilla, OFM
Conventual, national head
of the Militia Immaculata,
the order founded by St.
Maximilian Kolbe, celebrat-
ed the Mass.
Bagaforo, who is also
convenor of the National
Movement for Mary Me-
diatrix of All-Grace, blessed
the property of the future
City of Mary Mediatrix
assisted by Fr. Roberto
Marcelino, Vice Chancellor
of the Archdiocese of Jaro
who represented Arch-
bishop Angel Lagdameo
for the occasion.
We hope this effort will
culminate in the declara-
tion of the Church of the
dogma of the universal me-
diation of Mary. Magalona
said. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas)
Bacolod holds Bible workshop
BACOLOD, CityThe Ba-
colod Diocesan Commis-
sion on Biblical Apostolate
(DCBA) conducted a week-
long PastoralBiblical
Workshop for lay people
on May 26 31 in Manresa,
Bacolod.
The week-long work-
shop focused on Verbum
Domini as presented by
Fr. Rene Gaylon, MAT, and
the Pentateuch, which was
discussed by Sr. Miriam
Alejandrino, OSB, SSL,
SThD.
Zeal for Gods Word
The encounter with the
Word Made Flesh through
the study of the Sacred
Scriptures and Bible Faith-
Sharing in the homes and
the BECs is essential to an
authentic Christian spiri-
tuality particularly during
this time when there are
many other false words
that confuse us and threat-
en to destroy our Christian
faith, Fr. Deogracias Aure-
lio V. Camon said.
Camon, director of the
DCBA facilitated the work-
shops on Bible Faith Shar-
ing Methods for use in
the homes and the Ba-
sic Ecclesial Community
(BEC). He also oriented
the participants about the
programs of the Diocesan
Commission on Biblical
Apostolate.
The Workshop was at-
tended by participants
from the St. Helena Chap-
laincy (Paticui), San Roque
Chaplaincy (Tabao), Our
Lady of Victory Parish
(Victorias), San Nicho-
las de Tolentino Parish
(Talisay), San Sebastian Ca-
thedral Parish, Madeline
Academy (Hinigaran), La
Consolacion College Ba-
colod and La Consolacion
School Gardenville.
In a related develop-
ment, on May 30 31, the
Second Annual Pastoral
Biblical Conference was
held at the St. John Mary
Vianney Pastoral Complex.
The conf erence was
headed by Camon, MA,
and Sr. Miriam Alejan-
drino, OSB, SSL, SThD.
Faith sharing
Camon presented a talk
on how to interpret the
Bible using the Hermeneu-
tical Triad.
The Hermeneutical Triad
is the method used in the
publication of Sharing
The Second Annual PastoralBiblical Conference held at the St. John Mary Vianney Pastoral Complex from May
30 - 31, 2014 was well-attended. Fr. Deogracias Aurelio V. Camon
Word, Breaking Bread
which is promoted by the
Diocesan Commission on
Biblical Apostolate.
Camon presented the
use of verbal parallelism in
the Second Creation Story
to illustrate how it can be
applied during Bible Faith
Sharing.
Alejandrino, OSB, an
expert on the Pentateuch
and a graduate of the Bib-
licum and the Gregorian
University in Rome, pre-
sented selected themes
from the books of Genesis
and Exodus.
A t ot al of 123 par-
ti ci pants from vari ous
school s f rom Bacol od
and Binalbagan, Bacolod
chaplaincies and parishes
attended the Biblical pub-
lic lectures.
This annual event is
now on its second year.
The Diocesan Commis-
sion on Biblical Aposto-
late envisioned that every
year Biblical scholars from
Manila and other major
theological schools will
conduct lectures in Ba-
colod to promote progress
in the Biblico-Theological
formation of the Laity by
exposing them to a deep-
er understanding of the
Sacred Scriptures and to
make them zealous in en-
countering the Word Made
Flesh, at the same time
to encourage the laity to
develop their missionary
zeal for the spreading the
Word of God.
The Third Annual Pas-
toral Biblical Conference
is set on the 2nd Week of
May 2015. The Conference
will focus on the Pauline
Corpus. Sr. Bernardita Di-
anzon, an expert on the
Pauline Corpus will be
the resource speaker. She
fnished her Licentiate in
Sacred Scriptures from the
Biblicum in Rome and her
Doctorate in Sacred Theol-
ogy from the Loyola School
of Theology. (Fr. Mickey
Cardenas)
Paul Yun Ji-chung and his
124 companions who were
victims of the Catholic
persecution under Koreas
Joseon kingdom. He will
celebrate Mass for peace
and reconciliation at the
Myeongdong Cathedral
in Seoul, hoping to have
peace for the Korean Pen-
insula.
***
Pope Francis announced
the Beatification of Pope
Paul VI on October 19 this
year. He will be remem-
bered for his encyclical Hu-
manae Vitae that reiterated
the Churchs perennial ban
on artifcial contraception,
and being the Pope who
finished the Second Vati-
can Council. This brings
the Churchs message to
the faithful and the world,
that humanity is made in
the image and likeness of
God.
***
I wish to greet Happy
Sacerdotal Anniversary to
Bishop Francisco de Leon,
Apostolic Administrator
of Kalookan Diocese, Fr.
Armand Carignan,OMI, Fr.
Mhandy Malijan,OP. and Fr.
Edgar (Esturco) Guantero
of Kalookan Diocese; also
to family friend Fr. Carlos
de Guzman,SVD. Happy
Birthday to Fr. Nestor Es-
tanislao.
Duc In Altum/ A5
I ask the public not to confuse
the personal opinions of individual
bishops with that of the CBCP, he
added.
Villegas made the statement days
after CBCP executive secretary Fr.
Edu Gariguez said in an interview
that senators charged with plunder
should seek forgiveness from the
people [who voted for them] and
return the money they stole [from
the national coffers].
Its not only the sense of shame
but they also seem to lack con-
science. We have come to a point
that our politicians are no longer
bothered by their conscience and
their only goal is not to get caught
by using anything at their dispos-
al, Gariguez was quoted as saying.
Villegas noted that it is not up
to the collegial body of Filipino
bishops to determine the account-
ability of those who are accused of
plunder on a judicial standpoint.
It is for the judiciary to deter-
mine guilt or innocence on the basis
of law and evidence. The CBCP
prays that justice be our common
goal and conversion our common
endeavor, he said.
Last June 6, Senators Jinggoy
Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and
Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., business-
woman Janet Lim-Napoles and
five others were indicted in the
Sandiganbayan for plunder over
the alleged siphoning of state anti-
poverty and development funds.
In an earlier statement, the CBCP
president called on Filipinos not
to condemn those who are alleg-
edly involved in the multi-billion
peso pork barrel controversy, and
instead push for conversion and
renewal.
Who are we to condemn? Let
the one who has no sin be the frst
to cast a stone, Villegas said.
We embrace all who have
wronged society as our brothers
and sisters and continue to pray,
that as Gods people, we may all
walk the path of conversion and
renewal, he added. (Jennifer M.
Orillaza)
Apology / A1
myself as just a victim, but
a survivor, Picardal said.
He added that preparing
his sworn statement, which
happened to him during
the martial law years, was
hard enough and made him
emotional.
It was an overwhelming
experience having to recall
the traumatic incident,
Picardal said.
Last year, Congress
passed Republic Act 10368
that grants recognition and
compensation to victims
of human rights violations
during the Martial law
years.
The government has set
aside some P10 billion spe-
cifcally for the compensa-
tion of the said victims.
(CBCPNews)
Redress / A1
the Church is to go out
to tell the world the Good
News about Jesus Christ.
He stressed that the
Ch ur c h n e e de d t o
surge forth to the pe-
ripheries, not just geo-
graphi cal l y but to the
existential peripheries
where people grappled
with sin, pain, injustice,
ignorance and indiffer-
ence to religion.
The prelate explained
to devotees that while a
life of contemplation is
highly commendable, it
has to be enriched with a
life of action.
He shared, We do not
just seek Mama Marys
intercession and expect
her to grant our petitions
every time.
Accordi ng t o Ut l eg,
Christians must be will-
ing to intercede for one
anot her, t o hel p one
another, as the Blessed
Mother i ntercedes for
them even when they do
not ask for it.
As the Gospel teaches,
praying should go with
fasting and almsgiving,
he added.
The archbi shop was
i n Bacl aran to presi de
over the first in a series
of novena masses lined
up f or t he shri ne pa-
troness feast on June
2 7 , F r i d a y, t h e me d
Debo(Mi )syon sa Ba-
cl aran: Lakbayahi nan
tungo kay Hesus, Ga-
bay si Inay Mar a.
Among the thousands
who attended mass was
former First Lady Imelda
Romualdez Marcos, who
now represents Il ocos
Nortes second legislative
district.
The Misa Novenario
is scheduled to run until
June 26, the eve of the
feast, at 5:45 p.m. except
when it falls on a Wednes-
day and a Sunday, when
it starts at 4:45 p.m. (Ray-
mond A. Sebastin)
Devotion / A1
Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
A8 People, Facts & Places
Chapel in Mauritius dedicated to San Pedro Calungsod
ON the other side of the world,
a small chapel on the island of
Mauritius, Indian Ocean, has been
recently dedicated to the young Fil-
ipino martyr, St. Pedro Calungsod.
A holy mass, concelebrated by Fr.
Robert Dalais, Couples for Christ
(CFC) chaplains Fr. Jacques Piat
and Fr. Pierrot Friquin, marked
the re-dedication of the chapel on
April 14.
Lay missionary family
Fr. Dalais, the local parish priest,
got interested to know more about
the young saint when he was frst
asked for permission by a lay CFC
missionary family to keep the im-
age in the chapel.
The family, which had been stay-
ing in the Diocese of Port-Louis
since July 2013, brought with them
a small image of St. Pedro as inspi-
ration for their mission
After being given information
about St. Pedros life and martyr-
dom, he raised the possibility of
dedicating the chapel to St. Pedro in
the hopes of inspiring parishioners,
especially young people, through
his example.
Permission to re-dedicate the
chapel was obtained from Bishop
Maurice Piat shortly after, and
plans were made to celebrate a
mass in honor of St. Pedro and to
dedicate the chapel to his interces-
sion.
Mass-goers from all over
New members of CFC-Youth
for Christ (CFC-YFC) Mauritius,
fresh from their frst youth camp,
and two mission volunteers Mi-
kael Boniface and Farima Figaro
from CFC-YFC Seychelles were
also in attendance during the re-
dedication.
Despite being located in the far
north of the island, and the mass
being celebrated on a Monday
afternoon, many of the local CFC
members came to support the
event, coming from as far south
as Plaine Magnien and Rose-Belle,
as well as a few parishioners from
Marie-Reine, Poudre DOr.
CFC had begun in Mauritius in
November, 2011. The house provid-
ed by the diocese for the missionary
family, which is to be the CFC offce
and mission house, is a renovated
convent with a chapel attached to
the house. (Allison Gozun)
Valenzuela church celebrates 38 years as shrine
WHILE the country recent-
ly marked its 116th year of
independence with the usual
raising of fags from Batanes
to Jolo, a church in Valenzu-
ela had an extra reason to
party: its 38th anniversary
as a national shrine.
The most important
decree of recognition to
the devotion to Our Lady
of Ftima in the country
was given by the Catho-
lic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines [CBCP]
on June 12, 1976 when it
proclaimed our humble
parish church as the Na-
tional Shrine of Our Lady of
Ftima, shared Jilson Tio,
the shrines pastoral council
secretary.
The declaration was in
response to the desire to
foster greater devotion to
Our Lady of Ftima in the
Philippines.
This decree was issued
years before construction
of the church complex was
completed.
Tio noted that the gesture
had no precedence in the
history of churches in the
Philippines.
He reasoned that usually
a church has to be built frst
before any formal declara-
tion can be made.
On December 3, 1982, the
then tourism ministry declared
the shrine a tourist spot in its
bid to draw pilgrims and Mar-
ian devotees from across the
country and elsewhere.
The shrine was finally
consecrated on December
11, 1982.
Fourteen prelatesarch-
bishops and bishopsgraced
the historic occasion with
former Manila Archbishop
Jaime L. Cadrinal Sin and
Papal Nuncio Archbishop
Bruno Torpigliani leading
the rites of consecration.
On February 28, 2011,
Valenzuela legislators gave
Our Lady of Ftima the title
Patroness of the City of
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Ftima in Valenzuela City is home to the
National Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Ftima, the image paraded during the
rst EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986.
Valenzuela legislators honored Our Lady of Ftima with the title Patroness of the City of Valenzuela
in 2011.
Raymond A. Sebastin
Raymond A. Sebastin
Novena marathon to mark Baclaran feast
WITH just a few weeks ahead of
its patroness feast day, Baclaran
Church prepares for the important
annual occasion through a series of
daily novena masses with different
guest priests presiding each day.
While customarily the National
Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual
Help holds novena masses only on
Wednesdays, this rule is not observed
nine days before the feast of Our
Mother of Perpetual Help in order to
highlight the signifcance of the event.
The frst of these novena masses
started on June 18, Wednesday.
These misa novenario will last
until June 26, Thursday, the eve of
the feast day.
The complete schedule is as follows:
June 18 4:45 p.m. Tuguegarao
Archbishop Sergio L. Utleg, D.D.
June 19 5:45 p.m. Rev. Fr. Ulrich
B. Gacayan, R.C.J.
June 20 5:45 p.m. Rev. Fr. Hernan-
dez Mendoza
June 21 5:45 p.m. Rev. Fr. John
Francis Frederick Manlapig
June 22 5:30 p.m. Manila Arch-
bishop Emeritus Gaudencio Car-
dinal Rosales
June 23 5:45 p.m. Rev. Fr. Calixto
Lumandas
June 24 5:45 p.m. Rev. Fr. Mark
Emman Sese
June 25 4:45 p.m. Rev. Fr. Vi-
taliano Dimaranan, S.D.B.
June 26 5:45 p.m. Rev. Fr. Ramn
Garca, S.D.B.
On June 27, Friday, the feast day
proper, Caloocan Bishop Emeritus
Deogracias Iiguez, Jr. will celebrate
mass at 12:30 p.m. and Bishop Ireneo
Amantilli, C.Ss.R., D.D. at 5:30 p.m.
A blessing of the Our Mother of
Perpetual Help icon will be con-
ducted in between masses.
Processions are also scheduled
after the 5:30 masses. Everybody
is invited to join. (Raymond A.
Sebastin)
Thousands are expected to converge at the Baclaran Church regularly for the upcoming feast
day of Baclaran Churchs patroness, Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Raymond A. Sebastin
Spanish musician-
priest to give free
concert
CLASSICAL music enthu-
siasts, good news!
The Embassy of Spain in
the Philippines is scheduled
to present a Concierto de
rgano by a world-class
performer on Thursday,
July 26, at 7 p.m., with the
the centuries-old baroque
Church of San Agustn on
General A. Luna Street,
Intramuros as its backdrop.
Admission is free
Fr. Jos Enrique Ayar-
ra Jarne, one of the most
prominent organists in
Spain, is resident canon
organist of the Santa Iglesia
Cathedral and Hospital of
the Venerables of Seville.
He was professor of or-
gan at the Conservatory of
Seville from 1979 to 2002.
Jarne will be offering a
concert in Manilas Walled
City with an impressive
repertoire featuring the
works of Alonso Mudarra,
Johann Sebastian Bach and
Franz Joseph Haydn. (Ray-
mond A. Sebastin)
A renowned classical musician is set to give a free concert at the San Agustin
Church on July 26, 2014. Raymond A. Sebastin
Free lecture exposed
Freemasonry
PHI LI PPI NES - b a s e d
Catholic apologists group
Defensores Fidei Founda-
tion (DFF) and the Totus
Bookstore hosted a lecture
on Freemasonry Saturday,
June 21, 9:00 a.m. at the
Amici training room of the
Missouri Square Building,
Connecticut corner Mis-
souri Streets, Greenhills.
Titled The Deception
that is Freemasonry, the
discussion was facilitated by
Rommel Lpez, a member of
a Catholic fraternal organiza-
tion, which shed light on the
incompatibility of Freema-
sonry with everything that
the Church stands for.
It also took an in-depth
look into why the Catholic
faithful are forbidden to
have dealings with the so-
called brotherhood.
The lecture was open to
the public. (Raymond A.
Sebastin)
Valenzuela.
The shrine is home to the
National Pilgrim Image of
Our Lady of Ftima, the im-
age paraded during the frst
EDSA People Power Revolu-
tion of 1986 and of the Asian
and National Center of the
World Apostolate of Ftima
(WAF).
It has since become a bea-
con of light up to this day for
hundreds of thousands of
faithful and Marian devotees
who fock to the shrine for
prayer and blessing.
Tio said, I really feel
blessed to be part of this
parish and national shrine.
(Raymond A. Sebastin)
Church groups to hold day of
prayer vs pork
MANILA, June 24, 2014
Amidst the recent arrest
of senators Ramon Revilla,
Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada on
plunder and graft charges
connected to the P10-B pork
barrel scam, the Church
Peoples Alliance Against
Pork Barrel (CPAPB) de-
clared June 25, Wednesday,
a National Day of Prayer
and Vigilance, specifcally
for the pork barrel issue.
We call on the faithful
to gather in Plaza Miranda
on June 25 at 4:30 p.m. Let
us pray and add our voice
[to] the righteous clamor of
the people to abolish pork,
announced Nardy Sabino,
CPAPB spokesperson.
Peoples initiative
The national day of prayer
and vigilance will set the
stage for the peoples initia-
tive which aims to do away
with the presidential and
congressional privileges.
This [peoples initia-
tive] will give voice to the
otherwise voiceless people
and will enable them to
have a stronger impact on
the legal procedures, es-
pecially that Congress and
Senate members have been
involved in corruption,
Sabino explained.
