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CBCP

VOLUME 19
NUMBER 25

December 7 31, 2015

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR.COM

Its time to rediscover Gods mercy,

Pope says at Jubilee launch

Mindanao
dioceses take
hardline vs.
coal mining

By Ann Schneible

IN manifestation of ecclesial
unity, the Dioceses of Dipologo, Ozamis, Pagadian, Iligan,
and Marawi released on Nov.
11 a statement against coal
mining and coal power plants,
common concerns in the area.
As Bishops of the Dioceses of Dipolog, Ozamis,
Pagadian, Iligan, and Marawi
(DOPIM), which comprise
the civil provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur,
Lanao del Norte and Lanao
del Sur, we completely oppose
the operation of coal mining
and coal power plants most
especially within the aforementioned provinces. We do
this not only because of our
human responsibility, but as
a call intrinsic to our Christian faith, reads part of the
document signed by Dipolog
Bishop Severo C. Caermare,
DD; Iligan Bishop Elenito
R. Galido, DD; Pagadian
Bishop Emmanuel T. Cabajar,
CSsR, DD; Bishop-Prelate of
Marawi Edwin A. dela Pea,

Pope Francis has officially commenced

the Jubilee of Mercy,
calling those who pass
through the newlyopened Holy Door to
rediscover Gods mercy
and experience the mystery of his love.

Mindanao, A6

WHATS INSIDE

A3 - Choice
is clear, pope
says: Protect
envronment or
destroy it

B1 - The
welcoming door
(Message of Pope
Francis at his
General Audience
on November 18,
2015)

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle opens the Holy Door at the Manila Cathedral, formally launching the Holy Year of Mercy in the Archdiocese
of Manila on Wednesday, Dec. 9. He is accompanied by several persons with disabilities and former street children under the care
of Tulay ng Kabataan, Glyzelle Palomar and Jun Chura, who were blessed enough to have had a dialogue with Pope Francis at the
University of Sto. Tomas during his January 2015 papal visit. ROY LAGARDE

Cardinal Tagles Year of Mercy

opening message: End corruption
CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle
has called for an end to corruption
and abuse of women, children, and
the oppressed at the opening of
the Holy Year of Mercy in Manila.
Stop the rampant corruption.
Stop the abuse of women and
children. Spread mercy, stop the
endless abuse of the weak, Tagle
said in Filipino during the Mass
to mark the event.
The prelate opened the Holy
Door at the Manila Cathedral on
Wednesday, Dec. 9, marking the
beginning of the Extraordinary
Jubilee of Mercy a holy year
for Catholics.
PWDs, former street kids
He was accompanied by sev-

eral persons with disabilities

(PWDs) and former street children under the care of Tulay ng
Kabataan, Glyzelle Palomar and
Jun Chura, who had a dialogue
with Pope Francis in UST in
Manila during the latters visit
in January.
Following them as they walked
through the doorway were priests,
the religious, and hundreds of lay
people.
During the Mass, the cardinal
said corruption and oppression
of the poor and the vulnerable
must stop.
Cardinal Tagle also challenged the faithful to make
Gods mercy more evident in
the world today.

Pinoys in Paris out

Laudato Si manifesto

the Laudato Si Manifesto,

which is a synthesis of Pope
Francis pronouncements on
ecology.
Manifesto, A7

This Extraordinary Holy Year

is itself a gift of grace, Pope Francis said in his homily for Mass, just
before opening the Holy Door in
St. Peters Basilica.
To pass through the Holy
Door means to rediscover the
infinite mercy of the Father who
welcomes everyone and goes out
personally to encounter each of
them. This will be a year in which
we grow ever more convinced of
Gods mercy.
Mercy, he said, must be placed
before judgment, though Gods
judgment will always be in the
light of his mercy.
In passing through the Holy
Door, then, may we feel that we
ourselves are part of this mystery
of love, he said.
Let us set aside all fear and
dread, for these do not befit
men and women who are loved.
Instead, let us experience the joy
of encountering that grace which
transforms all things.
The Dec. 8 opening of the Jubilee of Mercy, an Extraordinary
Holy Year, coincided with the
Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception. The Holy Year will
close Nov. 20, 2016 with the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The Jubilee was officially inaugurated by the opening of the
Holy Door in St. Peters Basilica.
Pilgrims who pass through the
doorwhich is only opened
during Jubilee yearscan receive

a plenary indulgence under the

usual conditions.
Pope Francis presided over the
rite of the Holy Doors opening
before passing through himself.
He was followed by retired pontiff
Benedict XVI, who attended the
rite in one of his rare public appearances.
The opening of the door is
meant to symbolically illustrate
the idea that the Churchs faithful
are offered an extraordinary path
toward salvation during the time
of jubilee.
Pope Francis in his homily
spoke of the Holy Door in connection to the days Gospel, which
recounts the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary she would be
the mother of God.
We carry out this act, so simple
yet so highly symbolic, in the light
of the word of God which we have
just heard, Pope Francis said.
That word highlights the primacy of grace...Gods grace enfolded her and made her worthy of
becoming the Mother of Christ.
When Gabriel entered Marys
home, even the most profound
and impenetrable of mysteries
became for her a cause for joy,
faith and abandonment to the
message revealed to her, the Pope
continued.
Pope Francis reflection in his
homily centered on the Immaculate Conception, celebrated Tuesday, and described the feast as an
expression of the grandeur of
Gods love.
Not only does he forgive sin,
but in Mary he even averts the
original sin present in every man
and woman who comes into this
world.
The fullness of grace can transform the human heart and enable
it to do something so great as to
change the course of human history, he said.
Jubilee, A6

Pinoy priest blasts big polluters in Paris talks

Mission to spread mercy

This year we have a mission, said Tagle. The mission
is to spread mercy a mission
to build up the world on the
foundation to build Gods love,
he said.
Let us build a society on the
foundation of the merciful Jesus
and let one of us be a stone of
a construction of just, truthful
and loving society of mercy, he
added.
Tagle also urged the people not
only to enter through the Holy
Doors of cathedrals and basilicas
but also to go through doors
of charity of the homeless, the
poor, the imprisoned, and the
sick. (R. Lagarde / CBCPNews)

A FILIPINO priest attending the ongoing climate

justice talks in Paris, France has underlined the
need to run after big polluters including coal, oil,
and gas producers for their climate sins that affect
mostly the poor.
What is worse is that the poor and marginalized are the ones who suffered most the threats of
these climate change induced actions by these big
polluters, lamented Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive
secretary of the National Secretariat for Social Action
(NASSA)/Caritas Philippines.
The Goldman Goldman Environmental Prize
awardee is in the French capital to present a petition against the so-called Carbon Majors for
violation of human rights resulting from impacts
of climate change.
Human rights violation
Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of the National Secretariat
The petition was filed earlier with the Commis- for Social Action (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines. MELO ACUA
sion on Human Rights (CHR) in the Philippines,
and was signed by Gariguez along with 16 other
We are no longer strangers to strong typhoons
individuals 13 environmental groups.
such as Yolanda and the recent Lando which spell
According to him, Carbon Majors in the indescribable miseries to our people. If we dont
Philippines violated and posed threats to Filipinos act now and do something to stop polluters from
rights to life, water, sanitation, adequate housing, harming further our environment, then when are
and self-determination.
Polluters, A6

Church to issue passports for Jubilee Bishops urge faithful to

reduce Christmas spending
of Mercy pilgrims

A climate activist holds up a placard saying in French: World leaders, do something

for climate now. GREENHEART HERMITAGE

FILIPINO activists along with

their foreign allies who had
walked from Rome to Paris to
demand change for climate at
the COP21 released recently

CBCPMONITOR@CBCPWORLD.NET

The Manila Cathedral is one of the designated jubilee

churches for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. ALEXANDER
AMORA JUNI

WITH the Year of Mercy set to begin next

month, Catholics are encouraged to go on a
pilgrimage to designated jubilee churches.
But this time, in the Manila archdiocese,
the clergy are pushing for the spiritual journey
with a new twist pilgrims will be issued
passports.
Fr. Regie Malicdem, the archdioceses
Chancellor, said it will be like a guide that
contains brief history of the churches, schedule of parish services, and activities that the
faithful have to accomplish in the pilgrimage.
He said the pilgrim passport is an initiative
to make common activities in the pilgrim
churches assigned by Cardinal Luis Antonio
Tagle.
These include the Manila Cathedral; National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati
Passport, A6

A CATHOLIC bishop
has called on the faithful to save money and
escape excessive spending, especially during the
Christmas season.

Bishop Honest Ongtioco of Cubao said the

people must manage
their Christmas bonuses well and avoid
Spending, A6

A2 WORLD NEWS

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

In Chile, massive Marian pilgrimage

to open Year of Mercy
SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec 4, 2015Hundreds of thousands in Chile will visit the Lo
Vasquez Shrine this coming December 8 on
the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception,
taking part in one of the most well-attended
pilgrimages in the country.
Our Immaculate Lady of Lo Vasquez, known
in Spanish as NuestraSeoraPursima, is a
devotion that dates back to 1850 in Valparaiso,
Chile. On Dec. 7 and 8 the shrine draws almost
1 million faithful to central Chile. People come
from different parts of the country in a pilgrimage that will conclude Chiles month of Mary.
This year the pilgrimage will have a special focus: the opening of the Holy Door of
the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The special year,
declared by Pope Francis, is intended to
encourage acts of faith, charity and brotherly communion. Specially designated Holy
Doors at churches around the world are connected to plenary indulgences for pilgrims
during the church year.
Already since Sunday Nov. 29, the Lo
Vasquez Shrine has begun to prepare for Feast
of the Immaculate Virgin with the start of the
novena in honor of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception

recognizes that God chose the Virgin Mary to
be conceived without sin. It was proclaimed on
Dec. 8, 1854 by Pope Pius IX in his papal bull
Ineffabilis Deus, formalizing the long-held
Catholic belief.
This years pilgrimage events are based on
the theme Mother of Life, Mother of Mercy.
On Nov. 29 the pilgrimages traditional religious dance festival took place. In this festival,
the faithful renew their promises to the Mother
of God alongside dancers and musicians.
The chaplain at the Shrine of the Immaculate
Virgin of Lo Vasquez, Father Marcelino Toro,
explained the event to CNA.
He said the pilgrimage is primarily an encounter with someone you love.
And from that encounter one feels complete
contentment, happy to have done something
good. This full encounter is with Mary, the
Mother who shows us Jesus as the only way,
truth and life, Fr. Toro added.
The priest discussed the renewal encouraged
by the Year of Mercy, saying it has to do with
the humble, little heart thats in need. Consequently, the beginning of the Year of Mercy
starts out with this feast of Mary, who lived out

An image of the Blessed Virgin as the Immaculate

Conception. MARIA TAN

mercy in the humility of her heart.

One of the main activities of this festival
is the Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Valparaiso, Gonzalo Duarte. He will open the
Holy Door of the Shrine of the Immaculate
Virgin and lead the solemn procession with
the statue of the Virgin.
The pilgrims who come to the shrine will
also be able to go to confession all day long
and attend one of many Masses which will
start on the hour from midnight to 7 p.m. on
Dec. 8. (CNA)

San Bernardino bishop offers prayers in

wake of mass shooting
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.,
Dec. 2, 2015Bishop Gerald R.
Barnes of the Diocese of San Bernardino, Calif. requested prayers
and offered his own after at least
one gunman left more than a
dozen dead at a social services
facility in the city.
Please join me in praying for
all of the victims of this horrific
incident and their families, he
said in a statement Wednesday
afternoon.

For those who lost their lives,

we pray for their eternal rest and
Gods strength to their loved ones
left behind; for those who are
wounded, we pray for their health
and healing.
Late Wednesday morning, at
least one gunman opened fire on
an event at the Inland Regional
Center in San Bernardino, a facility that serves people with developmental disabilities.
The San Bernardino police have

confirmed that at least 14 people

were killed and at least 14 were
wounded in the attack.
Several reports say there may
have been up to three gunmen
involved in the attack. As of 2:30
p.m. PST, the shooter or shooters
remained at large and no arrests
have been made.
Police are searching for a black
Yukon SUV that drove away from
the shooting. FBI and ATF teams
are on the scene.

In his statement, Bishop Barnes

also offered prayers for the service
men and women on the scene.
Let us also ask God to protect
the brave men and women in law
enforcement who are pursuing the
suspects in this case.
Our community of San Bernardino has faced great challenges
through the years. Let us come
together now in unity to bring
light to the darkness of this day,
he concluded. (CNA)

For Singapores archbishop, only mercy can save a

selfish and material world
SINGAPORE, Dec. 5, 2015Msgr William
Goh Seng Chye, archbishop of Singapore,
yesterday released a pastoral letter in connection with the start of the Year of Mercy, which
AsiaNews is publishing today.
Proclaimed by Pope Francis, the Jubilee of
Mercy will open on 8 December with celebrations not only in Rome, but in all the dioceses
of the world and the main shrines. As part of
this, the Archdiocese of Singapore is getting
ready with meetings, prayers and works of
pastoral outreach.
For Msgr Goh, What the world needs most
today, more than at any time in history, is
mercy. In the world of science and technology,
there is no place for mercy. This lack of mercy
is evident in the violent destruction of human
life and habitat. Ironically, such acts are often
justified in the name of justice. Many of these
acts of terrorism are committed in the name
of God and love.
In the guise of mercy, we advocate the abortion of babies so that they will not be without
parental love; euthanasia is encouraged so
that the elderly need not suffer loneliness or
meaningless pain in their illness. The truth is
that such actions are contrary to our profession
of love and mercy, for where there is love and
compassion, we will truly care for the helpless
babies and the elderly.

In his pastoral letter, Mgr Goh goes on to

note that in todays world, mercy seems to
have lost its core value for society and human
relations. This can be seen in the way we
regard sinners and those who have hurt us.
Indeed, The Church, as the mercy of Christ,
must reach out to such people and show them
compassion and understanding.
Therefore, In the light of the Jubilee Year
of Mercy, let us join Pope Francis in reiterating
the centrality of the gospel of mercy so that we
can meet societys marginalised, downtrodden
and neglected members, and find a pastoral
approach to help people to live up to the ideals
of perfect love and to show compassion when
they fall short in spite of their sincerity.
For the prelate, if mercy is lacking, it also
stems from hidden and unresolved anger and
resentment in our hearts. Many of us who have
been hurt by our parents, superiors and even
our peers cannot let go of the hurts or even
abuses we have suffered.
At the same time, the lack of mercy comes
from selfishness, self-centeredness and slavishness to the pleasures of the world. It comes
from the sins of envy, sloth, greed, gluttony
and lust. We want to satisfy our own pleasures.
Hence, in an age of individualism, materialism, and consumerism, how can we become
channels of Gods mercy? By being aware and

conscious of our sins, inadequacies, lack of

fulfilment, love and forgiveness!
More specifically, How, then, can we open
ourselves to Gods mercy? To do so, We must
contemplate on the mercy of God in Christ
Jesus. Reading and praying the scriptures
with devotion, contemplating on the Father
of mercy and the paschal mystery of our Lord,
especially on the cross and at the Eucharist, is
of great help.
Thus, During this Jubilee Year of Mercy,
I propose that Catholics undertake prayerful
spiritual pilgrimages in our backyard, visiting
designated parishes, particularly the Church
of Divine Mercy.
In the same vein, I encourage all Catholics
to make regular confession, at least once a
month, and attend at least one Mass a week
in addition to Sunday Mass.
Singapore is home to some 200,000 Catholics, or about 5 per cent of the total population.
Buddhism has the largest following with 33
per cent, followed by Christianity with 18 per
cent, Islam with 15 per cent, and Taoism and
Hinduism with 11 and 5 per cent respectively.
The local Church is going through a phase of
growth and dynamism illustrated by the opening of a theological seminary, a real milestone
for the local community, and a Caritas facility
for sick people and the poor. (AsiaNews)

Myanmar cardinal wants dam project halted

YANGON, Dec. 3, 2015
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo
of Yangon is urging Myanmars
newly elected government to halt
the controversial Myitsone dam
project in Kachin state, which is
widely viewed as environmentally and culturally destructive.
Cardinal Bo said Aung San
Suu Kyi, leader of the National
League for Democracy that won
the Nov. 8 election, said before
the poll that a government is
elected by support from the
people.
So if she really wants to fulfill the desire of the people, she
should try to end the project
completely. And she should
follow the desire of the ethnic
Kachin people, Cardinal Bo
told ucanews.com.
The US$3.8 billion dam is being built on the Irrawaddy River,
Myanmars premier waterway
for hydro electricity that will
be used almost exclusively in
neighboring China, providing
6,000 megawatts of electricity.
It will be the 15th largest hy-

droelectric power station in the

world if completed as planned
by 2017. It will be 1,310 meters
long and 139.6 meters high.
By 2010, the dams construction
caused at least 2,000 people to
be relocated from their ancestral
homes in Aung Myin Thar village.
The military-backed government of President Thein Sein
suspended construction in September 2011, while China vigorously agitated for recommencing
work on the project
The Irrawaddy is our mother
and our life-blood river so ending the project is not only the
will of ethnic Kachins but also
the people of Myanmar, Cardinal Bo said.
He promised to speak out on
the issue when I get a chance to
meet with Suu Kyi personally.
Cardinal Bo told ucanews.
com during an interview at his
residence in Yangons St. Marys
Cathedral compound that he
also raised concerns on another
China-backed projecta copper
mine in central Myanmarand

questioned the outgoing governments relationship with China

and neighboring India.
No matter how (much) we
need good relationships with
neighboring countries such as
China, the Suu Kyi-led new
government should consider the
will of the people in Myanmar,
Cardinal Bo said.
He warned that an accident
during the dams construction
could destroy several villages,
while environmental destruction
caused by the dam will largely
impact local people.
In his pre-election 10-point
guide about choosing candidates, Cardinal Bo referred to
the dam project, encouraging
voters to choose candidates
and parties that safeguard the
countrys nature and natural
resources, protecting our forests
and not selling our sacred rivers
and resources to foreign powers.
KhetHtain Nan, a Christian
lawmaker from the Unity and
Democracy Party in Kachin
State, also said the new govern-

ment should not let the massive

dam project continue as people
and experts have opposed it.
In a democracy, the government should listen to the voices
of the people so a new government also needs to listen to the
voices and desire of the people in
Myanmar, KhetHtain Nan told
ucanews.com.
Suu Kyi toured Kachin State
prior to the elections and during
a meeting with Christian leaders
on Oct. 2 promised she would
try to address the dam project,
which remains unpopular with
many people in Kachin.
Critics have long accused Suu
Kyi of dodging a strong commitment to Myanmars diverse
ethnic groups that surround the
more populous center of the
country. In Kachin, critics say,
she and her party have failed
to speak out about fighting in
the state, which erupted in June
2011 following the breakdown
of a 17-year cease-fire between
Myanmars military and Kachin
rebels. (UCAN)

CBCP Monitor

Vatican Briefing
Pope: Stopping climate change, poverty go hand-in-hand
Heads of states at the U.N. climate change conference in Paris
must do everything possible to mitigate the effects of both
climate change and poverty "for the good of our common
home," Pope Francis said. "The two choices go together: to
stop climate change and curb poverty so that human dignity
may flourish," he said Dec. 6 after reciting the Angelus with
pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. The pope said he was
closely following the climate conference and thinking about
how conference participants are called to respond to the question, "What kind of world do we want to leave to those who
come after us, to children who are now growing up?" The conference participants, he said, must spare no effort in combating
climate change for "the good of our common home, of all of
us and future generations." (CNS)
Through thick and thin: Pope urges youths to read
the Bible
Pope Francis said his Bible is old, beat up and worth more to
him than anything money can buy. "If you saw my Bible, you
would not be impressed," he wrote to young people. "You'd
say, 'What? This is the pope's Bible? A book so old, so beat up?'
You might even want to give me a gift of a new one, something
that costs 1,000 euro. But I don't want it." Pope Francis wrote
about his Bible and his Bible-reading habits in the preface to the
German-language study guide, "Youth Bible for the Catholic
Church." It was released in late October by the Germany-based
Katholisches Bibelwerk and the YouCat Foundation. Other
language versions are expected in 2016. (CNS)
Potential terrorists threatened pope, say police
in Italy, Kosovo
Italian State Police in Brescia, working with their counterparts
in Kosovo, announced Dec. 1 that they had taken action against
four Kosovars they believed to be terrorist risks and who, police
said, made threats on social media against Pope Francis. The
four are accused by police of publishing messages "against the
person of the Holy Father," and saying, "Remember, there will
not be another pope after this one; he will be the last." One of
the four was arrested in Kosovo, the police in Brescia said. Two
were expelled from Italy and a fourth was placed on a terrorism
"watch list" and his travel documents were confiscated. (CNS)
Church must first evangelize itself, pope says
To be able to fulfill its mission of preaching the Gospel, the
church must first evangelize itself, Pope Francis said. "Mission, in fact, is a force capable of transforming the church
within itself even before it does so in the life of peoples and
cultures," the pope told participants of the plenary assembly
of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The
plenary assembly, which commemorated the 50th anniversary
of "Ad Gentes," the Second Vatican Council's decree on the
church's missionary activity, focused on missionary awareness
and the work being done in regions of the world that have been
evangelized most recently. (CNS)
State's attempt to abolish death penalty marked
at Rome's Coliseum
Romes Colosseum was lit in honor of the U.S. state of Nebraskas attempt to abolish the death penalty and as part of
Cities for Life Day, a worldwide event that supports a global
end to capital punishment. The Rome-based lay Community
of SantEgidio, which is active in a worldwide campaign to
eliminate capital executions, sponsors the lighting event every Nov. 30 to highlight its cause. The Colosseum has been
a symbol against the death penalty because of its history as
a site for gladiatorial combat and executions. Cities for Life
Day is held every year to commemorate the first abolition of
the death penalty by a European statethe Grand Duchy of
Tuscany in 1786. (CNS)
A car chapel? It's a real thing and Pope Francis blessed one
A Marian chapel built into a carcalled an Autocappella
received a blessing from Pope Francis on Dec. 2 just before the
Wednesday general audience in St. Peters Square. The mobile
chapel belongs to the Marian Mission of the Rosary of the
Shrine of Pompeii and carries an icon of the Virgin of Pompeii
to dioceses around the world. At the request of a diocese, the
mission brings copies of the icon and organizes prayer and
evangelization activities at parishes, schools, hospitals and prisons. So far, the mission has been to several countries including
Italy, the United States, Canada, Australia and Malta. (CNA)
Make the mercy jubilee a 'revolution of tenderness',
Pope urges
Pope Francis has granted an interview to the official website
for the Jubilee of Mercy, in which he expresses his intention
that the year be an occasion to encounter God's tenderness
in a world rife with cruelty and atrocities. The revolution of
tenderness is that which, today, we must cultivate as a fruit of
this year of mercy: the tenderness of God toward each one of
us, the Pope told the official Jubilee publication Credere in an
interview released Dec. 2. The Roman Pontiff gave the example
of an employer who manages the contracts of their employees
in such a way as to deprive them of benefits and pensions. Such
an employer does not show tenderness, but rather treats his
workers as objects, he said. In today's world, where we have
grown accustomed to hearing about cruelty and atrocities, it is
clear that there is need for mercy, he added. (CNA)
Pope: Conversion is for believers and non-believers alike
In his Angelus address for the second Sunday of Advent, Pope
Francis spoke against the presumption that the need for conversion applies only to non-believers, and that Christians are
somehow exempt. No one can say: 'I am holy, I am perfect,
I am already saved', the Pope said Dec. 6 to the crowds in
St. Peter's Square. No. We must always welcome this offer of
salvation. Stressing that salvation is offered to everyone, the
pontiff explained that this is the reason for the Year of Mercy:
to go ever forward along this path of salvation, that path which
Jesus taught us. God wants all men to be saved through Jesus
Christ, the only Mediator. It is a pressing invitation to open
our hearts and welcome the salvation which God incessantly,
almost stubbornly, offers us, because he wants us to be freed
from the slavery of sin, the Pope said. (CNA)

CBCP Monitor

Pope Francis to journalists

condom question: the
problem is much bigger
VATICAN, Nov. 30, 2015On a
Nov. 30 in-flight press conference
returning from his trip to Africa,
Pope Francis said that efforts to
push the Church to allow condom
use to prevent HIV are too narrow
and do not see the whole picture.
A journalist asked the Pope
about HIV in Africa, saying,
We know that prevention is key.
We know that condoms are not
the only method of solving the
epidemic, but its an important
part of the answer. Is it not time
for the Church to change its position on the matter? To allow the
use of condoms to prevent more
infections?
The question seems too small
to me, it also seems like a partial question, the Pope replied.
(READ: Full text of Popes inflight interview from Africa to
Rome)
He continued in his response:
Yes, its one of the methods. The
moral of the Church on this point
is found here faced with a perplexity: the fifth or sixth commandment? Defend life, or that sexual
relations are open to life? But this
isnt the problem.
The problem is bigger, the
Pope said. This question makes
me think of one they once asked
Jesus: Tell me, teacher, is it law-

A3

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

ful to heal on the Sabbath? Is it

obligatory to heal? This question, Is doing this lawful,but
malnutrition, the development of
the person, slave labor, the lack
of drinking water, these are the
problems.
Lets not talk about if one can
use this type of patch or that for a
small wound, the serious wound
is social injustice, environmental
injustice, Pope Francis continued. I dont like to go down to
reflections on such case studies
when people die due to a lack of
water, hunger, environment
when all are cured, when there
arent these illnesses, tragedies,
that man makes, whether for
social injustice or to earn more
moneyI think of the trafficking
of armswhen these problems
are no longer there, I think we
can ask the question Is it lawful
to heal on the Sabbath?
He concluded, Because, if
the trafficking of arms continues, wars are the biggest cause of
mortalityI would say not to
think about whether its lawful
or not to heal on the Sabbath, I
would say to humanity: make
justice, and when all are cured,
when there is no more injustice,
we can talk about the Sabbath.
(CNA/EWTN News)

Establish Gods kingdom in PH

army chaplains reminded

Choice is clear, pope says: Protect

environment or destroy it
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 26,
2015The international community is facing a stark and serious
choice, either to improve or to
destroy the environment, Pope
Francis said, referring to the Paris
Climate Conference.
It would be sad, and I dare say
even catastrophic, were special
interests to prevail over the common good, the pope said Nov. 26
during a visit to the headquarters
in Nairobi of the U.N. Environment Program and U.N. Habitat,
an agency concerned with urban
planning.
Under the auspices of the United Nations, the Paris conference
Nov. 30-Dec. 11 has the aim of
achieving a legally binding and
universal agreement on measures
to stem climate change and protect
the environment.
Pope Francis spoke at length
about the importance of the conference during his visit to the U.N.
offices, and his top aides had a
meeting the evening before with
Kenyas environment minister and
other officials to discuss their hopes
and strategies for the Paris meeting.
On his way into the meeting
with U.N. officials and diplomats
accredited to the two U.N. agencies, Pope Francis planted a tree.
While his speech contained
ample quotes from his June encyclical on the environment, the
pope also referred several times to
the significance of planting trees
and borrowed several lines from
a speech he in made in Bolivia
in July to a variety of grassroots

movements advocating for justice

for the poor.
In fact, just as in the encyclical,
Laudato Si, the pope insisted in
Nairobi that there is a close connection between environmental
destruction and unjust economic
and political policies that penalize
the poor.
We are faced with a great political and economic obligation to
rethink and correct the dysfunctions and distortions of the current
model of development, he said,
especially because of their emphasis on exploiting natural resources,
but not sharing the benefits with
local communities.
Planting a tree, he said, is an
invitation to continue the battle
against phenomena like deforestation and desertification, as well
as an incentive to keep trusting,
hoping and above all working in
practice to reverse all those situations of injustice and deterioration
which we currently experience.
The Paris conference, the pope
said, represents an important
stage in the process of developing a new energy system which
depends on a minimal use of fossil
fuels, aims at energy efficiency and
makes use of energy sources with
little or no carbon content.
Pope Francis told those gathered
at Nairobis U.N. offices that he
hopes the Paris conference will
result in a global and transformational agreement based on the
principles of solidarity, justice,
equality and participation; an
agreement which targets three

Pope Francis. CNA

complex and interdependent goals:

lessening the impact of climate
change, fighting poverty and ensuring respect for human dignity.
To achieve a comprehensive
and fair agreement, he said, real
dialogue is necessary among politicians, scientists, business leaders
and representatives of civil society,
including the poorest sectors of
those societies.
Pope Francis insisted that human beings are capable of changing course, choosing what is good
and making a fresh start. The
key, he said, will be to put the
economy and politics at the service
of people, who are called to live in
harmony with the rest of creation.
Far from an idealistic utopia,
this is a realistic prospect which
makes the human person and
human dignity the point of
departure and the goal of everything, he said.