Groups from various sec-
tors and religious denomina-
tions pushing for peoples
initiative will meet to pave
the way for the Peoples Con-
gress scheduled in August.
While we laud the dec-
laration of the Supreme
Court on the Priority De-
velopment Assistance Fund
[PDAF] as unconstitutional,
we remain vigilant that the
same ruling be declared
over the disbursement ac-
celeration program (DAP),
touted as the presidents
pork, said Sabino.
Special treatment
Sabino also resented the
special treatment being
given to Janet Napoles, who
had been dubbed the Pork
Barrel Queen.
Revilla fares better than
those who suffer the loss
of social services due to
corruption, added Sabino.
The CPAPB, in its advice
to the faithful, stressed,
We cannot remain idle or
numbed. We are witnesses
to the peoples will for
change that has evolved
into various forms of ac-
tions. And we pursue this
call for justice until all
guilty are made account-
able.
Sabino encourages the
people to offer an evening
mass, prayer or any sym-
bolic gesture.
This simultaneous, na-
tionwide action will also
be a prelude to the educa-
tion-signature campaign
in passing the bill on the
Peoples Initiative to Abol-
ish the Pork. (Raymond A.
Sebastin)
Takbo Para Kay Sta.
Clara 2014 kicks off
THE Santa Clara De Mon-
tefalco parish of Pasay City
will be organizing a fun run
on July 12 dubbed Takbo
Para Kay Sta. Clara 2014 in
celebration of the parishs
150th Foundation Day.
The said activity is a fund
raising project for the con-
struction of the parish sanc-
tuary; the improvement of
the audio-visual facilities of
the church; and the imple-
mentation of the various
programs for its Jubilee
celebration, which includes
a dental-medical mission.
The run will be held at
the CCP Complex, Pasay
City.
Race cat egori es are
1 K ( Php2 5 0 . 0 0 ) , 3 K
(Php350.00), 5K (Php450.00)
and 10K (Php650.00). Reg-
istration fee includes a sin-
glet, race bib and route
map.
Organi zers are now
seeking collaborators who
can partner with them.
More than 3,000 partici-
pants are expected to join
the event.
Interested parties may
call Ms. Rosalyn Feliciano-
Zapanta, Parish Temporal
Council- Resource Genera-
tion Coordinator at contact
numbers 0906-4065527 or
551-8206 or 831-6012. (YO)
Catholic priests and nuns raise their sts during a rally at Luneta to call for the abolition of the pork barrel system and the prosecution of those involved
in the multi-billion scam, September 13, 2013. CBCP News
Full house: Seventy one participants gathered to listen to the talk on
Freemasonry given by Rommel Lopez on June 21, 2014 at the Missouri
Square Building, San Juan City. John Vincent Suan
B1
Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Pastoral Concerns
DEAR Brothers and Sisters,
I offer you a warm welcome and I
express my gratitude and appreciation
for your Conference, which offers an
important contribution to the search
for timely and realistic strategies
to ensure greater social equality. I
thank Cardinal Turkson for his kind
introduction.
A sense of solidarity with the poor
and with the marginalized has led
you to refect on impact investing as
one emerging form of responsible
investment. Representatives of the
Roman Curia have joined you in these
days of study aimed at assessing
innovative forms of investment which
can beneft local communities and the
environment, as well as providing a
reasonable return.
Impact investors are those who are
conscious of the existence of serious unjust
situations, instances of profound social
inequality and unacceptable conditions
of poverty affecting communities and
entire peoples. These investors turn to
fnancial institutes which will use their
resources to promote the economic and
social development of these groups
through investment funds aimed at
satisfying basic needs associated with
agriculture, access to water, adequate
housing and reasonable prices, as well as
with primary health care and educational
services.
Investments of this sort are meant
to have positive social repercussions
on local communities, such as the
creation of jobs, access to energy,
training and increased agricultural
productivity. The financial return
for i nvestors tends to be more
moderate than in other types of
investment.
The logic underlying these innovative
forms of intervention is one which
acknowledges the ultimate connection
between profit and solidarity, the
virtuous circle existing between proft
and gift Christians are called to
rediscover, experience and proclaim to
all this precious and primordial unity
between proft and solidarity. How
much the contemporary world needs
to rediscover this beautiful truth!
(Preface to the book of Cardinal Gerhard
Mller, Povera per i poveri. La missione
della Chiesa [Poor for the Poor. The
Mission of the Church]). We are truly
in need of this!
It is important that ethics once
again play its due part in the world
of fnance and that markets serve the
interests of peoples and the common
good of humanity. It is increasingly
intolerable that fnancial markets are
shaping the destiny of peoples rather
than serving their needs, or that the few
derive immense wealth from fnancial
speculation while the many are deeply
burdened by the consequences.
Advances in technology have
increased the speed of financial
transactions, but in the long run this
is signifcant only to the extent that it
better serves the common good. In this
regard, speculation on food prices is a
scandal which seriously compromises
access to food on the part of the poorest
members of our human family. It is
urgent that governments throughout the
world commit themselves to developing
an international framework capable
of promoting a market of high impact
investments, and thus to combating an
economy which excludes and discards.
On this day when the Church
celebrates the memorial of Saints
Quiricus and Giulitta, a son and
mother who, in the persecution under
Diocletian, left all their possessions
behind into order to accept martyrdom
for the name of Christ, I join you in asking
the Lord to help us never to forget the
transience of earthly goods and to renew
our commitment to serve the common
good with love and with preference for
the most poor and vulnerable of our
brothers and sisters. With great affection
I bless you and your work. Thank you.
Impact
investing
for the
poor
Address of Pope Francis to the
participants in the conference promoted by
the Pontifcal Council for Justice and Peace
on Impact investing for the poor
Clementine Hall, Vatican, 16 June
2014
It is increasingly intolerable that fnancial markets are shaping the destiny
of peoples rather than serving their needs, or that the few derive immense
wealth from fnancial speculation while the many are deeply burdened by the
consequences.
C
N
A
B2 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Updates
Priestly Poverty
By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.
OUR parish priest is all right except that he
seems not to be a good example of the virtue of
poverty. Our parish church is in Metropolitan
Manila, in a middle- to upper-middle-class
subdivision but also covers a depressed
area. What tends to disturb us in the Parish
Pastoral Council is our parish priests apparent
fondness for new cars. He changes cars every
two years, saying it is more economical than
maintaining an aging car. He also has dogs
which get better food than the poorest in our
parish. While we have nothing against owning
pets, or having nice cars, it seems insensitive
for a priest to have those, when a number of
his parishioners are forced to live simpler lives.
Please tell us what Canon Law says about the
virtue of poverty as applied to priests.


What the Code Prescribes
The pertinent norms regarding this
matter are laid down in the following
canons of the Code of Canon Law:
Can. 282 1. Clerics are to cultivate a
simple style of life and are
to avoid whatever has a
semblance of vanity.
2. After they have
provided for their own
decent support and for
the fulfillment of all
the duties of their state
of life from the goods
which they receive on
occasion of exercising
an ecclesiastical office,
clerics should want to use any superfluous
goods for the good of the Church and for works
of charity.
Can. 285 1. In accord with the
prescriptions of particular law, clerics are
to refrain completely from all those things
which are unbecoming to their state.
2. Clerics are to avoid those things
which, although not unbecoming, are
nevertheless alien to the clerical state.
What Vatican II Taught
To understand fully the canonical
norms stated above, it is good to go back
to the teachings of Vatican Council II
that inspired them. Specifically, we can
summarize these in four quotations from
the Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis on the
Ministry and Life of Priests (7.XII.1965),
n.17:
1) Detachment from temporal goods to
acquire freedom of spirit and availability for
the ministry. While living in the world
[priests] should still realize that according
to the Word of our Lord and Master they
are not of the world. By using the world,
then, as those who do not use it they will
come to that liberty by which they will be
freed from all inordinate anxiety and will
become docile to the divine voice in their
daily life. From this liberty and docility
grows that spiritual insight through which
is found a right attitude to the world and
to earthly goods.
2) Proper administration of Church property.
Priests are to manage ecclesiastical
property, properly so called, according
to the nature of the case and the norm of
ecclesiastical laws and with the help, as
far as possible, of skilled laymen. They
are to apply this property always to those
purposes for the achievement of which
the Church is allowed to own temporal
goods. These are: the organization of divine
worship, the provision of decent support
for the clergy, and the exercise of works
of the apostolate and of charity, especially
for the benefit of those in need.
3) Avoid the slightest semblance of simony.
So they are not to regard an ecclesiastical
office as a source of profit, and are not
to spend the income accruing from it for
increasing their own private fortunes.
Hence priests, far from setting their hearts
on riches, must always avoid all avarice
and carefully refrain from all appearance
of trafficking.
4) Voluntary poverty. In fact priests are
invited to embrace voluntary poverty. By
it they become more clearly conformed to
Christ and more ready to devote themselves
to their sacred ministry. () priests and
bishops alike are to avoid everything that
might in any way antagonize the poor.
More than the rest of Christs disciples
they are to put aside all appearances of
vanity in their surroundings. They are to
arrange their house in such a way that it
never appears unapproachable to anyone
and that nobody, even the humblest, is ever
afraid to visit it.
Recent Dispositions on Priestly Poverty
More recent dispositions regarding
this matter are contained in n.83 of the
Directory on the Ministry and Life of
Priests (New Edition), issued by the
Congregation for the Clergy on 11.II.2013,
which we can summarize in the following
quotations:
1) Detachment for effective ministry. The
priest must avoid offering grounds for
even the slightest insinuation that he may
conceive his ministry also as an opportunity
for obtaining benefits, favoring friends and
relatives or seeing positions of privilege.
Quite on the contrary, he must be in
the midst of all in order to serve others
unreservedly, following the example of
Christ, the Good Shepherd.
2) Responsible use of temporal goods. The
priest, whose inheritance is the Lord (Num
18:20), knows that his mission, like that of
the Church, is carried out in the middle
of the world and that created goods are
necessary for the personal development
of man. However, he will use these goods
with a sense of responsibility, moderation,
upri ght i ntenti on and detachment,
precisely because he has his treasure in
heaven and knows that all should be
used for building the Kingdom of God.
Therefore, the priest will deny himself those
worldly activities which are not in keeping
with his ministry.
3) Vol unt ary
poverty. Lastly, even
though the priest does
not make a publ i c
promise of poverty,
it is incumbent upon
him to lead a simple
life and abstain from
whatever may smack
of worldliness, thereby
embracing voluntary
poverty in order to follow Christ more
closely. In all aspects (living quarters,
means of transportation, vacations, etc.)
the priest is to eliminate any kind of
affectation and luxury. In this sense the
priest must battle every day in order not
to lapse into consumerism and the easy
life that pervade society in many parts
of the world. A serious examination of
conscience will help him to assess his
tenor of life, his readiness to attend to
the faithful and perform his duties; to ask
himself if the means and things he uses
respond to true need or if he may not be
seeking convenience and comfort, taking
flight from sacrifice. Precisely at stake in
the consistency between what he says and
what he does, especially with respect to
poverty, are the priests credibility and
apostolic effectiveness.

Conclusion
We have to clarify in the first place that
the secular priest does not have a vow of
Crucifxes on the
Altar
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology
at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following queries:)
Q: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM)
references four times a crucifx on the altar of Sacrifce. Will
that now be expected on altars wherever? Also, in the U.S., are
celebrants allowed to use the readings from Revised Standard
Version, Catholic edition, in place of the New American Bible
lectionary, which some consider a less literary translation? -- J.M.,
Kansas City, Missouri
A: I suppose that our reader refers to the following four texts
from the GIRM.
117. The altar is to be covered with at least one white cloth.
In addition, on or next to the altar are to be placed candlesticks
with lighted candles: at least two in any celebration, or even four
or six, especially for a Sunday Mass or a holy day of obligation.
If the Diocesan Bishop celebrates, then seven candles should be
used. Also on or close to the altar, there is to be a cross with a
fgure of Christ crucifed. The candles and the cross adorned with
a fgure of Christ crucifed may also be carried in the Entrance
Procession. On the altar itself may be placed the Book of the
Gospels, distinct from the book of other readings, unless it is
carried in the Entrance Procession.
122. On reaching the altar, the priest and ministers make a
profound bow. The cross adorned with a fgure of Christ crucifed
and perhaps carried in procession may be placed next to the
altar to serve as the altar cross, in which case it ought to be the
only cross used; otherwise it is put away in a dignifed place.
In addition, the candlesticks are placed on the altar or near it.
It is a praiseworthy practice that the Book of the Gospels be
placed upon the altar.
188. In the procession to the altar, the acolyte may carry the
cross, walking between two ministers with lighted candles. Upon
reaching the altar, the acolyte places the cross upright near the
altar so that it may serve as the altar cross; otherwise, he puts
it in a worthy place. Then he takes his place in the sanctuary.
350. Furthermore, great attention is to be paid whatever is
directly associated with the altar and the Eucharistic celebration,
e.g., the altar cross and the cross carried in procession.
It is worth noting that the text does not actually use the term
crucifx, although this is clearly meant in Nos. 117 and 122.
The document also allows this cross to be placed on or near
the altar. There is no requirement that it be place directly upon
the altar itself.
This is also understood in the U.S. bishops document Built
of Living Stones regarding church furnishings:
The Cross 91. The cross with the image of Christ crucifed
is a reminder of Christs paschal mystery. It draws us into the
mystery of suffering and makes tangible our belief that our
suffering when united with the passion and death of Christ
leads to redemption. There should be a crucifx positioned
either on the altar or near it, and ... clearly visible to the people
gathered there. Since a crucifx placed on the altar and large
enough to be seen by the congregation might well obstruct the
view of the action taking place on the altar, other alternatives
may be more appropriate. The crucifx may be suspended over
the altar or affxed to the sanctuary wall. A processional cross of
suffcient size, placed in a stand visible to the people following
the entrance procession, is another option. If the processional
Even though the priest does not make a public
promise of poverty, it is incumbent upon him to lead
a simple life and abstain from whatever may smack
of worldliness, thereby embracing voluntary poverty in
order to follow Christ more closely.
We can now address the affrmations made by the Muslims during the
Mass. Insofar as both faiths believe there is one God, then it is certain that
we both adore the same God.
Crucifx / B7
Poverty / B7
Muslims Views in Lieu of a Homily
Q2: During our sacred liturgy on
Pentecost Sunday, in place of the homily,
two leaders from the local mosque
were invited to join us in prayer in
light of the example given by our Holy
Father. The frst gentleman shared
his views on God and how we are all
searching for peace and how it can be
found only in God. He explained that
Muslims believe in the same God as
Christians and that they too believe
that Jesus was a prophet, like the great
Mohammed. The second gentleman
proceeded to read various selections
from the Quran in English and then
sung those same verses in Arabic. He
read several passages about Mary as
well. At the end of their prayers for
peace, the woman who introduced
them explained to the congregation,
and I quote, that Our Muslim brothers
would now be leaving the Liturgy of the
Word as we prepare to recite the Creed
which further isolates us from them. I
do not take issue with Muslims being
invited and present at our holy Mass
as observers. My question is, was this
a grave offense to have them speak
in place of the homily, read from the
Quran, and state (several times) that
they too believe that Jesus was a great
prophet? I personally felt a prisoner
in my own house and felt ashamed
because I did not have the courage
of the early martyrs to stand and say,
Jesus was not JUST a prophet but the
Son of GOD. I was horrifed to hear our
Creed be referred to in our own house
as a point of isolation. I feel our Creed
is not a point of isolation, but truth
that should not be apologized for, just
because we have visitors from another
faith with us. Am I overreacting? -- H.C.,
Orlando, Florida
A2: While our Holy Father has gone
to great lengths to promote mutual
understanding and acceptance among
people of different faiths, he, like his
predecessors, has made every effort to
avoid any religious syncretism, and I
do not recall any incidence where non-
Christian prayers were introduced into
a Christian liturgical act of worship,
much less into a Mass.
Therefore, frst of all I think calling
on Pope Francis example for this act
is simply incorrect.
Second, I do not believe that the
Muslim gentlemen involved in this
episode would ever think of inviting a
Christian minister to Friday prayers to
tell his fellow Muslims that Christians
believe that Jesus is the Son of God
and Gods defnitive revelation to man.
In saying this I am not criticizing the
Muslims for lack of reciprocity but
would simply say that this would be
perfectly coherent from a Muslim point
of view, since allowing the Christian to
say so would be tantamount to denying
the central tenet of Islam itself.
I believe it should also be equally
obvious to a Catholic minister that there
can be no place for expounding a non-
Christian religion within the context of
a Christian liturgical rite.
There are certainly times and places
where the explaining of a non-Christian
religion can be done with mutual beneft
but never in a Christian liturgical
context. All Christian liturgy is a
proclamation of faith, and to expound
another religion is to deny the very
reason for being present at the act of
worship. In this sense we are not only
isolated from Muslims by the Creed
but from the moment we make the sign
of the cross and proclaim the Trinity at
the very beginning of Mass.
To put it plainly: Although there can
and should be mutual respect and peace
between them, from the standpoint of
religious beliefs, Islam and Christianity
are incompatible religions. There
are indeed some shared values and
common points of religious practice, but
both religions hold as absolute truths
tenets that are mutually exclusive.
We can agree to disagree in a friendly
manner but must accept that there can
be no common ground in the matter of
central religious beliefs. Only then can
fruitful dialogue ensue.
In this sense we can now address
the affrmations made by the Muslims
during the Mass. Insofar as both faiths
believe there is one God, then it is certain
that we both adore the same God.
From a more speculative point of view,
however, some scholars would argue
that the underlying concepts of the
nature and attributes of the divinity are
not always compatible in both religions.
Likewise, the affirmation that
Muslims regard Jesus as a great
prophet like Mohammed is practically
meaningless for Christians.