A new respect for human dignity and for the environment are
part of the same attitude of giving value to all that God made,
he said.
Pope Francis called for the
adoption of a culture of carecare
for oneself, care for others, care for
the environmentin the place of
a culture of waste, a throw-away
culture where people use and
discard themselves, others and the
environment.
The idea of a throw-away culture is not simply a strong figure
of speech, he said, pointing to
new forms of slavery, human trafficking, forced labor, prostitution
and trafficking in organs.
Many lives, many stories, many
dreams have been shipwrecked in
our day, the pope said. We cannot remain indifferent in the face
of this. We have no right. (Cindy
Wooden/Catholic News Service)

Pope calls Central African Christians, Muslims

to unite against violence
Army chaplains partake of the Body and Blood of Christ during the concluding mass
of the 1st Character Enrichment Program (CEP) Conference on Nov. 24 at the Air Force
Museum. Nirva Delacruz

TAGUIG City, Nov. 28, 2015

Priests serving in the military
were reminded recently about the
purpose of their service: bringing
Christ to the countrys armed
forces.
God is inviting us to put
our hearts and to set our hearts
firmly in the establishment of the
kingdom of God in the Philippine Army, said Fr. LtC Stephen
Penetrante, homilist for the Holy
Mass celebrated to conclude the
1st Character Enrichment Program (CEP) Conference on Nov.
24 at the Air Force Museum.
Looking back at the period of
planning for the soldiers formation, the priest emphasized the
vision of the kingdom of God
whom we hope to reign in the
heart of soldiers.
Focusing on Jesus
Penetrante reminded the 100
people gathered, including chaplains from all over the Philippines
as well as lay collaborators from
Couples for Christs Order of St.
Michael (OSM) ministry that in
this service God is teaching focus
on what is important.
The Lord is teaching us here,
do not be distracted..Our Lord
Jesus Christ wants to set our hearts
to focus on the establishment
kingdom of God in our hearts first
then in the hearts of the soldiers

as we continue and sustain this

program, he added.
According to him the nittygritty that go with programs like
the CEP like strategizing, the
budgeting, the management skills,
the mastering of the ropes are all
important but focus on Jesus as
the prime mover of the work is
the priority.
Lack of funds, logistical constraints
Penetrante, who was also awarded a plaque of appreciation for
his outstanding performance as
Chief of Plans and Programs of the
Office of the Army Chief Chaplain Service (OACCS), called on
his fellow chaplains and lay team
members to ask the intervention
of Gods grace in their service.
We can see so many signs
lack of funds, logistical and management constraints, personal
respnses of the chaplains. Many
times we get distracted. But then
our Lord Jesus Christ would want
to focus us again, to set our hearts
firmlyto never lose hope, he
stressed.
The Mass, which was celebrated
by Army Chief Chaplain Fr. Col.
Andres Bonfiacio Belleza (GSC),
concluded the 1st CEP Conference spearheaded by the OACCS
and the OSM. (Nirvaana Ella
Delacruz / CBCP News)

BANGUI, Central African Republic, Nov. 30,

2015Christians and Muslims must unite
against acts which disfigure the Face of God
by promoting peace, Pope Francis told Islamic
representatives on the final day of his visit the
war-torn Central African Republic (CAR).
Those who claim to believe in God must
also be men and women of peace, the Pope
said at the Nov. 30 encounter at the Mosque
of Koudoukou in the CAR capital Bangui, recalling the long history of peaceful coexistence
among people of different religions.
Christians, Muslims and members of the
traditional religions have lived together in peace
for many years, the pontiff said, adding: We
are well aware that the recent events and acts of
violence which have shaken your country were
not grounded in properly religious motives.
Pope Francis arrived Sunday in the CAR,
the final stop of his tri-nation visit to Africa.
It also marks the pontiffs first time in an active war zone.
Christians and Muslims are brothers and
sisters. We must therefore consider ourselves and
conduct ourselves as such, he said.
They ought, therefore, to remain united in
working for an end to every act which, from
whatever side, disfigures the Face of God and
whose ultimate aim is to defend particular interests by any and all means, to the detriment
of the common good.
Together, we must say no to hatred, to revenge and to violence, particularly that violence
which is perpetrated in the name of a religion
or of God himself. God is peace, salam.
The CAR became embroiled in violence in
December 2012 when several bands of mainly
Muslim rebel groups formed an alliance, taking
the name Seleka. They left their strongholds
in the north of the country and made their
way south, seizing power from then-president
Francois Bozize. Since then, some 6,000
people have died in the conflict, with several
thousands more displaced.
The country will hold both presidential and
parliamentary elections Dec. 27, after they

Bangui, Central African Republic - April 8, 2014: Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick met with religious leaders in the
CAR to discuss possible solutions to end recent violence. Whitney Wilding/Catholic Relief Services

were postponed in October due to violence

and instability. Interim President Catherine
Samba-Panza, who has so far struggled to keep
peace, will not be a candidate.
Pope Francis went forward with the scheduled visit to the Koudoukou mosque despite
security concerns. These fears were exacerbated
by reports Saturday of three young people being killed in a nearby neighborhood, although
it was later announced that no one died, and
that the youths had been found.
In his address at the mosque, the Pope
expressed his gratitude for the work done by
Christian and Muslim leaders to re-establish
harmony and fraternity among all.
The pontiff went on to acknowledge the acts
of solidarity shown by Christians and Muslims
towards persons of other religions by welcoming
them and defending them during this latest crisis in
your country, as well as in other parts of the world.
We cannot fail to express hope that the
forthcoming national consultations will provide the country with leaders capable of bringing Central Africans together, thus becoming
symbols of national unity rather than merely

representatives of one or another faction.

The Pope called for the CAR, which is situated in the heart of Africa, to be a place of
welcome for everyoneregardless of ethnicity,
political affiliation, or religionwhich in turn
will encourage the rest of the continent to follow in its footsteps.
It will prove a positive influence and help
extinguish the smoldering tensions which
prevent Africans from benefitting from that
development which they deserve and to which
they have a right.
Pope Francis concluded his address by
inviting those present to pray and work for
reconciliation, fraternity and solidarity among
all people, without forgetting those who have
suffered the most as a result of recent events.
The Popes visit to the CAR is the last stop of
his Nov. 25-30 African journey which included
visits to Kenya and Uganda.
St. John Paul II was the last pontiff to visit
CAR when he stopped there briefly in 1985 as
part of a larger trip to Togo, the Ivory Coast,
Cameroon, Zaire and Kenya. (Ann Schneible/
CNA/EWTN News)

Faithful urged: Go to Blessed Sacrament

Advent, perfect example of Gods mercy priest

MANILA, Dec. 1, 2015A

priest has underscored the value
of frequenting Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament, stressing it is one sure
way current and aspiring fishers
of men can draw strength for
their various undertakings.
The Lord said, Come after
me. So, go to Jesus. Spend time
with Him. Enjoy His company.
Go to Jesus. Be friends with
Him. Talk to Him. And then
you will see you will accomplish
everything, said Fr. Sanny C. de
Claro on Monday, the Feast of St.
Andrew the Apostle, at the chapel
of the Arzobispado de Manila,
Intramuros.

MARILAO, Bulacan,
Dec. 4, 2015A priest
reminded recollection
attendees to remember
that Advent is all about
Gods mercy, especially
when they feel despair,
experience poverty, and
undergo hardships.
Let emptiness lead
you to Gods fulfillment, said Fr. Nap Baltazar, Nuestra Seora de
Lourdes Parish in Doa
Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan parish priest on
Nov. 30 in Mother of
Mercy Chapel, Loma de
Gato, Marilao, Bulacan.
More than teaching
the participants about

Self-review
According to him, spending

time praying before the Blessed

Sacrament is one of the many ways
the faithful can express their love
for the Lord.
In line with this, De Claro
invited members of Catholic
communities to make Eucharistic
Adoration a habit, encouraging
them to look within and review
their lives before Jesus, and to
share with one another experiences in their ministries, even their
struggles.
The head of Santo Nio de
Pandacan went on to remind the
faithful that the first thing Christ
did on meeting His would-be
disciples was not to send them at
once abroad to evangelize, but to
invite them to follow Him and be
with Him.

Always God first

Come after me, and I will
make you fishers of men. Please
take note the first word of Jesus
to His disciples Your first duty
is to be with the Lord. To be with
God. That is your first call, he
stressed.
De Claro further pointed
out that an apostolate will lose
its meaning without people
who are committed to filling
their lives with the Divine
presence.
This is the soul of our
apostolate, the soul of our
preaching, teaching catechism.
This is the source of our very
own existence in this group,
he added. (Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP News)

the essentials of Advent and how they are

to prepare themselves
for the coming of the
Lord, the priest shared
his parish experiences,
especially with the Dumagats. He talked about
humbling moments
where he personally sees
how God works in many
ways as well as what he
calls lifes simplest joys
and miracles.
The real essence of
Advent is not being
afraid to do good, help
others, and unite with
the Church, he told
CBCP News in an interview.

This activity reminded me and my family to

respond to Gods call
through active BECs, in
attending and participating in Eucharistic celebrations as well as other
church activities, and
most of all, in becoming [a] fisher of men,
said Napoleon Quizon,
Mother of Mercy Chapel
pastoral council chairman in an interview.
Advent recollections
enlighten us about the
true meaning of Christmas and help us become
more prepared in celebrating the birth of Jesus, explained Fr. Roger

Cruz in the concluding

Mass, which he concelebrated with Baltazar.
Let us become seedlings
that grow together in
faith and love, especially
this season.
Cruz also called on
the people to support
and pray for Baltazar and
his mission to plan and
execute programs to help
the Dumagat tribe in Sierra Madre, Doa Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan
as he was also appointed
Director for Indigenous
People Apostolate by
the Diocese of Malolos.
(Myraine Carluen Policarpio / CBCP News)

A4 OPINION

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

IN Misericordiae Vultus, the Bull of Indiction, released in April this

year announcing the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis
already gave the reason why this Jubilee Year had to be opened on
Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The logic he gave
was its rich meaning in the recent history of the Church. And by
that he meant the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council
which was concluded on Dec. 8.
He would look at Vatican II as another door where the world passed
through fifty years ago. That passing through was an emergence of the
Church from the shoals which for years had kept her self-enclosed so
as to set out once again, with enthusiasm, on her missionary journey.
It was a resumption of a journey of encountering people where they
are: in their cities and homes, in their workplaces. Wherever there are
people, the Church is called to reach out to them and to bring the joy
of the Gospel, and the mercy and forgiveness of God.
To look at Vatican II in that perspective is profound enough. But
in his homily at the at the start of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
and the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peters this Dec, 8, he delves
even more deeply into the theology of the Immaculate Conception.
He contemplates that the Immaculate Conception is the grandeur
of Gods love in the sense that in Mary, he even averts the original
sin present in every man and woman who comes into this world. According to him, this is the love of God which precedes, anticipates,
and saves.
He says that sin can only be understood in the light of Gods love
and forgiveness. If sin were the only thing that mattered, man would
be the most desperate of all creatures. But this is not so because the
promised triumph of Christs love unfolds everything in the Fathers
mercy. The Immaculate Conception is a testimony to this truth.
Which is why, he says, We have to put mercy before judgment, and in
any event Gods judgment will always be in the light of Gods mercy.
Now one understands why Pope Francis, in his interview with Fr.
Antonio Spadaro of La Civilta Cattolica in 2013, compares the Church
with a field hospital. Now one understands why in an in-flight interview from Rio de Janeiro after the World Youth Day he answered,
Who am I to judge? Now one understands why in his flight back
to Rome from Africa last month he dodges the condom issue while
looking at bigger issues that world leaders seem to ignore.

Sacramental signs and

the celebration of rest
THE Sacraments are a privileged way in which nature is taken up by
God to become a means of mediating supernatural life. Through our
worship of God, we are invited to embrace the world on a different
plane. Water, oil, fire and colors are taken up in all their symbolic power
and incorporated in our act of praise. The hand that blesses is an instrument of Gods love and a reflection of the closeness of Jesus Christ,
who came to accompany us on the journey of life. Water poured over
the body of a child in Baptism is a sign of new life. Encountering God
does not mean fleeing from this world or turning our back on nature.
This is especially clear in the spirituality of the Christian East. Beauty,
which in the East is one of the best loved names expressing the divine
harmony and the model of humanity transfigured, appears everywhere:
in the shape of a church, in the sounds, in the colors, in the lights, in
the scents. For Christians, all the creatures of the material universe
find their true meaning in the incarnate Word, for the Son of God has
incorporated in his person part of the material world, planting in it a
seed of definitive transformation. Christianity does not reject matter.
Rather, bodiliness is considered in all its value in the liturgical act,
whereby the human body is disclosed in its inner nature as a temple of
the Holy Spirit and is united with the Lord Jesus, who himself took a
body for the worlds salvation.
It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created finds its greatest
exaltation. Grace, which tends to manifest itself tangibly, found unsurpassable expression when God himself became man and gave himself as
food for his creatures. The Lord, in the culmination of the mystery of
the Incarnation, chose to reach our intimate depths through a fragment
of matter. He comes not from above, but from within, he comes that we
might find him in this world of ours. In the Eucharist, fullness is already
achieved; it is the living centre of the universe, the overflowing core of
love and of inexhaustible life. Joined to the incarnate Son, present in
the Eucharist, the whole cosmos gives thanks to God.
On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance.
Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our
relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world.
Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, the first day of the new creation,
whose first fruits are the Lords risen humanity, the pledge of the final
transfiguration of all created reality. It also proclaims mans eternal
rest in God. In this way, Christian spirituality incorporates the value
of relaxation and festivity. We tend to demean contemplative rest as
something unproductive and unnecessary, but this is to do away with
the very thing which is most important about work: its meaning. We
are called to include in our work a dimension of receptivity and gratuity,
which is quite different from mere inactivity. Rather, it is another way
of working, which forms part of our very essence. It protects human
action from becoming empty activism; it also prevents that unfettered
greed and sense of isolation which make us seek personal gain to the
detriment of all else.
The law of weekly rest forbade work on the seventh day, so that your
ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your maidservant,
and the stranger, may be refreshed (Ex 23:12). Rest opens our eyes to
the larger picture and gives us renewed sensitivity to the rights of others.
And so the day of rest, centered on the Eucharist, sheds it light on the
whole week, and motivates us to greater concern for nature and the poor.
-- Laudato Si, # 235-237

Monitor
CBCP

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Mercy before judgment

Views and Points

Climate change

Oscar V. Cruz, D.D.

CLIMATE change is a global problem with

grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political...It represents one of the major
challenges facing humanity in our days. Its
worst impact will probably be felt by developing
countries in the coming decades. (Pope Francis:
Encyclical Letter On the Case of Our Common
Home, n. 25, 24 May 2015)
No less than Pope Francis, the Sovereign of
the Universal Catholic Church spread all over
the globe with membership from all known
continents, races, and colors, made the deliberate option to formally and categorically address
the phenomenon of climate change the eventual and ultimate victim of which is humanity
as a whole. Among other definitely serious
and deadly consequences of climate change
are the following: The progressive warming
of the global climate. The gradual destruction
of the world environment. The slow but sure
wastage of earthly resources, the eventual loss of
human lives well-includedwhen nature itself
revolts against its destructors. It is definitely
not a profound truth that a bomb-maker can

be the victim thereof when it precisely explodes

on him.
The Church is certainly much concerned
with the truths in the supernatural sphere. But
this does not mean that the same Institution
is indifferent to the realities in the natural order. Yes, the Church is continuously teaching
the fundamental Commandment of Love of
God. But the same Ecclesial Institution is also
much concerned with the basic Commandment of Love of Neighbor. In other words,
the Church is committed to affirm the glory
of God and at the same time, also mandated
to safeguard the good of man. And when the
Church through the Pope himself speaks about
the mortal dangers brought by climate change
to humanity, this is but her obligation. So it
is that the perpendicular love of God plus the
horizontal love of man brings about no less
than the reality of the Cross of Christ.
The earth is the Common Home of
humanity as a whole. It is Gods creation for
man to live on even but temporally until he is
called to his eternal abode. The truth of the
matter is that God Himself saw to it that the

Gifts for priests

earth was ready the air and the waters, the

sun and the moon, the land and the trees, the
greenery and the animals before He brought
man to life and live thereon. What a pity if
through his abuse and other misdeeds, he is in
fact slowly but surely destroying his Common
Home with all others brought about precisely
by climate change.
The vicious exploitation, degradation and
destruction of nature usually on account of avarice and greed, the consequent phenomenon
of pollution on account of a throw-away social
culture, the consequent loss of biodiversityall
these and more challenge the integrity of nature, all these and more demean the environs
and necessarily make man the ultimate victim.
No. Man is not meant much less able to challenge nature because by so doing, he is the sure
loser and victim. He is instead obliged to take
care of nature so that nature takes care of him.
Would that the just concluded international encounter of no less than leaders from
countries the world over, one way or another
sooner than later decidedly take remedial steps
to counter climate change.

And Thats The Truth

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

IN the summer of 1985, I dated

a Swiss Guard. Yes, one of those
hunks guarding the pope in the
Vatican. I put the word dated in
quotation marks because it wasnt
a date-date, you know. Dating
a Swiss Guard, I thought, was a
clever way that I, a curious journalist gradually returning to the
Catholic fold, could know more
about Pope John Paul II who
intrigued me at first sight during
his 1981 visit to the Philippines.
It was one of those times I was
roaming Europe alone on Eurailpass for a month, hopping on and
off the train wherever-whenever.
Back then Swiss Guards were not
allowed to talk or even smile to
anyone while on dutythey stood
there like heartless monuments,
with only their eyeballs moving.

(Now, they will even accommodate your request for a selfie).

Being much younger, I had the
temerity to march up to a guard
(lets call him Hans) the minute he got off duty, to introduce
myself and ask him out to dinner
that very nightfor an interview
about his unique occupation. I
was surprised he readily accepted,
and without much ado, he set
our date, Eight oclock, at the
obelisk. (Trust the Swiss to be so
clock-driven!)
Hans was already there when
I arrived at 7:55 at the obelisk at
St. Peters Square, but I almost
missed him because without the
Swiss Guard uniform he didnt
look so formidable. So I fired the
questionsabout his job, his life
as a Swiss Guard, his impressions

Candidly Speaking
Fr. Roy Cimagala
IN our political discussions and
exchanges, its just fine to be
partisan as long as we are open
and respectful of all other views,
including those that are different
and opposed to ours. We should
avoid any form of extremism by
demonizing others who do not
agree with us.
Partisanship is inevitable in our
politics. And thats simply because
we have different backgrounds
and orientations, different preferences and priorities. Given our
human condition, let alone, our
weakness, mistakes and failures,
we will always have differences
among ourselves.
We should not be surprised by
these, but rather learn to live with
them as befits our human dignity.
We should not allow that we be
dragged by the dynamics of anger,
animosity, and hatred. Charity

should always rule, even in our

political choices as it should in all
other aspects of our life.
Yes, we can be quite strong
and fixed in our views, but this
does not give us an excuse to let
go of charity. In fact, these differences should be a good ground for
charity to grow. Thus, the sharper
the differences, the more intense
should be our charity.
We have to avoid painting those
who disagree with us as if they are
the very personification of evil,
completely incapable of doing
anything good or saying anything
true and worthwhile. This would
be a simplistic and nave way of
looking at things, and as such, is
fraught with potential dangers.
If we have to disagree, then lets
disagree amicably, respecting each
other and each others position.
No need for harsh words to be

of John Paul IIand he freely

satisfied my curiosity over fish and
chips and beer.
But why am I telling you this?
Only because my originally intended topic for this article today,
Christmas gifts for priests led to
this recollection. Hans was clearly
in awe of his boss the Polish pope,
and his reverence for the pontiff
was evident as he shared with me
about his unforgettable first birthday as a Swiss Guard. Hans was
speechless when he was called to
the popes office first thing in the
morning of his birthday. What
had I done wrong? he wondered
on his way. Then a smiling John
Paul II took him to a room he
had never seen before. Hans
recalled, his eyes beaming, It is a
very big room filled with gifts to

the pope, all kinds of gifts from

all over the world, and the pope
said Choose anything you want;
its my birthday gift to you! I was
overwhelmed, like a little boy in a
room full of chocolates.
Years later, I was to discover
how difficult it was to think of
gifts to give to priests, because like
my rich friends, they have everything. Whether for birthday or
for Christmas theyre flooded with
all sorts of gifts, some of which
they have absolutely no use for.
For one bishop I know, the gifts
vanish as soon as the celebration is
overbecause there are dozens of
priests and chancery workers waiting in the wings for superfluous
gifts. Another priest I know picks
only the Christmas gifts he needs
And Thats The Truth, A5

Partisanship,
openness, charity
thrown, much less, uncharitable
thoughts and bad intentions.
Charity knows how to unite us
even in our most hopeless and
irreparable differences.
Sad to say, many of us today
are behaving the opposite of what
is proper to us. It starts with our
political leaders and candidates
down to the electorate and even to
the general population, including
children. We have to stop this.
We cannot paint a favorite candidate to be so perfect and saintly
that we can observe no defect,
mistake or fault in him. Neither
should we picture a disliked candidate to be so bad that we can find
no saving grace in him.
Lets always remember that all
the saints and the appointed patriarchs and prophets of old had
their defects and mistakes too,
even after their conversion. They

were always struggling, because

they know that their sanctity is
always a work in progress. It is
never completed in this life.
Also, even those who are generally considered as bad people are
still capable of doing something
good. I remember one Gospel
episode where this possibility is
illustrated. Its in the Gospel of
St. John:
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year,
said to them, You know nothing
at all; you do not understand that
it expedient for you that one man
should die for the people, and
that the whole nation should not
perish.
He did not say this of his own
accord, but being high priest that
year he prophesied that Jesus
should die for the nation, and not
Candidly Speaking, A7

CBCP Monitor

By the Roadside
Rev. Eutiquio Euly Belizar,
Jr., SThD
EVERY time we look into a mirror
we see our own face. The mirror
reflects us. But it cannot contain
us. It is different when we look
into Jesus Christ. In Him, we see
the face of God. In Him, we see
the Father who is in Him and in
whom He is. The Father and I are
one, He declares in John 10:30.
To Philip the Apostle He says,
Whoever has seen me has seen
the Father (Jn 14:9). In Him, we
stand face to face with the Father
and it is the Fathers mercy that
comes to the fore and becomes
visible to anyone who encounters
Jesus Christ.
So particularly and emphatically says the Holy Father, Pope
Francis in the Bull of Indiction of
the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
entitled Misericordiae Vultus (The
Face of Mercy). His very first statement is his most forceful: Jesus
Christ is the face of the Fathers
mercy (Misercordiae Vultus, no.
1). Here he echoes the message
of St. John Paul II who, without
mincing his words, simply points
out: He (Jesus Christ) Himself, in
a certain sense, is mercy (Dives in
Misericordia, no. 2).
What is the Holy Father trying
to say here?
1. That Jesus Christ continues
and is, in fact, the fullest revelation of Gods mercy. Already in

OPINION A5

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

the Old Covenant which we know

as the Old Testament God already
reveals Himself to Moses as a God
merciful and gracious, slow to
anger, and abounding in steadfast
love and faithfulness (Ex 34:6), a
truth Pope Francis refers to in MV
1. God does not stop doing so. In
fact, as the letter to the Hebrews
tells us, In times past God spoke
in fragmentary and varies ways to
our fathers through the prophets:
in this final age he has spoken to
us through his Son, whom he has
made heir of all things (Heb 1:12). Jesus is the fullest revelation of
the Father because He, the Son is
the reflection of the Fathers glory,
the exact representation of the
Fathers being (Heb 1:3).
2. In Jesus Christ we see the
fullest revelation of the Fathers
mercy not simply for one particular person, community or nation
but for all mankind. In a word,
the revelation of Gods mercy
is universal in scope. God is no
exclusive property even of the
Chosen People of Israel. As Isaiah
declares Gods mind, Let not the
foreigner say, when he would join
himself to the Lord, The Lord
will surely exclude me from his
people. The foreigners who join
themselves to the Lord, loving the
name of the Lord and becoming
his servants[them] I will bring

The Family and the Eucharist

in the Jubilee Year of Mercy
THE year 2021 is a year of thanksgiving for
the 500th Anniversary on March 16, 2021 of
the arrival of Christianity in the country. We
remember the first Mass celebrated in Limasawa Island on that Easter Sunday, March 31,
1521. That was the day of baptism of Rajah
Humabon, given the Christian name Carlos,
and his wife Hara Amihan, baptized Juana.
The image of Sto. Nio de Cebu, the oldest
religious icon, was the gift of Ferdinand Magellan to the first Filipino Catholics.
The 9-year journey for the New Evangelization offers a different theme for each year.
The first 3 years themes are: Integral Faith
Formation, Year of the Laity, Year of the Poor
and this year is the Eucharist and the Family
which coincides with the Holy Year of Mercy.
***
Pope Francis proclaimed the start of the
Jubilee Year of Mercy on Dec. 08, 2015, the
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. He
opened the Holy Door which will become a
Door of Mercy through which anyone who
enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instils hope. Pope Francis
opened the Holy Door on the 50th anniversary
of the closing of the Second Vatican Council.
The Holy Door of the Cathedral of Rome,
the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, will be
opened on the Third Sunday of Advent.
Thereafter, the Holy Doors of the other Papal
Basilicas will be opened. The Holy Father will
also announce that in every cathedral, a Door
of Mercy will be opened for the duration of
the Holy Year.
In the Diocese of Kalookan, aside from San
Roque Cathedral, which will have the Rites
of Blessing and Dedication of the Cathedral
on December 12, its Apostolic Administrator
Most Rev. Francisco De Leon, will declare two
churches in each of the 5 Vicariates in the
Diocese as the Jubilee Church, to give all parishioners the opportunity to have immediate
access to the Jubilee Churches they will visit.
The faithful who visit the Holy Door of
a Church is given a Plenary Indulgence, a
remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been
forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is
duly disposed gains under certain prescribed
conditions through the action of the Church

Jesus Christ: the face of

the Fathers mercy
to my holy mountain and make
joyful in my house of prayer
For my house shall be called a
house of prayer for all peoples (Is
56:1, 3, 7). This brings us pause.
The Catholicity of Gods mercy is
particularly real in the Catholic
Church where every race, country
or nationality finds a home. This
was particularly brought home to
me the first time I concelebrated
in a Mass in Rome. I was awed by
the presence, even among priests,
of people of all skin colors, races,
languages, and cultures. I could
not help seeing the reality of the
words uttered through Isaiah, My
house shall be called a house of
prayer for all peoples.
3. Jesus revelation of the Fathers
mercy is no campaign slogan or
empty claim. The Holy Father
himself teaches: Jesus of Nazareth,
by his words, his actions, and his
entire person reveals the mercy of
God (MV 1). Jesus himself points
to his own testimony directly linking him to the Father in a manner
greater that even John the Baptists
own testimony on his behalf. But I
have testimony greater than Johns.
The works that the Father gave me
to accomplish, these works that I
perform testify on my behalf that
the Father has sent me (Jn 5:36).
Pope Francis makes us meditate
on how Jesus deeds reveal the

Father: His relationships with the

marginalized, sinners, and outcasts,
His deep compassion for the tired
and exhausted crowds, His healing
and curing of peoples illnesses, His
raising of the dead, particularly of
the widow of Naims son, His driving away evil spirits that oppress
and enslave people, His choosing
of Matthew, a sinner and tax collector, as one of His apostles (MV
8). Even Jesus words also attest to
the Fathers mercy. The Holy Father
surveys the parables of mercy: the
lost sheep, the lost coin, and the
father of two sons (Lk 15:1-32),
in each of which God is always
presented as full of joy, especially
when he pardons (MV 9).
4. You have to excuse me
if I cut down our musings. I
have come to my most important point: Since Christians are
Christifideles or the faithful of
Christ, they must also reflect
Jesus Christ who reflects exactly
the Fathers mercy.
Here we must challenge ourselves. Could we also take as our
own Jesus words: I have testimony greater than Johns. The
works that the Father gave me to
accomplish, these works that I
perform testify on my behalf that
the Father has sent me. Do we
also have words and deeds to show
for our works?

Duc In Altum

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses

and applies with authority the treasury of the
satisfactions of Christ and the saints.
Gaining of indulgences, whether plenary
or partial, requires prescribed conditions and
the performance of certain prescribed works.
The faithful should be in the state of grace.
Indulgence can be gained only once a day. It
is appropriate, but not necessary, that Confession, Holy Communion, and praying for the
Popes intentions take place on the same day
that the indulgenced work is performed, to
be carried out within several days (about 20)
before or after the indulgenced act. Indulgences
can always be applied either to oneself or to the
souls of the deceased, but cannot be applied to
other persons living on earth.
***
During the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis reflected on the relationship between the
Church and the family, with a view to the
common good of society. When families
journey along the way of the Lord, they offer
a fundamental witness to Gods love, and they
deserve the full commitment and support of
the Church. In the family we learn the bonds
which unite us, of fidelity, sincerity, trust, cooperation and respect, even when difficulties
abound. Indeed it is in family life that the most
vulnerable of society are cared for.
Like Saint Peter, the Church is called to
be a fisher of men, and so needs a new type
of net. Families are this net. They free us from
the sea of loneliness and indifference, so that
we can all experience the freedom of being
children of God. May the Church go out into
the deepen (duc in altum) confident that the
catch will be great.
***
The Papal Family of the Diocese of Kalookan
held its Advent Recollection with Most Rev.
Francisco De Leon as the Recollection Master.
Adventus is coming, the coming of Christ in
three ways: He arrived when He was born in
Bethlehem; He came in mystery (in the Sacrament, in Word, the King); He will come in
glory at the end of the world.
How do we wait for the coming of Christ?
Our First Model is John the Baptist who
espoused repentance and avoidance of sins,
and the proclamation of the coming of the

P.O.G.I. (Presence Of God Inside)

Spaces of Hope

Fr. Carmelo O. Diola

kingdom of God. Our Second Model is Mary:

it is difficult to accept Gods will but she accepted it with its consequences. She asked how
she could conceive when she did not know
any man. In her time, a woman who was not
married and got pregnant was stoned to death.
Everything that Mary did not understand, she
kept in her heart.
In the Year of Mercy, Bishop Francis enjoined the Papal Awardees to be merciful as
the Father is merciful. Do corporal works of
mercyfeed the hungry, give drink to the
thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless,
visit the sick, visit the imprisoned and bury
the dead. Also do spiritual works of mercy
counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant,
admonish the sinners, comfort the afflicted,
forgive offenses, bear wrongs patiently, pray
for the living and the dead.
Forgiveness and Reconciliationto forgive
sin is to erase irrevocably what happened in the
past; it is like punishing the victim the second
time. Victims demand repentance. God is the
forgiver of sins; when we forgive, we accept
Gods love. It is an act of freedom, that no one
is bound to the power of the past. If one is able
to forgive, the victim becomes the survivor.
To forget painful memories, you belittle the
event or belittle the victim. Urging the victim
to forget is to victimize him again. In forgiveness, we do not forget but we remember it in
a different way in such a way that anger and
resentment is no longer present. It becomes
constructive. To erase part of our memory is
to erase part of identity. We forget that we are
not bound by the sad emotions in the past.
Why did the Risen Christ show Himself to the
apostles with wounds? His sufferings are still
part of His life but His wounds became a source
of healing to doubting Thomas. We remember
the hurts and the wounds caused upon us has
become a source of healing for others. Ask God
to heal your memory so that memory will not
bring bitterness and resentment.
Bishop Francis also presided over the Holy
Mass where he introduced new experiences:
Mass where everyone was seated; in the Prayers
of the Faithful, seat mates pray for each others
intention; Communion was given to each other
by seat mates. Thank you Bishop Francis for
Duc In Altum, A6

The Bread of Life

Virgin of Guadalupe
LAST Sept. 5 to 10, I did a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady
of Guadalupe in Mexico City. This was a humbling culmination
of my silver anniversary celebration as an ordained priest with
friends and three of my brothers. Two particular events in a totallyunexpected Marian pilgrimage last year led to the said pilgrimage.
Wait till you go to Guadalupe. It is different, my friend
John told me in Lourdes. This sparked my imagination. And
true enough, among other things, when we were in Guadalupe,
John pointed out to me the more than one kilometer distance
navigated by pilgrims on bended knees from the gate to the top
of the Tepeyac Hill. What humble, long-suffering faith!
Another incident was my longing for my departed mother,
Elena, and the thought during prayer: Am I not your mother
also? I only found out last January in Tacloban from a Marian
devotee that similar consoling words were uttered to San Juan
Diego by the Virgin of Guadalupe No estoy yo aqui que soy tu
madre? (Am I not here, I, who am your mother?).
My gratitude to God for the pilgrimage knows no bounds!
***
One is the enjoyment of facts. Hernan Cortes is no longer
just a busy street to my parish in Mandaue City. Montezuma is
not just a lyric of a marching song. 1521 is no longer just the
year Magellan came to our islands but also the year when Cortes
vanquished Montezuma. Now I know Mexico has a 40 year headstart of sustained Spanish administration and influence if we take
1565, the arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in the Philippines
as our starting point.
Legazpi had set sail from Mexico upon the orders of the representative of the Spanish king in Mexico. I also learned that it was
a priest-secretary of Bishop Zumarraga, who first saw the holy
image on the apron-like garment (tilma) of Juan Diego, who
made a reproduction of it and sent it to the Philippines. Whatever
became of it? So many connections between our country and
Mexico. I felt at home.
I am awed at how God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary,
penetrated and transformed an existing religious culture that
encompassed every facet of the lives of the native population.
God satisfied their search for truth and divinity that had unfortunately led them to a very serious blunder regarding human
sacrifice by entrusting a heavenly image of Our Lady to them. It
is so amazing how specific symbols spoke to a particular religious
longing of the natives, like the roses inside the tilma that symbolize
truth. That visual culture mirrors our own contemporary visual
culture. There are opportunities for new evangelization here.
The image defies human explanation as to its origin and make,
and has remained unscathed and looking fresh despite many
years of candle smoke, acidity from a salty lake, accidental acid
spillage, and the detonation of a bomb. It is an image made in
and preserved by heaven.
***
The circumstances surrounding the apparition attract me.
It is moving how Our Lady appears to a 57-year old man who
responds to her terms of endearment with his own term of
endearment (Inday). Juan Diegos non-appearance before the
Virgin (nang-indian) due to his uncles deteriorating health is
amusing. Marys simple message is disarming. They are words of
unconditional love:
Listen and let it penetrate your heartdo not be troubled
or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation,
anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you
not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain
of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of
my arms? Is there anything else you need?
The Virgin Mothers role as our companion continues. She
touched 33 hearts to undertake the pilgrimage even as we promise
to read the book entitled, 33 Days to Morning Glory. Who
could forget the testimony of my brother, Raddy, who received
the exact amount of money from an unexpected source for the
transportation expenses for him and his wife, Carole?
Pilgrimages are planned way ahead in advance. Ours took about
three weeks. Initial estimated costs were prohibitive. Providence
guided Xenia, a good friend, and my brother Neil to look into the
details of the pilgrimage and make it affordable. Even our contact
person and guide were handpicked by Our Lady of Guadalupe.
***
Who could forget the Mass for the birthday of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, when Monsignor Diego Monroy, former basilica rector, led
us in the Marian consecration that briefly unfroze the regimented
air of the basilica to allow the Holy Spirit to give us a most special
unction!? And, lest we experience the effects of spiritual implosion, I thank the Lord for our sheer humanity. This led to many
humorous situations, not to mention being lost for about two
hours with three other persons.
Besides my three siblings (Raddy, Carl, and Neil) and their
spouses (Carole and Lorna), my closest friend in seminary (Fr.
Jim) as well as Joy (whose husband Guido was my best friend
from college) and daughter Alexys came along. Joy finally made
the Guadalupe pilgrimage on her third attempt and despite
weather problems.
What joy to be loved by Our Mother!