To use another example: A Christian
could tell Jews that the Christians hold
Homily / B4
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June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Features
Water dwellers grow nutritious, organic
veggies thru small-scale, container gardens
By Bong D. Fabe

EVERY morning, Evelyn Galitche, her
neighbors Monley Tamula, Emilyn
Monsion, Carmela Monsion, Lorregie
Abat, and others, go out of their
houses and go to their gardens just
outside their doorsteps to harvest
fresh vegetables for their breakfast.
Before, these mothers went to
the nearest public market, some 5
kilometers away, and spent at least
Php150.00 a day to buy food, mostly
vegetables and spices, to feed their
families. But now, we just go outside
our homes and onto our container
gardens for whatever we want for a
meal, said Abat, 41, and a mother of
9 children.
But unlike ordinary gardens,
these mothers gardens are composed
of di scarded cont ai ner s, PET
(Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles,
broken pails, used sacks and even
tetra pots (tetra packs sewn together to
form a container) arrange on wooden
A-risers.
At a glance, their urban
container gardens (UCGs) look like
any other ordinary container gardens.
But at closer inspection, they are
unlike any other UCGs as they are
built on stilts on top of water. Like their
houses built on stilts along the mouth
of the Cagayan de Oro River in Sitio
Puntabon, Barangay Bonbon, their
container gardens are also connected
by a network of bamboo bridges.

UCG is more fun
Yes, these water dwellers
have conquered their surroundings
and found a way to grow delicious,
nutritious organic vegetables not only
for their own consumption but also as
an income-generating activity.
I never thought that I will be able
to grow vegetables here, said 22-year-
old Monley Tamula, spreading her
arms to indicate her surroundings.
Originally from Baungon, Bukidnon,
Tamula admitted that she missed her
hometown. But since learning to do
urban container gardening (UCG),
her longing for her previous life in
the farm gradually eased. This is
very good as this helps in our daily
needs. Besides, the vegetables are very
fresh, she added.
These UCG practi ti oners are
growing pechay, kangkong, radish,
carrot s, scal l i ons, st ri ngbeans,
tomatoes, eggplant, okra, malabar
nightshade (alugbati), bell pepper,
kamote tops, bitter gourd (ampalaya),
ginseng, oregano, gynura, menthol,
mayana, talimughat, kulitis, garlic,
ginger, tarragon, rosemary, malunggay,
celery, lettuce, cabbage, lemongrass
(tanglad) and others.
Carmela Monsion, 53, used to grow
flowers on pots to beautify her humble
home. But since learning UCG, she
swi tched to vegetabl es because
vegetables are not only pleasing to
the eyes; they are also consumable.
Growing vegetables is more fun
because you get to eat them, said
Carmelas daughter, 23-year-old
Emilyn Monsion, a mother of 3. To
further fertilize her container garden,
An urban container gardening practitioner tends to her UCG on stilts in Sitio Puntabon, Barangay Bonbon, Cagayan
de Oro City.
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Wanted: God-loving, God-fearing, Saint-Joseph-like, Pro-Life,
Devout Catholic Bachelor
By Madonna Escolano
THE above title suddenly
hit me and there was this
strong yearning to post it
somewhere. In the classified
ads, perhaps? But nah, I am
not that desperate! I wont,
even in my nightmares, do
it. Besides, I believe in Gods
perfect timing. I believe that
my God is able to give me my
hearts desires in His time and
in His way. I firmly believe,
even when I am often being
challenged by concerned
people around me who insist
t hat I hurry because my
biological clock is ticking.
But they are another story.
So I reckon, why not j ust
write about it, and after the
final punctuation mark, Ill
go from there.
Then again, this is a plea
t hat def i ni t el y bombards
Heaven dai l y. My fervent
plea. Oh my countless patron
Saints will attest to this I am
sure!
How many times have Saint
Thrse of Lisieux sent me
roses in affirmation that God
hears my prayers? I cannot
even count anymore. On her
feast day in 2011, I remember
how Saint Anne visited me
in Marytown
1
and assured
me that she and her Blessed
daughter Mary pray for me
all the time! In my dreams,
Saint Justin has visited me
and given me the kiss of
Truth, instructing me what I
must do now while I wait for
Gods gift for mehim whom
the lily blossoms for! Saint
Francis often whispers to me,
reminding me to love with all
my soul. Saint Ignatius adds
that I love without counting
the cost! And I can imagine
Padre Pio shaking his head
with his sweet grandfatherly
smile, reassuring me that it is
a done deal, and is already
being taken care of by my
King and Father, Almighty
God Himself. Now that puts
things in perspective.
I believe there are still a few
good gentlemen out there.
They may be a rare breed
already, but I have hope in
humanity; in the male specie
for that matter. Call me too
old-fashioned, but I know
chi val ry st i l l exi st s even
in this day and age where
relativism and sin has become
an acceptable way of life.
God has created everyone
innately beautiful and good.
I have faith that there exists
a wonderful man whom God
has chosen especially j ust
for me.
Before I continue on and
start raising other peoples
eyebrows, I d l i ke t o be
honest and admit that I am a
miserable sinner myself who
is in constant need of Jesus
Christ my Redeemer. I am no
saint definitely. Those who
really know me inside and out
know what I am capable of.
Yes, even the bad things that I
am capable of but choose not
to do! There is always this
strong desire all with Gods
grace, which allows me to
choose to be good, to strive
to grow in virtues, and to
eventually become a woman
after Gods own heart. Oh
the countless times I have
fai l ed God but Hi s grace
and love prevails! It really is
always just a choice! I always
challenge myself to live my
nameGods madonnina!
Friends and acquaintances
would most probably describe
me as religious. I do my very
best to be a witness to my
Catholic-CHRISTian Faith,
but that does not mean I
never fal l short of God s
expectations of me. I know my
sins. I am a sinner who is very
much in need of His unfailing
love and forgiveness. God
draws me to Himself, and it
has been my own daily fiat
to surrender and run to Him
in all the circumstances of my
life. I am far from perfect that
is why I constantly need His
infinite mercy. We all need
to start somewhere. I choose
every moment to follow Him
Who is my Beginning and my
End. I choose to take the baby
steps and obey Him!
So why wri t e about al l
these now?
Someone very close to me is
getting married. Amidst the
preparations, a friend joked
and said I should make sure
to catch the bouquet. Another
made a comment that now I
am the only one left without
a wedding band on my finger.
I have been const ant l y
told that I have such high
standards when it comes to
a man~ that is why I am still
unmarried. Oh how it stings
every time I am told that I
expect too much from men as
if I am perfect! Who said I am
Ms. Perfect? I never claimed
to be one. But I believe that
I can ask God for anything
and be very specific about
my prayer request s; and
that includes helping me to
become a woman pleasing to
Him first and foremost, and
giving me a husband who is a
man after His own heart too.
Why l i mi t what I c an
ask God when He can give
me anyt hi ng t hat al ways
surpasses my imagination
and expectations?
I have met good men. I
have met j er ks. ( Pardon
my French.) The thing with
the few good men Ive met,
theyre off limits. And with
those jerks, Id rather not go
through why they are that
bad, but they sure will break
their parents hearts. Oooh
if only I can borrow King
Davids slingshot and give
them a good hit on the head
enough to make them turn
into gentlemen! But there is
hope I know. There is always
hope. And on that note, I am
certain that there is one for me
out there who also knows my
existence. He shall come tear
down the walls of my tower
when I least expect it. He shall
do so, in Gods perfect time;
because there is no escaping
Gods will for us!
I ha ve gone t hr ough
discernment. I ve checked
o u t s e v e r a l r e l i g i o u s
congregations. Ive gone to
several soul-searching trips
to figure out what God is
calling me to do. I have tried
to condition myself to the
idea of living a monastic life.
I was willing to go out of
my comfort zone and serve
the poorest of the poor. I
was leaning towards being
humbly garbed in a religious
habit, living somewhere out
there in a foreign land on
a mission to set the world
on f i re f or t he gl or y of
God s ki ngdom. That di d
not happen. Yes, God called
me to serve Him still; but
as a lay person, and not as
a religious. Not as a nun, as
others would actually want
me do, while jeering among
themselves at the prospect
that I am going to grow old
alone and lonely in a distant
convent and miss out on life. I
have to mention that; because
some peopl e have such a
distorted understanding of
doing ones vocation. They
are another story too.
I was reluctant at first to
heed His call for me. I was
pretty much content living
my life exploring the world.
But God had His way; and He
made sure I got the message
and follow through with what
He wants for me. He is my
Father and my King; and I
am His daughter. God only
wants what a daughter of a
King rightfully deserves!
In retrospect, one of the
things I am always grateful
to God about is not tying
the knot early. I have had a
proposal or two. Back then, I
had these reasons Id describe
now as superficial. When I
was younger, I told myself Id
Emilyn experimented with urine-
based fertilizer (UBF). And much to
her surprise, her vegetables are much
larger than those without UBF.
This is the best strategy to help
clean our environment and fight
hunger and nutritional deficiencies
because this encourages recycling,
proper waste management, resource
management aside from helping
families grow their own organic food
right where they are, said 56-year-old
Evelyn Galitche, a mother of 17 and a
grandmother of 60.

Adds necessary nutrients
Urban agriculture strategies such
as UCG are becoming a must in
cities where many residents lack the
necessary nutritional requirements
due to the fast-paced life compared
to rural areas.
The United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO)
said that a typical Filipino diet lacks
nutrients. Food supply and how it
is distributed and consumed by the
populace have consequent impact
on nutritional status. While reports
indicate that there are enough food
to feed the country, many Filipinos
continue to go hungry and become
malnourished due to inadequate
intake of food and nutrients. In fact,
except for protein, the typical Filipino
diet was found to be grossly inadequate
for energy and other nutrients, said
the FAO Agriculture and Consumer
Protection Department.
These mothers UCGs on stilts,
in some measure, are adding to
the dwindling supply of nutritious
vegetables in the market as climate
change is negatively affecting the
countrys agricultural production
by about 5 to 7 percent, according
t o t he Phi l i ppi ne Counci l f or
Agriculture, Fishery and Natural
Resources Research and Development
(PCARRD), a line agency of the
Department of Science and Technology
(DOST).
The Department of Agricultures
(DA) Bureau of Agricultural Research
said that vegetable production in
the Philippines is highly seasonal
with bulk of production occur from
October to November. But with
UCG, delicious, nutritious organic
vegetables are grown all-year round.
Teaches children to eat vegetables
Our very own classic nursery song
Bahay Kubo has immortalized
vegetables that they are the single
food group that children memorized
early in life. But come dining time,
only very few children appreciate
and eat vegetables. The song is not
enough to propel eating vegetables
to stardom in the dining table.
But with UCG, children learn to
take care of vegetables and appreciate
them and their nutritional values.
Besides, UCG is helping landless
urban families contribute to food
(nutrition) security and help them
diversify their income aside from
helping fight hunger.
The 2013 Global Hunger Index
(The Challenge of Hunger: Building
Resilience To Achieve Food and Nutrition
Security), published jointly by the
International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI), Concern Worldwide,
and Welthungerhilfe, ranked the
Philippines in 28
th
Place with a 13.2
percent hunger index in 2013, which
is 0.8% lower than the 14.0% hunger
index in 2005 and 6.7% lower than
1990s 19. 9% hunger index. But
despite this significant reduction in
hunger in the country, hunger in the
Philippines is still serious, the 2013
GHI said.
On the other hand, the Statistics
Division of the FAO (FAOSTAT)
said that there were 15.6 million
undernourished Filipinos in 2013, or
an undernourishment prevalence of
16.2%.
Worldwide, about 870 million or 1
in 8 people still suffer from hunger.
My Almighty Father in Heaven has
made it crystal clear to me: He has
called me for married life. And its not
just the kind of marriage for the sake
of being able to tell relatives, friends
and colleagues that I am the wife of
Mr. Tech-Savvy-Able-To-Take-Care-
of-Me-and-Our-Family, and the mother
of our adorable twins.
Water / B7
Wanted/ B4
B4 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Features
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SFS 2014: Seminarians in
the Year of the Laity
By Sem. Ryan A. Salvacion
THEOLOGI CAL Cent r um, i n
collaboration with various diocesan
seminaries in the Philippines held its
annual Seminar for Seminarians. 29
seminarians from different dioceses such
as Tarlac, Palo, Cebu, Calbayog, Masbate
and others attended. The Seminarian
in the Year of the Laity served as this
years theme.
On May 14, seminarians arrived and
assembled at Theological Centrum in
Mandaluyong City. From there, they
rode a bus for Lipa City where they
started to know and befriend each other
as they shared their different experiences
from their respective dioceses and
seminaries. The bonding continued
during the 3 day seminar.
The seminar schedule includes
conferences, talks, get together, daily
Mass, prayers, meditations, confessions,
a pilgrimage and sports fest. The 3 day
conference focused on the identity and
role of the laity in the Church. The
speakers, fully aware of their role and
mission in the Church and in the world
are lay people who are actively doing
apostolate to their fellow lay. Dr. Jose
Sandejas, one of the speakers, talked
about the importance of Husband and
Wife Relationship and the Upbringing of
the Children. Atty. Gig Aover shared
the Role and Place of the Laity in the
Church and in the World. Mr. Arnold
Morfe tackled his apostolate to young
men in Dualtech, a technical vocational
School. Dr. Antonio Torralba, a professor
in the University of Asia and Pacifc,
talked about Family and Family Life.
During the conference, the speakers
highlighted that the lay people are
tasked by God to work in the temporal
order in order to spread the Kingdom of
God. The role of the laity is to transform
the world from within through the
sanctifcation of their ordinary life
their economic, social and family life.
A lay person encounters God through
ordinary living. The speakers echoed
St. Josemaria Escrivas teaching on
sanctifcation of ordinary life: Heaven
and earth seem to merge my sons and
daughters on the horizon. But where
they truly meet is in your heart when you
sanctify your everyday lives (Homily
Passionately Loving the World, October
8, 1967).
Priests of the Prelature of Opus
Dei taught the four cardinal virtues to
the participants during the talks and
meditations. On May 15, second day of
the seminar, the seminarians together
with Fr. Jimmy Liao, SThD, the Director
of Theological Centrum, went to Granja
Sports Complex where the sports fest was
held. Afterwards the pilgrimage to the
famous Mt. Carmel Monastery followed.
Decades ago, the Virgin Mary appeared
there to a Carmelite nun and revealed
herself as the Mediatrix of all Graces.
The seminarians prayed the rosary in the
apparition site and did their personal
prayers in the Church of the Monastery.
Two seminarians from Batangas who are
quite knowledgeable of the monasterys
history and the apparition toured their
fellow participants.
The seminar concluded on May 16 at
4:00 in the afternoon. The seminarians
went back to Manila with joy in their
hearts for the beautiful experiences of
prayer, fraternity, love and camaraderie.
From Manila, the participants went back
to their respective dioceses as they said
their brotherly goodbye to each other
before they parted ways.
Program of the Apostolic Journey of
His Holiness Pope Francis
To the Republic of Korea on the
occasion of
The 6
th
Asian Youth Day
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 2014
16:00 Departure from Romes Fiumicino airport for Seoul
Thursday, 14 August 2014
10:30 Arrival at the Air Base of Seoul
12:00 Private Mass at the Apostolic Nunciature
15:45 Welcoming ceremony in the garden of the
Blue House in Seoul
Courtesy visit to the President of the
Republic at the Blue House in Seoul
16:30 Meeting with the Authorities in the
Chungmu Hall at the Blue House in Seoul
17:30 Meeting with the Bishops of Korea at the
headquarters of the Korean Episcopal Conference
FRIDAY, 15 AUGUST 2014
8:45 Transfer by helicopter to Daejeon
10:30 Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the
Assumption at the World Cup Stadium in Daejeon
Prayer of the Angelus Domini
13:30 Luncheon with the young people at the
Major Seminary of Daejeon
16:30 Transfer by helicopter to the Shrine of Solmoe
17:30 Meeting with the Asian youth at the Shrine
of Solmoe
19:15 Transfer by helicopter to Seoul
SATURDAY, 16 AUGUST 2014
8:55 Visit to the Shrine of the Martyrs of Seo
So mun
10:00 Holy Mass for the Beatifcation of
Paul Yun Ji-Chung and 123 martyr
companions at Gwanghwamun Gate in Seoul
15:30 Transfer by helicopter to Kkottongnae
16:30 Visit to the rehabilitation centre for
disabled people at the House of Hope in
Kkottongnae
17:15 Meeting with the religious communities
of Korea at the Training Center School of
Love in Kkottongnae
18:30 Meeting with the leaders of the
Apostolate of the laity at the Spirituality
Centre in Kkottongnae
19:00 Transfer by helicopter to Seoul
SUNDAY, 17 AUGUST 2014
10:00 Transfer by helicopter to Haemi
11:00 Meeting with the Asian Bishops at the
Shrine of Haemi
13:00 Luncheon with the Bishops of Asia in
the refectory of the Shrine of Haemi
16:30 Closing Holy Mass of the 6th Asian
Youth Day at Haemi Castle
19:00 Transfer by helicopter to Seoul
MONDAY, 18 AUGUST 2014
9:00 Meeting with religious leaders at the old
Curia Palace of the Archdiocese of Seoul
9:45 Holy Mass for Peace and Reconciliation at
Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul
12:45 Farewell ceremony from the Republic of
Korea at the Air Base of Seoul
13:00 Departure from the Air Base in Seoul for
Rome Ciampino Airport
17:45 Arrival at Ciampino Airport in Rome
only get married for the sake
of love, have children, have
my own family, and grow
old with my husband in our
loving home. I still have these
reasons in mind for marriage,
but then theres more. Thank
God that He made me realize
and under st and why He
instituted the holy sacrament
of matrimony!