Rev. Fr. Alan Gozo Bondoc, SVD

And Thats The Truth, A4

IT is obvious from my bodily

figure that I love eating. It is my
simple enjoyment to eat, besides
I give joy and smile to those who
prepared and served the food
when I eat a lot. As Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods would say
it, If it looks good, eat it.
We eat to live. However, eating
without balance nutrition could
lead to an unhealthy life which
may cause early death. We have
to know what we eat; every kind
of food we take in has an effect
on our body. The food affects
our health; it either weakens or
strengthens our body.
In Gospel from John 6:51-58,

Jesus is offering a different kind

of food for us. One that will
definitely strengthen and nourish
us not only our physical body but
our soul. He is giving us bread,
bread that gives life. Because the
bread He is referring to is Himself:
I am the living bread.
It would be an understatement
to say that this living bread, if we
choose to take and eat it, will have
a good effect on our soul. This
living bread will lead us to a holy
life. It will not cause us death but
will give us life eternal.
Jesus wants us to be one with
Him by taking His body. We become what we eat. Receiving the

Body of Jesus in the Communion

is making Him part of our selves.
It is in the Communion that we
are transformed and become Alter Cristus, meaning Another
Christ. Therefore, receiving the
Body of Christ gives us greater
responsibility because when we
become Another Christ, it only
means that we should act like Him
and we should emulate Him.
Taking the Body of Christ,
the Bread of Life allows Jesus to
increase in us, as we decrease in
ourselves.
The Bread of Life signifies Jesus
sacrificial love for us because He
gives Himself fully to us in Holy

Communion. Communion is a
calling to be with God. Remember
we have a prayer before Communion, Lord, I am not worthy to
receive You, but only say the Word
and I shall be healed. Communion means an invitation to those
who have lost their way. It means
healing to those who are wounded
by sin. It means transformation to
become holy just as God is holy.
In the Holy Communion we
do not receive mere bread but
Jesus Himself. When we take and
receive the Body of Jesus, we allow
Him to permeate us and come into
our lives, enter our hearts.
Let Jesus become your life.

and raffles away the rest during

Epiphany to needy parish workers
and volunteers.
On occasion I have been assigned along with a few to open
and sort out such gifts priests
receive, and on those times I
wondered what guided the giftgivers to choose their presents to
the men of the cloth. Many items
are practical, like cuts of polo
barong fabric and cologne (Para
mabango kamay nila pag nagmano
ka!), but some are downright
inappropriate, like luxury items.
A bishop who received a box of
Calvin Klein bikini briefs found
them rather odd, asked Is this a
joke or what? and quickly tossed

the pricey stylish collection to the

eager hands of his driver.
Bearing in mind the example of
St. John Paul II and the priests who
recycled the gifts they receive, one
would be safe to give gifts the priest
can share. And, we shouldnt feel
offended if and when we see our gift
among those being recycled. After all, when we give gifts to priests,
we give as well to the Lord who
enjoins His disciples to give away
spare cloaks to the bare backed.
What gifts would be good to
give to priests this Christmas?
Please make things easy for the
giveremail your suggestions to
teresatunay@gmail.com and well
publish them next issue.

A6 LOCAL NEWS

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

PH needs respectful leaders pro-lifers

FOLLOWING Davao Mayor

Rodrigo Dutertes less-thanflattering reference to Pope
Francis in a recent speech, a
Catholic lay group issued a
statement Tuesday underscoring the importance of elected
officials who know how to
respect themselves, the dignity of fellow humans, and
fundamental institutions like
marriage.
R-e-s-p-e-c-t
A person aspiring to become the nations leader
should always be respectful of
himself, his office, and of other
people, stressed Filipinos
for Life in their Dec. 1 press
release.
The group went on to ask
rhetorically how Duterte can
be trusted to uphold the basic
rights of other innocent people

if he can verbally abuse someone as respected as the Holy

Father.
Besides finding that Duterte
greatly erred in cursing Pope
Francis, they further decried
what they consider to be the
presidential candidates wanton behavior with regard
to his public admission to
adultery.
If he has no respect for the
indissolubility of marriage,
they added. What other institutions crucial to the moral
well-being of the people is he
willing to tamper with?
Sanctity of life, family, marriage
We value sanctity of life,
family, and marriage, above
allinstitutions that form
the very foundation of every
sound society. We are most

disappointed that he chose not

to uphold his marriage vows,
which would have been the
most vivid expression of his
manhood, unlike the persona
he projects where women are
mere expendable persons to
satisfy his sexual needs, the
group lamented.
While already aware of apologies issued on the mayors
behalf, Filipinos for Life still
demand Duterte himself to
apologize to the countrys 80
million Catholics for the extreme disrespect he has shown
Pope Francis and the Catholic
faith as well as to the women
he has had relations with.
Collective discernment
We also ask his supporters
to discern well whether Mr.
Duterte is indeed fit to be their
choice as the next president
of the country. This is a time

for serious introspection and

prayer; and we must listen
to our informed conscience
which acts as Gods voice in
our hearts, they explained.
According to them, the recent events raise serious doubts
about Dutertes readiness for
the highest office in the land,
given that the Philippines deserves a morally upright and
competent leader who will
revere his position as a sacred
duty to serve God and his
countrymen.
We must also consider
all the consequences of our
actions, the positive as well
as the negative effects of
our decisions, in the short
term and the long term,
and what these decisions say
about us, the group added.
(Raymond A. Sebastin /
CBCP News)

PH Catholics: Its the season of reconciliation!

CBCP Monitor

Legal, scientific support vs.

50 carbon majors sought
AT the sidelines of the widely-publicized COP21, discussions between
non-government organizations, legal
experts, and scientists are taking place
to hold the worlds top 50 polluters
accountable.
Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action,
Justice and Peace (NASSA) said he
and his groups presence in France
is meant to gather legal support for
their international campaign and
to find ways to track long-standing
complaints.
We are also conducting dialogue with scientists to support
the complainants claims, Fr.
Gariguez said in an interview
with CBCP News a day before he
returned to Manila.
Continuous coal mining
The priest added it is sad to know
most of the countrys energy sources
come from coal-fired power plants.
The government has also continuously
allowed coal mining.
He explained President (Benigno
Simeon C.) Aquino IIIs speech

before COP21 was good but inconsistent with what is going on in the
Philippines. While the president
talked about climate vulnerability,
the government has continued to
rally the countrys top corporations,
including Aboitiz and San Miguel
to operate more coal-fired power
plants.
Its been business as usual for
President Aquino, Fr. Gariguez
said. He said its hypocriscy to the
maximum level for one not to walk
the talk.
Human rights inquiries
However, Gariguez said he hopes
the Commission on Human Rights
(CHR) will do its best to inquire
into the activities of a number of the
worlds 50 carbon majors present in
the Philippines. He said the CHR
promised to do so during the first
quarter of 2016.
He further said this is the first time
the international community has attempted to hold the top 50 carbon
majors accountable for the plight of
the poor and marginalized, including
farmers and fisherfolk. (Melo M.
Acua / CBCP News)

Mindanao, A1

MSP, DD; Metropolitan Archbishop

of Ozamiz Jesus A. Dosado, CM, DD.
The statement, which was also concurred by 166 delegates of the 40th
DOPIM Bishops-Clergy Convention,
describes the bodys serious concern on
the operation of coal mining and coal
power plant that triggers apprehension
among our people and poses environment threat in the provinces where such
facility is being established.
According to the document, coal
mining and coal power plants are part
of the unchecked human activities
that are turning the earth into an arid
wasteland.
Referring to the recent natural disasters and super typhoons that have
hit the country recently, the bishops
said: We are living witnesses of the

destruction brought about by weather

changes and the effects to health by
carbon emissions. The calamities that
claimed thousands of lives these past
years and months are enough proof
to awaken in us a commitment to
safeguard creation and help mitigate
their effects.
The statement mentioned the Holy
Father as an influence for their stand,
saying, Pope Francis, seeing the urgency of action in dealing with environmental crisis, points out the use of
highly polluting fossil fuelsespecially
coal to be progressively replaced without
delay (Cf. Laudato Si, 165).
The document was drafted during the
40th DOPIM Bihops-Clergy Convention at the Diocesan Pastoral Center,
Del Carmen, Iligan City. (CBCP News)

Duc In Altum, A5

Vatican City - November 30, 2015. Workers set up a Christmas Tree and Nativity Set in St. Peters Square on November 30, 2015. CNA

TAKING their cue from Pope Francis

prayer intention for December, Filipino
Catholics encourage others of their faith
to have hope this Advent season and to
take advantage of the coming Jubilee Year
to confess their sins and be reconciled
with the Merciful God.
The popes intention for the month of
December may be understood as an invitation to all to come to the merciful Lord
through the sacrament of reconciliation.
It is in that sacrament that all who comes
to God with humility will experience
Gods mercy, shared Darwin Beceril, a
volunteer catechist from the Diocese of
Novaliches.
Religious educator Nestor Limqueco
from Manila seconded, pointing out that
Advent invites the faithful to avail of the
Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to be

hopeful that all will be well despite their

weaknesses and imperfections, thanks to a
God Who is Mercy and Hope personified.
Greatest Love of All
This season of hope and the commencement of the Year of Mercy gives us
reason to celebrate the greatest love the
world has known, that of the God Who
has show it through the Incarnation of
His Son, he explained.
According to Limqueco, mercy is Gods
greatest expression of His love for humanity, and hope is the response each faithful
must give to to this loving mercy.
The advent season reminds us that
there is always hope to come. Jesus laid
down His life to save us from our sins and
bring us to eternal life. The Lord assures
us there is always hope in our struggles,

temptations, and problems. Never lose

hope and always strive to do good things.
God fulfills his promises, said JM Tuazon, a Filipino accountant based in the
United States.
Jesus never lets down
Echoing one of the pontiffs quotable
statements on his visit to Palo, Leyte in
January, Tuazon stressed that Jesus is Lord
Who will not let the faithful down.
The Holy Fathers universal prayer
intention for the month is: That all may
experience the mercy of God, who never
tires of forgiving.
Meanwhile, his intention for evangelization is: That families, especially those
who suffer, may find in the birth of Jesus
a sign of certain hope. (Raymond A.
Sebastin / CBCP News)

Happy Sacerdotal Anniversary to Fr.

Rico Ayo, Fr. Romy Tuazon, Fr. Jeff
Aytona,O.P., Fr. Dennis Salise, Fr.
Larry Frias, Fr. Nestor Estanislao, Fr.
Patrick Hiwatig, O.P. Happy Birthday
also to my brother, Dr. Andres Roy
Santiago, and Kalookan Diocese Curia
staff Jun Acebuche.

Polluters, A1

we going to do it? the priest pointed out.

Petition vs. big polluters
No less than 50 multinational companies were named respondents of the petition considered as the first human rights
complaints against big polluters.
Of these, 10 companies have branches or
subsidiaries in the Philippines, as follows:
ExxonMobil
Chevron
Total
Royal Dutch Shell
BHP Billiton

BP
Anglo American
Lafarge
Holcim
Taiheiyo Cement Corporation
Besides Gariguez, the other Filipinos and Asians present in Paris to give
talks are: Climate Change Commission
Commissioner Heherson Alvarez, CHR
Commissioners Roberto Cadiz and Gwen
Pimentel-Gana, and representatives of
Greenpeace Southeast Asia as well as
other civil society groups. (Raymond A.
Sebastin / CBCP News)

Passport, A1

Jubilee, A1

The Pope made reference to

the days first Mass reading, the
Genesis account of mans fall
in the Garden of Eden.
The words of Genesis reflect our own daily experience:
we are constantly tempted to
disobedience, a disobedience
expressed in wanting to go
about our lives without regard
for Gods will, he said.
Yet the history of sin can
only be understood in the
light of Gods love and forgiveness. Were sin the only
thing that mattered, we would
be the most desperate of
creatures.
The promised triumph of
Christs love enfolds everything in the Fathers mercy,
the Pope said. The Immacu-

the very enlightening talk and new experiences in the Holy Eucharist. We learned a
lot and we will greatly miss you.
***
We greet Most Rev. Deogracias
Iiguez, Jr., D.D., Bishop Emeritus
of the Diocese of Kalookan, and Fr.
Mario Cueto a very Happy Birthday!

late Virgin stands before us

as a privileged witness of this
promise and its fulfillment.
Pope Francis concluded his
homily recalling the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Councils closing, which
is also commemorated Dec.
8. He stressed that the Jubilee
of Mercy is a challenge for us
to the openness inspired by
the Council.
The Council was a genuine encounter between the
Church and the men and
women of our time, in which
the Holy Spirit impelled the
Church to emerge from the
shoals which for years had
kept her self-enclosed so as
to set out once again, with
enthusiasm, on her missionary

journey.
Wherever there are people,
the Church is called to reach
out to them and to bring the
joy of the Gospel, the Pope
said.
The Jubilee challenges us
to this openness, and demands
that we not neglect the spirit
which emerged from Vatican
II, the spirit of the Samaritan,
as Blessed Paul VI expressed
it at the conclusion of the
Council.
In his Angelus address delivered after the opening of
the Holy Door, Pope Francis
called the faithful to look on
the Immaculate Conception
as a reminder that, in our life,
everything is a gift. Everything
is mercy.

May the Blessed Virgin,

the first fruits of the saved, the
model of the Church, holy and
immaculate Bride, loved by
the Lord, help us to rediscover
the mercy of God more and
more, in a way characteristic
of Christians.
The Pope said the opening
of the Jubilee of Mercy is an
occasion to look on the Immaculate Conception with
trusting love, to contemplate
her in all her splendor, (and
imitate) her faith.
In the Immaculate conception of Mary, we are invited
to recognize the dawn of the
new world, transformed from
the saving work of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.

Spending, A1

consuming more than is needed.

Lets be responsible. Life is hard today
and we should use our blessings given to
us by God wisely, stressed the prelate.
Christmas balikbayan boxes
According to him, advertisements and
Christmas sales subtly reshape the peoples
desired around the material.
For his part, Bishop Ruperto Santos of
Balanga diocese issued a similar appeal to

overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

He said OFWs must not try hard to fill
up their balikbayan boxes beyond their
means, while their families back home
must spend the remittances responsibly.
Save more, share more
Magtabi, mag-ipon at, sa mga naiwan,
palaging pahalagahan ang pinapadala
ng kapamilya (Set aside, save, and have
something left. Always value what your

family member sends home, he added.

Ongtioco also said instead of excessive
consumption, it would be better if Filipinos would consider sharing their blessings
to the needy.
If what we receive is more than enough,
there are also many who are in need. Let
us share our blessings with othersThis
probably is a challenge and an opportunity
for us to share with those who have less in
life, he said in Filipino. (CBCP News)

City; Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine

Mercy in Mandaluyong City; Santuario
de Santo Cristo in San Juan City; and
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Pasay City.
Rectors and parish priests have been
coordinating on how to make pilgrimages fruitful and meaningful to pilgrims,
said Malicdem, who is also rector of the
Manila Cathedral.
Passport-stamping
According to him, the five churches
were chosen for the pilgrimage because
of their connection to mercy.
He said Catholics may start their pilgrimage from any of the churches but
they will have to proceed to the parish
office after they accomplished the required
activities for stamping of their passports.
Passports are available at all five
churches. The may start and end at any
church then they will also be given a certificate of pilgrimage, added the priest.
Among the required pilgrimage activities include entering the Holy Door, silent adoration and meditation, veneration
of the Jubilee Cross, and donating to the
archdioceses charitable programs.
The priest said the Holy Year also encourages the faithful to understand the
practice of merciful love by dividing the
works of mercy into two kinds: spiritual
and corporal.
He added that donations may come in
cash or in kind and will be used to feed the
hungry, provide housing for the homeless,

and other projects.

Malicdem said no other than Pope
Francis himself called on the faithful
to make a pilgrimage because mercy
requires goal, dedication and sacrifice.
Acts of mercy
For Fr. Jason Laguerta of the Office of
the Philippine Conference on the New
Evangelization, the archdioceses lead
group for the Year of Mercy, a pilgrimage
is a good metaphor for life.
We are able to receive the mercy of
God. Ritual is meaningless if not coupled
with works of mercy and concrete actions
towards charity, Fr Laguerta said.
Mercy is not just a concept or an
abstract idea but an action word. Its
something that we do perform acts of
mercy to one another, he said.
Aside from the spiritual benefits, the
priests added that a plenary indulgence
is also available to the faithful for making
a pilgrimage.
Malicdem also said the Year of Mercy
pilgrimage may be held next year starting
from Ash Wednesday, which marks the
season of Lent, until the Pentecost Sunday.
The universal Church will observe an
extraordinary Year of Mercy as decreed by
the Pope from Dec. 8, 2015 until Nov.
20 2016.
In Manila, Cardinal Tagle will start the
celebration by opening the cathedrals
Jubilee Door and hold Mass on Dec. 9.
(Roy Lagarde / CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor

DIOCESAN NEWS A7

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Davao inaugurates Laudato Si organic garden

DAVAO CityTo give people a concrete
example on how to feed the family without harming the environment, a parish in
the Archdiocese of Davao has put up an
urban container organic garden named
after Pope Francis encyclical Laudato Si.
Auxiliary Bishop of Davao George
Rimando officiated the inauguration and
blessing of the Ascension of the Lord Parish Laudato Si Garden, located at the back
of the parish in GSIS Heights, Matina,
Davao City, last Sunday, Dec. 6.
Fr. Leonardo Dublan, Jr., parish priest
said they want to have a showroom for
the people as their model on how to set
up their own container garden even with
limited space at home.
Not impossible
It is not impossible to have a backyard
garden in the urban area. Our parish is
located in a subdivision and we were
able to set-up our parish urban container garden and parishioners can also
do the same in their respective homes,
explained Dublan, also the director of
the Archdiocesan Social Action Center
(ASAC).
The parish has sought the help of Jojo
Rom, known as Father of Urban Container Gardening in the country, in putting
up the said garden in honor of the pope.
The garden utilizes organic fertilizers
and also has an aquaculture pond below
the structure. A mini poultry area and a

wall garden are also included in the entire

set-up.
Rom said the waste from the kitchen
like fruit and vegetable peelings as well as
other biodegradable waste are used to generate fermented fertilizer for the plants.
After the blessing, a lecture about urban
container gardening was given by Rom
to the lay leaders and parishioners. It can
be remembered that he once delivered a
similar lecture during the monthly meeting of the Parish Social Action Ministry
(PSAM) of the Archdiocese of Davao.
Safe, organic food
ASAC Davao coordinator Sr. Ma.
Marissa Arado, TDM said ASAC Davao
has been promoting urban container gardening to provide safe, organic food for
the family, especially with the worsening
effects of climate change.
Hopefully the lessons about climate
change will reach the young people and
the grassroots, Arado said.
She added the use of organic fertilizers
is a way of protecting not only the family
but also the soil as chemicals are used in
producing many commercially available
crops.
ASAC Davao hopes that the lessons
learned from the Laudato Si Garden will
be used in every Gagmayng Kristohanong
Katilingban (GKK) or Basic Ecclesial
Communities and every home. (John
Frances C. Fuentes / CBCP News)

Auxiliary Bishop of Davao George B. Rimando officiated the inauguration and blessing of the Ascension of the Lord Parish Laudato Si Garden on Dec. 6, 2015.
John Frances Fuentes

Jaro takes vocation promotions to the streets Yolanda women call for
JARO, IloiloIn todays highlymodernized world, where religious
life is becoming less of an option
for young people, religious men
and women in this archdiocese
literally went to the highways and
the byways to tell the youth that
religious life is still very much alive
and relevant as part of Vocation
Days 2015 from Nov. 23 to 30.
Believing always in the primacy
of prayer, the vocation promoters
prayed even while on the road,
meditating on the Holy Rosary
and singing Marian hymns together.
The Vocation Caravan has
indeed become an opportunity
where various religious and lay
promoters from different congregations united as one group with
the aim to pray for one another,
for the holy perseverance and
sanctification of the clergy and
religious, and to promote religious
vocations, observed Sr. Susan
Matthew Cueco, Carm. O.L.
Vocation caravan and pilgrimage
As a prelude to Vocation
Month, representatives of the
Archdiocesan Commission on
Vocation Promoters for the
Religious also held, for the first

time in Panay, a three-day Vocation Caravan and Pilgrimage on

Sept. 12 to 14.
During the Vocation Caravan
and Pilgrimage, which kicked
off at the Jaro Cathedral with a
Mass celebrated by Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo with
Fr. Paul Reagan Talavera, OP, as
concelebrant, the religious vocation promoters visited more than
40 parishes and various colleges
and universities in Capiz, Aklan,
Antique and in the city and province of Iloilo.
Aside from talking to the young
people, the sisters also posted
campaign materials in churches
and led the prayer for vocations
for every congregation.
On the occasion of Vocation
Month, and in the context of the
Year of Consecrated Life, the Jaro
Archdiocesan Commission on Vocation Promoters for the Religious
(ACVP-R) successfully staged the
week-long event, starting on Nov.
23 with a vocation campaign in
various educational institutions
in Miag-ao, Iloilo.
Confessions, counseling
The religious men and women
also spearheaded the celebration

more livelihood aid

The Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on Vocation Promoters for the Religious (ACVP-R)
successfully staged a week-long vocations promotions event, starting on Nov. 23 with
a vocation campaign in various educational institutions in Miag-ao, Iloilo. ANGELO LUIS
VERDEFLOR

of Jaros Vocation Day on Nov.

28. During the sessions held in
St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary the
religious men heard confessions
while the religious women facilitated counseling sessions and
group sharing.
The religious again gave witness to the faithfuls role in saving
the environment as they went
to the streets on Nov. 29 to join
thousands of marchers in the
Walk for Mother Earth in the
Archdioceses participation in the
Global Climate March.
To cap Vocation Month, the
religious women and men par-

ticipated in Jaros Archdiocesan

Youth Day in Guimbal, Iloilo on
Nov. 30, as a way to reach out to
young people encouraging them
to be open to Gods call.
The activity was very enriching
as it has strengthened the bond
of the vocation promoters. The
priceless moments have nourished
our friendship and have led us to
be closer to one another to reach
a common goal which is to find
more holy vocations into the
Church, added Sr. Susan. (Fr.
Mickey Cardenas / CBCP News,
with reports from Angelo Luis
Verdeflor)

Manifesto, A1

Our walk is a message of sacrifice of the

suffering climate, explained Rodne Galicha,
one of some 1,500 climate pilgrims whose
message was received well by host communities en route to the French capital.
I would rather continue walking rather
than be there at COP21. We will continue
the pilgrimage for climate justice and bring
the message of Laudato Si, shared Yeb Sao,
former Philippine climate negotiator, who led
the Rome-Paris climate march.
According to them, the manifesto carries a
strong message on the climate, from ecological
conversion to the paying of ecological debt,
even demanding the protection of indigenous
communities who are climate victims.
The climate activists point out that their
common statement is to work on the Holy
Fathers Laudato Si Manifesto where they
believe the ground for discussion, analysis, and
solutions to ecological problems can be found.
They add that the document also seeks to
be a reference guide for world leaders, environmental activists, church leaders, organizers, and teachers, among others, and offers a
reality-check of what individuals, institutions,
and organizations can do for environmental
action.

fear, greed and compulsion. (LS, 9)

4. Care for the Earth is integral. He shows
us just how inseparable the bond is between
concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace. (LS,
10)
5. We call for ecological solidarity that will
foment ecological action. The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes
a concern to bring the whole human family
together to seek a sustainable and integral
development (LS, 13) Ways to act: divestment in fossil fuels, converting to renewables,
energy-efficiency attitude, response to climate
adaptation, disaster response, and supporting
grassroots initiatives.
6. We demand climate justice for the
destruction of our planet perpetrated by
mining companies, businesses, multinational
corporations, and greedy countries. after
ceasing their activity and withdrawing, they
leave behind great human and environmental
liabilities such as unemployment, abandoned
towns, the depletion of natural reserves, deforestation, the impoverishment of agriculture
and local stock breeding, open pits, riven hills,
polluted rivers and a handful of social works
which are no longer sustainable. (LS, 51)

The Laudato Si Manifesto reads:

1. The Earth is our common home. (LS, 1)
2. We demand ecological conversion: both
personal, communitarian, and institutional.
The need for each of us to repent of the
ways we have harmed the planet, for inasmuch as we all generate small ecological
damage, we are called to acknowledge our
contribution, smaller or greater, to the disfigurement and destruction of creation. (LS, 8).
3. We want ecological liberation. We look
for solutions not only in technology but in a
change of humanity He asks us to replace
consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity, wastefulness with a spirit of sharing, an
asceticism which entails learning to give, and
not simply to give up. It is a way of loving, of
moving gradually away from what I want to
what Gods world needs. It is liberation from

7. We need to pay our ecological debt for

the harm we have done to the environment,
communities, and individuals suffering now
and the future. (LS, 51)
8. The need to engage for a new ecological
dialogue. I urgently appeal, then, for a new
dialogue about how we are shaping the future
of our planet. We need a conversation which
includes everyone, since the environmental
challenge we are undergoing, and its human
roots, concern and affect us all. (LS, 14)
9. We should create an integral space for
ecological citizenship as a practical path
of becoming witnesses for the environment.
Only by cultivating sound virtues will people
be able to make a selfless ecological commitment. (LS, 211)
10. We are interconnected, we should foment connectedness with other faith-based

groups, civil society and institutions.

because all creatures are connected, each must
be cherished with love and respect, for all of
us as living creatures are dependent on one
another. (LS, 42)
11. Promote ecological education as a
way of fomenting consciousness, action, and
integral faith-advocacy for environmental
care. (LS, 213)
12. Our ecological concern is a compassion for the planet and people. To hear both
the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
(LS, 49)
13. Believing that integral ecology in all
aspects of life as an integral response to the
global crisis. (LS, 137)
14. We need to cultivate an ecological
culture as a way of outgrowing ecological
destruction. There needs to be a distinctive
way of looking at things, a way of thinking,
policies, an educational programme, a lifestyle
and a spirituality which together generate
resistance to the assault of the technocratic
paradigm. (LS, 111)
15. Special care for the indigenous communities and their cultural traditions. For them,
land is not a commodity but rather a gift from
God and from their ancestors who rest there, a
sacred space with which they need to interact if
they are to maintain their identity and values.
As we acknowledged the richness of their way
of life, we also have to protect their rights in
various parts of the world, pressure is being
put on them to abandon their homelands to
make room for agricultural or mining projects
which are undertaken without regard for the
degradation of nature and culture. (LS, 146)
16. The need for ecological faith. God,
who calls us to generous commitment and to
give him our all, offers us the light and the
strength needed to continue on our way. In
the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who
loves us so much, is always present. He does
not abandon us, he does not leave us alone,
for he has united himself definitively to our
earth, and his love constantly impels us to
find new ways forward. Praise be to Him! (LS,
245) (Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP News)

A Yolanda survivor showcases some of the native delicacies in their province during a
mini trade fair held in Basey, Samar. NASSA/Caritas Philippines

BASEY, SamarOver 500 housewives, mothers, and sisters from

Yolanda-hit communities in
Western Samar who turned entrepreneurs have called the attention of government agencies
to their need for more livelihood
assistance.
We hope to receive capital
resources and machinery that we
could use for our livelihood, they
said collectively in Waray during
the First Rural Summit held recently in Basey.
In a statement, they specifically
asked for capital support, equipment, additional skills training,
and help in linking their products
to the market.
Social services
They further appealed for increased access to social services,
particularly for health and nutrition.
The Samareas, who came from
24 barangays in Basey, Marabut,
and Sta. Rita towns, also grabbed
the opportunity to stage a minitrade fair featuring their products
like organic vegetables and fruits,
handicrafts, and native delicacies.
Meanwhile, representatives of
the Provincial Agriculture Office
(PAO), Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), and the Provincial
Government of Samar conducted

a commitment signing.
The delegates, moreover, had a
unity parade from the St. Michael
the Archangel Parish to the Basey
Municipal Gym.
Housewives to entrepreneurs
While before super typhoon
Yolanda, most of the women
stayed at home caring for their
children, after the disaster the
Social Action Center (SAC) of the
Diocese of Calbayog and NASSA/
Caritas Philippines made sure
they become micro-entrepreneurs,
farmers, and mat weavers.
To date, about 406 women of
them have received provisions
like egg-laying implements, and
capital assistance for mat-weaving
and mat weavers centers, salted
egg production, and backyard
farming.
SAC Yolanda Rehabilitation
Program Director Fr. Cesar Aculan
shared, Yolanda may have destroyed the livelihood of the people of Samar, but it has restored
as well the sense of self-worth of
the women.
Besides providing livelihood
aid, Calbayogs SAC carried out
interventions on shelter, disaster
risk reduction, ecosystem, and
water, sanitation, and hygiene
in the province. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

Candidly Speaking, A4

for the nation only, but to gather

into one the children of God who
are scattered abroad. (11,49-52)
It is quite clear that even if by
living charity, we may appear to
be suffering a defeat according
to human standards, God in his
providence would know how to
derive good from it.
We should not be afraid to suffer the consequences of human
pride and worldly arrogance just
because we try to be consistent
with the requirements of charity.
For those who love God and others, as St. Paul in his letter to the
Romans would say, everything
will always work out for the good.
Now that we are going through
this delicate political process
of electing our next leaders, we

should try our best to avoid the

pitfalls of emotional, knee-jerk
reactions to the issues at hand.
Let us learn to be level-headed
and to have a good grip of our
emotions and passions. More than
that, let us see to it that we follow
the requirements of charity as
strictly as possible. It is precisely
in moments like this when charity
is most needed.
Lets be careful with our words,
and especially so with our thoughts
and intentions. May they always
be infused with charity, which is
always the way to find the truth, to
achieve justice, and fairness proper
to us. Charity is never a drag in our
politics. It is what politics needs
most of all! Charity is what leads
us to the common good.

A8 PEOPLE, FACTS, AND PLACES

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Congress focuses on
modern family issues
THE 20th Asia Pacific Congress on Faith, Life
and Family organized by Human Life international (HLI) from Nov. 27 to 29 focused on
threats, perspectives, and realities affecting the
modern family.
With the theme coming from Psalms
128:8, Your wife a fruitful vine in the
inner places of your house, your children
round your table like shoots of an olive
tree, speakers and resource persons shared
reflections on the understanding of Gods
plan for marriage and family; threats and
challenges to family; the modern crisis of
conscience; unmasking the gender ideology;
the global holocaust of abortion.
Dr. Ligaya Acosta, the Regional director of
the Human Life International (HLI) for Asia
and Oceania, opened the Congress, saying:
The said congress will enable the participants
to re-discover and value marriage-based natural
families and teach children and leaders to value
them as well.
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, head of the
Pontifical Council for the Family, gave the
keynote speech on the challenges of the
Synod on the Family, to more than 200
participants from 15 countries, including
the Philippines.

Bishop John Baptist Lee, Bishop of Hsinchu

and chair of the Commission for family of the
Chinese Regional Bishops Conference, reiterated in his welcome speech the goals of HLI,
which is to promote the moral teaching of the
Catholic Church, to spread pro-life insights
in society, and to offer concrete and effective
programs for the advancement of faith.
Among other speakers were Fr. Shenan Boquet, President of Human Life International

(HLI); Dr. Brian Clowes, HLI director of education and research; and Dr. Joseph Meaney,
a leading expert on the international pro-life
movement; Dr. Ligaya Acosta; Atty. Jo Imbong;
Dra. Eleanor de Borja Palabyab; and Mayor
Sally Lee of Sorsogon City.
Bishop Gilbert Garcera, Chair of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, headed
80 delegates from the Philippines. (ECFL /
CBCP News)

A YEAR after its launch, army

chaplains, soldiers, and civilian
partners from the various parts
of the country met Tuesday,
Nov. 25, at the Philippine
Airforce Museum, Villamor
Airbase to discuss the progress
of the Character Enhancement
Program (CEP) and ways to
reach more uniformed personnel and their dependents.

the Philippine Military Academy

(PMA) Class of 2018, graduated 385 PMA-Singles for Christ
(SFC) members, and conducted
five CERs at V. Luna Hospital in
Quezon City.

A chaplain facilitates a workshop with his lay collaborators during the 1st Character
Enhancement Program (CEP) Conference, Nov. 25, 2015. NIRVA DELACRUZ

Couples for Christ Global Mission

Foundation (CFC Global) which
caters specifically to the spiritual
needs of people in the military,
their spouses, and children.
Character enhancement
Retired Col. Arturo Alabanza,
CFC/OSM head, explained that
under ATR28, PA is committed to
a long-term, sustainable platform

for continuing CEP and spiritual

wellness program.
For their part, local CFC chapters are tasked to jumpstart CEP
in all PA unit chapels and parishes
nationwide.
Since it debuted in Apr. 3,
2014, the OACCS-CFC/OSM
partnership has already given
character enhancement retreats
(CER) to 28 PA commands, and

Challenge accepted
While they have started out
well, Alabanza admitted there is
still much to be done for Gods
work to be realized fully in the
lives of Filipino soldiers and their
families.
According to him, CEP has
reached 2,000 men and women
in uniform to date, translating
to about 0.287 percent of an estimated 700,000 population that
is fertile ground for values and
spiritual transformation, excluding their dependents.
Alabanza expressed hope that in
the coming years, and with the cooperation of the parties involved,
CEP will be able to touch hearts
and win the souls of more, allowing PA to communicate a brand
image consistent with its core
values of honor, patriotism, and
duty. (Raymond A. Sebastin /
CBCP News)

PBS outs Bible Week 2016 schedule

PHILIPPINE Bible Society (PBS) General
Secretary Dr. Nora G. Lucero has revealed the
theme for the National Bible Week (NBW)
celebrations on Jan. 25 to 31, 2016, saying
it will focus on Gods Word: Strength of the
Family, Hope of the Nation and the activities
in line for the event.
As we continue to coordinate with our partners from different locales all over the country,
we will also promote other meaningful ways for
our kababayans to participate in the celebration
and to proclaim Gods Word in their communities, shares Lucero in a recent PBS press release.

the iProclaim, a public reading of Scriptures.

Lucero went on to present suggested ways
individuals, families, local churches, and organizations can celebrate Gods Word in their
communities .
Some of the activities suggested include:
displaying of NBW posters and streamers featuring Bible verses in church or school bulletin
boards, organizing of sports events, holding
of Bible rallies, concerts, or song and dance
competitions in town plazas as well as lobbying
before local legislature for the enactment of a
law supporting the annual NBW celebration.

Community celebration
According to her, PBS is prepared various
activities for the celebration, among which is

Raising awareness
The NBW 2016 theme is inspired in part by
Psalm 33:12 in the New American Bible Revised

Edition (NABRE), which reads: Blessed is the

nation whose God is the Lord, the people chosen
as his inheritance, as well as by Acts 16:31 in the
Good News Translation (GNT), which reads,
They answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and
you will be saved you and your family.
Frontlined by PBS, the annual NBS celebration is decreed by Presidential Proclamations 2242, 44, and 1067 which aims to raise
peoples awareness on the importance of the
Holy Book.
The week-long proclamation of Gods Word
is culminated by the celebration of National
Bible Sunday on Jan. 31, 2016 that is expected
to feature messages and homilies during Church
services and Masses focusing on the theme.
(Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP News)

Markings
Died. Bishop Federico Escaler, SJ died on Nov. 28,
aged 93.
The Jesuit prelate had been
ill and passed away peacefully
in his family ancestral residence in San Miguel, Manila
on Saturday morning.
Born in Manila, he served as
the first bishop of Kidapawan
from 1976 to 1980 until he
was appointed to head the
newly-created Prelature of Ipil
in Zamboanga Sibugay.
Escaler spent 17 years in
Ipil until his retirement in 1997.
He was once the Assistant
to Jesuit Provincial, Superior
in La Ignacia Retreat House,
President and Rector of Ateneo
de Davao, Treasurer of Jesuit
Province in Manila, and became President and Rector of
Xavier University in Cagayan
de Oro City.

PHLPost to issue
IEC stamps

The 20th Asia Pacific Congress on Faith, Life and Family organized by Human Life international (HLI) was held from
Nov. 27 to 29. ECFL

PH army chaplains, partners hold 1st

character enhancement meet

Vision 2028
Fr. Andres Bonifacio O. Belleza,
head of the Office of the Army
Chief Chaplain Service (OACCS),
pointed out that the CEP responds to the directive of Lt. Gen.
Hernando Delfin Carmelo A.
Iriberri, former Philippine Army
(PA) commanding general, to
develop righteous, God-fearing
soldiers loved by the Filipino
people in step with the 18-year
Army Transformation Roadmap
of 2028 (ATR28), and to become
a world-class Army that is a source
of national pride.
To fulfill this vision, the chief
chaplain shared the Army sought
the help of the Order of St. Michael (OSM), a ministry of the

CBCP Monitor

Ordained. Imus Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista, DD ordained eight deacons of the

Society of the Divine Word
(SVD) to the priesthood on
Dec. 5 at the Holy Spirit Chapel
of the Divine Word Seminary,
Tagaytay City in a solemn
celebration attended by 127
priests and 2 bishops.
The new priests are Fr.
Lawrence Llona, SVD (to be
assigned in South Sudan,
Africa); Fr. Ryan Dio, SVD
(to be assigned in Argentina
South); Fr. Diderick Andrinjatovo, SVD (to be assigned in
Philippine South); Fr. Franciskus Subandi, SVD (to be
assigned in Philippine Central);
Fr. June Lee Sarenas, SVD
(to be assigned in Ghana,
Africa); Fr. Gregorius Robi
Dosom, SVD (to be assigned in
Philippine North); Fr. Roberto

Solis, SVD (to be assigned in

Japan);and Fr. Lindsey Francis
Taeza, SVD (to be assigned in
Togo, Africa)
Ordained. The Servants of
Mary welcomed four men to
the priesthood on Dec. 8, at
St. Peregrine Diocesan Shrine,
Tunasan, Muntinlupa City. Balanga Bishop Ruperto C. Santos ordained Fr. Leonardo Ma.
Guiang, OSM; Fr. Waren Ma.
Campilan, OSM; Fr. Edgard
Ma. Benedi-an, OSM; and Fr.
Jumen Ma. Arcelo, OSM.
Recognized. The Office of the
Army Chief Chaplain Service
(OACCS) on Nov. 24 recognized in a simple ceremony Fr.
Maj. Juan Jerome C. Daluro as
Best Chaplain of the Year 2015
for his exemplary service as Division Chaplain of 9th Infantry

(Spear) Division from September 2012 to September 2015;

Fr. MSg. Mario Baniqued (Inf)
Philippine Army (PA), OACCS
Chief Clerk was recognized as
Best Chaplain Assistant of the
Year 2015.
The office also accorded
Plaques of Appreciation to Fr.
Cpt. Ferdinand Abuyuan for
his improvement of the 7ID
Chapel undertaken during his
term as Division Chaplain of
7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army from June 2013
to September 2015, and to
Fr. LtC. Stephen Penetrante
for his excellent service as
OACCS Chief of Plans and
Programs.
The awards were given as
part of the celebration of the
78th Chaplain Service Foundation Anniversary from Nov.
23 to 27.

THE government is set to release

a commemorative postal stamp on
the 51st International Eucharistic
Congress to be held in Cebu City
on Jan. 24 -31 next year.
The Philippine Postal Corp.
said stamp enthusiasts from all
over the world would have the
opportunity to buy the stamps,
considering the importance of
this event in the history of the
Catholic Church.
The stamp design illustrates
the official logo of the IEC, an
event aimed at promoting awareness about the central role of the
Eucharist in the life and mission
of the Church.

The PHLPost are one in praying

for the success of this international
gathering of lay people and Catholic Church leaders from around the
world, with Cebu, the beautiful
queen city of the south as the host
of this celebration, said Postmaster
General Josie Dela Cruz.
The gathering is expected to
draw 15,000 delegates from all
over the world. The Congress will
also feature open air Masses open
to the public.
PHLPost commissioned Amstar
Co. to print 104,000 copies of the
stamps, to be sold at Php 15 each
starting Tuesday, Dec. 8 at post
offices nationwide. (CBCP News)

Tagles Year of Mercy

recolletion set

Cardinal Lus Antonio G. Tagle. FILE PHOTO

IN time for the forthcoming

season, the Archdiocese of
Manila (RCAM) and the Jesuit
Communications (JesCom) invite the public to a free Advent
talk to be given by no less than
Cardinal Lus Antonio G. Tagle
on Dec. 13, Sunday, 8:00 a.m.
to 11:00 a.m. at the SmartAraneta Coliseum, Cubao,
Quezon City.
Themed Merciful like the Father, the Word Exposed Advent
Recollection is set to have the
Archbishop of Manila sharing his
reflections on Gods message of
mercy in keeping with the Jubilee
Year of Mercy.

According to JesCom, free

tickets will be issued on Dec. 4,
Friday, at the following select distribution centers: Tanging Yaman
Store, Sonolux Building, Ateneo
de Manila University; Tanging
Yaman Store, SM Megamall, 5F
Atrium; St. Pauls Bookstore SM
North Edsa; St. Pauls Bookstore
SM Manila; St. Pauls Bookstore
Gateway Mall
Given the limited number of
tickets, JesCom stresses that reservation is not allowed.
For further information, interested parties may call (02)
426-5971 to 72. (Raymond A.
Sebastin / CBCP News)

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

DEAR Brothers and Sisters, Good

morning!
With this reflection we arrive at the
threshold of the Jubilee, its close. The
door is before us, not just the Holy
Door, but another: the great door
of the Mercy of Godand that is a
beautiful door!which embraces our
penance, offering the grace of his forgiveness. The door is generously open,
it takes a little courage on our part to
cross the threshold. Each of us has
burdensome things within ourselves.
We are all sinners! Let us take advantage of this coming moment and cross
the threshold of this mercy of God
who never tires of forgiving, never
tires of waiting for us! He watches us,
he is always beside us. Take heart! Let
us enter through this door!
From the Synod of Bishops, which
we celebrated in the month of October, all families and the entire Church
received great encouragement to meet
at the threshold of this open door. The
Church was encouraged to open her
doors, to go out with the Lord to meet
her sons and daughters on the path, at
times uncertain, at times dismayed, in
these difficult times. Christian families
in particular were encouraged to open
the door to the Lord who is waiting
to enter, bringing his blessing and his
friendship. And as the door of Gods
mercy is always open, so too must the
doors of our churches, our communities, our parishes, our institutions, our
dioceses, be open, because this is how
we can all go out to bring this mercy
of God. The Jubilee signifies the great
door of the mercy of God but also the
small doors of our churches, open to
allow the entrance of the Lordor
often the exit of the Lordwho is a
prisoner of our structures, of our selfishness and of so many things.
The Lord never forces the door
open; he too asks permission to enter.
The Book of Revelation says: I stand
at the door and knock; if any one hears
my voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him and eat with him, and
he with me (3:20). Let us imagine
the Lord knocking at the door of our
heart! In the last great vision of the
Book of Revelation, the City of God
is prophesied like this: its gates shall
never be shut by day, which means
for ever, because there shall be no
night there (21:25). There are places
in the world in which doors are not

LOsservatore Romano

CBCP Monitor

The Holy Door unveiling at the Recognitio ceremony in St. Peters Basilica on November 17, 2015.

The welcoming door

you watchmen of so many doors, be

they residential doors or church doors,
many thanks! Always with a smile,
always demonstrating the acceptance
of that house, of that Church, so
people feel happy and welcomed in
that place.
In truth, we are well aware that we
too are watchmen and servants of the
Door of God, and what is the name
of the door of God? Jesus! He lights
up all of lifes doors for us, including
those of our birth and of our death.
He himself affirmed it: I am the door;
if any one enters by me, he will be
saved, and will go in and out and find
pasture (Jn 10:9). Jesus is the door
that lets us go in and out. Because
Gods sheepfold is a refuge, it isnt a
prison! The house of God is a refuge,
it isnt a prison, and the door is called
Jesus! If the door is closed, we say:
Lord, open the door!. Jesus is the
door and lets us go in and out. Those
who try to avoid the door are thieves:
its curious, thieves always try to enter
by another way, by the window, by the
roof, but they avoid the door, because
they have evil intentions, and they
sneak into the sheepfold in order to
deceive the sheep and take advantage
of them. We must enter through the
door and listen to Jesus voice: if we
hear the tone of his voice, we are certain, we are saved. We can go in without fear and go out without danger.
In this beautiful discourse Jesus also
speaks of the gatekeeper, whose task
is opening to the Good Shepherd (cf.
Jn 10:2). If the gatekeeper hears the
Shepherds voice, he opens and lets
in all of the sheep that the Shepherd
brings, all of them, including those
lost in the wood, whom the Good
Shepherd went to get back. The sheep
are not chosen by the gatekeeper, they
are not chosen by the parish secretary
or parish administrator; the sheep
are all called, they are chosen by the
Good Shepherd. The gatekeeperhe
tooobeys the Shepherds voice.
Thus, we can well say that we must
be like that gatekeeper. The Church
is the gatekeeper of the house of the
Lord, she is not the proprietor of the
Lords house.
The Holy Family of Nazareth knows
just what an open or closed door
means, for those expecting a child, for
those who have no shelter, for those
who need to escape danger. Christian

Message of Pope Francis at his General Audience on November 18, 2015

locked, there still are. But there are
so many where armoured doors have
become the norm. We must not give in
to the idea that we must apply this system to our whole life, to the life of the
family, of this city, of society, much
less to the life of the Church. That
would be terrible! An inhospitable
Church, like a family closed off within
itself, mortifies the Gospel and withers
the world. No armoured doors in the
Church, none! Completely open!
The symbolic management of
doorsof thresholds, of passages,
of bordershas become crucial. The
door must protect, of course, but not
reject. The door must not be forced

but on the contrary, one asks permission, because hospitality shines in

the freedom of welcoming, and dims
in the arrogance of invasion. The
door is frequently opened, in order

door of our Christian heart, at the

doors of our churches.... And they
are there, they dont have the courage,
we have taken away trust: please, may
this never happen. A door says many

porters: of our condominiums, of

civil institutions, of the Churches
themselves. Often a porters acumen
and courtesy can offer an image of
humanity and of welcome to the entire

We are all sinners! Let us take advantage of this coming

moment and cross the threshold of this mercy of God who
never tires of forgiving, never tires of waiting for us!
to see if there is someone waiting
outside, perhaps without the courage
nor, perhaps, the strength to knock.
How many people have lost faith, do
not have the courage to knock at the

things about the house, and also about

the Church. Tending the door requires
careful discernment and, at the same
time, must inspire great faith. I would
like to pay a word of gratitude to all

house, right from the entrance. There

is something to be learned from these
men and women, who are watchmen at the places of encounter and
welcome in the city of man! To all of

families make the threshold of their

homes a great sign of the Door of
the mercy and welcome of God. It is
precisely how the Church will have to
be recognized, in every corner of the
earth: as the watchman of a God who
knocks, as the welcome of a God who
does not close the door in your face
with the excuse that you are not part
of the household. With this spirit let
us approach the Jubilee: there will be
the Holy Door, but there is the door
of the great mercy of God. May there
also be the door of our heart for all to
receive Gods forgiveness and to give,
in our turn, our forgiveness, welcoming
all those who knock at our door.

Prayer of His Holiness

Pope Francis for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy

CNA

LORD Jesus Christ,

you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father,
and have told us that whoever
sees you sees Him.
Show us your face and we will
be saved.
Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being
enslaved by money;
the adulteress and Magdalene
from seeking happiness only in
created things;
made Peter weep after his
betrayal,
and assured Paradise to the
repentant thief.
Let us hear, as if addressed to
each one of us, the words that
you spoke to the Samaritan
woman:
If you knew the gift of God!
You are the visible face of the
invisible Father,
of the God who manifests his
power above all by forgiveness
and mercy:
let the Church be your visible
face in the world, its Lord risen
Vatican City - April 11, 2015. Cardinals gathered at St. Peters Basilica on April 11, 2015 during the Convocation of the Year of Mercy, where Pope Francis publicly proclaimed and glorified.
a Jubilee for Mercy, which will begin December 8th and end in November 2016.

You willed that your ministers would also be clothed

in weakness
in order that they may
feel compassion for those in
ignorance and error:
let ever yone who approaches them feel sought
after, loved, and forgiven by
God.
Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with
its anointing,
so that the Jubilee of Mercy
may be a year of grace from
the Lord,
and your Church, with
renewed enthusiasm, may
bring good news to the poor,
proclaim liberty to captives
and the oppressed,
and restore sight to the
blind.
We ask this of you, Lord
Jesus, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of
Mercy; you who live and
reign with the Father and the
Holy Spirit for ever and ever.
Amen.

B2 PASTORAL CONCERNS

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

CBCP Monitor

Separation of Church and State laws

in the marriage of Catholics
I AM not a great fan of the so-called
separation of Church and State, as it
is often misunderstood as the juridic
expression of the laicist principle of
relegating religion to the private
sphere. As we had seen in a previous article, this was the brainchild
of the French Revolution, fruit of
the prejudice against the Catholic
Church (since it was identified with
the abusive absolutist monarchies
in Europe at the time), but which
nevertheless had to be tolerated
for the sake of individual liberty. I
have always argued for the concept
of distinction between Church and
State, based on the fact that the
subjects of both jurisdictions are the
same people who are simultaneously
faithful of the Catholic Church and
citizens of the State. The State and
the Church are distinct jurisdictions,
but not separate and uncoordinated.
One area of such distinction,
however, which can be considered as
a veritable separation, is the matter of
matrimonial law.
Two Separate Marriages: The
Canonical Marriage and the Civil
Marriage
When a Filipino Catholic faithful gets married, he effectively gets
married under two separate juridical
systems: Church Law (or Canon
Law) and State Law (or the Civil Law
of the Republic of the Philippines).
Each juridic system has its own set of
requirements, even if the civil law in
the Philippines regulates marriage in
a way similar to Canon Law, through
the Family Code of the Philippines.
In fact, the crafters of the Family
Code got many of its provisions from
the corresponding section of the
Code of Canon Law of the Catholic
Church. What most people do not
realize is that the papers signed at the
end of the Catholic Wedding Mass
are in fact the Marriage Contract under the Republic of the Philippines,
the same contract which would
have been signed in the presence of
a solemnizing officer (the judge or
his equivalent) in the appropriate
government office. What happens
is that the parish priest (or the priest
to whom he delegates the function
of solemnizing the marriage) is deputized by the state to be a solemnizing
officer, through a license which is
expedited by the National Statistics
Office yearly. In short, the Catholic
priest is authorized by the Republic
of the Philippines to solemnize the
civil marriage. In other words, the
civil marriage can be solemnized by
either a civil servant or a Catholic
priest with the license from the NSO.
Insofar as the Canonical Marriage
is concerned, on the other hand,
the only paper work required is its
registration in the Book of Marriages
(Marriage Registry) in the parish
where it was celebrated, as well as its
annotation in the Book of Baptisms
(Baptismal Registry) in the parish
where the spouses were baptized.
There is no separate marriage certificate or marriage contract for the
canonical marriage.
This fundamental juridic reality
has several consequences.
A Purely Canonical Marriage only

The So-called Secret Marriage

A secret marriage is one that the local ordinary permits to be celebrated
in secret, due to a grave and urgent
cause (c.1130). This involves carrying out the preliminary investigation
(the canonical inquiry) in secret; and
having the local ordinary, the official
witness (the local ordinary or the
parish priest or any priest/deacon
authorized by them to solemnize the
marriage), the common witnesses
(the two other witnesses required by
the canonical form) and the spouses
to maintain secrecy regarding the
actual celebration of the marriage
(c.1131).
Thus, there are two requirements
for a secret marriage: (1) authoriza-

place or some civil impediment for

the marriage to take place (e.g., a
pre-existing civil marriage) within a
reasonable period of time.
Actual Filipino society presents
several scenarios:
(1) A couple, civilly-married and
stably living together in the Catholic
community, which understands
them to be husband and wife. To
regularize their situation in the
Church (to be able to return to
the Sacraments), they need to be
married canonically, but without
detriment to their good standing
before the community, which had
erstwhile taken them to be canonically married.
(2) A couple, stably living together
in the Catholic community, which
understands them to be husband and
wife, but who have never been mar-

canonical marriage might be due to

the couples already cohabitating and
desiring to regularize their situation
in the Church and return to the
Sacraments. Another reason could
be the couples plan to immediately
migrate to start a new life of good
standing before the Church.
(4) A couple of radically unequal
social status or ethnic provenance,
whose marriage is feared to result
in their permanent alienation from
their blood family or in disinheritance.
(5) A widow who would lose her
job or means of sustenance for herself
and her children should her marriage
come to public knowledge.
In all of these scenarios, the immediate celebration of the canonical
marriage is warranted, but which
cannot be divulged to the general

where it was celebrated and in the

Book of Baptisms in the respective
parishes where the parties were baptized (which acts as the permanent
record of their entire lifetime in the
Church).
Of special interest in the present
subject is the practice in some dioceses of filling out and signing the
pro-forma Marriage Certificate
with the heading of the Republic
of the Philippinesfrom the office
of the civil registrar even in the case
of a secret marriage, albeit only for
filing in the secret archives of the
diocese. Not only is this a breach of
the principle of distinction of Church
and State, it might even be proof of
the celebration of the secret marriage
itself, outside of Civil Law. A better
practice would be to make a Marriage Contract form specifically for

tion from the local ordinary of

the place where the marriage is
celebrated; (2) a grave and urgent
cause, which must be assessed by
the ordinary.
The classic example of a grave and
urgent cause appears in Benedict
XIVs encyclical Satis vobis (17.
XI.1741), in the case of two persons
who live together without having
been married canonically, but who
were publicly considered husband
and wife. The gravity would stem
from the fact that these persons
might be living in a habitual state
of sin (extramarital intercourse) or
at least in a proximate occasion for
such sin. The urgency might stem
from other factors, like unreasonable
opposition from the parties relatives
for the canonical marriage to take

ried either canonically or civillythe

latter since there is an impediment in
civil law for such a civil marriage to
take place (e.g., an existing civil marriage of one or both of the parties, the
declaration of the nullity of which is
taking too much time and expense).
In this case, they need to be married
canonically to regularize their situation in the Church, but cannot do so
civilly yet because of the impediment
in civil law.
(3) A couple, one of whom had
been previously married civilly and
canonically and had obtained a
declaration of nullity of the canonical marriage but have not been able
to get a similar declaration for the
civil marriage due to some reason
(e.g., the high cost of the civil process). The urgency to celebrate the

public or to the State either for the

time being or indefinitely.

the Canonical Marriage only.

has Purely Canonical Requirements

When an already civilly-married
couple wish to contract a canonical
marriagee.g., when they want
to regularize their situation in the
Church in order to return to the
reception of the Sacramentswhat
is celebrated is just the canonical
marriage, without the corresponding civil marriage which had already
been celebrated. Hence, the only
requirements for the solemnizing
sacred minister are the requirements
stipulated by Canon Law in c.1108:
1. Only those marriages are valid
which are contracted in the presence of
the local ordinary or the parish priest or
a priest or deacon delegated by either of
them, who assists, and in the presence
of two witnesses, according to the rules
expressed in the following canons ().

is not only improper but is an outright

insult to the canonical order.

2. The one assisting at a marriage is understood to be only that

person who, present at the ceremony,
asks for the contractants manifestation
of consent and receives it in the name
of the Church.
As can be seen, for this purely
canonical marriage, the assisting
sacred minister (the local ordinary or
the parish priest, or another priest or
deacon delegated by either the local
ordinary or the parish priest) does
not need the license from the State to
act as solemnizing officer for the civil
marriage, since such a marriage is not
being celebrated. Thus, the praxis in
many parishes of requiring the abovementioned government license from
the sacred minister in good canonical
standing who has been duly delegated to
solemnize a purely canonical marriage

CBCP News

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

Documentation of a Purely Canonical Marriage

Another consequence of the
separation of Church and State in
matrimonial law is the matter of
documentation. The documentation
of the civil marriage is well known:
the marriage contractexpedited
by the civil registrar, signed by the
parties, the solemnizing officer (the
authorized sacred minister in the
case of a Church wedding), and the
witnessescopies of which are filed
in the office of the civil registrar and
in the parish office.
As previously stated, the canonical marriage is simply noted in the
Book of Marriages of the parish

Declaration of Nullity of a Canonical Marriage

To conclude, given the separation of Canonical Law and Civil
Law, the declaration of nullity of a
canonical marriage does not automatically establish the nullity of the
corresponding civil marriage (and
vise-versa). While the celebration of a
canonical marriage normally has civil
effectsbecause the corresponding
civil marriage is also celebrated, with
the sacred minister acting as an authorized solemnizing officerthe
declaration of nullity in one forum
does not carry with it a corresponding declaration of nullity in the other
forum. Two separate processes must
be carried out.

Advent Wreaths and Incensing

(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology
at the Regina Apostolorum university,
answers the following query:)
Q: When incensing the altar at
the beginning of Mass, should the
Advent wreath also be incensed in
the same way as the paschal candle
during the Easter season? What
about a Nativity scene (during the
Christmas season)? -- T.D., Leuven,
Belgium
A: The rules regarding incensing
are mostly found in the missal and
the Ceremonial of Bishops. The
introduction to the missal says:
Incensation
276. Thurification or incensation is an expression of reverence
and of prayer, as is signified in Sacred Scripture (cf. Ps 140 [141]:2,
Rev 8:3).
Incense may be used if desired
in any form of Mass:
a. during the Entrance procession;

b. at the beginning of Mass, to incense the cross and the altar;

c. at the Gospel procession and the
proclamation of the Gospel itself;
d. after the bread and the chalice
have been placed upon the altar, to
incense the offerings, the cross, and the
altar, as well as the priest and the people;
e. at the showing of the host and the
chalice after the consecration.
277. The priest, having put incense
into the thurible, blesses it with the Sign
of the Cross, without saying anything.
Before and after an incensation, a
profound bow is made to the person or
object that is incensed, except for the
incensation of the altar and the offerings
for the Sacrifice of the Mass.
The following are incensed with
three swings of the thurible: the Most
Blessed Sacrament, a relic of the Holy
Cross and images of the Lord exposed
for public veneration, the offerings for
the Sacrifice of the Mass, the altar cross,
the Book of the Gospels, the Paschal
Candle, the priest, and the people.
The following are incensed with two

swings of the thurible: relics and images

of the Saints exposed for public veneration, which should be done, however,
only at the beginning of the celebration,
after the incensation of the altar.
The altar is incensed with single
swings of the thurible in this way:
a. if the altar is freestanding with
respect to the wall, the priest incenses
walking around it;
b. if the altar is not freestanding, the
priest incenses it while walking first to
the right hand side, then to the left.
The cross, if situated on or near the
altar, is incensed by the priest before he
incenses the altar; otherwise, he incenses
it when he passes in front of it.
The priest incenses the offerings
with three swings of the thurible or by
making the sign of the cross over the
offerings with the thurible before going
on to incense the cross and the altar.
Although there is a rite of blessing
for the Advent wreath in the American
Book of Blessings, there is no mention
of incensing the wreath. This blessing is
proper to the United States and is absent

from the official Book of Blessings in

countries such as Italy.
It must, therefore, be concluded that
the Advent wreath is not incensed in
the manner of the paschal candle. It is
neither a relic nor an image and is more
an expression of popular piety than a
liturgical object per se.
The paschal candle receives special
veneration because it is a traditional and
ancient symbol of the risen Christ. One
could argue that, in a way the wreath is
a symbol of the coming Christ, but we
would still be before a relatively recent
custom and one which is not present
in the universal Church. Its not being
incensed does not lessen in any way the
usefulness of the wreath in fostering a
spiritual preparation for Christmas.
A Nativity scene, or at least an image
of the Child Jesus, set up in the sanctuary could enter into the category of
images of the Saints exposed for public
veneration, mentioned above in No.
277 and hence be incensed.
It should be remembered however,
that several Church guidelines advise

against setting up the Nativity in

the sanctuary itself, and above all it
should never be an obstacle to the
dignified celebration of the liturgical celebrations. For example, the
U.S. bishops conference says in the
document Built of Living Stones:
124 Plans for seasonal decorations should include other areas
besides the sanctuary. Decorations
are intended to draw people to the
true nature of the mystery being
celebrated rather than being ends
in themselves. Natural flowers,
plants, wreaths and fabric hangings,
and other seasonal objects can be
arranged to enhance the primary
liturgical points of focus. The altar
should remain clear and free-standing, not walled in by massive floral
displays or the Christmas crib, and
pathways in the narthex, nave, and
sanctuary should remain clear.
If, as is common in many churches, the Nativity scene is outside the
sanctuary area, there is no need to
leave the sanctuary to incense it.