My Al mi ght y Fat her i n
Heaven has made it crystal
clear to me: He has called
me for married life. And its
not just the kind of marriage
for the sake of being able to
tel l rel ati ves, fri ends and
colleagues that I am the wife
of Mr. Tech-Savvy-Able-To-
Take-Care-of-Me-and-Our-
Family, and the mother of
our adorabl e t wi ns. I t i s
not enough that I am able
to proudl y say my status
is finally Married and not
Single.
God has cal l ed me f or
a mission: to reflect Holy
Trinitarian love within my
married and family life, to
radiate caritas to the world
for Gods greater glory, and
to share pure agape l ove
with my husband the way
t hat our Mot her Church
submissively surrenders to
the love of Jesus Christ Her
Bridegroom, and with the
Holy Family of Nazareth as
our Model.
Now thats truly a tough
act to follow! The gravity of
this mission is easier said (or
written) than done! It still
overwhelms me, and scares
me sometimes!
To quote the Catechi sm
of t he Cat hol i c Church,
The matrimonial covenant,
by whi c h a man and a
woman establ i sh between
themselves a partnership of
the whole of life, is by its
nature ordered toward the
good of the spouses and the
procreation and education
of offspring; this covenant
between baptized persons has
been raised by Christ the Lord
to the dignity of a sacrament.
CCC 1601
The intimate community
of l i f e a nd l ove whi c h
constitutes the married state
has been established by the
Creator and endowed by him
with its own proper laws. . . .
God himself is the author
of marriage. The vocation
to marri age i s wri tten i n
the very nature of man and
woman as they came from the
hand of the Creator The
well-being of the individual
person and of both human
and Chr i s t i an s oci et y i s
closely bound up with the
healthy state of conjugal and
family life. God who created
man out of love also calls
him to love the fundamental
and innate vocation of every
human bei ng. For man i s
created i n the i mage and
l i kenes s of God who i s
himself love. 90 Since God
created him man and woman,
their mutual love becomes
an image of the absolute and
unfailing love with which
God loves man. It is good,
very good, in the Creator s
eyes. And this love which
God blesses is intended to
be fruitful and to be realized
i n t he common wor k of
wat c hi ng over c r eat i on:
And God blessed them, and
God said to them: Be fruitful
and multiply, and fill the
earth and subdue it. CCC
1603, 1604
2
So what about the above-
mentioned qualifications in
the title of this article?
I pr ay f or such a man
because I need him to fully
embrace married life in the
same surrender to God and
t he s ame under s t andi ng
that I have of the sanctity
of matrimony. I need him to
understand that our oneness
shall require many sacrifices,
each other s unconditional
love willing to even lay our
lives for each other and our
future children. I need such
a man who shall embrace the
sacred mission of family life. I
need a man who accepts with
all his heart the importance
of fighting the good fight
together and ensuring that
we, with the children God
will bless our union with,
shall all go to heaven.
I want my future husband
a n d I t o r a i s e f ut ur e
saints! Because I know my
weaknesses, I need a strong,
just man to journey with me
in our family life.
When then, will Mr. God-
loving, God-fearing, Saint-
Joseph-like, Pro-Life, Devout
Cat hol i c Bachel or f i nal l y
come to sweep me off my feet?
All in Gods impeccable
Wanted / B3
timing!
While I pray and wait for
him, I am going to do the
things that the Lord wants
me to do for Hi m. Wi th
j oyful anticipation shall I
allow God to work in our
lives and surprise us both. I
am certain that our Eternal
Father is preparing him for
me, as God is preparing me
for him, too. He is out there I
am very sure. And probably
by sheer serendipity, he shall
be reading this!
Impossible? Everything is
possible for one who believes!
Jesus said it so Himself, With
man it is impossible. But will
God all things are possible.
(St. Matthew 19:26)
(Endnotes)
1
MARYTOWN http://www.marytown.
com/
2
The Sacrament of Matrimony http://
www. vat i can. va/ archi ve/ ccc_css/ ar-
chive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm
B5 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Statements
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The Church and Gypsies: to announce the Gospel
in the peripheries
DEAR Brothers and Sisters,
On the occasion of the World Meeting
of Episcopal Promoters and National
Directors of the Pastoral Care of Gypsies,
I welcome you and offer my cordial
greeting to everyone. I would like to
thank Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegli
for his introductory words. The theme
of your meeting is The Church and
the gypsies: to announce the Gospel
in the peripheries. Within this theme
is most importantly the memory of
a relationship, that of the ecclesial
community and the gypsy people, the
history of a path of getting to know one
another, of meeting each other; and then
there is todays challenge, a challenge
for both ordinary pastoral care and for
the new evangelization.
Gypsies are often found on the
fringes of society, and are sometimes
viewed with hostility and suspicionI
remember many times here in Rome
when a few gypsies climbed on the bus,
the driver said: Watch out for your
wallets!. This is repugnant. Perhaps it
is true, but its repugnant.... [Gypsies]
are poorly represented in the political,
economic and social dynamics of the
region. We know it is a complex reality
but it is also certain that the gypsy people
are called upon to contribute to the
common good, and this is possible with
appropriate plans for joint responsibility,
in the observance of duties and the
promotion of the rights of each person.
Among the causes in todays society
which create situations of poverty in
part of the population, we can identify
the lack of educational structures for
cultural and professional development,
the diffculty in accessing healthcare, the
discrimination in the labor market and
the shortage of decent housing. If these
tears in the social fabric strike everyone
indistinctly, the weakest groups are
those who most easily become victims
of the new forms of slavery. It is in fact
the least protected persons who fall
into the trap of exploitation, forced
indigence and varied forms of abuse.
Gypsies are among the most vulnerable,
especially when there is no support for
the integration and promotion of the
person in the various dimensions of
civic life.
Here the solicitude of the Church and
your special contribution entwine. The
Gospel indeed is a proclamation of joy
for everyone and, in a special way, for
the weakest and the marginalized. We
are called to assure them of our closeness
and our solidarity, based on the example
of Jesus Christ who gave witness to the
Fathers predilection for them.
Alongside this action of solidarity
for the beneft of the gypsy people, it is
necessary to have the commitment of
local and national institutions and the
support of the international community,
to identify proposals and interventions
geared toward improving the quality
of life. In the face of the diffculties
and disadvantages of our brothers and
sisters, everyone must feel called to place
the dignity of every human being at the
centre of their attention. With regard
to the situation of gypsies all over the
world, today it is more important than
ever to develop new approaches in civil,
Press Statement of the CBCP
President on demanding
public apology of those
involved in PDAF
BELOVED People of God:
Grace and peace of the Lord
Jesus Christ to you all!
It is almost eight months
after Super Typhoon Yolanda
hit most of Central Visayas
and, particularly the Diocese
of Borongan, especially its
southern part. Although this is
already my fourth pastoral letter
after the fact, as Shepherd of the
Diocese, I am pastorally and
morally obliged to issue it. This
is because of two observations
I have made regarding the
situation of the super typhoons
survivors.
First, several religious sects
and denominations have been
proselytizing from among
Yolandas victims, mostly
Catholics, to recruit them into
their groups through money
or relief goods in the guise of
compassionate response. Let me
make this clear. They are taking
advantage of the survivors
vulnerability. Proselytizing from
among the vulnerable calls into
question the sincerity of ones
charity. To them I say: If you really
desire to give help, do so without
any preconditions. If the Word of
God truly moves you, then heed
the Apostle Pauls advice: Let
no one go after his interest, but
the interest of the other (1 Cor
10:24). Lack of respect for the faith
of others can never be Christ-like.
On the part of the survivors:
Accept the assistance you are
given, but never give up your
Catholic Faith. Love and cherish
this Catholic Faith because it
gives you the fullness of the
means of salvation: not only
the Scriptures but also the
Sacraments, not only the Bible
but also Apostolic Tradition.
Jesus Christ our Savior also gives
us the wealth of his love in the
devotions we have to his Mother,
Mama Mary, and the saints.
Never give up your devotion to
her and to the saints. They have
helped us obtain protection from
the full wrath of super typhoon
Yolanda through the motherly
embrace of her prayers and the
saints powerful intercessions.
Mama Mary loves you so much.
So do your patron saints.
Faithfulness is a mark of true
faith. As members of the Roman
Catholic Church, let us unite
ourselves in living, preserving,
defending and proclaiming our
Catholic Faith.
Second, a number of INGOs,
NGOs and other agencies, while
laudably assisting Yolanda
survivors towards recovery,
unfortunately also abuse their
vulnerability by including
reproductive health devices as
essential components of their
assistance. This phenomenon
is alarming. I urge our Catholic
Address of Pope Francis in the meeting sponsored by the Pontifcal Council for the Pastoral
Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, 5 June 2014
AS President of CBCP, I wish to inform the public that the
CBCP has never demanded a public apology of those indicted
in connection with the PDAF issue. It is for the judiciary to
determine guilt or innocence on the basis of law and evidence.
The CBCP prays that justice be our common goal and conversion
our common endeavor. I ask the public not to confuse the
personal opinions of individual bishops with that of the CBCP.
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS, DD
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
CBCP President
June 20, 2014
WARAY
ngaRUN2014: a
Solidarity Mile
THE Youth for a United World presents to you WARAY
ngaRUN : a solidarity mile, a fun run event in Tacloban
City on June 28, 2014. The day will start with the WARAY
ngaRUN , a 7k running and 14k biking event followed
by Solidarity Street Fest wherein exhibits, fair, bazaars,
shows and competitions will be happening all through-
out the day. The celebration will be capped with a concert
called Solidarity Festival: Music, Lights, Colors, with
artists from Tacloban and Manila, whose aim is to uplift
the spirits of the Tacloban people. All of which will be
held in Balyuan Ampitheater, Tacloban City.
The Youth for a United World is a group of young people
scattered across five continents of different ethnicities,
nationalities and culture, belonging to various religious
denominations or do not profess a religious belief, but
are united by the desire to build a more united world
using every available means to bridge divisions among all
generations, backgrounds and levels to make humanity
into a family where personal identity is honored.
WARAY ngaRUN, derived from a waray-waray phrase
waray ngaran which means nameless, is a solidarity
run event, open to all Filipinos across the country and
non-Filipinos as well, designed to (1) Commemorate the
lives of the many nameless victims lost to the typhoon
Haiyan/Yolanda, (2) Honor the unsung heroes, the many
groups and individuals who helped and are continuously
helping the survivors, (3) Bring continuous awareness
to the needs of various devastated areas, (4) Strengthen
peoples spirit to start again and keep moving forward,
(5) Involve the youth as front liners in the rebuilding
of peoples lives.
All proceeds of the event will be donated to the START
AGAIN PROJECT, a project of the Y4UW which aims
to help rebuild the spirits, lives and communities of
the typhoon struck areas in the Visayas regions with a
7-point plan: (1) roofing for schools, (2) school supplies
drive, (3) Yolanda memorial, (4) potable water systems,
(5) higher education programs, (6) soup kitchen (7)
medical mission.
The organizers of this event are victims themselves,
most of which lost their houses and even some friends
and loved ones during the typhoon. But as victims of
typhoon, the Youth for a United World of Tacloban feel
that it is now their step to help their fellow Taclobanos,
so that together, they can start again. They also want to
thank all the people who have helped them and gave
them hope when they had nothing to hold on to.
If you want to know more, you can visit facebook.com/
WARAYngaRUN2014 or contact our event coordinators
Daryll Jove Opina (+63 915 450 1285 - Tacloban) and
Karelle Anne Bulan (+63 917 599 9459 - Manila).
cultural and social spheres, as well as in
the pastoral strategy of the Church, in
order to face the challenges emerging
from the modern forms of persecution,
oppression and, at times, also slavery.
I encourage you to generously carry
on with your important work, to not
become discouraged, but to continue
to commit yourselves in favour of those
who are most likely to fnd themselves in
conditions of need and marginalization,
on the peripheries of humanity. Gypsies
can fnd in you brothers and sisters who
love them with the same love that Christ
had for the most marginalized. You are
for them the welcoming and joyous face
of the Church.
I invoke upon each of you and on
your work the motherly protection of
the Virgin Mary. Thank you very much,
pray for me.
Let love be sincere (Rom 12:9)
Fourth Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Borongan After Yolanda
fock to make a moral stand
with me and our clergy. To our
brethren among the survivors I
say: We understand you have to
accept all the help being made
available to you, including
shelters, livelihood programs
and others. But I appeal to you
to resist all forms of reproductive
health services. They violate
Catholic norms of morality and
many times adversely affect the
health of persons, especially
women.
In these trying times let us not
fail to listen to the words of the
Savior: I am sending you like
lambs among wolves. Be wise
as snakes but gentle as doves
(Mt 10:16).
Truly in the Lord,
+CRISPIN B. VARQUEZ, DD
Bishop of Borongan
June 22, 2014, Corpus Christi
B6 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Ref lections
Bishop Pat Alo
Bo Sanchez
ENCOUNTERS
SOULFOOD
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MY title sounds shocking,
especially coming from someone
whose known by everyone as Mr.
Simplea guy who doesnt even
comb his hair and doesnt wear
a watch and who dons a 70s
outft not because its faddish but
because hes trapped in that era.
But you see, I dont believe that
simplicity is the greatest thing in
the world.
Take my life for example. Ive
deliberately complicated it.
When I was a single man some
time ago, I didnt even know what
savings meant. Today, I have
to deal with educational plans,
health insurance, and sound
investments. And even if the
thief-in-diapers is still toothless
as of this writing, Im seriously
saving for his teeth braces, which
I hear, costs more than my car.
During my single days, I recall
sauntering off by myself to a lonely
mountain to pray for a day or
twowhenever I so desired. Id
bring a guitar, a bible, and a tiny
picnic basket. All by my quiet self.
That will never happen again
Two hearts, one love, one faith
Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul, Mt 16:13-19 (A) June 29, 2014
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mt 11:25-30 (A) July 6, 2014
B y F r . S a l P u t z u ,
SDB

PETER and Paul were very
different from each other, but
they also had several traits in
common. Their common end as
martyrs of the faith cemented
such similarity and made of
them the object of an undying
admiration and love.
Being a fisherman, Simon
hailed from a poor family,
whose income depended on the
catch of fish he could make in
the Lake of Gennesareth. His
education was inevitably poor,
too. His world was bound
to be confined to his town
of ori gi nBethsai daand
the few neighboring fishing
villages that dotted the coastline
of the familiar lake.
Things took a turn for the
better when Simon met Jesus,
who set his gaze on him in a
way that made a difference for
the rest of his days. It all started
with that extraordinary catch of
fish which left Simon and his
companions speechless. The
one who had orchestrated it
was Jesus, the carpenter from
Nazareth who had just started
proclaiming that the Kingdom
of God was at hand. Simon fell to
his knees, sensing that there was
something God-like in that man
who knew nothing of fishing for
he came from the hills of Galilee.
But Jesus reassured him Do
not be afraid. From now on you
will be a fisher of men (See Lk
5:1-11). Those words indicated a
change of professiona change
that was later complemented by
the change of name: From now
spree, he encountered Jesus of
Nazareth, the man who was
supposed to have died some
twelve years earlier. On that
day Paul discovered that Jesus
was indeed alive, just as his
followers were claiming. That
realization changed everything
in his life. From a persecutor
of the Christian believers, he
himself became a believer and
an apostle of the Gospel he had
vowed to destroy.
From that moment onward,
Pauls life became an incessant
series of undertakings aimed at
bringing the Gospel of Christ to
as many people as possible, Jews
and pagans alike, and eventually
mostly to pagans. A good portion
of the central part of the Roman
Empire became his feld of action,
in an ever-wider and more
daring work of evangelization
that created vibrant Christian
communities. Paul made himself
everything to all men. He suffered
immensely for the faith he had
once tried to obliterate.
He met Simon Peter first in
Jerusalem, then probably in
Rome.
Their shared treasures
their common love for Jesus and
the Gospelbrought both of
them to suffer martyrdom in the
Eternal City, one by crucifixion,
the other by decapitation. Thus
did they seal with their blood
their love for the Man-God
who had changed their lives so
dramatically and significantly.
The Church loves and honors
Peter and Paul as the two pillars
of the Catholic faith and as
the two great champions who
remain an inspiration to all the
disciples of the Lord.
Learning from Jesus how to be
meek and humble
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
SOME people take pride in their physical
strength, beauty, wealth, powerNot a
few use these assets to put others down,
subjugate, and exploit them.
With few exceptions, such has been the
common attitude of innumerable gifted
great men, especially military leaders,
whose names are recorded in history
books. Their triumphs
and achievements
have oft en been
won at the price of
immense sufferings
inflicted on others.
Their monuments
tower over mounds of
skeletons and skulls
Eve n i n our
days, arrogant individuals or nations
humiliate and destroy others with their
merciless greed and the urge to dominate.
At the root of it all, there is the pride that
sets creatures against their Creator and
their fellow-creatures.
Jesus Christ belongs to a different
school. As he has done in other
areas, he has introduced a new way
proclaim peace to the nations (Zec 9:9-
10).
What Jesus teaches and practices
is not meant to be an exception, but a
pattern to be followed by all. Learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble of
heart (Mt 11:29).
His gentleness and humility have
nothing in common with weakness.
He is respectful of others without
being slavish; firm, without being
arrogant; ready to
please and help, but
with a proper sense
of values. And what
a difference this can
make in society!
These qual i t i es
ar e e xac t l y t he
opposite of what
characteri zes our
societypride, insatiable ambition,
rivalry, treachery, oppressiveness,
violence, exploitationAs disciples
of Jesus we must show in practice
where our priorities lie. A disciple
is one who has chosen to be like the
Master: humble, meek, fair, promoter
of peace and of people. Such must be
our choice.
of conceiving greatness. He has
inaugurated a totally new style of
being greata style characterized by
simplicity, meekness, loving kindness,
humble servicethe basic attitudes
which foster peace, make people feel at
easethe attitude that brings out the
best in them.