CBCP Monitor

FEATURES B3

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Three Macro-Challenges for the Church in the Year of Mercy

By Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ
THE last two months of this year 2015 have
brought to the fore three macro-challenges for
Civil Society and the Church in the Philippines
today. They are challenges on a macro scale
because no single organization nor group of
individuals can adequately address the various

Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

(BLBAR) has come out from the Committee
of the House of Representatives. Moreover the
committee report in the Senate has provided
another set of amendments. With the resurgence of biases and prejudices after the Mamasapano incident, the final outcome for the
passage of the various drafts of the Bangsamoro
Basic Law is not clear.

track record of good governance is the most

effective way of stamping out a culture of
corruption. In an address to the International
Assembly of Penal Law, Pope Francis points
out emphatically: Corruption is a process of
death more evil than sin an evil that, instead
of being forgiven, must be cured.
On Nov 7, the archdiocese sponsored a
March rally for CHAMPClean, Honest,

Pinoy in Rome:
Countdown to the
Jubilee Year
of Mercy

An Interfaith Walk for Peace held on Nov. 26, 2015

issues that are emerging. They are also macro

because these issues affect millions of people
or in some cases the entire world. Indeed the
need for consensus-building on a national or
global level has been felt. This should be based
on ethical-moral principles and shared values
that go beyond cultural, religious, and socioeconomic barriers. In particular, the Catholic
Church plays a significant role in Philippine
society in addressing these macro issues.

Accurate, Meaningful, and Peaceful elections.

This was well attended by various sectors.
There were calls against votebuying, political dynasties, and the conduct of patronage
politics. The city itself has had its share of
divisive party politics in the non-disbursement
of the budget for vital basic services and, more
recently, in the controversy over the post of
City Mayor.
Despite these internal conflicts among
elected officials, it is good to keep in mind Pope
Francis own exhortation: Politics, though
often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and
one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch
as it seeks the common good. (EG, 205)
IV. A Year of Mercy
Despite the Holy Fathers blunt words on the
evil of corruption, he has called for an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, starting on December
8, 2015. Jesus Christ is the face of the Fathers
mercy: This opening statement provides the
title of Pope Francis Bull of Indiction, Misericordiae Vultus. He goes on to say that Mercy

What was behind

that inconspicuous
door? Actually a
small but amazingly
beautiful jewel of
a church.

Robert Z. Cortes

I. Climate Change
On a global scale, Climate Change will
be the pressing issue at the 21st Conference
of Partners (COP 21) on the environment.
Pope Francis recent encyclical, Laudato Si,
has opened wide the doors for scientists and
religious leaders to enter into serious dialogue
over issues such as global warming and the
search for alternative sources of energy. Instead
of viewing the environment or nature simply
as an object to be exploited, Pope Francis presents the Christian vision of Gods handiwork:
Creation can only be understood as a gift from

Seen from a wider perspective, the letter

of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) in July 2015 stated: On
our part, viewing the issues from a moral angle,
we do not want a BBL that does not effectively
address the root causes of social injustice. This
echoes the view of the surviving members of
the Constitutional Convention of 1987 that
the Constitution focuses primarily on the spirit
of Social Justice. The Citizens Peace Council
noted that the BBL is an act of Social Justice
and Reparation to the peoples of Muslim
Mindanao to rectify all the injustices inflicted
upon them in the past.
Over the past three months, I have helped
convene consultations among religious and
civil society leaders in Cagayan de Oro and
Manila to discuss the BBL issue. With some
clarifications, practically everyone saw the need
for a meaningful basic law for a sustainable
peace in Mindanao. On Nov. 26, in Cagayan
de Oro, we started the Mindanao Week of
Peace with a multi-sectoral march rally. This
was organized by the Inter-faith Forum for

THE Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy announced by Pope

Francis around Holy Week this year is finally starting on
December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception,
just a couple of days from now. That this special event in the
Churchs history begins on that date is, of course, no accident.
This Popes devotion to Mary, shown publicly every time
he passes by St. Mary Major before any major trip abroad,
should have made that choice almost predictable. However,
aside from human choices, one ought to consider above all
the guidance of Providence, whose will it is that the most
important events in the Church happen under the mantle of
Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of Mercy.
So the idea
to prepare
proximately
for the Jubilee
Year of Mercy
by making a
novena to the
Immaculate
Conception
made a lot of
sense to me.
And being in
Rome, the
city that arguably no place
in the world
can match
in terms of
the quality
and quantity
of sacred art
present, I
took advantage to do the
following. For
nine days
including
the Solemnity, hence Sant Agnese double Holy Family
the term
novenaI
was going to
visit an image of Our
Lady venerated in various churches
around the
c i t y. B u t
which churches, though?
Given the

Robert Z. Cortes

Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

By Robert Z. Cortes

Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

The Sant Agnese, view from the South Plazza Navona.

A recent rally against climate change and environmental degradation

the outstretched hand of the Father of all, and

as a reality illuminated by the love which calls
us together into universal communion. (LS,
76) He also points out the intimate connection
between the ecological approach and the social
approach so as to hear both the cry of the earth
and the cry of the poor. (LS, 49)
Here in Cagayan de Oro, we have joined
other dioceses in a Global Climate Solidarity
March for the Environment. On Nov. 28,
advocates for protecting the environment
converged at the Divisoria from four startingpoints to join the voices of the world-wide
Catholic Climate Movement at the start
of COP 21 in Paris. The archdiocese also
continues its participation in the Cagayan
de Oro River Basin Management Council
(CDORBMC) to protect the watershed areas
and downstream communities of the Cagayan
de Oro river system.
II. Bangsamoro Basic Law
A second macro challenge is the continuing
quest for a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
The draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has
been altered in the committee sessions of both
houses of Congress. A version called the Basic

Peace, Harmony and Solidarity. The theme

was: Mindanaoans Aspirations for Peace:
Kalinaw sa Dios Kinaiyahan Katawhan.
Regardless of the outcome of the BBL/BLBAR
issue in Congress, all of us should continue to
engage in intra- and inter-religious dialogue.
Our biases and preconceived notions of other
cultures and religions are the main obstacles
to lasting peace in Mindanao and the rest of
the country.
III. Good Governance
A third macro-challenge in the Philippines
context is the coming elections in May 2016.
Already the campaign period has started and
various political personalities and parties have
filed their candidacies. Good governance
with its antithesis, corruptionis once more
a critical factor to consider for every voter. In
January 2010, before the last presidential elections, the CBCP made three calls to voters:
(1) To form circles of discernment; (2) For the
laity, to exercise their right and duty to support
candidates who are qualified and committed to
public service; and (3) To engage in principled
partisan politics. Voting for candidates with a

is the bridge that connects God and man. It

is also the fundamental law that dwells in the
heart of every person who looks sincerely into
the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path
of life. (MV, 2)
On Nov. 3-5, our Archdiocesan Pastoral
Assembly brought together more than 450
delegates from 64 parishes. This was the culmination of the Appreciative Inquiry process
that was carried out in most parishes down to
the kapilya community level, over the past six
months.
What was most noteworthy was the preponderance of lifegiving pastoral experiences in
terms of prayerfulness and also of service to
others. These two characteristics and shared
values can just as well point the directions we
can take during this jubilee year of mercy.
This perhaps is the perspective we can adopt
in confronting the macro-challenges before
usto first bend our knees in prayer, and to be
merciful like the Father, especially for the poor
and marginalized, in addressing socio-economic
and political issues; to work for ecological and
social justice; and to bring about Gods mercy
by rectifying deeplyrooted biases and injustices
in Philippine society today.

multitude of beautiful and historic churches in Rome, it

seemed the best way to approach this project was simply to
be led by Providence. This approach is not to be too mystical about it, asI learned quite recently from, of all people,
a non-Catholic ethics professor in a very secular American
university whom I interviewed a couple of months ago. His
defense is that there still is another dimension in terms of
a holistic being in which our reason and our spirit and our
emotions are an integrated whole So, you listen to the
voice of the spirit.This was actually good ecumenical advice
to which my experience in the following days would attest.
These experiences, culled from my journal of these novena
days, are actually Church history lessons devotional, tourguiding tips, and philosophizing all rolled into one. I share
them seeing that they can serve some purpose, however one
may be preparing for the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Our Lady of the Sacred Hear in SantAndreadella Valle
Yesterday, November 30, was the beginning of the novena
to the Immaculate Conception. It also happened to be the
feast of St. Andrew. Now at the other end of the street where
my university is happens to be a huge, looming basilica
dedicated to Saint Andrew with the name SantAndreadella
Valle. People with very limited time in Rome usually dont
have time to visit this magnificent church, but really next
time you come, you should. This church was actually built
by the very same people involved in the building of St. Peters
and used this as their practice church; people like Giacomo
della Porta and Carlo Maderno. The fountain in the square
fronting the church is Madernos.
The paintings and the frescoes inside are even more breathtaking. The dome and the ceiling are one of the best there
is in Rome - and perhaps in Christendom. Since it was the
feast of St. Andrew, precisely, I decided to do my prayer right
there, before the huge fresco of the crucifixion of St. Andrew.
I did my rosary in one of the side chapels dedicated to Our
Countdown, B6

B4 PASTORAL CONCERNS

THE urgency of protecting Our

Common Home is much given emphasis by our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Much heat, drought and difference
in the weather and climate is much
felt . Many kinds of sicknesses are also
attacking especially the poor who lack
nourishment due to having no food
security. One can really feel the difference of being in a polluted city from
the simple rural setting where there are
still enough trees providing clean air.
The other week, I and my community
of Sisters together with two visiting
Sisters were able to enjoy the beautiful
beach of San Isidro, Davao Oriental.
I salute Mayor Tina Yu and all the officers of the Municipality of San Isidro
for really defending their stand for a
No To Mining in San Isidro.
I wish that would also be true for the
whole province of Davao Oriental. It is
sad that some barangays and municipalities who make resolutions to allow
mining only consider themselves as the
only ones with rights to allow mining
obviously setting aside the possible
harms/ effect on the people and the
environment especially to the next
generation. We have experienced the
effect of the haze brought about the
forest fire of Indonesia, a true evidence
that we are all affected all around the
world of what happens in a certain part
of the world. As Joey Ayala reminds us
in his song , Ang Lahat ng Bagay ay
Magka-ugnay.
Just last year (July 1, 2014), Senator
Loren Legarda visited our province (
Davao Oriental) and congratulated the
province for its stand on the protection of our natural resources especially
citing Mt. Hamiguitan, a UNESCO
World Heritage site. What a heritage,
what a treasure!
Yet, what is really happening in
Davao Oriental ? Even our priests in
the Diocese of Mati are alarmed on
the proliferation of alleged mining
activities in the province of Davao

Protecting Our Common Home

CBCP News

By S. M. Evangeline A. Madayag, OSB

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Oriental, particularly in the following

areas: (1) Brgy. Old Macopa, Manay,
(2) Brgy. Tiblawan, Governor Generoso, (3) Barangay Causwagan and
Maputi, Banaybanay, (4) Barangay
Dapnan and Lambajon, Bagangga, (5)
Barangay Calapagan, Lupon. (excerpts
from the letter of Rev. Fr. Edito S.
Bao, DCM, Apostolic Adminstrator
of Mati to the DENR National Office,
September 10, 2015. He made another
letter to the DENR on October 22,
2015 to includeMacambol ( Magum
and Salingcomot) as a concern.
With much prayers for awakenings,

re-awakenings , and miracles to happen, we make this petition:

A PETITION FOR THE STOPPAGE AND REJECTION OF THE
IMPENDING ISSUANCE OF MINING PERMIT FOR AUSTRAL-ASIA
LINK MINING CORPORATION
AND HALLMARK MINING CORPORATION BOTH UNDER THE
CORPORATE ORGANIZATION
OF ASIATICUS MANAGEMENT
CORPORATION (AMCOR) AT
MAGUM, PUJADA BAY AND SALINGCOMOT, MATI CITY, PROVINCE OF DAVAO ORIENTAL

We, the farmers, fisherfolks, Church

people, youth, professionals, business
people of Davao Oriental Province
together with our national and international supporters, hereby, urge Mr.
Ramon J.P. Paje, DENR Secretary,
NOT TO ISSUE ANY MINING
PERMIT to AUSTRAL-ASIA LINK
MINING CORPORATION AND
HALLMARK MINING CORPORATION both under the CORPORATE
ORGANIZATION OF ASIATICUS
MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
(AMCOR) for its mining operation in
Magum, Pujada Bay and Salingcomot,

CBCP Monitor

Mati City, Province of Davao Oriental

We also demand that their mining
equipments be pulled out from the
mining site. Macambol, Lodged
between two protected areasthe
Pujada Bay Protected Seascape (and
Landscape) and Mt. Hamiguitan
Range, proclaimed wildlife sanctuary (Republic Act No. 9303, July 30,
2004) and as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site at the 38th Session of
the World Heritage Committee ( June
15-24, 2014 Doha, State of Qatar) ,
is not the most logical site for largescale nickel laterite mining project (
October 21,2009 in Environment ,
Food Security, Sensitive Ecosystems,
The Philippines).
According to the study published by http://bhpbillitonwatch.
net/2009/10/21/pujada-hallmarknickel-laterite-project-profile/, some
4,778 hectares of mining permits
overlap with five major drainage
systems and watersheds, which either
drain towards Pujada Bay or the Davao
Gulf. These bodies of freshwater are
the main water supplies for the communities living within and around the
area, and the bays host endangered
species such as dugongs (sea cows),
sea turtles and stingrays. The forest
of Macambol is a watershed area.
Additionally, the Pujada region is
situated on the PacificCordillera
fault line. Two branches of the active
Philippine fault flank the watershed
on the southwest and southeast of the
project area, which has been subject
to intense seismic activities. The 2008
report Philippines: Mining or Food,
recommended that no mining should
take place on Mount Hamiguitan or
near Pujada Bay which are centres of
biodiversity, with high ecotourism
potential. Under these conditions it
may be almost impossible to mine
the area. (http://bhpbillitonwatch.
net/2009/10/21/pujada-hallmarknickel-laterite-project-profile/)
In his ENCYCLICAL LETTER,
LAUDATO SI, Our Holy Father,

Home, B7

Church, Yolanda survivors in Leyte sign

Climate Change Declaration
ture which is part of the climate
change action.
After the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda, the Roman
Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Palo through Caritas Palo
and NASSA/Caritas Philippines
helped Yolanda-affected communities in Leyte to craft their own
resiliency and contingency plans,
which were already adopted by
their barangays. As of today, Caritas Palo has invested P150 million
to build resilient communities.

The said communities also installed early warning systems and

evacuation plans, which resulted
in zero casualties and minimal
damages during the onslaught
of Typhoon Ruby, the strongest
typhoon in 2014.
It can be recalled that the recent encyclical of Pope Francis,
Laudato Si, highlighted the adverse impacts of climate change
on the poor and most vulnerable,
and the scale of the climate crisis.
(NASSA Features)

NASSA/Caritas Philippines

Aside from the declaration signing, the Yolanda survivors from

15 communities in the towns
of Palo, Santa Fe, Alangalang,
Mayorga, Dulag and MacArthur
each gave a presentation of how
their communities are presently
engaged in community-managed
disaster risk reduction (CMDRR)
measures and systems.
There was also a mini exhibit
of the organic products produced
by Yolanda survivors to show its
support for sustainable agricul-

all processes addressing climate

and disaster risks especially after
the province experienced the
wrath of Typhoon Yolanda last
November 8, 2013.
He also mentioned how the
impact of climate change cuts
across all sectors regardless of gender, culture economic or political
stature, with the poor suffering
the greatest impact.
Therefore, a plan of action
to address climate and disaster
risks must be undertaken using

community-managed disaster
risk reduction (CMDRR) as the
strategy, Badana added.
Also present during the commitment signing are representatives
from various church groups and
government agencies such as the
Provincial Government of Leyte,
Department of Social Welfare and
Development, Department of
Interior and Local Government,
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Office and the
Office of the Civil Defense.

The Archdiocese of Palo Relief and Rehabilitation Unit (Caritas Palo) displayed the organic products produced byYolanda survivors
in Leyte, which is part of its climate change action.

Women in action

NASSA/Caritas Philippines

IN solidarity with the on-going

Climate Conference in Paris, the
Archdiocese of Palo Relief and
Rehabilitation Unit (Caritas Palo)
together with at least 200 Yolanda survivors signed a Declaration
supporting Climate Change and
Community-Managed Disaster
Risk Reduction in Palo, Leyte
on Tuesday.
In a statement, Caritas Palo
Director Fr. Al Cris Badana cited
how important it is for members
of the communities to be part of

NASSA/Caritas Philippines

Yolanda survivors together with representatives from the Archdiocese of Palo Relief and Rehabilitation Unit (Caritas Palo) signed
the Caritas Declaration on Climate Change in solidarity with the on-going Paris Climate Talks.

Members of the New Dampigan Womens Association happily beam and show off the eggs they harvested.

ONE women to explore their other

potentials.
This is the story of the women in the
town of New Dampigan in Samar province, who found a new hobby, a passion
and source of livelihood all at the same
time. They are the New Dampigan
Womens Association, who are engaged
in poultry raising.
It all started when the Diocesan
Social Action Center of Calbayog gave
the group a total of 500 ducks as part
of its livelihood program for Typhoon
Haiyan survivors.
The group is composed of 21 members, all of them women. They raise
ducks and sell its eggs, salted and fresh
alike, to the nearby towns of Sta. Rita
and Basey. To produce salted eggs, they
preserve it for 15 to 18 days.
But it wasnt all easy going especially

at first. When another Typhoon Hagupit, locally known as Ruby, hit the town
last December some of their ducks died
from the storm. They almost lose hope.
But luckily they did not. Instead, the
women sticked together and took care
of the remaining ducks.
Now, the women are the more than
happy and contented of the product
of their pure hardwork and ingenuity.
Several weeks after the onslaught of
Hagupit, the women are once again
back in track.
Currently, they are harvesting 700 up
to 1,000 eggs every week. They are also
focused on marketing their products to
nearby towns, which they do through
the support and trainings provided
by the social action center. Yes, they
are truly women in action. (NASSA
Features)

CBCP Monitor

STATEMENTS B5

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Final Statement of the 6th Bishops Institute for

Interreligious Affairs
Asian celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate
FABC Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
Redemptorist Center, Pattaya, Thailand
November 16-20, 2015
a mystical union of Gods
Kingdom as inter-dependent
beings (in the harmony of our
relationship with one another
and with all creation).
6. The Church in Asia con-

the breakdown of social cohesion, terrorism and all forms

of fundamentalism.
8. One of the most urgent
challenges in Asia is to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Way,

poverty and global inequality,

the increasing numbers of
refugees and migrants, pollution and environmental crisis,
corruption and moral degradation, human trafficking and

Facebook

firms that we cannot engage

with others in a real dialogue
without having a clear identity
of who we are and constantly
growing in our own faith. In
the pluralistic contexts of Asia,
the Church, as a little flock,
is called to learn a kenotic
(self-emptying) spirit of love
and service from Jesus Christ.
It is through our humble and
open-minded approach that
real trust and mutual understanding with others can be
established. We are aware of
the importance of grassroots
interreligious dialogue, which
usually starts from inter-personal friendship and grows to
communal action for justice
and peace.
7. The Church in Asia takes
seriously the challenges of
today for all religions: various
conflicts and violence, massive

File photo

life and refreshment from her

water (Laudato Si,2).
Since climate is a common
good it is but right to be involved
in the discussion of climate
change especially that it is now
destructive not only to properties to but also to lives. Accordingly, the world is on the brink of
becoming an arid wasteland due
to unchecked human activities.
We are living witnesses of the
destruction brought about by
weather changes and the effects
to health by carbon emissions.
The calamities that claimed
thousands of lives these past
years and months are enough
proof to awaken in us a commitment to safeguard creation and
help mitigate their effects.
Pope Francis, seeing the urgency of action in dealing with
environmental crisis, points out
the use of highly polluting fossil

fuels especially coal to be progressively replaced without delay

(Cf. Laudato Si, 165). We cannot simply sit idly while seeing
the unfolding of horrific events
resulted by so called technological progress at the expense of nature. Instead we recommend the
use of renewable energy which
is of course not harmful to the
environment and to humans.
As Bishops of the Dioceses
of Dipolog, Ozamis, Pagadian,
Iligan, and Marawi (DOPIM),
which comprise the civil provinces of Zamboanga del Norte,
Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte and
Lanao del Sur, we completely
oppose the operation of coal
mining and coal power plants
most especially within the aforementioned provinces. We do this
not only because of our human
responsibility, but as a call intrin-

sic to our Christian faith.

We hereby urge all concernedboth the coal industry
and the governmentin the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ to
have the same concern. We also
call the faithful and all people of
good will be vigilant at all times
and in all places because our
common home is in danger of
devastation. We will not allow
ourselves to arrive at the point
of no return.
May God hear us and come to
defend the beautiful creation He
has entrusted to us. May Mary,
the Queen of all creation, cover
us with her mantle of maternal
care.
Formulated during the 40th
DOPIM Bihops-Clergy Convention on November 11, 2015
at the Diocesan Pastoral Center,
Del Carmen, Iligan City.
Most Rev. Severo C. Caermare,
DD
Bishop of Dipolog
Most Rev. Elenito R. Galido,
DD
Bishop of Iligan
Most Rev. Emmanuel T. Cabajar,
CSsR, DD
Bishop of Pagadian
Most Rev. Edwin A. dela Pea,
MSP, DD
Bishop-Prelate of Marawi
Most Rev. Jesus A. Dosado,
CM, DD
Metropolitan Archbishop of
Ozamiz

with the indigenous people. It

is through these basic human
communities that the Church
in Asia learns the holistic
world view and the sacred cosmic spirituality which awake
us to take care of our common home. We are called to
go beyond our comfort zone
and to develop a new narrative
of dialogue, coming from our
common experience, with the
hope of rediscovering the harmonious relationship between
humanity, cosmos and God for
the future generation.
10. We commit ourselves
more passionately to interreligious dialogue in Asia in
different ways for example:
To develop local interreligious dialogue and action in
the grassroots communities.
To organize formation
programs for interreligious
dialogue within the Catholic
community
(e.g. Seminaries, religious
houses of formation and for
the laity).
To promote intra-dialogue
between Christian churches
and within Catholic institutions.
To support dialogue activities and forums. (e.g. UN
Interfaith Harmony Week).
To advocate interreligious
dialogue and action in the
public sphere and cyberspace.
To provide adequate preparation and pastoral care to the
interreligious family.
11. After these days of reflection and sharing of our
experiences of and insights
on interreligious dialogue in
the light of Nostra Aetate,
guided by the Holy Spirit,
we have come to realize again
the importance of openness
towards the people of other
religions and the indispensable role of witness to the
Kingdom of God ever growing in the hear t of Asian
people. Through our sincere
commitment to dialogue,
Jesus Christ will be better known, recognized and
loved. (PCID, Dialogue in
Truth and Charity, No. 39).

Mayor Duterte?

Vincent Go

Statement on Coal Mining and Coal Power Plant

WE, the one hundred sixty-six
(166) delegates of the 40th
DOPIM Bishops-Clergy Convention, unanimously express
our serious concern on the
operation of coal mining and
coal power plant that triggers
apprehension among our people
and poses environment threat in
the provinces where such facility
is being established.
With faith in the Lord of Creation, we want to heed the call
of Pope Francis in his encyclical
Laudato Si that urges us all to
care for the earth as our common
home. Citing St. Francis of Assisi, the Holy Father persuades
us to treat our common home
like our sister.
However, knowing the reality
of our destructive attitude and
activities towards her, the Pope
writes that The6 sister now cries
out to us because of the harm
we have inflicted on her by our
irresponsible use and abuse of
the goods with which God has
endowed her. We have come to
see ourselves as her lords and
masters, entitled to plunder her
at will. The violence present in
our hearts, wounded by sin, is
also reflected in the symptoms
of sickness evident in the soil,
in the water, in the air and in
all forms of life. This is why
the earth herself, burdened and
laid waste, is among the most
abandoned and maltreated of
our poor; she groans in travail
(Rom 8:22). We have forgotten
that we ourselves are dust of the
earth (cf Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements,
we breathe her air and we receive

the Truth and the Life, while

acknowledging and respecting
what is true and holy in other
religions (Nostra Aetate,
No. 2). As a community of
disciples, we give witness to
Jesus through our personal
and communal lifestyle of
love in three interconnected
ways: silence, presence, and
story-telling. In an existential
silence, we empty ourselves
and listen deeply to the voices
of the other without judging,
with a loving heart. In the
depth of our silence, we are
aware of Jesus presence among
us, which is inspiring our journey of interreligious dialogue
and action for transforming
the world. It is by telling our
own story of transformation
through Jesus, as individual
persons and as communities,
that the globalized culture of
indifference and greedy consumerism is to be transformed
into the gospel-culture of solidarity and sharing.
9. In our common journey
with others, we Christians in
Asia recognize the importance
of basic human communities
at the grassroots level, where
the dialogue of life and action
is going on, especially together

Facebook

1. It is by Gods grace and

providence that we 87 participants in the Sixth Bishops
Institute for Interreligious Affairs (BIRA VI), from 17 different countries, have come to
celebrate the 50th anniversary
of Nostra aetate in our Asian
context and in our time. We
are grateful for the funding we
received from Missio Aachen
that helped make this gathering possible.
2. In this grace-filled gathering, we have worked together
as the Church in Asia retracing
our steps along the path of dialogue; praying, reflecting and
sharing our experiences and
thoughts on the questions of
what we have done so far and
what we need to do further for
interreligious dialogue in Asia.
3. We recognize that Nostra
Aetate is still inspiring and
challenging us to realize the
vision of the Church as the
people of God in dialogue in
our time, facing the interdependent reality of the complex and diverse influences of
globalized socio-economiccultural-political structures,
we reaffirm the strong need
of the triple dialogue with
the poor, cultures and religions, in a journey towards the
Kingdom of justice, peace and
ecological harmony.
4. Through our experience
of dialogue and action for
the last five decades, we have
learned that interreligious
dialogue is not only to be a
specific pastoral strategy of
the Church, but rather an
Asian vision of the Church.
It is a Church that proclaims
the values of the Kingdom
without fear, in dialogical collaboration (partnership) with
the people of other religions.
5. Struggling against any
kind of fundamentalism, terrorism and proselytism, the
Church in Asia is called to
work together with others as
co-pilgrims. In protecting the
poor and the environment
through our interreligious network, we are not doing social
work together, but building

Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte

WHAT the world desperately needs now is leadership by

example. We have so many leaders in office and many more
aspiring to sit in office but are they examples of good citizenship? If the leaders we choose are to be leaders for national
progress they must be visionaries AND exemplary.
Corruption is indeed a great scourge of Philippine politics.
The usual face of corruption that we recognize easily is stealing
from public funds. Corruption, like a monster, is a devil with
many faces. Killing people is corruption. Killing is a crime and
a sin whether it is done by criminals or public officials no matter what the intention. Adultery is corruption. It makes married
love cheap and uses people for pleasure. Adultery corrupts the
family; it destroys children and victimizes the weak. Vulgarity is
corruption. When we find vulgarity funny, we have really become
beastly and barbaric as a people. When a revered and loved and
admired man like Pope Francis is cursed by a political candidate
and the audience laugh, I can only bow my head and grieve in
great shame. My countrymen has gone to the dregs.
Is this the leadership by example that Mayor Duterte excites
in us? Is this the leadership by example that makes a public
official deserving of the title Honorable?
+SOCRATES VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
CBCP President
December 1, 2015

B6 REFLECTIONS

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Our advent priorities

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

Public domain

3rd Sunday of Advent (C), Luke 3:10-18

Rejoice Sunday, December 13, 2015

THE times of John the Baptist

were bad, characterized, as they
were, by selfishness, greed, pride,
aggressiveness, oppression of the
weak . . . . This can be gathered
from the answers he gave to
those who had been struck by
his preaching and asked, What
ought we to do? Johns strongly
worded call to conversion was
amply justified. All needed to
undergo a metanoia, a change
of mind and attitude, in order to
enter the Reign of God.
The situation does not seem
to have changed much since the
time of John the Baptist. We live
in a society plagued with the same
moral defects and vices. People are
still greedy, selfish, aggressive . . .
And, of course, the temptation is
always to see these moral failures
in others.
In many cases, it may be true
that there is so much evil around
us. But it is equally true that we,
too, are not perfect. There is
evil in us, too. We fail morally
almost every day and in various
ways. We, too, need to undergo
a metanoia, a radical conversion. Radical here means that it

should not stop at the individual

actions, but has to affect our attitudes and set of values, i.e., the
very root of our actions. There
shouldnt be the least doubt: society will start changing for the
better the very moment we begin
to improve.
Advent and the special observances for this year (Extraordinary
Jubilee Year of Mercy; Year of the
Eucharist and of the Family) are
invaluable opportunities for us
to start or resume moving in the
right direction. Like those who
approached John, we should ask,
What are we to do? The answers
may be as many as there are personal
moral situations; but a common
denominator easily applies to all.
Our fundamental attitude has got
to be one of openness, availability
and goodwill.
The first requirement is openness to God in grateful love and
expectation in prayer of petition
and thanksgiving (see Phil 4:6)
for the Lord is coming to dwell in
our midst and to be our mighty
Savior. (See First Reading, v. 17.)
The second basic requirement
is openness to people. This
means readiness to share our
goods generously with the less
fortunate (see Lk 3:11); to be fair

CBCP Monitor

to everybody and be absolutely

honest with all. (See Lk 3:13-14.)
All this is love of neighbor in its
most elementary form, and no
one can claim to be exempted or
to have done enough.
To this we have to add the
pursuit of all those natural values
and virtues that Paul lists in the
Second Reading. (See Phil 4:8.)
Only on these conditions shall
we be able to be glad and exult
with all our hearts (Zep 3:14) and
begin to enjoy Gods own peace
which is beyond all understanding (Phil 4:7).
If, on the contrary, we refuse
to heed Johns (Gods) call to
conversion, this Advent will be
a series of missed opportunities. There may still be laughter,
but very little joy. We may give
and receive plenty of gifts, but
without experiencing the bliss of
real generosity. In other words, we
may be like one of the decorations
hanging on Christmas trees: glittering and colorful outside, but
empty and ugly inside.
It need not be so. It should not.
This Advent we have a chance
to really change for the better,
starting from within. And it is
up to us to make the most of this
opportunity.