This is Gods style. Christ has learned
it from the Father and has revealed it to
his disciples (cf. Mt 11:27). He has made
lowliness, meekness, the promotion of
peace, and affrmation of ones brethren
vital constituents of the Beatitudes and
of all his Gospel.
But Jesus is not just an inspiring
Teacher. What he teaches he also puts
into practice, as Zechariah had already
prophesied when he said: Your King
shall come to youmeekHe shall
Life story
ITS part of the experience of life that we also can undergo the
loss of a dear one, a close relative or friend. We have to face the
fact that this life on earth, as we can observe, is only temporary
and passing. Our maturity must consist in learning to face
reality as it is, really. And we know that from observing the
world around us. All around us, things and people undergo or
are subjected to the ravages of time. Its useless to expect our
mortal bodies to last perpetually. Maturity consists in being
able to accept and face reality as it is. For example, that human
existence is temporary as regards his or her bodily element,
though, of course, the human soul is built for an eternal existence.
Yet as our faith teaches, we have to face that even if our bodily
element has limited existence, our spiritual nature (or soul) is
made to last unlimitedly. This is not just based on faith beliefs
but on the very observable normal aspirations of man, who longs
for life without end. Just observe yourself, your own normal
longings for a life without end. That is also what Our Lord Jesus
Christ promises us, if we keep His commandments: eternal life
and happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. Of course, Gods
justice is also there to punish those who dare to violate Gods
precepts to love and respect one another in true justice and love.
Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave His only
Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost
but may have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). Eternal life is this: to
know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you
have sent (Jn. 17:3).
Complicate Your Life
in my present life. Because now,
Id have to bring a guitar, a bible,
a picnic basket, my wife, my two
kids, and 12 huge bags
And in that mountain, I can
only pray in short spurts every
once in awhilewhen my wife
and kids are doing other things.
When I was newly married, there
were days when a thought crosses
my mind: What insanity came over
me? Why did I complicate my very
simple, happy, single life?
But immediately, the answer
came forcefully when I saw
my wife playing with our
smiling baby in her arms. Peace
overfowed my heart as I realize
that Ive exchanged my very
simple, happy single life for a very
complicated, happy married life.
Today, after 15 years of
marriage, Im so happy that I
complicated my life. The two
biggest reasons are my two
boysnow 9 and 14.
Why have I complicated my
life?
Because I have decided to love.
And here s t he l esson
Ive learned: As long as you
complicate your life because of
love, then its glorious.
Congratulate yourself.
Because simplicity isnt the
greatest thing in the world, but love.
Let me give you two other
examples:
If youre going to join a
spiritual community, believe me
when I say this: your life will get
complicated. (Take it from one
whos been part of community
for 30+ years.) Why complicate
your life with weekly meetings,
ministry responsibilities, and
queer personalities?
A more basic example:
Why will you commit your entire
life to God? I mean, wont it be easier
just to be a nominal Mass-goer? All
you have to do is go to Mass on
Sundays and prestoyoure guilt-
free. You can do what you want to
do the rest of the week. You dont
have to think about serving Him
every moment of your life. You
dont have to love Him in your every
word, thought, and deed. Thats just
too complicated!
So make your life simple?
(Simply meaningless.)
I urge you to take the other
direction.
For the sake of your Divine
purpose, complicate your life.
on, your name will be Peter-
Rock. (Mt 16:18).
And that was what Simon
would be for the rest of his
days: a fisher of people and a
rock on whom Jesus would lay
the foundations of his Church.
Not all was solid and steady
in Simon Peter. But the sincerity
of his sorrow for having denied
knowing Jesus, and the special
prayer that Jesus had offered
for this disciple enabled him
to bounce back. Strengthened
by the Spirit, the unschooled
f i sher man had no more
uncertainties and became the
daring leaders who challenged
the powerful and learned
authorities of his time, endured
repeated incarcerations and
floggings, all for the sake of
Jesus. Eventually he traveled
as far as Rome, the see of the
pagan emperor who would one
day sentence him to die on a
cross like his Master.
Unlike Simon Peter, Paul was
from a well-off family which
enabled him to get a good
education not only in his native
Tarsus, but also in the very center
of the Jewish world, the Holy
City of Jerusalem. Of bright and
penetrating intelligence, Paul
(earlier, Saul) learned Greek
and the Scriptures, and was
trained in the observances of the
Pharisaic sect.
He had all that it took to
become an authority among his
people. Soon the community of
the followers of Jesus learned to
fear him. Paul made a name for
himself in his aggressive zeal. But
everything changed abruptly
one day when, on his way to
Damascus on a persecution
When I was newly married, there
were days when a thought crosses my
mind: What insanity came over me?
Why did I complicate my very simple,
happy, single life?
These qualities are exactly the opposite of what
characterizes our societypride, insatiable
ambition, rivalry, treachery, oppressiveness,
violence, exploitation
B7 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Social Concerns
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CBCPMonitor
By Fr. Shay Cullen
JUST before Independence
Day last week, a group of
newly enrolled children from
a shelter excitedly set out
on the first day to walk to
school at Gala, Sacatihan,
Pamat awan, Subi c t own,
Zambales. The road up the
hill would give them an easy
wal k t o f reedom t hrough
educationthe great liberator.
But then, as they crested the
hill, to their dismay the asphalt
abruptly ended. The rains had
turned the rest of the way into
a muddy quagmire that had
the children squelching their
way through ankle-deep sticky
mud, symbolic of the political
corruption, waste and abuse
that mires almost one-third of
Filipinos in pitiless grinding
poverty from which there is
no freedom.
Like thousands of others, the
road is a fake or ghost project
that had never been finished.
Even urgent requests to the
governor to throw gravel
from the exposed river bed
on to the muddy road are so
far unheeded. The children
suffer and it became so bad in
the past week that 26 children
transferred to another school.
This mess and the plunder
and looting of public funds
at the highest level of the
Congress as the headlines
announce daily is just one,
very smal l i ndi cator of a
greater harm done to the
peopl e by depraved and
greedy politicians. How many
False freedom and insatiable greed
more fake and fraudulent
infrastructure proj ects are
there like the one in Gala,
Subic? There is no freedom
from greed, it seems.
Besides these small, allegedly
corruption-ridden projects, the
extremely wealthy ruling elite
in the Philippine Congress
have allegedly plundered and
looted billions of pesos from
the treasury. Three prominent
Senators have been charged,
arrest warrants are imminent
and others fromCongress will
join them in jail. Their jails
are posh, luxurious tiled, well-
appointed bungalows built for
ranking officers.
They are incomparable to
the stinking jail cells where
the hungry street children are
incarcerated, abused, beaten
and raped for taking a banana
in the market. The indictments
by the Aquino administration
are a glimmer of hope that
change is possible but with
billions of bribes at hand,
justice is likely to be thwarted
and they will never answer
f or t hese al l eged cri mes.
These funds came from the
taxes imposed on the people
especially the 17 to 20 percent
VAT that were supposed to be
used for rural development to
alleviate poverty and build
barangay roads t o bri ng
children to school.
I ndependence Day l ast
June 12 was to celebrate the
political freedom of a nation
from colonial domination and
exploitation. Its a tortured
history. First, the impoverished
oppressed Filipinos struggled
for liberation from the Spanish
and almost succeeded. On
the eve of independence, the
North Americans declared
war on the Spanish, landed
troops in Manila in 1898 and
took over, then sent home
the defeated Spanish. The
Filipinos fought back, but
after a few years of bitter
war marked by atrocities, the
American forces conquered
t hem. They subdued and
tamed most of the Filipinos,
then the Japanese invaded and
ousted the Americans in World
War II. The people suffered
great l y and t he J apanese
were eventually defeated and
again, the Filipinos struggled
for independence from the
Uni t ed St at es of Ameri ca
and in 1947, they got it with
strings attached. But was it
real freedom?
T h e y g o t p o l i t i c a l
independence and a lot of
unfair and exploitative trading
arrangements and unequal
treaties that enabled American
corporations to exploit the
count ry at wi l l unt i l t he
present. They were swamped
with Americanization. So it was
not true independence, a great
dependency has been skillfully
arranged. The democracy was
a sham, in reality, the rich
Spanish-Filipino families in
close cooperation with the
American corporations ruled
without much opposition.
The va s t ma j or i t y of
Filipinos remained bitterly
poor peasants and isolated
t ri bal peopl e. Phi l i ppi ne
nat ur al r e s our c e s we r e
ruthlessly exploited, enabled
by unequal treaties, the riches
of the nation flowed across the
Pacific to America. The people
were exported also. Filipino
overseas workers flowed to
the pineapple plantations of
Hawaii to work in slave-like
conditions.
Little has changed. Eleven
mi l l i on Fi l i pi nos st i l l go
abroad t o f i nd economi c
freedom. The majority live
with 25% unemployment and
the freedom from poverty for
the majority of Filipinos is still
The democracy was a sham, in reality,
the rich Spanish-Filipino families in
close cooperation with the American
corporations ruled without much
opposition.
a dream. The economic news
may boast of 7% economic
growth, but that is only for the
oligarchy who have 70 percent
of the wealth in their pockets.
To quote from an editorial in
a national broad-sheet printed
March of last year: The increase
in the wealth of the 40 richest
families in the Philippines that
made it to the 2012 Forbes
list of the worlds billionaires
accounted for 76 percent of the
growth of the gross domestic
product (GDP). Its one of
the biggest rich-poor gaps in
the free world and, Habito
observed, the hi ghest i n
Asia. That is what they call
independence. [shaycullen@
preda.org, www.preda.org]
Filipinos sign a petition to junk the pork barrel funds at the One Million People March in August 2013 at the Quirino Grandstand.
cross is to be used for this purpose,
the size and weight of the cross
should not preclude its being
carried in procession. If there is
already a cross in the sanctuary,
the processional cross is placed
out of view of the congregation
following the procession.
Therefore, there are several
legitimate options offered with
respect to the location of the altar
cross, and present legislation
does not prefer one solution over
another.
It is well known that even
before becoming Pope, Benedict
XVI advocated the use of a
sizable crucifx upon the altar
itself as a means of establishing
what he called a liturgical east or
a means of focusing priest and
faithful on the central mystery of
redemption made present at Mass
and symbolized by the crucifx.
During his pontificate the
presence of such a crucifx upon
the altar became habitual at papal
Masses and thus far has been
continued by Pope Francis.
In this way, the popes teach
through example and good
liturgical practice. However, no
decree or other legal document has
yet been promulgated instituting
a change in legislation. Therefore,
the norms of the GIRM retain all
of their validity and legal force.
Not legislating might have been
a deliberate choice on the part of
the pontiffs so as not to close an
open debate regarding the best
practice in this area and leave
room for fexibility in different
pastoral situations.
With regard to the second
question: Priests should follow
the liturgical texts approved by
the bishops conference of each
country. They may not use other
texts approved by other conferences.
An exception would be a Mass
in English in countries with other
languages. In this case any approved
English text may be used.
poverty (unlike those priests who
belong to Institutes of Consecrated
Lifee.g., Franciscans, Dominicans,
Jesuits). However, just like all other
priests, he is called to voluntarily
embrace poverty in order to follow
Christ more closely and in order to
be a more effective sacred minister.
As to the specific case of the parish
priest mentioned in the present query,
perhaps we shouldnt be too hasty
in judging his actions. On the one
hand, we might ask if his so-called
new cars are really brand new or
are rather newly acquired second-
hand cars (which last him only a few
years). On the other hand, we dont
really know if his pets are really
costing him that much to maintain
and are eating better food than the
poorest in his parish. In any case,
since appearances and perceptions
cannot be disregarded, perhaps it is
incumbent upon those near to himin
a spirit of Christian charityto gently
point such misgivings to him clearly.
In the end, perhaps the lesson that
can be learned from this query is
the importance of developing a true
spirit of poverty, whichmore than
being limited to a list of proscribed
actions (which on the other hand
the aforementioned norms explicitly
contain as a minimum requirement)
in the words of the Directory should
lead the priest to conform himself to
[Christ], with an interior detachment
as to the goods and riches of the
world.
Pope Francis is definitely a living
example of this ideal.
Isaiah to be a great prophet. It would
be a true statement. However, this
does not mean that a Jew could accept
the Christian belief that certain texts
of Isaiah foretell the life and death of
Jesus. To do so would be to deny the
Jewish faith.
For Christians, Christ is the Son of
God and Gods defnitive revelation
to man. A Christian cannot accept that
Mohammed is a prophet in the Christian
sense, since all prophecy ceased before
Christ and necessarily led to him. Nor
can Christianity give any credence to
the Quran as divine Revelation, because
there can be no public Revelation after
the time of the apostles. To affrm
otherwise would be to deny a central
belief of our faith.
Finally, although it might seem to
be legalese, the homily may not be
omitted on such a major feast. It may
not be delivered by anyone other than
an ordained minister and should refect
the faith.
As the instruction Redemptionis
Sacramentum says:
64. The homily, which is given in
the course of the celebration of Holy
Mass and is a part of the Liturgy itself,
should ordinarily be given by the Priest
celebrant himself. He may entrust it to
a concelebrating Priest or occasionally,
according to circumstances, to a Deacon,
but never to a layperson. In particular
cases and for a just cause, the homily
may even be given by a Bishop or a
Priest who is present at the celebration
but cannot concelebrate.
65. It should be borne in mind that any
previous norm that may have admitted
non-ordained faithful to give the homily
during the eucharistic celebration is to
be considered abrogated by the norm of
canon 767 1. This practice is reprobated,
so that it cannot be permitted to attain
the force of custom.
66. The prohibition of the admission
of laypersons to preach within the Mass
applies also to seminarians, students
of theological disciplines, and those
who have assumed the function of
those known as pastoral assistants;
nor is there to be any exception for any
other kind of layperson, or group, or
community, or association.
67. Particular care is to be taken so
that the homily is frmly based upon
the mysteries of salvation, expounding
the mysteries of the Faith and the
norms of Christian life from the biblical
readings and liturgical texts throughout
the course of the liturgical year and
providing commentary on the texts of
the Ordinary or the Proper of the Mass,
or of some other rite of the Church. It is
clear that all interpretations of Sacred
Scripture are to be referred back to
Christ himself as the one upon whom
the entire economy of salvation hinges,
though this should be done in light of
the specifc context of the liturgical
celebration. In the homily to be given,
care is to be taken so that the light of
Christ may shine upon lifes events.
Even so, this is to be done so as not
to obscure the true and unadulterated
word of God: for instance, treating
only of politics or profane subjects,
or drawing upon notions derived
from contemporary pseudo-religious
currents as a source.

Boosts food resiliency
Despi te the progress made,
the level of hunger in the world
remains serious with 870 million
people going hungry, according
t o est i mat es by t he Food and
Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, the 2013 GHI said,
adding that in order to fight hunger,
people should have food resiliency,
which involves boosting food and
nutrition security.
The United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
identified the top two causes of
global hunger and malnutrition as
the peoples lack of self-sufficiency in
food and the inability to grow their
own food. And that is what UCG
is all about, said the technologys
developer Perfecto Jojo Rom.
Rom said that empowering families
to become food resilient is the aim of
UCG as it enables poor families who
are always expose to manmade and/
or natural shocks cope with these
shocks while allowing them to also
improve their lot through a diversified
sources of i ncome. Thus, UCG
contributes to food security, nutrition
and livelihood in a combination of
ways, such as providing for family
self-consumption, allowing for saving
on food expenditures, providing
a source of income, improving the
supply of local markets with fresh and
nutritious organic food at competitive
prices, among others.
Urban container gardening is the
only doable strategy of democratizing
agriculturewhere people will now
have a form of control in the area
of food security. Through container
gardening, social enterprises flourish
and more jobs are generated and lessen
migration to other countries. This will
also result in lower incidences of
food-borne diseases or illnesses. It is
also a system of turning waste into a
resource, thus building the resiliency
of people, he explained.
UCG pract i t i oners sai d t hat
investing in UCG will ultimately
reduce poverty and hunger in the
Philippines aside from contributing
to increasing the food security of
the nation and thus help promote
economic diversification and growth.
Increased agricultural activity
generates higher incomes and creates
income-generating opportunities
for otherwise destitute population
groups, offering a recognized way
to escape the poverty trap, the FAO
said.
And the mothers in Sitio Puntabon,
Barangay Bonbonwhose houses
and UCGs are built on stilts on top
of watergrowing the ubiquitous,
delicious, and nutritious organic
vegetables not only contribute to
the maintenance of a healthy life but
also to the city, regional and national
economic health.
Wala gani mi yuta pero nakaya namo,
unsa pa kaha sila nga naay mga luna (We
have no land yet we were able to do
it, how much more they who have
parcels of land), said the younger
Monsion.
B8
Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
B8
CBCP Monitor
Entertainment Entertainment
Technical Assessment
Poor
Below average
Average
Above average
Excellent
Moral Assessment
Abhorrent
Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome
Exemplary
HE speaks to you. You have to
trust that he speaks in a way that
you can understand.
If you are expecting a peaceful,
colourful, biblical story of your
childhood, do not go see Noah,
the 2014 movie. Noah (Russell
Crowe) is a good family man
who is disturbed by dreams
about the destruction of the
world. He seeks his grandfather
Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins)
who tells him that the Creator
has chosen him for a special task.
He speaks to you. You have to
trust that he speaks in a way that
you can understand. What he
understood was man has become
so wicked that the Creator
wants to annihilate humanity
and he has to save the innocent.
He builds an ark, with his wife
Naameh (Jennifer Connelly), his
three sons Ham (Logan Lerman),
Shem (Douglas Booth), Japheth
(Leo McHugh Carroll), and
adopted daughter Ila (Emma
FIVE years after Hiccup (Jay
Banuchel) has shown the Berks
that men and dragons can
peacefully co-exist as companions
and friends, he faces the challenge
of Stoick (Gerard Butler), chief of
the tribe and father to him, to
take over the leadership of his
village. But Hiccup doubts he
can handle the responsibility
and prefers to explore the world
with his dragon friend Toothless.
In one of his adventures, Hiccup
and his girlfriend, Astrid
(Ferrera), stumble upon Eret
(Kit Harrington) and his group
of dragon trappers. The duo
learn that Eret works for Drago,
a cruel Viking who wants to
take over Berk by assembling
an army of dragons. Wanting
to avoid confict and protect the
dragons, Hiccup ventures to
confront Drago and talk him out
of his plan amidst the objections
of everyone else. Along the way,
Hiccup is captured by Valka, a
skilled dragon rider and tamer,
who eventually happens to also
be his long lost mother. As the
story of Valka is revealed, so is
Dragos evil plans to conquer not
only Berk but the entire mankind.
When Stoick is accidentally
killed by a hypnotized Toothless,
LEAD CAST: Russell Crowe,
Jennifer Connelly, Emma
Watson, Ray Winstone,
Logan Lerman, Anthony
Hopkins, Douglas Booth,
Leo McHugh Carroll
DIRECTOR: Darren Aronofsky
SCREENWRITER: Darren
Aronofsky, Ari Handel
GENRE: Drama, Classics,
Biblical Epic
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mat-
thew Libatique
DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount
Pictures
LOCATION: United States,
Iceland, Mexico
RUNNING TIME: 138 minutes
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:

MORAL ASSESSMENT:
MTRCB RATING: R-13
CINEMA RATING: A 14
LEAD CAST: Shailene Woodley, Ansel
Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam
Trammell, Willem Dafoe
DIRECTOR: Josh Boone
SCREENWRITER: Scott Neustadter,
Michael H. Weber
GENRE: Drama, Comedy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben
Richardson
DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox
LOCATION: United States,
Amsterdam
RUNNING TIME: 126 minutes
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:
MORAL ASSESSMENT:
MTRCB rating: PG
CINEMA rating: V 14
CAST: Jay Banuchel, Cate
Blanchett, Gerard
Butler, Craig Ferguson,
America Ferrera, Jonah
Hill
DIRECTION: Dean DeBlois
SCREENPLAY: Dean
DebLois; Based on the
book of Cressida Cowell
GENRE: Adventure/
Animation
MUSIC: John Powell
DISTRIBUTOR: Dreamworks
Animation
LOCATION: Berk Village
RUNNING TIME: 102
minutes
TECHNICAL AASESSMENT:

MORAL ASSESSMENT:

MTRCB rating: G
CINEMA rating: VA
(Viewers of all ages)
Buhay San Miguel Brothers Matias
NOAH
THE FAULT IN
OUR STARS
HOW TO
TRAIN YOUR
DRAGON 2
SIXTEEN-year-ol d Hazel Grace
Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) suffers
from thyroid cancer and lugs around
an oxygen tank connected to the tube
in her nose. She doesnt look like
shes dying tomorrow, and in fact is
the least sick-looking person in the
Watson). As the ark they are
building nears its completion,
with the help of the Watchers,
heavenly beings doomed to
the earth because of their
disobedience, various animal
species enter the ark. Tubal-Cain
(Ray Winstone) arrives with his
followers demanding they be
allowed on board. The rains
come in torrents, and the food
waters rise with the animals and
Noahs family safe in the ark, but
the drama does not end.
Noah is a biblical epic, but it
is a dark, brooding opus typical
of Darren Aronofsky (see Black
Swan, etc.). Aronofsky combines
good biblical research, masterful
storytelling and effective CGIs:
the miraculous forest, the animals
coming in droves to the ark, the
terrifying but majestic waters
of the Flood! Cinematography
is at times visually stunning.
The actors do not disappoint
either. Russell Crowe inhabits
Noahs skin and exhibits his
versatility as a tender father, a
driven hero, a villain fghting his
own demons, and trying to fulfl
his mission as he understood it.
Jennifer Connelly complements
Crowe with her presence and
heart. Anthony Hopkins still
manages to deliver a believable
Methuselah. Emma Watson and
the young actors adequately
portray their roles. Aronofsky
takes a story we all know and
presents it in a language 21st
century men and women can
grasp. He has been accused of
taking so much liberty with
the Bible account. His critics
forget that the story of the
food was passed on from one
generation to another orally
before it was ever written with
all the embellishments at each
retelling.
Aronofskys latest work is a
Noah story for adults because
Hiccup realizes he must stand up
against Drago to fght for Berk,
for the dragons and for peace.
How to train your dragon
2 surpasses its predecessor in
visual feats and animated action.
The recreated world of dragons
and Berk are such spectacular
joys. John Powells scoring,
although not as dynamic as the
frst movie, still brings shivers
with the triumph and excitement
of his powerful and playful
music. While it is contextually
deeper and more grounded, the
pacing at times moves a little
too slowprobably to allow the
audience to digest the emotions
served in family reunions and
display of bravery. While it gave
the storytelling intensity, it took
away a pinch of fuidity into
the action sequences. Valkas
character was supposed to
provide the narrative highlight
but her motivations and portrayal
feel damp and underdeveloped.
However, the movies clever
comedy and lovable characters
makes it worth the hour s
queuing at the ticket booth.
The movie offers so much
inspiring moral worldviews.
It tackles leadership and
responsibility with Hiccups
it challenges you to think. The
recurring fashback montage of
creation confronts the viewer
with the wickedness of humans.
And this wickedness, this sin,
is shown as the cause of all
the sufferings in the world,
personifed by Tubal-cain and
his army. Noah comes face to
face with this evil refected in
his own heart. And yet he has
been given the sacred trust to
care for the earth and to serve the
justice of the Creator. So focused
was he on obeying this mission
that he is willing to sacrifce not
only himself but everything,
including the love and lives
of his family. Although God is
never mentioned in the flm (he
is called Creator), he is present
and involved in the lives of his
people: he guides, provides for
and saves them. Despairing of
what he thought was a failed
mission, Noah discovers the
Creator as a God not only of
justice but of mercy and second
chances, of forgiveness and new
beginnings.
The overtly environmentalist
message is another criticism.
But what is wrong about the
reminder to take only what we
need? Can we not see the rape
of nature currently happening in
this day and age? Are the extreme
violence in the fght scenes and
intense emotional confrontations
in the movie alien to our reality?
Or is it because we do not want
to listen? We so bombard our
ears, our eyes, our minds, our
hearts with what we want that
we cannot perceive the new life
offered to us: peace, freedom, joy?
Maybe, this is the food story that
we need to hear.
Would that Ilas words to Noah
resonate in the hearts of all: He
chose you for a reason. The choice
was put in your hands for a
reason. (Sr. Rose Agtarap, FSP)
initial hesitation to fll in Stoicks
shoes and eventual realization
that choices made for service
and common good is what a
true leader really is. Family
plays a dominant theme in the
flm as well. We see a better
father fgure now in Stoick who
accepts and respects his sons
choices although he still would
defend and protect him at all
cost. Bravery and selfessness is
redefned with a father offering
his life for his family and the
people he serves. We see a loving
and forgiving husband in him as
well when without question or
anger, he lets his love for his wife
resurface after almost 20 years.
And like its predecessor, the
themes of peaceful co-existence
and respect for others prevail. It
reinforces that neither hostility
nor domination over Gods
creation are acceptable. We are
all called to be stewards and to
love unconditionally so that we
can experience prosperity and
peace as did the Berks when they
learned to care for the dragons.
However, parents are cautioned
against bringing their very young
children because some actions
and dragons might be too scary
for them.
church-run support group of fellow
cancer patients her mother (Laura Dern)
insists she attend. In one of those group
sessions she dutifully drags herself
to each week, she (literally) bumps
into Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort),
himself in remission since he lost one
leg to osteosarcoma. Augustus is there
to accompany and support his one-eyed
buddy Isaac, in danger of also losing the
other eye to cancer. For self-confdent
total charmer Gus, its probably love at
frst sight, but the sensible and cautious
Hazel will not warm up until after a
few meetings. Just as when the sun is
shining on Hazel and Guss world, a
thunderstorm strikes and dark clouds
form. Sounds corny?
A wag once called The fault in our
stars Twilight on chemo, it being
an ill-starred romance between two
cancer-stricken teenaged virgins whose
optimism no cancer can corrupt. To
use-your-head viewers, the story is
too good to be real or believed in, even
manipulative in its attempt to capture
its target demographicsnot cancer
patients but adolescent girls. To use-
your-heart moviegoers, its a story
movies need to tell and people ought to
believe in nowadays. From the sniffing
going on inside the theater it seems there
are more hearts than heads in the
audience. Credit is due to the convincing
performances of Woodley and Elgort
(sister and brother in Divergent), and
the all-too-powerful portrayal by Willem
Dafoe (as author Van Houten) for giving
this midyear tear-jerker its unique selling
point as it competes against biggies
and heavies (Malefcent, Noah, Edge of
Tomorrow, How to train your dragon
2, Blended) for the multiplex crowds
attention.
Hazel, who does not want anyone
to fall in love with her lest her early
demise hurt that person, ends up
(spoiler coming) grieving over a loss.
It not fair, she cries. As though having
terminal cancer werent bad enough,
these young lovers must be heartbroken,
too? But even though cancer sufferers
may never find physical healing,
The fault in the stars shows there is
another kind of healing to be found in
the devotion and support of parents,
in the sympathy of the community,
andwith the stars cooperatingin
the love of the one person wholl
make the greatest difference in ones
short life. The directors depiction
of the well-intentioned but rather
contrived approach of the church group
in extending support to Hazel and
other terminally ill patients presents a
challenge to mission-oriented church
organizations to examine why their
act fall short of expectations. Parents
are cautioned, too, to be armed with
answers in case their teenagers ask
about the two virgins pursuing
the innocent frst kiss to its logical
conclusion without the benefit of
marriage. (Teresa R. Tunay)
C1
Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
The News Supplement of
Couples for Christ
Alter Christus, Nurtured by Mary
The CFC 33
rd
Anniversary
By The CFC Docu Team
AS early as 9:00 AM of June 21, 2014,
convoys from the various areas in Metro
Manila and nearby provinces were roll-
ing in at the Quirino Grandstand, signi-
fying the start of the whole-day activities
for the celebration of the 33
rd
anniversary
of Couples for Christ.
A milestone anniversary, this year's
celebrations centered on the theme Alter
Christus, Nurtured by Mary, in recogni-
tion of CFC's identity as another Christ,
and in honor of the Blessed Mother for
accompanying the community for three
years in a row.
Highlights of the activities were the
carnival booths, the Marian parade-cum-
procession where numerous images of
Mama Mary were showcased, the kite-
fying activities, the family variety show,
and game show, among others.
However, on top of all these festivi-
ties, CFC also highlighted the renewal of
marital vows of all the married couples
at the Luneta, in the hopes of breaking a
world record, at the same time sending
a very strong message about marriage
and the family, two institutions that CFC
highly regards (see side story below).
Reresentatives from thirty-three coun-
tries came during the anniversary
celebrations. Guests from CFC mother
community, Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon,
the Brotherhood of Christian Business-
men and Professionals (BCBP) and Fa-
milia were also there to celebrate CFC's
33
rd
year.
CIO Head Rouquel Ponte read the
message from the Papal Nuncio, Arch-
bishop Guissepe Pinto. He quoted, "In-
voking the maternal intercession of the
Virgin Mary, "Mother of the Church and
of our faith" (LF 60), in the name of the
Successor of Peter, I have the honor to
transmit the Apostolic Blessing that Pope
Francis imparts with affection to all those
present at the thanksgiving liturgy and
to all who participate in it spiritually."
After the Mass, Live to Worship, a
praise concert, immediately followed.
And for the frst time after a long, long
time, the skies did not bring rain to the
CFC celebrations.
As a fnale, a magnifcent freworks
display dotted the night sky after the
concert.
Thousands of CFCs from all over the Philippines and from 33 countries attended the Mass during
the 33rd anniversary celebration at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila. His Excellency Archbishop Jose
Palma of Cebu was main celebrant. (Photos courtesy of D. Oliveria, C. Rubio, J.Tanigue, J. Nones, M.
Espiritu, J. Umali, J. Rosarda, G. Pacheco, K. Malinao, O. Bugarin, R. Tenerife, B. Rafael, and I. Talisic.)
Couples of all ages and from different parts of the Philippines and the world trooped to the Rizal
Park in Manila to make history, and to send a strong message to the world
3 New IC Members Elected
The CFC International Council, from left: Jimmy Ilagan, George Campos, Melo Villaroman, Joe Tale,
Arnel Santos, Joe Yamamoto, Jun Uriarte, James Solano, and Mannix Ocampo.
LAST June 20, 2014, following the rec-
ollection of the Elders Assembly, three
new members of the CFC International
Council were elected. During the elec-
tions, Jose Tale, Jose Yamamoto and Er-
melo Villaroman Jr. garnered the three
highest votes. They replaced outgoing
IC members Ricardo Cuenca, Emma-
nuel Garcia and Emmanuel Dalman Jr.
The three new ICs are not really
new as they are old-timers to the
posts. Tale was Couples for Christ
Chairman before he retired three years
ago. Yamamoto, on the other hand, was
former BCOP Director, and is still head
of the Give Kare Foundation (GKare).
He is very much active in the medi-
cal profession. Villaroman used to be
CFC Executive Director. After he was
replaced as IC, he took a corporate post
in Singapore where he and his family
are based right now.
The new ICs will assume offce by
July 1
st
, and on their frst meeting, elect
the new offcers and heads of directo-
rates.
Let us all together pray for the new
set of CFC leaders and ask the Blessed
Mother to continue interceeding for the
community.
40,000 couples renew their I dos to send
message, and hope to break world record
LOVE was defnitely in the air last June
21, 2014. Why? Because just before sun-
set, more than 2,000 couples renewed
their marriage vows during the Mass
for the 33
rd
anniversary of CFC.
The renewal of marriage vows was
organized primarily to send a very
strong messagethat Couples for
Christ upholds the sanctity of the
sacrament of matrimony, and that
CFC is committed to protect the fam-
ily at all cost.
Earlier that week, during The Fo-
rum organized by the Catholic Media
Network, CFC Executive Director
George Campos reiterated this state-
ment, with the hope that it gets media,
and hopefully Guinness' attention by
challenging an existing world record
for the largest number of couples re-
newing their marital vows.
In an interview with major dai-
lies, CFC Executive Director George
Campos said, We have yet to sort
out the marriage contracts submit-
ted by the couples, but based on our
estimates, 40,000 couples are gathered
(here today) to renew their vows. The
number is still unoffcial but were
confident that we could break the
existing record.
As of June 21, the unoffcial count of
registered couples was at 2,874, more
than double of the current world re-
cord set by The Big Promise in the UK.
CFC is now preparing to send all
the requirements for certifcation to
the offces of the Guinness Book of
World Records.
This is not just a game of numbers.
We are protecting the sanctity of mar-
riage, he added.
Four Bishops offciated the Mass
and renewal of vows, with Cebu Arch-
bishop Jose Palma as main celebrant.
C2 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Ugnayan
Ricky Cuenca
MY DEAR brothers and sisters,
greetings of peace and love.
By Gods grace, CFC was led as
a community to look to Mary as
our guide for the last 3 years. I am
blessed that these years coincided
with my 3 years as a member of the
International Council privileged to
serve as Chairman. During these
3 years we had beautiful themes--
exclusively CFCs:
2012- Proclaim the Greatness
of the Lord. ( MISSION)
2013 - Obey and Witness
(COMMUNITY)
2014- Behold and Ponder
(COMMUNION)
Let us look back at where the
guidance of our Blessed Mother
brought us!
On Fire Evangelization (Mis-
sion)
Today, we continue to proclaim
the greatness of the Lord through
our Evangelization and Mission.
As early as 2012, we already de-
clared that our priority is going to
be ON FIRE Evangelization:
O - ne with CHRIST ; Oneness
with the Catholic Church
N - ew Generation
F - ullness of Evangelization:
Christ, Family, Poor
I - nternational or Global Calling
R - elevant Life and Formation
E - ffective Governance and
Stewardship
We identifed ourselves as pas-
sionate and relentless missionaries
in sharing the transformative love
of Christ to the ends of the earth!
After three years of strategic
evangelization efforts, we have
grown our mission in CFC. The
community is blessed with ap-
proximately 700,000 membership
from our Metro Manila Missions,
Philippine Missions and Interna-
tional Missions and still growing.
CFC is now present in 5 conti-
nents with Asia, except the Philip-
pines, and the Americas as the two
continents with the most number
of members.
We are now in 106 countries in
the regions of Africa, Americas,
Asia, Oceania and Europe and all
the provinces of the Philippines.
The membership of CFC is becom-
ing more global in character as we
have now a true-blooded Chinese,
Indians, American/Caucasians,
Africans, Mauritians and a lot
more.
The Philippines (Manila as re-
ferred to in our Vatican Statutes)
is the Center of our global mission
comprising 89% of the total mem-
bership of CFC and the Family
Ministries. Do you know that CFC
still is the largest Catholic Charis-
matic Renewal Movement in the
Philippines, if not the world?
We are very much encouraged
by the growth of our Family Min-
istries. Collectively, the KFC, YFC,
SFC, HOLD and SOLD comprise
53% of our total global member-
ship. The future of CFC is assured!
Our CFC Vision of Families in
the Holy Spirit Renewing the Face
of the Earth happens because we
have been called and empowered
by the Holy Spirit to go out into
the world and proclaim His great-
ness. Not by might, not by power,
but by my spirit, says the Lord of
hosts (Zechariah 4:6)
We are sending more volunteer
missionaries all over the world.
Our full time missionaries have left
their own countries to serve.
One of CFCs responses to New
Evangelization is to take a giant
step in our evangelization efforts
by equipping our Pastoral Workers
and Mission Volunteers. In line
with this, our inculturation strat-
egy is for our missionaries to be
conversant in various languages.