Open to the spirit in imitation of Mary

4th Sunday of Advent (C), Luke 1:39-45
December 20, 2015

MANKIND has had a bad record from

the very beginning of its historythe
criminal record of shutting God out
of its plans and life. Such an attitude
had few exceptions in Abram, Moses,
the prophets . . . . And even those exceptions were not always 100% clear.
It was only with Mary that a different
attitude started to prevail: an attitude
of total openness to the action of God
in ones life and of full availability to
cooperate with Him in the actualization of His plan.
Mary was the most open of all to
the inspirations and promptings of
the Holy Spirit. Like a very sensitive
harp, she let the Spirit produce in her
and through her the wonderful melody
of mans salvation which only the
divine love can initiate and bring to

completion. In this way, the miracle of

the Incarnation took place, with the
Blessed Trinity taking the initiative,
and Mary responding freely and generously to the Spirits action in her.
It is in response to the lead of the
Spirit that Mary set out for Elizabeths
house, to share with her relative the
Good News she was carrying within
her.
Like mankind before Mary and
Christ, we, too, may have a bad record when it comes to being open to
God. We may not be any better than
Adam and Eve, or the people before the
Flood (see Gn 6:5-6), or the builders of
the Tower of Babel. (See Gn 11:3-4.)
This Advent in the Year of Faith is,
for all of us, an opportunity to evaluate our standing in this respect and to
take appropriate action. If we decide
to imitate Mary and Elizabeth in their
openness to the Spirit, we may be sure

that He will work wonders also in us,

no matter how insignificant and weak
we may consider ourselves. (See Mi
5:1.)
We need the impulse of the Holy
Spirit and His empowering support
to get out of ourselves, to show an
interest in others and share with them
the blessings we have received from the
Lord, including our joy. (See attitude
of Mary, Lk 1:46-49.)
We need to be open to the Spirit
in imitation of Mary in order to
have Christ formed in us, or better,
in order to be molded unto him. If
we cultivate such an openness and
availability, we shall ever more become
Christ-like in our thoughts, aspirations, attitudes, and actions. And
thus, we shall be totally committed
to do our share in carrying out the
Fathers plan of saving love as Christ
did. (See Heb 10:5-7.)

CBCP News

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

Christmas, the triumph of light

Solemnity of Christmas (C), John 1:1-18
December 25, 2015
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
WE all experience the difference that physical darkness or light produces in
us. Darkness makes us feel
uneasy, even anxious and
afraid. Light gives us a sense
of security. It enables us to
realize where we are and
what to do.
This is why, the Biblical creation story tells us
that, In the beginning (i.
e., when nothing existed,
except God), darkness covered the abyss. Then God
said: Let there be light!
And there was light. God
saw how good the light
was . . . (Gn 1:4a). The
presence of light enabled
God to proceed with the
work of creation, with all
its wonders and potentials, and thereby conquer
the darkness of chaos and
meaninglessness.

But, aside from physical light

and darkness, there are other
forms of these two opposite
realities in the intellectual,
emotional, moral and spiritual domains. In the Judean/
Christian revelation, light is
associated and even identified
with God, while darkness is associated and identified with sin
and evil. St. John the Evangelist
proclaims, GOD IS LIGHT
(1 Jn 1:5). Consequently, a life
lived without God is darkness
the darkness of sin and hell! (See
John 3:19-21.) No wonder, then,
that the Incarnation of Gods
Son is compared to the coming
of light to earth. (See Jn 1:5 and
12:46.)
And this is precisely what we
commemorate and celebrate at
Christmas: the coming of the
light of Gods holiness and
goodness to fight and defeat
the darkness of evil in all its
forms.
In the extraordinary and
unique event of the Incarna-

tion, the divine light becomes

a human beingJESUS OF
NAZARETH. His coming is
not a lightning in the night that
soon vanishes in the persistent
darkness of the sky. Rather, it is
an enduring eventthe fulfillment of a well thought-out plan
destined to last till the end of
time and beyond.

The Incarnation is an event

that is not confined to the place
and time where it took place,
but a permanent reality that
concerns and affects the entire
universe as well as the life of
each human being. This is so
because the life and mission of
the God-Man born in Bethle-

here more than ten times. Then,

when I looked down, I likewise
noticed what should have been
an inconspicuous door. Now I
saw there was a paper posted on
it hinting that inside was actually
a church called San Salvatore in
Onda and the place where Saint
Vincent Pallottis remains are
venerated. I took mental note
of the opening schedule and
resolved I would do the second
day of my novena there.
What was behind that inconspicuous door? Actually a
small but amazingly beautiful
jewel of a church. First, behind
the green door commonly seen
along the street, was another set

of wider doors made of beautiful, strong, old wood. It had a

huge tarp proudly claiming that
St. John Paul II had visited this
church. For such a small church,
I thought, it would be surprising
any pope would do that.
But of course, if one knew JP II
and St. Vincent Pallotti and what
they each stood for, one would
understand. For JP II loved to
promote the apostolate among
lay people, and St. Vincent, in
his own 19th century, religious
way was one of the promoters
of the lay apostolate at the time
when it was so much lacking.
He founded the Pious Union
of Catholic Apostolate. Thats a

mas event, simply because God

pitched His tent among us.
More still: He became one of us.
He did so in order to enable
each individual and mankind
as a whole to fight and overcome the many forms of darkness that oppress, frighten, and
enslave usthe darkness of

hopelessness, meaninglessness,
fear, hatred, oppression, but especially the darkness of sin, and
of whatever leads to the endless
darkness of being separated from
God forever.
Nowadays, the all-pervading
cacophony of commercialism
and materialism tend to disrobe Christmas of its sacredness and saving dimension,
and to confine it to the realm
of a myth lost in the vagueness
of a distant past. Against such
background, it is essential that
we, Christian believers, appreciate the importance of
the historical event of the
Incarnation and its relevance
to our life today.
Christmas, as the joyful commemoration of the Incarnation
of Gods Son, is an invitation
to ACCEPT Jesus Christ into
our existence as the light of the
world, the light of our life. It is
also an invitation to REJOICE
in the light that radiates from
Jesus presence, teaching and

example. It is a commitment
to LIVE as children of the
light, and thereby eliminate
in ourselves and around us
the darkness of sin and evil
in all their forms. Christmas
is an invitation and a challenge to SPREAD the light of
Gods love through our words
and deeds.
In this perspective, the
Holy Fathers call to be actively involved in the work
of a NEW EVANGELIZATION becomes absolutely
vital and relevant to this
season of light and joy. It
is the first step toward an
ever-greater involvement in
the wonderful enterprise of
building Gods luminous
Kingdom of peace, love, and
hope that can usher in the
new heavens and the new
earth, the NEW JERUSALEM that is the perfect
realization of Gods plan and
the fulfillment of our deepest
aspirations.

union of priests, religious and laitybut the Pallotines as they

are called, really just consists of
the religious brothers and priests,
and the laity are, well... theyre
there. But that was certainly a
huge start.
The church is now their home
base, but it wasnt so at first. Built
near the end of the 11th and
beginning of the 12th century,
it was given to the Franciscans
from which two popes came
from. Knowing this historicity of the church and that St.
Vincents body is now under
the altar, one then understands
this church deserved the Popes
visit. But to add to these, theres

also the sheer beauty of medieval

and renaissance art that one sees
on the ceiling and the simple
baldachin under which Mass
was held, when I was there. The
image of Our Lady and Child by
Cesare Mariani in the main altar
is also arresting.
The church has the appellation
in Onda which means in the
wave most probably because
of the frequent flooding of the
Tiber. Ive seen some of these
signs on marble stone around
several parts in Rome, indicating where the river was at this or
that point, and theres only one
thing I can say. The worst Manila
floods are as if only two inches,

compared to Rome flooding in

those days! Im not sure if this
has any connection to one image
of Our Lady venerated there on
a huge side altar, Virgin most
Powerfulbecause one certainly needed a huge power to
survive such inundations!
But last night, I know I was
inundated by only one thing
thanksgiving for being surrounded by such beauty and holiness.

hem is to bring the light of love

and grace into the history of
mankind, into the life of every
human person.
This is why we believe and
proclaim that Christmasthe
coming and dwelling of Gods
light on earth makes all the difference. The world will never be
the same as before the Christ-

The NEW JERUSALEM is

the perfect realization of Gods
plan and the fulfillment of our
deepest aspirations.

Countdown, B3

Lady of the Sacred Heart. And

by the time I left the church,
which is just a five-minute walk
from my house, what else could
I say, but thank You. Really there
is nothing much else one can say.
Our Lady and Child in San
Salvatore in Onda
Funny what one sees when
one changes perspectives. Going
home from jogging one day, I
decided to pass by the right (instead of the left) side of Via dei
Pettinari (Combmakers Street).
I happened to look up by chance
and I saw this charming image of
Our Lady I had never seen before, even if Id already passed by

(Robert Z. Cortes is a PhD

student in Social Institutional
Communication at the Pontifical
University of Santa Croce, Rome.
He has an M.A. in Ed. Leadership
from Columbia University).

CBCP Monitor

SOCIAL CONCERNS B7

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Families according to Gods heart

PRAYING together as a family seems no
longer fashionable nowadays. The reasons
are varied: so many commitments, conflicts of schedule, practical impossibility of
being together . . . . There are, of course,
happy exceptions of parents who, every
evening, gather their children for some
moments of reflection on the Word of
God, reconciliation, shared prayer, and
recitation of the Rosary. These same
people are, usually, the ones who on Sundays, attend the Eucharistic celebration
as a family. From this they derive strength,
harmony, cohesion. And at the same time,
they become an inspiration to the whole
parish community. It is when the family
gathers together for prayer that its membersboth parents and childrensee
themselves under the common fatherly
authority of God.
A family that renews every day its
covenant with the Lord will have no
time for endless bickering, jealousy,
unfaithfulness, harsh manners on the
part of the parents, or rebellion on the
part of their children.
The families that pray together are really mini faith communities or little
churches. One wishes that these excep-

Feast of the Holy Family (C), Luke 2:41-52

December 27, 2015

tions might become ever more numerous,

till they become the rule.
It is in the family that the reform of
society begins, because it is there that we
learn to respect and help one another, we
practice patience and justice, we learn to
share and to love in an unselfish and practical manner. Pope Francis, speaking to the
Filipino families during his Pastoral Visit
in January 2015, said, In the family we
come to know God, to grow into men
and women of faith, to see ourselves as
members of Gods greater family, the
Church. In the family we learn how to
love, to forgive, to be generous and open,
not closed and selfish. We learn to move
beyond our own needs, to encounter
others and share our lives with them.
That is why it is so important to pray as a
family! That is why families are so important in Gods plan for the Church!
A family where God is at home is a
family at peace. Such was the Holy Family
at Nazareth. And the yearly celebration of
its feast is not just a well-deserved tribute
paid to its three members. It is also an invitation and encouragement to make our
families today what the family of Joseph,
Mary and Jesus was in those daysa haven of love of God and neighbor at its
best, a home where God felt at home; a
family according to Gods heart.

Mark Eusebio

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

Christ, the unifying center

of all mankind

Mary of Nazareth:
Mother of Jesus,
Mother of peace

Solemnity of Epiphany (C), Matthew 2:1-12

January 3, 2016

World Day of Peace (C)

Luke 2:16-21
January 1, 2016

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

Master of the Antwerp Adoration

EPIPHANY is the manifestation of Jesus

as the Messiah/Savior of all men, including the pagans of goodwill, represented
by the Magi. As such, it is also the manifestation of the divine plan, hidden for
centuries in God, to unite all human beings
in Christ. (See Eph 1:1-10.)
Evermore, mankind moves toward the formation of a great international community.
This is according to Gods plan. Its roots are
in creation itself. Globalization is the inthing nowadays. It is a sign of the times to
which we should pay attention. Though the
concern of most of its proponents seems to
be economic, its basic assumption is correct:
we are one world, one family of nations.
Whatever is incompatible with this oneness should be abolished.
Many oppose globalization because, if we
limit it to its economic aspect and to tearing
down trade barriers, almost surely it will lead
to the rich becoming richer and the poor
becoming poorer. But if we take this word
to mean essentially the abolition of all barriers that have been erected by human pride,
selfishness, ghetto mentalities or racism; and
if it ushers in a greater solidarity of the
stronger with the weaker, and a generous
sharing by the rich with the poor, then
globalization is according to Gods plan
and all Christians should be its most enthusiastic supporters.
Epiphany has also a special message
concerning the attitude of all religions,

symbolized by the Magi, toward Jesus

Christ. He should be the one acknowledged
by all believers as the universal Savior sent
by God to bring all mankind back to God.
The gifts offered by the Magi to Jesus in
Bethlehem can symbolize the different characteristics which the major world religions
can offer as their distinct contribution to the
establishment of the Kingdom proclaimed
and established by Christ: the gold of faith
in one merciful God and the power of His
Word as a feature of Islam; the incense of
meditation, love for nature and peace that
characterize Buddhism; the myrrh of dedication and industriousness that characterize
Confucianism . . . . Jesus rejects nothing
of the values these faiths have. He accepts
them all and brings them together into one
practical synthesis that makes humankind
the family of God on earth.

Jesus is indeed the center of human

history because he is the center of Gods
plan for mankind. He is the center,
not only in the sense that his coming has
divided the centuries into two great blocks
of before and after Christ. He is also
the one in whom all men can find the
common point of reference to form a real
family of nations and peoples without
coercion or exploitation. The light of his
Gospel can penetrate all cultures, assume
all their valid elements and purify the rest
from those negative aspects which the
power of sin has gradually introduced in
them.
Only Jesus Christ can keep all men united
in a community of sincere respect, lasting
solidarity and practical love. For the plan of
the Father, born of love, will find its fulfillment only in LOVE.

One with sinners to save them

Baptism of the Lord (C), Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
January 10, 2016
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
WE say that people make a
prophetic gesture when they
do something striking that is also
a sign of greater things to come.
Those gestures reveal the depth
of their passion or commitment;
they are meant to shake people
and somehow force them to make
a choice, either for or against
certain vital issues.
In his lifetime, Jesus made
many prophetic gestures,
such as his driving the traders
out of the Temple, the healing
of the paralytic, and many other
miracles He performed. All those
gestures were spectacular in
their own way. They attracted the
attention of the crowds, which
wondered what their meaning
could be.
There was, in the life of Jesus, a
gesture which was not spectacular at all and which went unnoticed by almost everybody, except
His cousin John: His baptism in
the River Jordan. That gesture
was absolutely common and
ordinary for it was something
that almost everybody was doing
in those days, in response to the
exhortation of John the Baptist.
But Jesus baptism at the Jor-

dan, lost in the crowd of sinners

who were seeking forgiveness,
had a depth of meaning that
made it one of his most dramatic prophetic gestures. It
was his baptism, in fact, which
revealed the essence of Jesus
mission and became the occasion for the revelation of his
concealed divine identity.
The prophetic dimension
of Jesus action was not so much
in his entering the waters of the
Jordan, as his immersing himself
in the crowd of sinners. That was
something unthinkable and unbelievable. Only Gods incredible
love for every human being and
all mankind could have conceived
such an immersion which was so
complete and involving as to be a
total identification. That was
the reason why the eternal and
all-holy Son of God had come
down from heaven and had undergone the fullest immersion
in the ocean of mankinds misery
and in human history. Jesus
baptism is a clear manifestation
of Gods mercy toward mankind.
The Word, the eternal Son of the
Father, clad in human flesh in
Jesus of Nazareth, becomes one
with sinful mankind not to be its
judge but its Savior. and the Holy
Spirit, appearing in the form of a

dove, a symbol of peace, reminds

us of Gods mercy on the remnant of mankind as the purifying
flood subsided. (See Gen 8:1011.) Jesus baptism was a further
manifestation of the meaning and
purpose of the Incarnation.
Through that immersion/
identification, the totally sinless
Jesus became a part not only
of the relatively small group of
sinners gathered by the banks
of the Jordan, but also of the
immense crowd of sinners that
is the whole of humankind. And
just as his immersive in the waters
of the river sanctified them, so did
his presence among the crowd of
sinners bring them the possibility
of receiving purification from sin.
That was exactly Jesus mission.
Isaiah the prophet had already
foreseen this when he announced
that the mission of the Servant of
the Lord was to bring justice
(that is, holiness) to the nations.
Of him the Lord God said, I
formed you and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for
the nations, to open the eyes of
the blind, to bring out prisoners
from confinement, and from the
dungeon those who live in darkness. (See todays First Reading.)
In his life, Jesus actualized
such a liberating and sanctify-

ing immersion by associating

with sinners and even seeking
their company something that
shocked the holy people of his
time. His association with public
sinners was bound to tarnish
his reputation as his opponents
pointed out on several occasions.
Jesus did not mind that criticism and continued like before,
foras he himself saidit is sick
people who need a doctor. (See
Mt 9:12.) But his immersing
himself in the crowd of sinful mankind cost Jesus much
moreit cost him his very life,
for he was put to death to atone
for the sins of all!
Jesus vicarious self-offering
was so powerful in its effect
because of who he wasGods
beloved Son, on whom the Fathers favor rested! Such a solemn
proclamation of Jesus divine
identity soon after his baptism
balanced, so to speak, his hiding himself among the crowd
of sinners at the Jordan River.
It also completed the prophetic
nature of what happened on that
dayGods very Son coming to
save all mankind by sharing fully
its predicament of misery, in order to transform it from within,
through the superabundant holiness that only God is.

THE world is torn by wars and conflicts of every kindwars

among nations, factions, families . . . Afraid of the tragedies
of war, simple people yearn for peace. Some governments and
peace-oriented organizations try to achieve peace through
negotiations and compromise. Fortunately, many times they
succeed in establishing at least a ceasefire.
But we all know that peace is not simply the absence of
fighting. Peaceit has been written in so many waysis
the fruit of justice among nations, groups, individuals. More
than this, peace is the fruit of being in a harmonious relationship not only with others, but also with oneself, and
especially with God. There can be no peace where there is
rejection of God.
Peace is just another word for love, another word for
grace. It prospers only with the defeat of sin. And just as
all the sufferings and destructions of war are both a sign and
a consequence of sin, so the defeat of sin in ourselves and
around us produces that inexpressible feeling of satisfaction
and harmony that no material riches can buy, and no balance
of power can create.
Real, lasting peace is what God, the source of all goodness, wants for all mankind. But in order for that peace
to become a reality, we have to do our share. First of all,
we have to pray for it. Then, we have to work for it. That
means to make every effort to bring it about. Then the Lord
will bless our efforts by granting us that genuine peace that
has in Him its origin and support. On our part, we have to
accept Gods blessing of peace with humble gratitude as He
offers it to us, not as an abstract concept, but as a person
His very own Son, Jesus Christ. He is our peace because
He is the One who reconciles all men with the Father and
among themselves, the One who reconciles each of us
with ourselves. In Him, we are able to recognize all human
beings as our brothers and sisters, all members of the one
big family that has God as the common Father. He is the
One who called the peacemakers blessed and gave peace
to His disciples as His farewell gift.
Jesus, the King of Peace, comes to us not in a vision or
like rain from the clouds. He comes from a human mother,
Mary Most Holy, the woman of peace, who has been able
to open herself to the Source of all peace, and has fashioned
Him in that human form in which all can recognize and
love as their elder brother. In this way, Mary and peace are
vitally and dynamically linked. And she brings peace to our
troubled hearts and lives as Gods messenger as she gives
us Jesus in this Christmas season.

Home, B4

Pope Francis calls all of us

to CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME. This is one of
the most important reminders
in our times to really show respect to God who created all.
The issuance of mining permit
will allow tree cutting activities in almost 10,000 hectares
land area. This will lead to the
destruction of the very few
remaining forest in the Philippines and in the world. We
would expect a more imbalance ecology, extinction of
diversified natural resources;
example: flora, fauna, insects,
animals (including the Philippine Eagle), floods, sicknesses.
We reiterate that we would not
like this to happen.
We must remember that the

environment can exist even

without us but we can never
exist without the environment/
nature. We only have one common home, the Earth, there is
no other.
We urge the Department
of Environment and Natural
Resources to take the real lead
to protect our remaining environment and natural resources,
plan with other government
agencies and environmentally
concern organizations/foundations on how to preserve our
remaining forests and marine
life sanctuaries.
NO TO MINING IN MAGUM, PUJADA BAY AND SALINGCOMOT, MATI CITY,
PROVINCE OF DAVAO ORIENTAL !

B8 ENTERTAINMENT
MAGPAPAKASAL at magsumpaang magmamahalan nang wagas
ang dating live-in partners na
sina Basya (Bea Alonzo) at Popoy
(John Lloyd Cruz). Bilang mga
lisensyadong enhinyero at arkitekto
ay magtataguyod sila ng construction business na mabilis na uunlad.
Lalong magpupursige ang magasawa na magpalago ng negosyo
dahil magbubuntis si Basya. Nais
nilang mabigyan ng magandang
kinabukasan ang kanilang anak.
Subalit dahil sa pressure ng trabaho ay makukunan si Basya at
tuluyang mawawala ang sanggol
na kanyang dinadala. Labis itong
ikalulungkot nina Basya at Popoy
kaya napagkasunduan nila ayon
na rin sa mungkahi ni Basya na
titigil siya sa pagtatrabaho upang
makabuo uli sila ng baby. Nanatili
si Basya sa bahay at di nakialam sa
negosyo sa loob ng dalawang taon.
Pinaubaya niya ang pagpapatakbo
ng negosyo kay Popoy. Magtitiwala
si Basya sa kakayanan ng asawa na
mahusay nitong mapapamahalaan
ang kompanya katulad ng naging
problema ng pagguho ng isang
building project. Hindi rin gugustuhin ni Popoy na bigyan ng
alalahanin si Basya. Samantala sa
kabila ng magandang saloobin nila
sa isat isa ay ang napipintong pagkalugi ng negosyo na siya namang
ililihim ni Popoy kay Basya. Dahil
sasarilinin ni Popoy ang problema,
maapektuhan ng tuluyan ang
kanilang pagsasama.
Sequel ng pelikulang One More
Chance na pinalabas noong 2007
ang Second Chance. Matatandaang tumatatak ang naunang
pelikula dahil sa mga tinatawag na
hugot lines nina Alonzo at Cruz
sa nasabing pelikula. Di naman
nabigo ang mga nag-abang sa sequel na ito dahil naganap nga ang
second chance sa mga pangunahing tauhan na sina Basya at Popoy.
Malinis ang pagkakadugtong ng
dalawang pelikula --- parehong
mga tauhan at kontexto gayundin
ang mga artistang nagsiganap. Sa
kabila ng pagkakaroon ng prequel
ay napanatili ang malayang istorya
ng Second Chance bilang isang
pelikula. Bagamat predictable ang
wakas ay naging kasabik-sabik
pa din ang mga eksena at mga
palitan ng linya ng lahat ng tauhan. Di matatawaran ang husay
ng pagganap nina Alonzo at Cruz
bilang mag-asawa, panalo talaga
ang tinatawag na chemistry nilang
dalawa. Di rin nagpahuli nag mga
katuwang na aktor at aktres. Magaling ang ginawang trato ng direk-

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

tor para mapalabas ang kalakasan

ng mga nagsiganap at ang mga
eksenang hinaluan ng patawa lalo
na sa eksena kasama ng mga kaibigan. Simple lamang ang disenyo
ng produksyon pero nakatulong
ang mga kuha ng camera at editing para maging makabuluhan sa
istorya ang setting. Makahulugan
ang composition na nagpapakita
ng electric fan para sa mensahe na
nagtitipid na ang mag-asawa dahil
lugi na ang kompanya.
Mayaman sa mensahe para
sa mga mag-asawa ang Second
Chance. Pinakita sa pelikula ang
realidad ng buhay may-asawa na
hindi lang puro kasarapan sa halip ay
mga pagsubok na maaring mauwi sa
hiwalayan kung hindi haharapin at
aayusin. Sa relasyon ng mag-asawa

CBCP Monitor

Buhay San Miguel

Brothers Matias

Lolo Kiko

Bladimer Usi

A SECOND
CHANCE
DIRECTOR: Cathy GarciaMolina
LEAD CAST: Bea Alonzo,
John Lloyd Cruz, Dimples
Romana
SCREENWRITER: Vanessa
Valdez, Carmi Raymundo
GENRE: Romantic Drama
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Noel
Teehankee
RUNNING TIME: 130 minutes
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:

MORAL ASSESSMENT:
CINEMA Rating: V13

ay napakahalaga ng magiging bukas sa isat isa kaya anuman ang

pagdaanan ay magkatuwang na
haharapin. Ang pagtatago ni Popoy
ng katotohanan kay Basya ang naging mitsa ng lumubhang alitan, di
pagkakaunawaan, pagkawala ng
respeto, at palitan ng masasakit
na salitapati tiwala sa sarili ay
nawala. At sa punto na pipiliin ng
isa na lumayo at hanapin ang sarili,
ay nakatulong na balikan ang mga
sumpaan binatiwan nuong sila ay
ikinasal at higit sa lahat ang kanilang
pagmamahal sa isat isa. Mainam
din na may mga kaibigan at pamilya
na pwedeng lapitan na susuporta at
hindi manghuhusga, manunumbat,
o mang-uudyok sa paggawa ng mali.
Kapuna-puna lang na bagamat
nagsimula at nagwakas ang pelikula
sa chapel ay tila di man lang nila
naisipan na magdasal habang may
pinagdaraanan sila. Nais isipin ng
CINEMA na ang gusto lamang
sabihin ng pelikula ay: ang pagaasawa ay hindi lamang sa pagitan
ng dalawang tao kundi dapat ay
kasama palagi ang Diyos.

KATNISS Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), both a victor in and

subverter of Panems Hunger Games, is now a symbol of the revolution whom rebel president Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and power
broker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) want to use
strictly as a poster girl. Stubborn freedom-fighter Katniss, however,
has her own agenda, and that includes killing President Snow (Donald Sutherland]) to end once and for all the senseless deaths of so
many young people. Forming a team of rag-tag soldiers that include
closest friends Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and
Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), she goes off on a mission, risking their
lives through a booby-trapped war to liberate the citizens of Panem.
The final confrontation between Katniss and Snow, presided over
by Coin, is an electrifying game-changer.
The Hunger Games is not exempted from the fad of chopping
into parts the movie adaptations of popular books. Harry Potter,
Twilight, The Hobbitthey have all stretched their heroes exploits
to prolong box office earning power, and yet the fans wait. After
Hunger Games: Mockingjay
Part 1, which, judging from
its relatively weak performance
at the tills, must have been a
forgettable movie that tested
the patience of fans, Mockingjay Part 2 revs up with more DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence
of the thrills that have made LEAD CAST: Jennifer Lawthe Hunger Games series the
rence, Josh Hutcherson,
Liam Hemsworth, Woody
prototype of dystopia flicks for
Harrelson, Donald Sutheryoung adults (Divergent, et al.).
land, Julianne Moore, Philip
The strong cast monumentally
Seymour Hoffman
contributes to the realism of the GENRE: Adventure, Science
Hunger Games franchisehow
Fiction
can it go wrong with a leonine RUNNING TIME: 137 minutes
Sutherland, a steely Moore, a TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:

sly Hoffman? And, of course,

the winner Lawrence who can MORAL ASSESSMENT:
equally sell with aplomb parts CINEMA rating: V14
calling for either vulnerability or
verve. In Mockingjay 2 the stars solid performances, interwoven
with heart-stopping CGI, make for a fitting finale to a story that
capitalizes on mans inhumanity to man.
Its surprising that a number of film critics are disappointed with the
films ending, calling it sappy and an anti-climactic conclusion to an
adrenalin-packed series that promised so much by way of action and
heroism. Their cynical remarks remind us of biblical Israel waiting for
a savior who would topple down the ruling elite with its own brand
of kingship, but is instead given a Jesus Christ. CINEMA thinks the
ending is actually a statement that magnifies the upbeat message of the
whole story: enough is enough. Murder as spectator sport is sub-human.
At least, when beasts kill, it is to survive, but in Panem, the poor young
people are robbed of choice and must kill in order to liveas entertainment for the elite. So Mockingjay mocks the elite; it cries, Give
humanity a chance. Whats wrong with wanting to dump violence to
start afresh? Choose life, not death. Arrows that used to kill people are
also useful for hunting fowl for the dinner tableis that against the law?
Turn your swords into ploughs and your spears into pruning hooks.
Maybe the cynics eyes have grown to love the Hunger Games darkness
that the sunlight-dappled scenery blinds them. Or maybe after falling
in love with the couture of Panems stylish crowd, theyre simply horrified by Katniss drastic costume change. Whatever, CINEMA wouldnt
have wanted the ending any other way.

THE HUNGER
GAMES:
MOCKINGJAY 2

Buhay Parokya

Look for the images of Saint Joseph, Mama

Mary and Baby Jesus.
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

CBCP Monitor

C1

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

The News Supplement of

Couples for Christ

Philippine Army Chaplaincy, CFC

Hold 1st National Convention

CFC MM MC Celebrates the Family

The Metro Manila Mission Core
gathered as one big CFC family
during this month's MC Assembly
last December 6, 2015. Leaders
from the Family Ministries likewise
came to the Ynares Sports Arena
to hear Mass together, celebrate,
showcase talents, play in the fun
games, and just enjoy each other's
company before the end of the year.
CFC Spiritual Director Msgr.
Allen Aganon celebrated Mass. In
his homily, Msgr. Allen emphasized
the enormity of the role of John the
Baptist as the one who heralded the
coming of Jesus Christ, despite his
humble beginnings. He challenged
the CFC leaders to be like John
the Baptist.
"We are ordinary people who

are called to herald Christ and

to be missionaries of mercy," he
emphasized.
The Mass was followed by the
opening worship led by the Metro
Manila Missions Director Manny
Garcia, and a brief message from
CFC Chairman Joe Tale.
The CFC Order of St. Michael,
through its Head Art Alabanza,
took the opportunity to honor the
55 Singles for Christ volunteers
who served in the Christian Life
Program for the PMA Cadets in
Baguio. The fun-filled games for
the adults and children, talent
presentations, and face-painting
added to the festive mood. Truly,
it was a day for the family! (CFC
Global Communications)

The first-ever OACCS - OSM CEP Convention further strengthened the camaraderie between the chaplaincy and the local CFC, created a more solid CFC OSM Core, enabled
the stakeholders to work together, and recognized the efforts of those who work tirelessly under the program.