We are happy to report to you that
in few days we will have the frst
graduates of a three-month Span-
ish training class. Mandarin and
other languages will follow. Now,
missionaries are not only coming
from the Philippines, but other
countries are raising missionaries
as well.
One of our priorities as a com-
munity is to be in all the parishes
in the Philippines and to be ac-
tive participants in the parish/
diocese activities. The Integration
and Partnership with the Church
aims to foster a strong relationship
with parish priests, deacons and
bishops. The established good re-
lationships with church hierarchies
were instrumental in expanding
the delivery of our ON FIRE evan-
gelization.
During our two-day Lay-Clergy
Congress, no less than His Emi-
nence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
and Bishop David came to address
our members. Sixteen Bishops and
more than 100 priests from all over
the Philippines and the world like-
wise attended these events. Our
encouragement among the Family
Ministries has yielded a harvest of
priests and nuns, some of whom
were also with us in the congress.
We continue to dialogue with
our Bishops, presenting our stand
on important CFC issues about our
mission and identity. Of special
note are our meetings with Arch-
bishop Guiseppi Pinto (Apostolic
Nunciature to the Philippines),
Archbishop Socrates Villegas
(CBCP President), Archbishop Jose
Palma, Bishop Gabriel Reyes, and
Bishop Jesse Mercado. The IC has
also attended meetings with the
Pontifcal Council for the Laity and
the Pontifcal Council for the New
Evangelization.
We are on stream with the new
methods of New Evangelization.
We are strengthening our Media
evangelization through our en-
hanced CFC website. Later on,
there is a plan to hyperlink all the
websites of CFC in different coun-
tries . Through our Global Com-
munications, CFC and the Family
Ministries are now encouraged
to use social media (Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, etc.), as well
as e-mail marketing as tools for
evangelization.
ABLAZE Communications
continues to fulfll its purpose of
propelling and enabling the Vision
and Mission of CFC through Social
Communications, beginning with
CFC TV, EWTN exposure, social
media and the CFC app, and the re-
source materials such as books and
household topics. CFC through
Ablaze takes on the global market
by expanding its reach beyond
community.
CFC is very much one with
the Church in fully embracing
and actively participating in New
Evangelization. Our work with
the youth, poor, re-evangelization
of those who drifted away in their
faith, and Missio Ad Gentes is very
much part of our mission in CFC.
The work of our Family Minis-
tries are fourishing! Our confer-
ences continue to draw thousands
of CFC and Family Ministries
members and have also become
gateway opportunities for friends
and members of the family.
Let us look at each of our Family
Ministries and the highlights of
their mission:
KFC is in 62 countries. KFC
Family T.I.E.S. (Together In Every
Situation) Camp leads the fam-
ily to a more open and loving
relations. The KFC ministry is
very much present in Schools (e.g.
Ateneo de Manila & schools in
Africa ) where parents are slowly
becoming interested to join Cou-
ples For Christ.
The KFC Global Day of Service
in the last 3 years, involves the
whole family in doing acts of love
and service to others. (e.g. Kuwait
in 2013). We now have KFC
Original Kids Praise Songs in YOU
TUBE and KFC Offcial Facebook
account. In 2016, the IKV will be
held in Africa!
As a ministry, YFC is gear-
ing towards becoming an Alter
Christus to the young. The YFC
Advocacies, Liveloud, and the
YFC Infosystem are tools to make
the evangelization relevant. Just
this June 7, as part of our Pentecost
celebration, ULTRA was packed
and pulsating with the excitement
of 7,000 youth! A total of 26,620
new youth camp graduates, 32
newly opened campus based, and
40 newly opened high school based
have kept the ministry growing
. The missionary spirit among
the youth is blazing. We have 22
new FT workers and 113 mission
volunteers this year.
YFC is Realigning and reinforc-
ing of the essentials: incorporating
Catechism and Catholic traditions
in conferences/events/assemblies,
and focusing ministry directions
on the basic priorities of the youth
(God, family, studies, service).
SFC is the next generation
Couples For Christ this is the
ministrys main thrust. To make
this a reality, the new structure
of SFC is highlighting chapter
integration with CFC. CFC helps
to drive ONENESS and CON-
NECTEDNESS in Singles For
Christ. SFC leads in the Infosystem
( OGD) with 100% of SFC MM
chapters, 80% of PM chapters, and
about 40% of IM chapters already
enrolled in the SFC infosystem.
The second stage of pastoral
formation revolves around rela-
tionships, vocations, and a deeper
spirituality together with SFCs
support for the broadening work in
BCOP. Noteworthy is the support
of close to 1 thousand volunteer
tutors for Cornerstone all over the
country.
The HOLD Ministry, not only
in numbers but in the spiritual
growth of its members. The strong
relevant and creative pastoral
formation addressing situations
of Handmaids drives the mission.
The Spirit-filled annual HOLD
International Conferences help
sustain the fire in HOLD. The
inspiring annual Marian Confer-
ences not only honor Mary, but is
a way for Handmaids to be more
like her.
The HOLD Leaders undergo a
series of trainings called Zipporah
Saturdays or ZipSats through
which HOLD leaders are equipped
with the skills they need. In 2013,
31 HOLD Mission Volunteers were
sent to the different continents of
the world on mission and approxi-
mately 70 Mission Volunteers were
sent to the different provinces of
the Philippines.
Burning in the hearts of the
Handmaids is a love for the poor.
The ANCOP HOLD Adopt-a-
Scholar program, has been blessed
with 148 current active scholars, 37
of whom have graduated Ang
Ganda Mo, the environment pro-
gram includes tree growing, food
sufficiency, waste management
and livelihood through recycling.
Handmaids in Metro Manila have
planted 26,460 trees as a way of
caring for the environment.
This year has been a TURN-
ING POINT for SOLD as their
theme states. For the 1st time in
years they had biggest turn out of
participants in their conference. It
was well attended by CFC Area
Governance Team who attended
an appreciation on the Mens For-
mation Ministry of CFC.
Evangelization is at its best,
conducting pocket CLPs in their
homes from Canada, Qatar, to
Saudi Arabia, UAE & Brunei. As
a matter of Fact, SOLDs Abba-
Father Weekend is now endorsed
by Bishop Sim of Brunei in their
Dioceses and even in the parishes
of Japan. Here in Metro Manila it
is a continuous program for some
sectors like West A & South B. If
you have seen the movie Coura-
geous you will surely love 24/15
Best Decision Conference as it
oblige men to be responsible for
CFC Hong Kong Revival on Pentecost Sunday
Parejas Para Cristo opens in Peru
CFC CHAIRMAN Ricky Cuenca
and wife Irma dedicated new
members in Hong Kong on
Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2014,
marking the revival of the CFC
community in the area. The next
day, June 9, the couple, together
with leaders of CFC Hong Kong,
paid a courtesy call to His Emi-
nence Cardinal John Tong Hon
of the Diocese of Hong Kong
at the Hong Kong Diocesan
Pastoral Center & Immaculate
Conception Cathedral.
The Beloved Conference in Kenya
ONE HUNDRED and thrity-one individuals24
couples, 23 SOLD, 60 HOLD/ SFCcommitted
to Parejas Para Cristo last May 31, 2014 in Rioja,
Peru. Host parish priest Rev. Fr. Rober Guerrero
Martinez of Santo Toribio de Mongrovejo, sup-
ported the program well (pre-mission and during
the Programa de Vida Cristiana or PVC).
The service team, composed of Patrick and Essy
Donoso, Fr. Martin Mroz, and Glen and Beth San-
tayana, were overwhelmed by the bountiful harvest.
The warm goodbyes by new PPC members at Sun-
By Malou Clarito
COUPLES for Christ Kenya
held its Beloved Conference
last May 24, 2014 at the Our
Lady of the Holy Rosary
church in Nairobi.
It was a joyful and spirit-
flled conference, especially
when each area started the
parade waving banners,
chanting. Some of them even
sang and danced to the Af-
rican beat, which added to
the fun.
CFC Nairobi welcomed
warmly the delegates from
the Coastal Region of Voi
and Mombasa, as well as the
new members from Eldoret
who just graduated from
their Christian Life Program
last November 2013. It was
a sight to beholdbrothers
and sisters from different areas
of Kenya meeting as one for
the Lord.
The Conference proper started
with a Prologue given by Manu
Muinde, fulltime Pastoral work-
er from Kenya. David Makon-
nen, CFC Kenya National Direc-
tor delivered the frst talk, Pon-
der Family of Love while Jun
Clarito, Country Coordinator
for Kenya, gave the second talk
entitled Ponder, the Mangers
Message, which emphasized
on CFCs building the Church
of the Poor.
Fr. Jose Eudes shared to the
delegates how CFC Kenyas
child sponsorship program has
given hope to the children from
his parish. The sponsored chil-
dren from Soweto came and
gave a special number to the
delight of all the participants.
Nic Escalona, Regional
Coordinator for Central Af-
rica, inspired all to do Gods
mission as he delivered the
third talk Behold, the New
Mission. After the sump-
tuous lunch, Goi Villegas,
fulltime pastoral worker for
Kenya, gave the final talk,
The Beloved Son. He also
led the Praisefest.
The conference ended by
the Eucharistic Celebration
officiated by no less than
the Auxilliary Bishop of
Nairobi, the Most Reverend
David Kamau, who rallied
the community to continue
t he good works CFC i s
doing so that the commu-
nity will spread throughout
Kenya and be instruments
in bringing more families
closer to Christ.
day's closing fellowship was an affrmation of their
joy in the new community life. Fr. Rober confrmed
how well the locals received the teachings. In fact, a
possibility of another PVC in Advent may happen.
On another occasion, the mission team from the
USA met with Filipinos who work for the US Em-
bassy in Lima, Peru, including two Filipino priests
based there. Glen Santayana gave an Orientation
talk and left brochures so they can prayerfully
discuss how to move forward. The group had a
good Q&A afterwards. (G. Santayana)
their action to God, Society and
Family.
Building the Church of the Poor
We joyfully Proclaim the Great-
ness of the Lord to the Poor, follow-
ing Christs mission To bring glad
tidings to do poor. Our concern
for the poor and passion for justice
is seen as the very core of witness-
ing by our own lifestyles. Building
the church of the poor is a personal
conversion with values embraced
by our own families starting of
course from our International
Council to the household leaders.
Our commitment to the poor is at
the heart of our CFC mission in
the world. All CFC leaders at all
levels are carriers of our mission to
build the church of the poor. We
continue to actualize this mission
in ANCOP and BCOP
This year, an estimated 110,000
walked the talk during the AN-
COP Global walk in MM. More
than 50 provinces and countries
where CFC is present joined the
walk with the goal of sending more
scholars to school next school year.
We now have over 6,000 schol-
ars in CSP and growing. Four (4)
of our college scholars graduated
as cum laude this March and six
high schoolers (6) graduated as
Valedictorians.
Last year, we were in 72 public
schools helping elementary chil-
dren to become reading literate,
and molding high school students
in excellence by building the Chris-
tian values of these future leaders
of our nation. There will be addi-
tional schools this July.
ANCOP communities continue
to expand where our work of evan-
gelization is vibrant.
The Co-ops for Christ primaries
all over the Philippines under the
banner of the CFC Co-operatives
Federation continue to provide
livelihood opportunities, business
development and fnancial services
to our members nationwide.
CFCs Social Development Pro-
grams have become major Gate-
way evangelization programs.
The Lord opened up the trans-
formation of men and women in
uniform. The Order of St Michael
(OSM) is our program with the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) under the Sword of Gideon.
OSM is now CFCs partnering,
planning, coordinating and moni-
toring arm with the 85,000 strong
Philippine Army through the Of-
fce of the Army Chief Chaplain
Service (OACCS). This will open
the way for CFC all over the Phil-
ippines to work with the various
chaplaincies of the AFP.
Our Migrant Workers Program
allows CFC to reach out to the
families of Migrant workers and
to the Migrant workers themselves
especially in the Middle East, in
Asia, and Europe.
Our work of evangelization in
the prisons with our Isaiah 61:1 vol-
unteers continues to prosper. Our
advocacy continues in the areas of
environment, good governance in
government and corporate offces.
Many big private organizations
both here and abroad have chosen
CFC ANCOP to be their partner in
extending their assistance in the
rehabilitation of Yolanda stricken
areas. To name a few, we have
Cross Catholic Outreach of the US;
Chalice International of Canada;
SM Group, and PIRA, among
others. Archdioceses, Dioceses
and Parishes, as well as LGUs are
also now collaborating with CFC
ANCOP.
God continues to bless CFC
as we continue to work with the
poor. This work has been rooted in
Christ who was poor, a carpenters
son, born in a manger, raised in a
poor isolated province. Our work
with the poor continues until the
last poor family has experienced
the transformative love of Christ.
Only then will our Mission of
building the church of the home
and the church of the poor be
fulflled.
Obey And Witness
(Community)
CFC is a nurturing community.
Our 2013 theme Obey & Witness
points us to the right posture of
our heart that the most important
desire we need to havewhy
we are here in CFCis to grow
in our relationship with the Lord
and with one another. To grow
in holiness is to obey Gods com-
mands and to be a witness by the
life we live.
Our January Leaders Confer-
ences and CFC Anniversaries
have drawn our members and
their families to come together in
celebration and fellowship and to
show our unity bound by ONE
direction and ONE mission.
Building relationships (brethr-
enhood) with each other is at the
very heart of our community of
CFC. Our chapter gatherings and
faithfulness to our households
strengthen our bonding with
each other not just as brothers
and sisters in Christ, but as true
family and friends who support
each other in times of celebration
and times of trials. Our closeness
is very evident especially in our
MCG Weekends in Baguio where
whole households come not only
to be inspired by the talks, but to
enjoy fellowship with each other.
It has become a yearly tradition for
many of us.
We in the IC have also strived to
become more available and identi-
fed to the general membership, re-
spectful and mindful in the practice
of humility and simplicity with a
strengthened capacity for listening
and silence. We discourage treat-
ments of power and reservations in
places of honor. We are attempting
and still committed to the princi-
ples of subsidiarity giving voice to
decisions made at the household
level from the bottom up.
Our program of good govern-
CHAIRMAN / C4
Chairmans Report
C3
C3 Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Ugnayan
By Alma Alvarez
LiveLoud 2014 Rocks ULTRA
CFC Seniors Fair: Making the Rest of
Your Life the Best of Your Life
AGE AINT nothing but a number. As what
French author Jules Renard said, it is not how
old you are, but how you are old. And those
who came to the CFC Seniors Fair last June 13,
2014 agree.
Held at the Valle Verde I Clubhouse, the CFC
Seniors Fair welcomed about 400 CFC leaders
and members in their senior years, not hoping
to fnd the fountain of youth, but to learn how
they can make the rest of their lives the best of
their lives.
Resource speakers from partner institution
United Bayanihan Foundation Inc. shared se-
crets to aging, not only gracefully but joyfully
as well.
CFC Executive Director George Campos gave
an introductory talk titled The Gift of Years:
Leaving a Noble Inheritance. He placed much
premium on these words of Pope Francis: The
elderly are those who transmit history, doctrine,
the faith, and gives this to us as an inheritance.
Galo Leopando, a Unilab retiree, then spoke
about the impact of an aging population,
quoting Yoshihiko Fukuji, former Governor
of Central Bank of Japan, The ageing and
declining population will have far-reaching
impacts. Declining fertility rates will possibly
increase immigration. The structure of family
and society inevitably change. Leopando then
mentioned four important factors as important
to a persons aging, especially after one retires
mental health, physical health, social health and
spiritual health.
To retire means not to slow down. As the
word implies, to re-tire means to put on a new
set of wheels so we can go further, shared
Leopando. Also, prays-cription will heal any
illness, he added.
Speaking about healing and illnesses of
the elderly, Dr. Cheriedine Oro-Josef, Family
Medicine Geriatrician, shared about Malusog
na Pamumuhay sa Paglipas ng Panahon,
and gave emphasis on the whys and hows of
geriatric health.
Over all, the senior CFCs enjoyed the half-day
event, with all the sessions, games, food and
freebies prepared by UBF. And at the end of the
day, senior CFCs went home with new zeal, as
inspired by C. S. Lewis: You are never too old
to set another goal or to dream another dream.
CFC Talents Shine at the
Migrants Songwriting Contest
IN AN effort to recognize overseas Filipino workers as modern-day heroes and a new breed of
missionaries, the CFC Migrants Program held the frst ever Migrants Songwriting Contest last
year. Out of the ten song fnalists from Canada, Laguna and Metro Manila, the three songs rose
that above the rest were:
Champion "Kumpleto Tayo" by Danny Lopez (composer) of West B
1
st
Runner-up "Wait Lang" by Rosemary Sepe (composer) of South B
2
nd
Runner-up "Migrante, Bagong Misyonero" - by Noel & AJ Noma
(composers) of Laguna
The judges for the competition were Joe Tale, head of the CFC Music Ministry; Bob Serrano,
leader of the 29 AD Mucisionaries; Joemar Salumbides, head of CFC Servants of the Lord; Day-
loe Ranario, singer and actress in Teen Saint Pedro, The Musicale and a dance teacher; and Neil
Pedroza, entertainer, singer and comedian. Emcees Shok and Carel Ariola carried the program
fawlessly.
From this successful launching, it looks like the Migrants Songwriting Competition will be a
yearly event coinciding with the CFC anniversary week. (CFC Docu Team)
Leaders from Philippine, MM Missions
come together for E & M Conference
LEADERS from the Philippine Missions and the
Metro Manila Missions convened at the SMX
Convention Center in SM Aura, Taguig City last
June 22, 2014 for the Evangelization and Missions
Conference.
During the Conference, CFC Philippine Mis-
sions Director Jimmy Ilagan gave an overview of
what to expect, zeroing in on evangelization and
missions being the lifeblood of the CFC Commu-
nity, highlighting the results of a pre-conference
workshop by the Area Governance Teams and
Sector Governance Teams.CFC Executive Director
George Campos followed suit.
In line with the 51st International Eucharistic
Congress (IEC) happening on 2016, Elvira Go, the
chairperson of the committee on promotions and
publicity of the IEC, launched the Piso Para Sa Misa
Sa Mundo. She said the campaign wants to instill
a sense of involvement and commitment in every
Filipino for the event.
In a symbolic donation ceremonies, the CFC Inter-
national Council dropped in their donations in a box,
while saying, "Ang piso ko, para sa Misa sa mundo!"
After the launch, Jun Uriarte, PFO Director,
presented the updated CLP Manual, the proposed
Mission Handbook, as well as the CFC Institute.
Keith Janojan of ABLAZE Communications, in
turn, launched the CFC App.
Finally, the CFC International Council came
onstage for the plenary discussions.
(For the output of the pre-conference workshops,
kindly email the Evangelization and Missions
Planning Offce at cfcemo@gmail.com to inquire
when the materials will be made available.)
facebook.com/CFC.Global.Mission @CFChrist
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George B. Campos
IC Oversight
Bernadette Cuevas
Editor-in-Chief
Alma M. Alvarez
Associate Editor
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Circulation Staff
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Layout Artist
The News Supplement
of Couples for Christ
10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2...
1... And the crowd goes wild!
Such was the anticipation for
LiveLOUD 2014 to begin that
the Philippine Sports Arena/
ULTRA couldn't contain the
energy of the 8,000 young people
gathered for the most-awaited
praise concert of the year.
As early as 6:00 PM, during
the celebration of the Mass of the
Pentecost, priest presider Fr. Kune
Garganta, the Executive Secretary
for the Episcopal Commission on
the Youth, said, "I could feel the
tremor of energy reverberating
throughout this arena!"
In his homily, Fr. Kune added,
"It took me a few minutes to get
inside this hall. And as I was
struggling to enter, I said to
myself, 'What a beautiful view!
Young people lining up to enter
this place!' Because I know there
is something wonderful that will
happen here tonight!"
And true enough, the crowd
wasn't disappointed. From the
first strains of the first song,
down to the last drum beat of the
fnal song, LiveLOUD 2014 pro-
claimed one singular message
that evening: that people are
hungry for God, and that there
is nothing worth doing than to
worship the Lord for eternity.
Noli Manuel, CFC Singles for
Christ International Coordina-
tor, led the entire arena into
a progression of praising and
worship, and not one soul was
left un-blessed, if ever there was
such a word.
Personal testimonies by Pat-
rick Bautista of Metro Manila, El-
lish Maigue-Talacca of Canada,
and Onnel Tolentino, a mission-
ary, affrmed how great God is
and how mighty His works are
in every individual's life.
Bautista, who was born blind,
discovered his talent for music
at a very early age. And despite
his being differently-abled, he is
able to praise the Lord through
his music.
Talacca, on the other hand,
used her need for healing from a
past abortion to be able to write a
song about healing. A line from
the song she composed and sang
which goes, "So if I break into
a million pieces, I pray to You
Lord Jesus, make me anew!" is
a cry, a desperate need of each
person to be restored by the love
that only God can give.
A thug-turned-missionary,
Tolentino shared, "Kung noon,
baril ang aking proteksyon, ngayon,
Bibliya at Rosaryo ang dala ko sa
misyon." (If in the past, I relied
on guns for protection, now I
carry my Bible and Rosary to
accompany me on mission.)
Truly, LiveLOUD is beginning
to establish itself as one of the
biggest praise concerts in the
country. With original songs
that are inspiring and quite easy
to learn and follow, it could, in
fact, progress into a local version
of Australia's Hillsong.
But no matter where God will
lead LiveLOUD, for as long as
the Spirit continues to inspire
men and women to write origi-
nal songs of God's love, healing,
grace and mercy, LiveLOUD
is here to stay. So that every
soul "may sing praise to You
and not be silent. O Lord my
God, I will give thanks to You
forever!" (Psalm 30:12) [Text by
A. Alvarez; photos by Romy and
Harmony Medina]
Co-ops for Christ Manila New BOD Inducted
BCOP Director Ricky Cuenca led the induction
of the newly-elected members of the Co-ops
for Christ Manila Board of Directors last June
23, 2014.
Co-ops for Christ is a cooperative primary
serving the needs of the members of Couples
for Christ and its Family Ministries.
Their offce is open Mondays to Fridays,
8:00AM to 5:00PM, and located at the CFC
Global Mission Center, 156 20th Avenue, Cu-
bao, Quezon City.
C4
Vol. 18 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2014
CBCP Monitor
Ugnayan
Lay and Clergy: Building the
Church of the Poor
Clergy & Laity: Collaborating
to Renew the Face of the Earth
and called themselves "Church of the
Poor", proposing ideas like there is a
seeming gap between the Church and
the poor, and the need to close that gap;
to review the lifestyle and honors given to
the clergy; and to consider poverty as an
essential aspect of the mystery of Christ
and the Church.
Pope Paul VI, who was part of this
group when he was still a Cardinal, sim-
plifed the Church, renouncing the corona-
tion rites and setting up of Cor Unum, the
charity arm of the Vatican.
Vatican II teachings also talk about
Christ being present in the poor and serv-
ing Christ in them (Lumen Gentium) and
the Church of the Poor being in commun-
ion with the poor's joys, sorrows, hopes
and anxieties (Gaudium Et Spes).
During the Papacy of St. John Paul
the Great (JP2), he declared that it is not
the will of God that humans are subject
to such destitution. They are victims of
economic, political or social systems. But
it is God's plan for the Church to be in
solidarity with the poor as it is part of our
fdelity to Christ.
"'Do I see Jesus in them? Serve Jesus in
them? Am I being faithful to Jesus through
ostolic Vicariate of Tabukdiscussed
about the Clergy and Laity being called
to be saints, of being equal in dignity and
action. Fr. Francis Lucas, President of the
Catholic Media Network, facilitated the
panel discussion.
In the afternoon session, CFC Pastoral
Formation Offce Director Jun Uriarte
handled Session 2, Call of the Laity:
Prophet, Priest, and King.
Session 3 followed soon after, with
the Most Reverend Pablo Virgilio Da-
vid, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese
of San Fernando in Pampanga, speak-
ing on Sent Forth As Heroes: Laity
as Co-Responsible with the Clergy in
Evangelization.
The participants were divided into
three workshops that focused on Chris-
tianizing the Secular World through
Clergy Lay Collaboration.
After the workshops, CFC Executive
George Campos led the participants into
a commitment excercise.
Br. Jun-G Bargayo SJ, a former mis-
sionary who is now on his 8
th
year in the
Seminary, led the praisefest.
In his exhortation, Br. Jun-G honored
the CFC community for being a seedbed
of vocations, for having opened the live
of young people like him to the mis-
sionary life, thus planting the seed of
religious vocations in his heart.
(To watch the videos of the sessions
during the Lay-Clergy Congress, please
go to the CFC youtube channel https://
www.youtube.com/user/CFCMulti-
media.)
MEMBERS of the Clergy and the laity
gathered at the PICC Forum Tent last
June 18, 2014 for a half-day Lay and
Clergy Congress to talk about Building
the Church of the Poor, the second part
of CFC's two-pronged mission.
His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal
Tagle, in his Keynote Address, clarifed
what the Church of the Poor is in the
teachings of the Catholic Church and its
history for the past 50 years.
Cardinal Tagle presented the Church of
the Poor in a timeline, from St. John XXIII
up to the present in order to see how the
Church understood the Church of the
Poor as truly a constituitive part of the
proclamation of the Gospel.
On September 11, 1962, during the time
of then Pope John XXIII, one month before
the opening of Vatican II, he proclaimed
in a radio announcement that in order for
the Church to be a Church for ALL, it must
include in particular the poor.
"Loving the poor, we learn to love eve-
ryone," Cardinal Tagle added.
Moving on to Vatican II, a group of
Bishops and Cardinals formed a group
THE laity needs to have a clearer con-
sciousness of not only belonging to the
Church, but being the Church. This
quotation from Pope Pius XII opened
the second day of the Lay-Clergy
Congress, in the overview presented
by Church Integration Office Head
Rouquel Ponte.
Day 2 of the Congress happened on
June 19, 2014 at the PICC Forum Tent,
Pasay City.
This opening statement aimed to
emphasize the lay faithful's role in
God's vineyardof not being merely
a laborer, but as part of the vineyard.
This is illustrated by the the biblical
image in John 15: 1,4, the laity, together
with other members of the Church, are
branches engrafted to Christ, the true
vine, from whom all derive their life
and fruitfulness.
Each member of the Church has a
unique identity, that is placed for the
growth of the ecclesial community,
Ponte emphasized.
Having clearly established this role of
the laity, and the forms of participation
that the laity has as individuals and as a
group, a panel of BishopsArchbishop
John Barwa, SVD, Diocese of India;
Bishop Titus Mdoe, Diocese of Tanzania;
Bishop Pedro Arigo, Apostolic Vicariate
of Puerto Princesa; Bishop Paul Hinder,
Vicariate of Southern Arabia; Bishop
Emmanuel Trane, Diocese of Catarman;
Archbishop antonio Ledesma, Arch-
diocese of Cagayan de Oro, and Bishop
Prudencio Andaya Jr. CICM, D.D., Ap-
By CFC Docu Team them?' are some of the questions we
should ask," Cardinal Chito emphasized.
In 1991, the Second Plenary Council
of the Philippines (PCP II) enumerated
characteristics of a renewed Church. And
during the time of Pope Benedict XVI, he
put emphasis on 3 pillars of the Church:
the Word of God, sacraments, and charity
to the poor (Deus Caritas Est).
Finally, Pope Francis, in Evalgelii Gaud-
ium, says that the option for the poor is
rooted in faith.
Since pre-Vatican II up to the present,
the message about building the Church of
the Poor is clearit is not optional, but an
essential in one's faith life and the renewal
of the Church.
To end, Cardinal Tagle stated, "We need
to become the Church of the Poor in order
to follow Christ, see Christ, love and serve
Christ. We learn from them, are evange-
lized by them, humbled and corrected
by them, that we may renew the Church,
individuals and the face of the earth."
(To watch the video of Cardinal Tagle's
Keynote Address, please go to https://
www.youtube.com/user/CFCMulti-
media.)
CHAIRMAN/ C2
Lay-Clergy collaborate, clockwise from top: Fr. Francis Lucas moderates the panel discussion;
members of the clergy during the Mass; Rouquel Ponte giving the overview of the Congress; Bishop
Pablo David giving Session 2.
ance is focused on Accountability and Succession
Leadership. In the last three years as plotted in our
road map succession leadership we have intensi-
fed training of new leaders from the ranks globally
and within the Philippines.
For CFC to be sustainable we have to pass on
the wisdom to the young. To be an evangelizing
community, we need to pass on the passion of
evangelizing to the young, reach out and discover
new leaders beyond the confnes of the already
convinced leaders in the circle.
Our leadership structure is that of collective
leadership. Your leader is the International Council
as a whole where decision-making is shared using
a communal and consensus approach.
We limited number of year of IC members to 3
years so exchange and fow of leadership energy
is transferred and revolved at the IC while at the
same time keeping the wisdom of the experienced
in the Board of Elders. We have organized GLEC,
the Global Leaders Empowerment Convention, to
hasten the evolution of succession leadership glob-
ally inviting budding country leaders to participate
in the IC and the BOE.
The state of CFC depends on the qualities of our
leaders anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit.
We continue our good practice of anointing and
discerning our leaders from the household level to
the IC with prayer, fasting and refection.
Prayer is at the center of the life of GMC. Come
and visit and pray at the new prayer room at the
GMC located at the 3rd foor just beside the Chair-
mans Offce.
Good governance begins at the Global Mission
Center. GMC Mission Support is working with
urgency to transition the offce in line with the
growing and global membership base.
Signifcant improvements have been under-
taken beginning with:
1. Home Offce online that have greatly contrib-
uted to our sound fnancial monitoring;
2. One Global Data (OGD) has resulted in a more
accurate tracking and monitoring of members
and other relevant information;
3. Video Conferencing or Zoom online meet-
ing, has allowed the GMC to host global
meetings for greater connectivity and to
facilitate discussions among leaders from dif-
ferent parts of the Philippines and the world
to arrive at important decisions;
4. Annual budget process has led to prudent spend-
ing and close monitoring of expenses as well as in
the effcient collection of tithes and other receipts
that led to a debt-free CFC;
5. New payment system, credit card payments at
reduced service and transaction fees and
6. bills payment facility thru BDO and SM outlets
have provided convenience and accessibility to
members in giving their tithe contributions and
in events registration;
7. Salary increase after more than 7 years, retire-
ment funds and medical benefits have been
granted for the security and protection of the
CFC employees.
We are partnering with companies/ service provid-
ers like Cebu Pacifc (CFC as a Corporate Partnerno
rebooking fee; 50% off on excess baggage, special
fare rate and 2.5% rebate for CFC). This will hope-
fully make our mission trips more affordable to our
missionaries. CFC is also initiating collaboration or
arrangements that will help our members to save so
that more resources can be allotted for the mission
In our Governance and mission work, we declared
our agreement in the principles of unity, uniformity,
interdependence and accountability and in the culture
of CFC, the culture of inculturation and the culture of
inclusion in our work with the poor in socio-economic
development.
Behold And Ponder (Communion)
It is not by coincidence that our 2014 theme Behold
and Ponder is a clear answer of CFC for the local
Church celebration of the Year of the Laity. We are to
refect and be inspired by the modeling and qualities of
our Blessed Virgin Mary to be an agent of evangeliza-
tion. This major theme is a reminder that our vocation
is to belong to Christ-- Holiness, even Sainthood.
The very heart of our evangelization mission lies
in our effective pastoral formation of our leaders and
community. The strength and richness of Couples
for Christ is in our household leadership structure
and formation
The Pastoral Formation Offce, in its efforts towards
the IC Priority to develop inspiring, relevant, acces-
sible, and contemporized formation, that leads to the
deepening (of) personal relationship with God and
brethren has accomplished the following for the year:
1.Transformed the PFO into a resource center,
where there is greater focus on content develop-
ment;
2. Established the CFC Global Institute (CFCI) for
Education and Research and Development, and
capacity-building as among the major thrusts.
The soft launch of CFCI will be on Jun 22 in the
Evangelizaiton and Mission Conference. Soon
we will have a Pastoral Leadership Institute and
Convention Center in Antipolo;
3. Completed the revised Christian Life Program
with a New Evangelization appeal;
4. Rolled out the PFO Basics workshop to train areas
to implement PFO programs;
5. Theology Classes for the advanced formation
of 15 Full-Time Pastoral Workers at San Carlos
Graduate School of Theology;
6. Continues to prepare all the talks for our MCG
weekends. Just recently we had the Beloved
Weekend.
The Metro Manila monthly MC Teaching is now
recorded and now available for download for use by
each of your area for your own MC Teaching.
In one of the MC teachings, Jun Uriarte presented
the latest Papal Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium. We take this as the posture that CFC is
to take in our formation, evangelization and mission.
Our community spirit has risen up, revived with pas-
sion and missionary zeal to the calling of Pope Francis
and Cardinal Tagle for the work of joyful evangeliza-
tion and mission.
These efforts produced inspired and passionate
pastoral leaders and members ablaze to carry the joy
of evangelization and mission work.
Through the Gift of Life Ministry of Couples for
Christ, the teachings of St. John Paul II known as The
Theology of the Body (TOB). It helps us understand
Gods design for love, sex, marriage, and family. We
started with the Freedom to Love Conference given
by Christopher West in June 2011 during our 30th an-
niversary. The Theology of the Body reached more
than 9,000 individuals.
This was soon followed by a course on the Theology
of the Body given by Fr. Joel Jason, the Dean of the
Graduate School of Theology of San Carlos Seminary
that later became the TOB Weekend.
The TOB has been conducted in many other areas
in the Philippines and abroad as you can see in the
slides. By Gods grace, CFC has been used to help
more and more individuals and families understand
the real meaning of love, sex, and marriage.
Conclusion
I pray you have all appreciated the Fullness of
the mission of Couples for Christ and how God has
truly blessed and anointed CFC as a community
of family evangelizers that sets the world on Fire
with the fullness of Gods transforming love!
CFC, on fre! And now, ON FIRE Missions
means to me as:
O - ne with the Church, with the
N - ew mission statement of building the
church of the home and the poor,
F - aith in Action in our work with the poor,
we are an
I - nternational community
R - enewed with a missionary zeal and
E - vangelistic in its posture.
There are many lessons learned. In my par-
ticipation as CFC member and Chair of the IC,
I have learned that in the end it is not about me
or us in the IC or our achievements. It is about
Christ and establishing the kingdom of God on
earth. I have learned that no amount of human
effort or management principles or strategies
can deliver the results expected. Only Gods will
and plan, the workings of the Holy Spirit and the
intercession of our Blessed Mother can produce
a plentiful harvest.
We journeyed from a past of hurt and divi-
sion, from anger to forgiveness, from doubt
and fear to self-renewal and imitation and love
of Christ. We learned to behold and ponder
following the footsteps of Christ. After all,
we are leaders of Christ, Couples for Christ
families renewing the face of the earth. Our
community spirit has risen up, revived with
passion and missionary zeal to the calling of
Pope Francis and Cardinal Tagle for the work
of joyful evangelization and mission.
Challenges will continue and are aplenty as
we navigate CFCs transition and transformation
with new methods and strategies. But the complex
problems will be lighter with our smiles and our
good sense of humor and laughter. The capacity
to radiate, to smile, to be the light will show that
Jesus lives in us and alive in us. And nothing beats
constant gratitude. Let us thank and praise God
for the grace and many blessings, and for the gift
of his mother to CFC. To God be the glory!