By Alma Alvarez

The CFC Order of St. Michael

(OSM), in cooperation with the
Philippine Army Office of the
Army Chief Chaplain Service
(OACCS) staged the first ever
Character Enhancement Program (CEP) Convention last November 24, 2015 at the Philippine
Air Force Museum, Pasay City.
Retired Col. Arturo Alabanza, a
member of CFC Metro Manila
(South B), and head of the OSM,

together with the OSM Core,

spearheaded the event.

In his opening remarks, Alabanza described

how the OSM came together with the OACCS
and forged a long-term partnership to develop
righteous, God-fearing soldiers loved by the
Filipino people through the CEP. The CFC
OSM has developed modules specifically catering to the soldiers, their spouses and children.
OACCS on the other hand, has the authority to mandate Commanding Officers of the
various Army camps nationwide to employ
the CEP.
The convention allowed the stakeholders to
report on the accomplishments, and enabled
the Army Chaplains from the different Infan-

try Divisions to plan with their local Couples

for Christ counterparts regarding strategies for
CEP and its continuing spiritual enhancement
modules. It was likewise an opportunity for
CFC OSM to present the second module for
the CEP, which the group plans to roll out
beginning 2016.
ANCOP Chairman Joe Yamamoto, in his
inspirational talk, reiterated Pope Francis call
for new evangelization and emphasized that
the partnership is a clear response of each person involved, whether it be the Chaplaincy or
the lay stakeholders, to be agents of change in
the spiritual realm within the Philippine Army.
Several of those serving in the program,
OSM, C4

CFC ANCOP USA, Pontificio Collegio Fillipino

Sign Partnership Agreement

CFC Metro Manila as one big, happy family worshipped, danced, sang, played games
and had fun during the last MC Gathering of the year.

His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and the leaders of CFC ANCOP USA: forging a strong partnership for further education among Filipino clergy.

His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Chairman ofPontificio

Collegio Filippino,and its Rector Msgr. Greg Gaston recently signed
the ANCOP USA Priest Sponsorship Program (PSP) partnership
with Eric Villanueva, Roger Santos and Rollie Balanza, Couples for
Christ - ANCOP USA leaders. The ANCOP USA PSP will assist
priests from the Philippines who will be sent by their Bishops to do
advance studies in Rome.
In his letter to Villanueva, Cardinal Tagle wrote, Our partnership will
allow more Bishops to send Priests for ongoing formation and further
studies in Rome, to better equip them in serving God's people as Seminary
Formators and as collaborators in the different Diocesan Ministries back

home. As a result, our Church in the Philippines will be strengthened,

so that Priests and laity alike could carry out our respective work of
evangelization and service, not only to the Church, but also to society.
According to the agreement, the PSP is for Master's, Licentiate or
Doctorate studies only. ANCOP USA PSP funds will cover the priests
board and lodging at the Collegio in the amount of $10,000 per year.
All other needs, such as tuition fees, medical insurance, transportation,
books, etc., will be provided for by the Bishop as a local counterpart.
This would ensure that priests can benefit from the partnership.
To donate or to know more about the program, please visit
www.ancopusa-psp.org.

Reconciliation is Key to Advent Preparations

The best way to prepare for
Christmas is reconciliation. The
birth of Jesus is God's offering of
reconciliation.
This was the essence of the
Advent recollection given by Fr.
Gerard Timoner, OP, Provincial
of the Dominican Order in the
Philippines, for the workers of the
CFC Global Mission Office. The
recollection was held last November 28, 2015 at the Obizpado de
Cubao in Quezon City.
In his reflection, Fr. Timoner
creatively wove reconciliation with
forgiveness, as well as the new

evangelization, taking into account

Jesus words to shake off the dust
from your feet. According to him,
a good spiritual foot spathe act

of shaking the dust off ones feet to

remove all traces of the bad news to
enable one to proclaim the Good
Newsis essential in preparing

oneself during Advent.

Fr. Timoner described forgiveness as setting a prisoner
free, and realizing that that
prisoner is you. He illustrates,
Jesus did not forgive while
on the cross. Instead, he said,
Father, forgive them for they
know not what they do. We can
only forgive if we engage God's
forgiveness within our own.
"The best path to the new
evangelization is to allow ourselves to be reconciled with God
& each other," he emphasized.
(A. Alvarez)

C2

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

ATRAS BOYS & GIRLS

Joe Tale

Reflections on Advent
It is the start of a new liturgical
year. As in every year, the previous liturgical year ended with
the feast of Christ the King, a
fitting high point indeed. After
going through the year observing the various highs and lows
and phases of His life, in the
end, and rightly so, we proclaim
Jesus as indeed the King of kings
and the Lord of lords.
And so the Church starts the
cycle anew, beginning from
His birth into this world. To
build up to that, we have the
season of advent, of waiting,
of anticipating, of preparing,
for the birth of He who we
recognize and proclaim as the
King of kings.
One would expect that this
major season is ushered in
with Bible verses expressing
the level of excitement befitting the birth of the King of
the universe. It is therefore a
bit surprising and sobering
that the opening reading of
this season is one with a theme
that speaks not of celebration,
but of foreboding of the coming end times.
"There will be strange
things happening to the sun,
to the moon, and the stars. On
earth, whole countries will be
in despair, afraid of the roar
of the sea and the raging tides.
People will faint from fear, as
they wait for what is coming
over the whole earth, for the

CBCP Monitor

powers in space will be driven

from their courses. Then the
Son of Man will appear, coming
in a cloud of great power and
glory. When these things begin to
happen, stand up and raise your
heads, because your salvation is
near." Luke 21:25-28.
Moreover, we are enjoined to
be on watch and to be vigilant
in a specific way: "Be careful not
to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and
drinking and with the worries of
this life, or that Day will suddenly
catch you like a trap. For it will
come upon all people everywhere
on earth. Be on watch and pray
always that you will have the
strength to go safely through all
those things that will happen and
to stand before the Son of Man."
Luke 21:34-36.
It is significant, we might even
say ironic, that during this season
of merriment in anticipation of
the birth of the Messiah, we are
warned exactly not to be merry.
In this period that we normally
celebrate with much food and
wine and music, we are instructed
to refrain from such things.
Is the verse dousing cold water on all these festivities, and
preventing us from celebrating
joyously the arrival of the King?
Not so. The verse simply reminds us of something more important, whatever be the season
of our life, of being constantly
prepared and on the watch at

all times, not ever to bring our

guards down, whether we are going through our low moments or
high points in our life. We are reminded to always "Be Prepared"
as the Boy Scouts' motto goes,
whatever our specific situation
may be at any given time.
Also, I sense that the Lord
would like to bring us to a deeper
level of rejoicing, not merely on
the level of the frivolous, as too
much feasting and drinking are.
The words of Jesus do not prevent
us from rejoicing. He wants us to
continue to be prepared even as
we celebrate. He warns us not to
rejoice in a wanton way that takes
us away from our right senses resulting in our being unprepared.
Thus, our rejoicing should be
coming from deep in our hearts,
not shallow and hollow expressions of the same. Our rejoicing
should be geared towards allowing
us to still be prepared.
Thus, as we hold our Christmas parties and dwell in the
merriment of the season, let us
be mindful of the words from
the Gospel. Appropriate feasting
and drinking not only make us
faithful to the gospel, but is also
more healthy. Significantly, too,
it should make us more caring to
those who have less, and hopefully lead us not to be wasteful
and to share whatever we have so
many others will also experience
a truly Merry Christmas.
Rejoice in the Lord!

The word atras means a backward

movement. It is generally used to refer to the
Reverse function of a vehicle. In Lanao Del
Norte, the word has been applied to a group of
boys abd girls who guide vehicles in and out of
parking spaces, the equivalent of the Watchyour-car aides in Metro Manila.
The CFC leaders in the province immediately thought of the Atras Boys and Girls of
Lanao Del Norte when Cardinal Tagle said
Go to the peripheries. . . be a mobile clinic
to heal the poor from spiritual sickness. . .
Another inspiration was from one of the most
important pastoral subjects of Pope Francis
about the family and the poor.
Every time I go to mass at the St. Michaels
Cathedral with my wife,Tata, the atras boys
and girls are all over the area, assisting vehicles either to park or to exit the parking area.
When not performing this function, they and
other members of their family can be seen
begging for their daily sustenance. They are
usually homeless, their home being along the
peripheries of the Cathedral or the sidewalks.
The inspiration led the Area Governance
Team to the idea of bring these boys and girls
and their parents to a Christian Life Program.
They moved quickly, with Boy Suezo approving the strategic CLP as designed by Regional
Pastoral Formation Head Art Maderazo and
inserting video clips appropriate to the CLP
talks. With the activation of the SOLD Ministry with Bro. Roger Sultan as Provincial Coordinator, SOLD was made the lead ministry
of the Atras Boys and Girls CLP.

Initially the number of participants was limited

to five (5) for logistical reasons, but the Holy
Spirit deemed otherwise the attendees eventually
numbered ten individuals and three (3) couples.
The CLPs were scheduled every Thursday at 6:00
oclock in the evening with dinner provided by
CFC brothers and sisters, particularly the AGTs
wives and ANCOP members. The SOLD Provincial Coordinator took care of fetching the participants from the Cathedral and also bringing them
back to their homes. It did not matter to Roger
that his car would often retain the smell of the
unwashed; he persisted in servicing the transport
needs of the participants.
November 05, 2015 was truly a pleasant and
a memorable day to the service team. On that
day, five of the ten boys and girls and two (2)
couples dedicated their life to CFC. One of the
participants stood up to give an inspiring testimony, ending with: Thank you CFC for making
us somebody in your heart. Thank you for being
mindful of the conditions of the poor and thank
you for bringing Christ to our lives. (Salamat
CFC nga aduna pa diay kami luna sa inyong kasingkasing. Salamat CFC sa inyong pagpakabana
sa susama kanamo nga mga timawa. Salamat sa
inyong panahon pag hatag kanamo sa pagtulun-an
ni Kristo.)
It is envisioned that this kind of evangelization can be replicated in other areas nationwide,
the beginning of a truly strategic evangelization.
Hopefully this is also the beginning of a new
life for the new CLP graduates, with CFC being
instrumental in helping them provide for their
familys future. (Nonoy Haim)

Are We Waiting For Jesus At The 'Right Spot'

This Advent?
PASIG City, Nov. 29, 2015 What do we
usually do when we find out that someone we
love or an important personality is visiting our
home? We tidy up, we prepare good food but
most of all, we wait. This was the message that
about 150 young married couples heard during
the Family Mass at the Couples for Christ
Young Couples' Assembly at St. Paul College
Convention Center held last November 30.
Fr. Ruper Solis, SVD, who celebrated the
Family Mass, reminded the couples present
that to wait for something or someone also

means waiting at the right place.

As Christians our life is a series of waiting...
Dapat maghintay ka sa tamang lugar...hindi lang
sa tamang panahon na sinasabi ni Lola Nidora 'no?
Pero sa tamang lugar din, (We should wait not just
for the right time, but waiting should be done
at the right place as well.) explained Fr. Ruper.
The young priest, who was an SVD missionary
assigned to Argentina for more than seven years,
went on to tell the story of how once in Argentina,
he was waiting by the side of the road, flagging
HOMILY, C3

In Highs And In-Laws: Dealing With Your In-Laws

Mel and Aimee Serrano talking about the highs and lows of dealing with in-laws.

In-laws. The very word reminds many a married couple

of discomfort, awkward, even
strained, relationships and sometimes open conflict. But are relationships with the family members
of your spouse meant to be merely
tolerant? The latest Couples for
Christ (CFC) Young Couples'
Assembly on November 30, held
at St. Paul's College in Pasig City,
tackled precisely this topic and
came up with this wildly ingenious insight: In-laws are people
too love them!
According to the speakers, Mel
and Aimee Serrano of CFC
Metro Manila West B, loving
them in all sincerity will work
wonders. That is the tried and
tested formula: love your in-laws,
shared Mel, a school owner from
Quezon City.
During the talk, which they
peppered with lots of insights and
sharing of personal experiences as a

couple married for 20 years, the Serranos focused on several key points:\
1. Handle them with care

This means giving attention to

the one who needs more, taking
care of them in their old age as
well as training your kids to respect
their grandparents.
On our part, we have to make
sure that our children will give due
respect [to them] and be able to
understand intricacies that come
with old age, said Aimee.
Whether may sama ng loob
(hurt feelings) sometimes, there
will be times na mahirap makipagkita (that it will be difficult to meet
them) but you have to go to them.
Kailangan nating gawin 'yun (We
need to do it), she stressed.

2. Acknowledge differences

According to the couple, people

should recognize that their spouse
may not have the same family
culture as they do. Value systems,

disciplining style, even views on

how to handle finances will oftentimes be different. That is why
understanding coupled with love
will go a long way.
Differences and conflicts are
not unhealthy but mismanagement
is... Never criticize your in-laws,
Mel said.
Also, in case of conflict, the
messenger or the bridge should
be the one with the primary relationship (spouse to own father,
mother).
The Serranos candidly shared
about a conflict that erupted
between Aimee and her fatherin-law during the campaign
period for local elections when
Mel ran for public office. The
conflict was soon followed by a
period of silence, a Cold War.,
so to speak. It took us at least
a year or two. [My father said],
kasi 'pag 'di natin inayos 'to
lahat tayo maapektuhan. (If we

don't fix this, all of us will be

affected.) It helped that the
couple prayed and sought Divine
Intervention and asked the community to pray with them. The
Holy Spirit worked.
3. Respond appropriately

What if even after loving and

understanding them, it's still
not smooth sailing with your inlaws? Here's what the Serranos
had to say:
Timing is everything.
Learn when to speak or keep
your mouth shut.
Take a breath: cool off.
Maintain a sense of humor.
Remember: unsolicited advice
is just an opinion.
To cap their talk, the couple
brought back the participants to
the basics of loving in-laws: to act
out your love, to build bridges, and
to communicate. (Nirva'ana Ella
Delacruz)

Red Cubs are Champions in CFC GMC Ablaze Cup 2015

The Red Cubs harvested the

grand championship of the recently
concluded CFC GMC Ablaze Cup
2015 held last December 2 - December 8, 2015 at the sports facilities of
Camp Crame.
The friendly games were participated in by the different departments
in the CFC Global Mission Center.
The Red Cubs romped off with the

championship crowns in badminton (women), table tennis (men

and women), tug-of-war and peel
banana. It was a close fight with the
Maroon on Fire team who grabbed
the winning titles for basketball,
volleyball, cheer dance and chess
(men) and ended up 1st runner-up
with less than 2 points from the
winning team. The Orange Tigers
came in 2nd runner-up while Yellow
Hotshots was 3rd runner-up based
on the last team standings.
The awarding ceremonies were
held last December 8, 2015 during the celebration of the CFC
GMC Christmas party. This annual event is an opportunity for
the mission workers to enjoy each
others company. The Ablaze Cup
likewise serves as a venue to
foster and promote the spirit of
sportsmanship and unity among
the GMC workers, from both
pastoral and mission support.
(Yvonne Dolorosa)

Go, go, go, GMC!, clockwise from top left: Caloy Rubio, CFC Ablaze Cup Event Head exhorting participants; the board of judges; CFC Chair Joe Tale inspiring the athletes; parade
of athletes; the Orange Tigers; basketball game between the Red Cubs and the Maroon on Fire; cheerdance competition.

New Appointments for CFC GMC, NE Luzon

Family Honoring Night Set

To set a new tradition in the CFC Family, the International
Council has agreed to make December 27, the Feast of the
Holy Family, as a special day for the members of the family
to honor one another. This will allow each person in the
family to express their gratitude to the Lord for the gift of
family, and the importance of having each member of the
family around, for the love, support and service. As a sug-

gestion, the guidelines indicate the following as the activities

for the said day: hearing Mass together, dining together at
home, praying together, and in gratitude, expressing their
love to one another.
Through the Family Honoring Night, the community hopes
to strengthen the relationship among the family members, and
empower each one to truly cherish and love one another.

The News Supplement

of Couples for Christ
Alma M. Alvarez
Associate Editor

Zenaida A. Gimenez
Editor-in-Chief

Michael C. Ariola
IC Oversight

Deomar P. Oliveria
Layout Artist

Evangeline C. Mecedilla
Circulation Staff

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

facebook.com/CFC.Global.Mission

@CFChrist

Bong Pagulayan

Cholo Yjares

Edythe Avendao

Jay Lucena

Mark Banzon

Ricky Rico

Raul Balaquiao

Tony de la Cruz

In a Memorandum sent to the Philippine Missions leaders last November

23, 2015, PM Director Jose Yamamoto
appointed/reassigned leaders for the
Northeastern Luzon region.
Mark Banzon has been appointed
Provincial Area Head (PAH) of Isabela,
vice Rommel Ancheta. Tony de la Cruz,
on the other hand, was tapped to be PAH
of Nueva Vizcaya vice Raul Balaquiao.

Balaquiao was appointed PAH of Ilocos

Sur, vice Tony de la Cruz, while Cholo
Yjares is now PAH of Cagayan vice Bong
Pagulayan. Pagulayan is now PAH of
Kalinga, vice Cholo Yjares.
The move is essentially a realignment
of the leaders in the Northeastern Luzon
area, in the interest of the mission, except
for Banzon, who is a new appointee and
for Noel Malamug, who remains as

PAH of Ifugao.These changes are to take

effect on January 1, 2016. Edythe Avendao is also set to replace Didi Galsim as
Handmaids of the Lord International
Coordinator. effective January 1, 2016.
In the Global Mission Center, Ricky
Rico was appointed Head for the GAdmin effective October 1, 2016, while Jay
Lucena was appointed head of the CFC
Events group also effective October 1.

CBCP Monitor

C3

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

CFC MIGRANTS PROGRAM BRACES FOR 2016

Jun Uriarte

Of Her Was Born Jesus

Matthew 1:16

The CFC Migrants Program Core, with the ECMIpartners in making the spiritual life as well as the family life of the Filipino migrant
workers stronger.

Inspired and encouraged by several positive developments in 2014-15, the CFC Migrants Program
Core Team members rolled up their sleeves once again
to plot their directions for 2016. The planning session was held last November 30 in a farm in Calauan,
Laguna, a serene location with a panoramic view of
Mt. Makiling and Mt. Banahaw, conducive for deep
reflection and spirit-led ideas.
The team acknowledged the blessing of the partnerships
that were firmed up with the CBCP ECMI (Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerants), the SM Global Pinoy
and PASEI, the biggest association of private recruitment
agencies. They also noted the acceptance and appreciation
of the program by the various CFC provincial areas, and
several countries where CFC is present.
During the session, the team committed to focus on
bringing the program to even more CFC provincial areas
and countries, hoping to double the numbers for 2016
so that the program may reach more OFWs and families/ beneficiaries in parishes and barangays throughout
the country. The team also hopes to fulfill these plans
through partnerships with the Philippine Consulates and
Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) and the CFC
network abroad. These plans highlight the need to attract
more CFC volunteers for the huge work ahead. Thus,
the team agreed that the creation of effective awareness
campaigns is necessary.
Apart from the recently concluded Advocacy Fun Run
with the CBCP ECMI, the Migrants Program will hold

the 2nd CFC Migrants Songwriting Contest soon. This

is a worldwide competition open to all CFC and Family
Ministries members. The 1st Songwriting Contest in
2014 attracted CFC entries from Metro Manila and
nearby provinces and from as far as the Middle East, Asia
and Canada. It is expected that more CFC provinces and
countries will send entries this time around. The Finals
Concert will coincide with CFCs 35th Anniversary Week
in June 2016.
Another major event that has been planned that will
surely create awareness is the search for the Model CFC
OFW Family for 2016. The criteria for joining, as well as
the mechanics, are being finalized by a special committee
composed of former OFWs from the Migrants Program core
team. The culminating activity will be a Migrants Congress
to be held during the CFC 35th Anniversary week.
The Moral Values Reorientation Program (MVRP), the
premier module, has been conducted for about 225,000
participants at the SM Global Pinoy, at recruitment and
manning Agencies, for NGOs involved with migration,
OWWA, parishes and local and provincial governments
since 2011. The MP core team has developed several
other modules to augment the formation needs of our
OFWs and their beneficiaries or families left behind. The
new modules include Financial Growth Abundance and
Stewardship(FGAS), Solo and Absentee Parenting,
Helping Relationships/ Counselling, Financial Sustainability, and Reintegration Awareness. All of these
will be ready to benefit our OFWs and their families by
2016. (Jess Ferrer)

CFC Migrants Program, ECMI, jointly hold fun run

Ready, set, run!, clockwise from left: the fun run at gun start; event organizers from the CFC Migrants Program Core and the ECMI;
families with their battlecry for the Filipino migrant families.

In a show of solidarity and oneness to promote the advocacies

for the protection and welfare of
0verseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
and the families they leave behind,
the Couples for Christ Migrants
Program in partnership with the
CBCP ECMI (Episcopal Commission on Migrants & Itinerants)
joined forces to organize the Advocacy Fun Run. The run kicked
off last November 29 at the scenic
and historic Intramuros.
The event was participated in by
about 300 runners (and walkers as
well). The proceeds of the activ-

ity will fund the Ten Outstanding Sons & Daughters of OFWs
Student Awards (TOSDOSA), a
nationwide search for high school
students who are OFW children
and who have excelled in their
academics as well as extra-curricular
activities despite the absence of
their parent/s.
The invocation and welcome
remarks was delivered by CBCP
ECMI Secretary General Fr. Resty
Ogsimer , while the inspirational
message was conveyed by CFCs
Joe Yamamoto, ANCOP Chairman
and International Council member.

CFC Migrants Program Head Jess

Ferrer officially declared the start of
the Run for the 10K, 5K & 2.5K.
Race Director Tony Obien briefed
the runners regarding the rules and
the technical details of the Fun
Run. In a gesture of unity, a good
number of runners displayed their
advocacies written on the back
and front of their running shirts or
singlets. The first 100 runners were
treated with giveaways by sponsors of the event. The winners were
awarded medals and cash prizes for
the three distances under the male
and female categories. (Jess Ferrer)

CFC ANCOP TURNS OVER MORE HOUSES

Following a thanksgiving
Mass and house blessing, 10 ANCOP homes were turned over
during a simple ceremony at the
Diocese of Maasin - CFC Ancop
Cawayanan Community, Barangay
Cawayanan, Bontoc So. Leyte last
November 24, 2015.
The Diocesan Social Action
Center representative of Fr. Harlem
Gozo; DSWD Bontoc; Cawayanan
Barangay Council; Representative
of Mun. Mayor of Bontoc Mayor,
Mervyn Ruales; Elmer Cadiz,
CFC Ancop Operations Manager; Nathan Gomez CFC Ancop
USA Coordinator; Jude Abenoja,
Provincial Area Head; Cris Lorica
Provincial Area Director; and the
Program Implementing Team all
came to witness the awarding of the
new homes.
Aside from the thanksgiving Mass,
Rev. Fr. Manuel Lagumbay also
officiated in the wedding rites and
baptism rites for the homeowners.
Engr. Ely Almedilla, CFC Provincial Ancop Shelter Head handed
the ceremonial keys, while Lorica,
Cadiz, and Abenoja awarded the
homes to the families.
A simple sharing of meals followed the ceremonies, symbolizing
the fellowship among the homeowners.

mother of God.
The oldest story about the grandparents of Jesus
comes from the so-called non-canonical Gospel of
James, which was written around 150 A.D. Anne was
said to be from Bethlehem and Joachim from Nazareth.
Joachim and Anne were a very pious couple who regularly gave to the poor and to the synagogue at Sepphoris.
They first lived in Galilee and later settled in Jerusalem.
But since Anne turned out to be barren, the high priest
rejected Joachim and his sacrifice, interpreting their
childlessness as a sign of divine displeasure. This made
Joachim withdraw to the desert where he fasted and did
penance for 40 days. Angels appeared to both Joachim
and Anne promising them a child. Joachim returned
to Jerusalem and Anne met and embraced him at the
city gate. This scene is depicted in a 1504 sculpture by
the German artist Albrecht Durer entitled Joachim and
Anne Meeting at the Golden Gate.
When Mary was three years old, Joachim and Anne
presented her at the temple in Jerusalem. We do not
know for certain if Joachim and Anne were still alive
when Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit, gave
birth to their grandson, Jesus. If they were still alive,
they would have doted on him together with his parents,
Joseph and Mary.
Being free of the direct responsibility of raising them,
grandparents generally enjoy their grandchildren more
than they did their own children. Our five-year old
granddaughter, Chloe Alyssa Joy (we fondly call her
Jenny), is a great example. One day we were talking
about visiting my mother (we call her Lola Paz) who
is almost 102 years old and living in Unisan, Quezon.
Jenny was so excited about our forthcoming visit and
said, I want to visit her now. I want to take care of her.
We then jokingly asked her, You want to take care of
Lola Paz, but what about us? We are also your lolo and
lola. Will you take care of us also? Her response was
a joyful surprise. She said, But you do not even look
old! On another occasion, she took hold of my 7-year
old Nokia mobile phone and asked, Lolo, why is it
that when I touch the screen of your phone nothing
happens?
Our grandson, Sean James, is also a source of constant
joy. He is in third grade and is at the top of his class. And
he delights us with his why did trick questions. He has
so many of these. Here are just two examples: Why did
the boy eat his homework? Answer: Because it was a
piece of cake. Our alternative answer is, Because it is
chicken feed. Why did the banana see the doctor?
Answer: Because it was not peeling (feeling) well. Our
alternative answer is, Because it is saging (sagging).
We guess that becoming grandparents able to
enjoy their grandchildren is Gods earthly reward to
those who have labored greatly to raise, support and
educate their children. St. Joachim and St. Anne, as
grandparents, must have been no exception (assuming
they were still alive when Jesus was a baby and later a
young boy). They pleaded to God and prayed hard to
have a child. They did not lose hope but continued to
trust in the Lord. Thus God rewarded their love, faith
and generosity by giving them Mary. And of her was
born Jesus. Merry Christmas!

Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness...

Left: Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Dubai conversing with Roger Santos (executive director, ANCOP USA) at the
Path to Peace Gala Dinner at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Nov. 18. Right: The Filipino group who attended the Path
to Peace Gala Dinner. With the group is Archbishop Bernardito Auza (center), Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.

ON November 18, United Nations

diplomats remembered, mourned
and prayed for Paris, Beirut and
other places attacked by terrorists
the week before. This was during
the Path to Peace Gala Dinner
hosted by the Permanent Observer
of the Holy See to the United Nations Archbishop Bernardito Auza.
CFC ANCOP USA was invited
to the gala. The recipient of the Path
to Peace Award during the evening
was Her Royal Highness Princess
Haya Bint Al Hussein of Dubai.
Princess Haya was awarded for
her accomplishments in humani-

tarian causes and the defense of the

rights and dignity of the refugees
and underprivileged.
In a brief interview, Her Royal
Highness was asked how the many
Filipinos are doing in Dubai. She replied, Filipinos in our country are
doing well and we really like them.
A press release from the Mission
mentioned Archbishop Auza praising Princess Haya as a humanitarian leader, a United Nations
Messenger of Peace, a World Food
Program Goodwill Ambassador,
and a founding member of the
Global Humanitarian Forum. She

has played a significant role in the

twin charities Tkiyet Um Ali and
Dar Abu Abdullah in Jordan and
the International Humanitarian
City in Dubai, all dedicated to the
eradication of poverty and hunger.
Princess Haya, daughter of the
late King Hussein of Jordan, said
that all people, but especially religious and political leaders, have an
obligation to condemn perverted
ideologies that encourage violence
against people of other religions
or ethnic groups, wherever and
to whomever it happens. (Manuel
Caballero)

ANCOP USA OLB Enhanced Community Center

Near Completion

The Tejano and Gomez families were just among the recipients of the new ANCOP homes.

The Community Center at the ANCOP OLB Community nearing completion; right, CFC leaders during the groundbreaking two years ago.

mas and the First and Second

Coming, the Lord comes into
our lives. That's why the season
of Advent is a time for us to
prepare and it's also a time for
us to wait... Hopefully, when the
Lord comes, we are at the right
place, he added.
According to Fr. Ruper, there
is a sweet spot to encounter Jesus on a daily basis. The Holy
Eucharist is the concrete mani-

In 2013, CFC ANCOP USA broke ground at the Our

Lady of Banneux Community in San Mateo, Rizalfor
the construction of a Multi Purpose Hall (MPH) and
Education Center.
Six months after the ground breaking took place,
a redesign of the community center was conducted
to accommodate the future residents of the area.
Presently there are 60 homes inhabited by formerly
homeless families. These consist of four ANCOP USA
communities known as Kathleen Schenning, Heart
of Texas,Community of Hope and CFC USA Unity
Community.
After eight months of fund raising, Eric Villanueva,
ANCOP USA President announced thatUSlocal and

HOMILY, C2

down buses to get to the downtown area. Three buses went

past without stopping, even if he
saw many vacant seats inside. It
wasn't until someone told him
that everyone had to wait at
the proper bus stop some three
blocks away to board the city
buses did he realize his mistake.
Fr. Ruper was obviously waiting
at the wrong spot.
Every day in between Christ-

This Christmas season, let us reflect on grandparents.

Like many in our community, we are also grandparents. We have five children and eight grandchildren.
Joyce is our eldest child. She was born in the United
States and studied at the University of Arkansas in
Little Rock. From Joyce, who lives with her family in
Santa Clarita near Los Angeles, California, we have five
grandchildren, Miko, 23, Mita, 18, Mari, 15, Maki, 9
and Migi, 8.
Our eldest son, Joubert, is a computer science graduate of De La Salle University and works and lives with
his family in Singapore. From him, we have one granddaughter, Cate, 11. Our third and middle child, Joel,
was a special child who died at the age of 24. Our fourth
child, Jenner, is an HRM graduate from IHMES in the
Isle of Man, United Kingdom. From him, we have two
grandchildren, Sean James, 8, and Chloe Allysa Joy,
5. Our youngest son, Jon, a management graduate of
Ateneo de Manila University, is still unmarried.
Christmas, of course, is about the birth of Jesus. But it
is also about Mary who gave birth to him. And tradition
tells us that Mary is the only child of a couple named
Joachim and Anne, who are, therefore, the grandparents
of our Lord Jesus. There is no mention of Joachim and
Anne in the Bible although some scholars claim that
Heli in the Lukan genealogy of Jesus is the other name
of Joachim: He (Jesus) was the son, as was thought, of
Joseph, the son of Heli (Lk 3:23). Bible scholars explain
that Joachim is a variant form of Eliacim, which is abbreviated as Eli, a variant of Heli.
On the other hand, the genealogy of Jesus by Matthew states that Jacob (not Heli) is the father of Joseph:
Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar became the father of
Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father
of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus
who is called Messiah (Mt 1:14-16). How is this apparent inconsistency between the Lucan version (which
states that Joseph is the son of Heli) and the Matthean
version (which states that Joseph is the son of Jacob)
of the genealogy of Jesus resolved by Bible scholars?
The Church Fathers and Bible scholars have several
theories and possible explanations. But many modern
Bible scholars explain this by claiming that Anne is the
sister of Jacob. Thus Joseph is the son of Jacob, as stated
in the Matthean genealogy, but he is also the son (strictly
speaking, the son-in-law) of Joachim (Heli) because
of his marriage to Mary, the daughter of Anne and
Joachim. This explanation is supported by the claim of
many Church Fathers, including St. Augustine, St. Cajetan and other Doctors of the Church, that Luke traces
the genealogy of Christ through Mary and her father
Joachim (Heli) while Matthew traces it through Joseph
and his father Jacob. In this way, Christ is shown to be
descended from David both through Mary and Joseph.
By tradition St. Joachim and St. Anne are considered
to be the parents of Mary. They are another example
of a married couple who became great saints because
they opened their hearts to Gods grace and their lives
to Gods will. They were chosen by God to become
the parents of Mary, who was immaculately conceived
in the womb of St. Anne and chosen to become the

festation of the coming of God

into our lives, into our families,
said Fr. Ruper.
Ito ang tamang lugar, tamang
panahon, tamang mga kasama na
buksan natin ang mga pamilya
natin at papasukin ang Panginoon. (This [the Mass] is the
right place, the right time, and
the right companions for us to
open our families and to let in
the Lord.), he explained.

corporate donors, together with the Governance

Team ofMetro Manila West Bheaded by Bobby
Penalosa,will fund the expanded site.
Roger Santos, ANCOP USA Executive Director,
announced the support of US corporate donors to
provide equipment like computers and medical supplies once the structure is finished and operational.
Santos also announced that a medical mission is
planned atOur Lady of Banneux on February 9,
2016.
The new ANCOP MPH/Education Center
willaccommodate anANCOP Health Clinic and
support offices for the community and its volunteers.
(CFCANCOP USA Communications)

C4

December 7 - 31, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

A Celebration of Covenant Love

"I cherish the treasure, the treasure of you... lifelong companion, I give myself to you!" These happy couples from CFC Vancouver saying "Yes!" again to one
another and to God as they renew their marriage vows.

CFC Winnipeg held its 2nd Celebration of Covenant Love on

November 21st, the feast of the Presentation of Our Lady. Sixteen
couples attended the activity.
One week prior to the Renewal of Wedding Vows, the 16 couples
had a mini-retreat conducted by their spiritual advisor, Fr. Yolly
Gamallo. The mini-retreat included four couple-sharers. The Holy
Mass was celebrated at St. John Cantius Parish presided by Msgr.
Louis McCloskey. A simple reception followed for the 16 couples and
about 60 family members, with additional witnesses from the CFC
community. The participants who renewed their marriage vows were
from varied age groups, with some having been married for only five
years to couples who were celebratingo 40 years of holy matrimony.

This year makes the Celebration of Love even more relevant, as it

is the year that held the papal Synod on the Family and the World
Meeting of Families. Pope Francis stated when making an address to
families, Those who celebrate the sacrament say, I promise to be true
to you, in joy and in sadness, in sickness and in health; I will love you
and honour you all the days of my life. At that moment, the couple
does not know what will happen, nor what joys and pains await
them. They are setting out, like Abraham, on a journey together.
And that is what marriage is! Setting out and walking together,
hand in hand, putting yourselves in the Lords powerful hands.
Hand in hand, always and for the rest of your lives. (from http://
couplesforchristcanada.ca)

CBCP Monitor

The fruits of 2015 for CFC PPC

CFC missionaries to South America
rejoiced as they completed a fruitful
mission to the area, a fitting end to the
year. The mission to Nuevo Pueblo de
Coln opened a new area an hour away
by land from Piura, Peru, establishingCFC Parejas para Cristo in a remote
town in the desert. At the end of the
Christian Life Program, 13 new CFC
PPC members composed of 4 couples,
4 HOLD and 1 SOLD committed to a
life with Christ.
The PVC (Programa de Vida Cristiana
- Spanish CLP) was held November 27
to 29, 2015 (Thanksgiving weekend) by
CFC USA Florida in Iglesias del Rosario,
one of two parishes in town. Padre Luis
Serra, head pastor of the main church,
the Iglesia Sagrado Corazn de Jess,
opened the doors to CFC PPC. Four
other brethren from CFC PPC Rioja,
Peru headed by Fr. Rober Martinez, came
to reinforce the missionaries efforts. The
team got a taste of their first mission

hundreds of miles away from home.

In 2015, ten missions were held in
South America by CFC USA. All these
were made possible by a handful of zealous and selfless CFC USA mission volunteers who sacrificed a lot and denied
themselves many comforts in order to
bring the Word of God to families in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. CFC Parejas
Para Cristo will not take off without the
financial support of CFC USA.
Truly God gave a very good year for
the mission team, harvesting 608 souls in
2015 (a total of 857 persons from June
2014 to date). The task of sustaining
CFC PPC families and area countries
are enormous. But with grateful hearts,
the South America team humbly turns
to God, thanking Him each day for
His guidance as He leads the way. The
team looks forward to 2016's adventure
of bringing the banner of Christ to the
middle and corners of the earth. (Glen
Santayana)

SFC GLOBAL ONEUniting the World

via Online Worship

Singles for Christ Metro Manila gathered at the San Carlos Seminary in Makati
last December 5, 2015, at 7:00 pm for
the SFC Global One, a two-hour nonstop worship experience. Jay Laquian,
a fulltime pastoral worker for SFC, led
the worship.
Global One was meant to be a simultaneous praise concert, with major cities
or provinces hosting the event. But what

made this years Global One event special

was the fact that it was the first time it was
staged online via youtube live broadcast.
This gave SFCs all over the world an opportunity to come together despite differences
in time zone.
Together as one ministry, SFCs from the
Metro Manila Sectors, the provinces and
the various countries like the USA, Canada
and the Middle Eastern countries, raised

their voices in praise and worship for the

countless favors they received. It likewise
became an opportunity to ask the Lord
to bless the ministry for the coming year.
The ministry sees the online Global One
as an event they can do annually. They also
see it as a potential tool to reach other
non-SFC members to witness Christ and
come together with other young people to
worship. (Lanie Montaos)

CFC Greece Leaders Meet Archbishop of Athens & Nuncio

Another fruitful harvest in Peru, from top: the 13 new members in CFC PPC; all-women discussion group.

CFC China Conducts

Mission Heads Training
CFC China is on full throttle in its evangelization efforts. They recently conducted
the first-ever CFC China Mission Heads
Training from November 27 to 30 at Vila
da Sta. Isabel, Estrada Cheoc Van, Macau.
The training aimed to strengthen its leadership ranks through several formation talks
from the Chapter Leaders Training (CLT)
series. The sixty participants were mostly
Chinese with some Filipino Mission Heads
and their AGT members from the North,
West, East and South of China including
Macau SAR and Hong Kong SAR.
The first day of the training was devoted
to a silent retreat based on Psalm 46:10
Be silent and know that I am God.
The three-hour retreat centered on the
theme: We need to Change How We
Lead; To lead like Jesus with each participant encouraged to empty oneself .
Fr. Oliviades, a member of the Opus Dei,
facilitated the retreat.
Day 2 started with a Holy Mass concelebrated by Fr. Joseph Wang from Yiwu,
East China. The training proper began
with Israel Silud, CFC Country Head
and Northwest Regional Head, giving
the overview and citing challenges that
CFC China faces. He reiterated that
CFC Chinas goal of raising 1 million
household heads will be driven by the

personal holiness of its servant-leaders who

will be leading the evangelization thrust
in 34 provinces in China. CLT talks 2-5
were given by the regional heads with their
wives as sharers.
Day 3 began with the recitation of
the Holy Rosary followed by another
concelebrated Holy Mass. Fr. Oliviades
delivered a beautiful homily on emptying
oneself . The rest of the CLT talks were
again delivered by the regional heads with
their wives as sharers. In CLT Talk 9, Silud
emphasized the need to pay attention to
the means to care for the spirit, mind and
body of the leaders.
The last day primarily focused on planning the CFC China activities for 2016.
One of the proposals from the planning
is that the four (4) regions in China will
each be hosting the major activities lined
up for the year.
The three-day training and planning
was conducted by CFC China Country
Head Israel/Sally Silud with the support
of North Asia Regional Coordinator Garie/Cess Pimentel and the regional heads
from East China (Eric/Evelyn Ylagan),
South China (Joel/Erica Santos), Hong
Kong SAR (Garie/Cess Pimentel) and
Macau SAR (JM/Emilie Yupangco). (Eric
& Evelyn Ylagan)

whether lay or from the Chaplains rank,

likewise gave testimonies on how their
involvement in the CEP made them realize that they have become not only agents
of change, but recipients of grace as well.
In the afternoon, the Chaplains and
their CFC counterparts came together for
a round table discussion of the plans of
the various Infantry Divisions nationwide.
Army Chief Chaplain Fr. Col. Andres
Bonifacio Belleza CHS (GSC), in an
unexpected move, expressed his recognition, through the grant of awards, of
the initiatives of the Army Chaplains
in implementing the CEP in their various Divisions. Fr. Maj. Juan Jerome C.
Daluro was awarded Best Chaplain of
the Year 2015 for his exemplary service
as Division Chaplain of 9th Infantry
(Spear) Division. Fr. MSg. Mario Baniqued, Philippine Army (PA), OACCS
Chief Clerk was recognized as Best

Chaplain Assistant of the Year.

Since the partnership between the
OACCS and CFC OSM started in April
2014, the group has conducted Character
Enhancement Retreats (CER) for 28 Philippine Army commands. Through CFC
Singles for Christ volunteers, a Christian
Life Program has likewise been conducted
for the Philippine Military Academy Class
of 2018, graduating 385 PMA-Singles for
Christ members. Presently, five CERs are
also being done at the V. Luna Medical
Center in Quezon City.
Alabanza admits there is still much
to be done. So far, the CEP has reached
2,000 men and women in uniform,
roughly 0.287 percent of an estimated
800,000 population of soldiers, their
spouses and their families. This is indeed
fertile ground for values and spiritual
transformation, which is just waiting to
be conquered. (A. Alvarez)

Courtesy call, top photos: CFC leaders with Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams & Fr. George Altouvas; bottom photos, with Fr. George, Archbishop Sevastianos
Rossolatos and Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams.

Couples for Christ USA and CFC Greece leaders paid a courtesy call on Archbishop Sevastianos Rossolatos and Fr. George
Altouvas at the Archdiocese of Athens. The group introduced Couples for Christ to the new Archbishop and discussed their
plans to initiate a CFC Youth Camp in Greek, as well as to develop CFC teachings in Greek.
On another occasion, the CFC leaders met with the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See in Athens, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams.
They discussed challenges and forthcoming changes in the Greek Catholic hierarchy and laid down CFCs plans for CFC Athens.
OSM, C1

CFC OSM and the OACCS reaching out to the men and women in uniform and their families through the Character Enhancement Program

The Cross

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

CBCP Monitor. Vol. 19. No. 25

December 7, 2015 - 27, 2016

Sainthood bid opens for

Fr. George Willmann, SJ
By Roberto T. Cruz

On December 7, 2015, Monday, the bells of the Manila

Cathedral rang out loud as His
Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle presided over the
milestone celebration of the
Holy Eucharist at the Manila
Cathedral to formally open the
Diocesan process of the Cause
of Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ.
The Liturgical Rites for the formal
opening of the diocesan process preceded
the Mass at 9:00am. With the entrance
procession of Cardinal Tagle as the Main
Celebrant together with two bishops, two
monsignors and thirty-three priests who
concelebrated the Mass, the Rites started
with Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III, the
appointed Diocesan Postulator for the
Cause of Fr. Willmann, giving biographical highlights of the life of Fr. George J.
Willmann, SJ. An Invocation of the Holy
Spirit followed with the singing of Veni
Creator Spiritus by the Manila Cathedral
Basilica Choir.
Cardinal Tagle then examined and
declared the legitimacy of the appointments of Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III as
the Postulator and Fr. Wilmer R. Rosario,
JCD as Vice-Postulator in conformity
with the Code of Canon Law.
Appointed members of the Diocesan
Tribunal for the Cause of Fr. Willmann
were: Msgr. Geronimo F. Reyes, JCD
as Episcopal Delegate; Fr. Carlo P. Del
Rosario, JCL as Promoter of Justice; Ms.
Teresita F. Kudemus First Notary; Ms.
Marivic M. Ambasa Second Notary; Ms.
Julieta R. Santos as Third Notary.
The Cardinal reminded them of the
great responsibility, importance and
seriousness of the Process for the Causes
for Beatification and Canonization. As
required by Church law, all the members of the Tribunal, starting with Msgr.
Geronimo F. Reyes, individually took
their oath to faithfully fulfill his/her commitment and then signed the Acts.
The Experts who were tapped to form
the Historical Commission include:
Fr. Julius Paul Factora, OP, JCD as
President; Fr. Adolfo N. Dacanay, SJ,
JCD member and Fr. Sander D. Niez,

Cardinal Tagle leads the unveiling of the portrait of Jesuit Fr. George J. Willmann as the Manila archdiocesan process for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the latter formally opens at the Manila Cathedral
on Monday, Dec. 7. Willman is considered as the Father of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines. ROY LAGARDE

JCL member, while for the Theological

Commission, the experts appointed were
Fr. Alexander L. Garces, SDB, JCL
President; Fr. Enrico Eusebio, Jr., SJ, JCD
member and Sr. Maria Amparo Santos,
OP, JCL member. As with the Tribunal
members, the Presidents and members
of both Commissions, individually took
their respective oaths and signed the Acts.
The appointed Copyist, Ms. Ronalyn
Regino and Assistant Copyist, Ms. Gecerein Sayen Ocampo were called next to
take their respective oaths and similarly
signed in the Acts.
Then, Postulator Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III and Vice Postulator Fr. Wilmer
R. Rosario, JCD individually took their

respective oaths not compromise the truth

and offend justice nor impede the freedom of witnesses to testify in the Cause.
Thereafter, they also signed the Acts.
The Postulator then presented to Cardinal Tagle for his examination a list of
witnesses to be interrogated, subject to the
possible addition and revision of names
in the future. Upon examining the list,
the Cardinal decreed that the next session
for interrogation of witnesses be held on
January 11, 2016 at the Arzobispado de
Manila.
Finally, after ordering the Chancellor
to establish public record of this First Session, Cardinal Tagle declared the Process
for the Causes of Beatification and Can-

onization of Servant of God, FATHER

GEORGE J. WILLMANN, SJ, Father of
the Order of the Knights of Columbus in
the Philippines, OPEN.
To complete the Rites, His Eminence
Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle together with
former Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide,
Jr. as Chairman of the National Executive
Committee (NEC) for the Cause of Fr.
Willmann, jointly unveiled the portrait
of Father George J. Willmann, SJ.
Thereafter, Cardinal Tagle began the
celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Concelebrants were: Bishop Honesto F.
Ongtioco, D.D., Bishop Mylo Hubert
C. Vergara, D.D., Msgr, Geronimo F.
Reyes, JCD, Fr. William Arana, OSA, Fr.

Carlo Magno Marcelo, Fr. Marvin Mejia,

Fr. Wilmer Rosario, JCD, Fr. Carlo Del
Rosario, Fr. Julius Paul Factora, OP, JCD,
Fr. Sander Niez, JCL, Fr. Alex Garces,
SDB, JCL, Fr. Rico Garcia, Fr. Reginald
Malicdem, Fr. Darwin Faith Ponce, OSA,
Fr. Ricky VIllar, OSA, Fr. Geoffrey Eborda, OSA, Fr. Genaro Supremedo, OSA,
Fr. Jojo Torres, OSA, Fr. Joseph Villareal,
OSA, Fr. Roy Gallano, OSA, Fr. Michael
Salazar and Fr. Romel Cruz.
Also serving as Concelebrants were
a number of KC Priests Scholars of the
Knights of Columbus Fr. George J.
Willmann Charities, Inc. that included:
Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III, Fr. Benjamin
Sainthood / D3

KCFAPI Theme and Logo for 2016

THE year 2016 has been proclaimed the Year of the Eucharist
and the Family by the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines. The theme is part of the
nine year spiritual journey that
began with the Year of Faith,
where we experienced an authentic
renewal of faith guided by the new
evangelization principles.
The Holy Eucharist, which
means thanksgiving, invites
families of the Catholic faithful
to commemorate the supreme
sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross, to receive His body
and blood in the Holy Communion and to celebrate His victory
over death.
The Roman Catholic Church
promotes strong family ties and
values. Parents are entrusted
the responsibility to prepare and
teach their children to follow Jesus
Christ and live His gospel.
KCFAPI distinguished itself
in protecting the sanctity of the
family by providing comfort
and sustenance in any loss or
life-changing event among family members. KCFAPI responds
swiftly to changing or evolving
family insurance needs. Now,
on its 58th year of providing
unsurpassed, uncompromised
fraternal service, KCFAPI vows
and advocates relentlessly to

As we protect families for generations: Act, Live, Love

render comfort, benefit and assistance to all brother knights
and their families with mercy and
compassion.
As part of the KCFAPI family,
in a pioneering effort, all whollyowned and majority-owned
companies will coordinate their
schedules and manage their
resources towards one common goal and will function as
one well oiled machine. By
joining hands, guided by the
Holy Spirit, the strength of
one is multiplied several times
over. The heart symbolizes love,
mercy and compassion and is

also Charity the first of four

core principle of the Order.
KCFAPI in heart-shaped border
mantles the five wholly- owned
and majority-owned companies
: Keys Realty & Development
Corporation, Kompass Credit
and Financing Corporation, KC
Philippines Foundation, Inc.,
Knights of Columbus Fr. George
J. Willmann Charities, Inc., and
Mace Insurance Agency, Inc.
They are depicted by the bold
shoulders of the figures symbolizing the family. Just like in any
close-knit family concentrated
on accomplishing one objective,

all employees will be engaged,

their support and talent pooled
and harnessed to participate
actively in any company activities, working in tandem as one
cohesive unit.
The logo vividly demonstrates
the solidarity and bonding of family members if they gather together
and allow Christ to be at the center
of their family relationship.
The different colors represent
the various hues of the Order of
the Knights of Columbus: red,
white, blue, and yellow. The
green color manifests KCFAPIs
concern for our environment and
its managements advocacy geared
towards a healthy state of our surroundings. Orange brings a positive outlook in life, optimism, and
motivation to look on the brighter
side of life.
The cup and host (in yellow)
emulating the Holy Eucharist provides Christ- centered way of life.
The circular flow represents infinity or totality, the unbounded,
timeless, and never ending love,
care and affection of KCFAPI
in providing each and every KC
family a shield of security, protection and hope. The acronym ALL
characterizes KCFAPIs inclusive
approach to all forms of actions,
products, and services. (Angelito
A. Bala)

KCFAPI Planning Conference. The Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the

Philippines, Inc. held their 2016 Planning Conference last November 7-9, 2015 at
Columbus Plaza, General Santos City. Present were KCFAPI Chairman, Bro. Arsenio Isidro
G. Yap; KCFAPI President, Bro. Jose C. Reyes, Jr.; KCFAPI Executive Vice President, Sis.
Ma. Theresa G. Curia; KCFAPI Officers and Supervisors, KEYS Realty Vice President, Bro.
Riz Nicolas; and HTMC Vice President, Sis. Apolonia Dominguez.

Living Rosary. The Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc.
had their Living Rosary last October 30, 2015 at the KCFAPI main office. This has been
a yearly practice for the Month of the Holy Rosary which is usually conducted by its
officers and staff.

D2

December 7, 2015 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Arsenio Isidro G. Yap

Ma. Theresa G. Curia

Chairmans Message

Curia Settings

FILIPINO Traditions reflect the kind

of people that we are. All traditions,
customs and beliefs evolve from the
love and respect of the family. Our
mutual and natural respect for one
another, our desire to please and not
offend each other, and our willingness
to extend a helping hand are just a few
of the basic foundations which made
the Filipino people unique, a one of a
kind, and nowhere else could be found. And certainly a musthave as a friend and neighbor.
Some of the trait I like is the mano po expression and at the
same time reaching for the others hand and asking for his blessings.
The respected elder would normally extend his hand to touch the
forehead of the one asking for his blessings and expresses kaawan
ka ng Diyos or God bless you. It doesnt matter whether the one
being accorded the respect is younger than the person asking for
the blessing or even if they hardly know each other.
Another trait is removing ones slippers or shoes when entering
a neighbors house. The guest expresses his respect for the host
and does not in any way want to spoil or damage the pristine
condition of the floor which is normally kept shiny and clean.
Cleaning of ones surrounding to the point of cleaning also the
neighbors grounds. I could still remember in our neighborhood
that the old folks would sweep the debris on the street in front
of their houses. But instead of just collecting their own trash,
they would try to outdo each other by picking (or sweeping)
the litter on the street up to the neighbors house in front, and
even on their right and left side.
Everyone living along the same street knows each other very
well to the point that all knows who are having a hard time and
would need some assistance. A neighbor would readily do some
household chores, give some food and try to console those who
are grieving for the loss of a love one. Nobody needs to ask.
Help is extended readily.
Although the traits Ive mentioned above are seldom practiced
nowadays except for the mano po. I still believe that those
were just some of our good traits which define us as people,
which define us as a Filipino, a unique breed of people. We are
very resilient that even though we are in grief or experiencing
extreme challenges in our everyday life, we still are able to light
our faces with the friendliest smile.
Christmas is another tradition-field celebration that is uniquely
Filipino. The Simbang Gabi, puto bumbong and the like are
some Christmas traditions. But let us not forget that Christmas is
not just a season of merriment but is a season for reconciliation.
Its that time of the year when we want to ask forgiveness from
those we had wronged and at same time forgive also those who
had wronged us and forget whatever they had done to us.
Christmas is a season wherein family ties are kept stronger and
more meaningful. But to be more meaningful, it is better that we
share our blessings to those in need whose nights might be Holy but
would be very Silent and the only sound that they could hear are
not carols of merriment but the grumbling of their empty stomach.
Make this Christmas the most meaningful Christmas ever by
sharing your Noche Buena with a neighbor or better still with
a complete stranger. May the birth of our Lord touch our hearts
and be responsive to those in need.

Jose C. Reyes, Jr.

Presidents Message
CHRISTMAS is a holy day celebrating
the birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. It
has been a tradition in the Philippines that
we go to dawn masses from December 16
to the eve of Christmas day. Because our
enthusiasm builds up as early as September,
on Christmas Day itself, many of us are
exhausted after days of going through heavy
traffic on the way to parties and to crowded
shopping malls to shop for gifts. There are
also many events that we are enticed to attend for our kids sake, gatherings of relatives and friends near and far,
and entertainment we spend a lot for the family.
While these festivities are all expressions of love, we sometimes forget
that Christmas day is the day we should go to mass to thank God for
all the blessings we received from Him, and in turn, to offer our gift to
Jesus Christ. As we enter the Advent season, let us start reflecting on
how we can better love and serve God, on how we can help the poor,
and how we can give hope to those who are losing hope. Let us put into
action the principle of charity with greater vigor and sense of urgency.
May Christmas be like the Journey to the Inn of Joseph and Mary
- tiring yet full of hope and joy to welcome Christ in our hearts and
our homes. As Knights of Columbus, let us lead our communities to
a Christ-centered Advent celebration this year and always.
My family and I wish your whole family A Merry Christmas and a
Blessed New Year!

Joseph P. Teodoro

ACQUIRING a house and lot

which they can call their own home
and driving their own cars are two
of the priority dreams of Filipino
parents. Of course, seeing their
children finish college education is
either Number 1 or Number 2.
The Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines,
Inc. (KCFAPI) has formed and
incorporated a new company to help
members of the Order to have their
dream homes and motor cars.
KCFAPI named the new company as Kompass Credit and
Financing Corporation (KCFC) after one of the symbols of the
Knights of Columbus which is the Compass. Like the Compass
of the ancient marines, KOMPASS is here to guide Brother
Knight in having their own home and efficient mobility.
KOMPASS can also extend home, car, and business loans to
the general public.
Interested parties can call KOMPASS at Tel. No. 527-2242
/ 527-2223 loc. 215 and 252 for further details of the loan.

The Cross

Reflection
FOR this Christmas I wish to
base my reflection on a poem
written by Horacio de la Costa,
the first Filipino provincial of
the Jesuits. Please read and use
the poem as a Christmas greeting. My reflection is nothing
compared to the poem.
We must have visited all the
Belens in our churches since we
were small. In fact, most of us
also put up the Christmas crib
in our own homes. In Tarlac
they even have yearly exhibits of
Belens which they call Belenismo. We were told that it was St
.Francis who started putting up
the crib in his church. And the
poem of Horacio Dela Costa
tells us that if we meditate on
this set up, we might discover
the surprises that they bring to
our consciousness.
Let us identify some features of the Belens that we see
around us during the Christmas season, and together let
us reflect on the meanings that
these can offer us. We shall see
different layers of Christmas
meaning emerge.
1. The King was born poor;
God has become human. This
is one of the features that we
see when we stare at the Crib.
What a paradox: the king is
poor, God is human. Life is
indeed full of paradoxes and
of seeming contradictions.
We make sense of them only
with the passage of time, and

as we mature both in age and

in faith.
2. The Bethlehem scene is
profoundly meaningful, symbolic, and mystery-laden. We
watch the figures in the Belen
and sometimes we do not
understand. When we do not
understand the turn of events
in our life, we should not give
up. We should not run away.
The world will not end only
because we do not understand
what we see, experience or feel.
Let us stand in awe at Gods
visit when we are clueless of
what is happening.
3. The King was born in a
manger. But there was peace
around, among the wise men
and the shepherds, on that holy
and starry night. We see at
the Belen scene a communion
among God, humans, the rich
and the poor, animals and humans, the stars, the night and
the people. It was as though, at
a special moment the Universe
was one. As though the connectedness of all the elements
was not merely ecological, as
Laudato Si spoke of, but even
divine-human. No wonder
that we do not get tired of putting up our belens at home, in
churches and in public places.
No wonder that we can stare
forever at the Nativity scene
although we do not fully understand everything, although
we do it year after year. We

also feel that we are there, and

that we are connected to the
figures they represent, we are
connected to history, to our
surroundings, and even to our
God.
4. The Savior was born in
a manger, where animals eat.
The meaning of the manger
scene has been the content of
many sermons that we have
heard. We were told that this
does not only refer to the
humility or poverty of Jesus.
A deeper meaning, they say, is
that Jesus has come to be food
for all who come to him. Jesus
came to give Himself as food
for the world. His words, his
teachings, his mercy and compassion and his Good News of
Gods Plan are enough to fill
our emptiness with a sense of
direction and destiny. They
quench our thirst for enlightenment, guidance and sense of
dignity as humans.
5. The Baby who is born is
the Savior of the world. How
can a Baby save the world? We
see before us a baby wrapped
in swaddling clothes. And we
realize that Divinity can be
revealed in very human situations. And that the humblest
reality could be a revelation
that God is in our midst. If we
open our hearts and minds to
the Lord, His Spirit enlightens
and gives delight to our weary
and limited minds and souls.

Even today, we can feel His

message, although sometimes
we do not fully understand.
The truth dawns on us when
we are quiet and when we
wait. When we do not rush to
know. Gods Presence is a Gift
that we can never be worthy of.
But the point here is not that
our littleness could obstruct
the Revelation of a mystery.
Rather, the Greatness of the
Lord compels Him to reveal
Himself to the little one. Even
to us. Now.
That is why Liturgy invokes
our ability to watch, to look at
what happens in the Church
celebrations. The beauty of
candles, incense, and flowers
can evoke some sense of the
Sacred Space, a Sacred Moment, and a Sacred Encounter.
The Belen does this for us in
revealing the message of Christmas. If we open our eyes, we
shall see the Message of Christmas with our hearts. If we have
time and we can keep quiet
before the Belen, we might see
the surprise of the Lord.
[The author, Ma. Theresa
G. Curia, is the Executive Vice
President & Chief Operating
Officer of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of
the Phils., Inc. (KCFAPI) and
the incumbent Diocesan Regent
of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate International, Diocese
of Malolos.]

Michael P. Cabra

My Brothers Keeper

Bequest LIFE this Christmas

ITS that time of the year again. We must all
begin the increasingly difficult task of buying suitable gifts for our friends and family.
However, there is a different gift you should
seriously consider giving this year. Its not a fun
present, nor it is exciting. Its not something
you can play with or wear, and it definitely
wouldnt be considered a treat. Its a gift that
no one wants but everyone NEEDS. So what
are we talking about? A Fraternal Service Plan.
A Benefit Certificate (BC) or what is simply
known as a life insurance policy. Every year
we search for that perfect gift for a loved one.
Something that will show how much we care
and appreciate them. What could better prove
that than giving someone the gift of SECURITY and STABILITY?
Unfortunately, the recent statistics present
the sad truth: (a) more than 95% Filipinos do
not have adequate levels of insurance and (b)
more than 80% of Filipinos do not believe
they are likely to suffer a serious illness in the

next 20 years. Yet, each year around 365,000

Filipinos face premature death either caused by
accidental death or natural sickness. It equates
to 1,000 untimely deaths everyday.
Firstly, think about your present situation.
Do you have loved ones who depend on you
financially? If something were to happen to
you, would your family struggle to maintain
their current lifestyle, the kind of living youve
been providing? If you answered yes to these
questions, its as simple as that - you need to
have life insurance. Secondly, do you have a
loved one (parent, spouse, adult children, etc.)
who needs protection? This year, give them the
ultimate gift. Having an adequate amount of
life insurance can help in paying off hospital
bills, memorial bills, mortgage, and even inheritance tax. It can allow a family to maintain
their current level of living and possibly even
fund long term goals such as childrens school
funds, dream car, house, business, and even
retirement. Now were not saying this is the

only gift you should give, it might look a little

sad with only that under the Christmas tree.
However, just consider along with the other
gifts, giving a present that may not be appreciated at that moment might come in use should
a critical time arrive. You look after your family,
and so this is a perfect gift idea.
Its important to consult a fraternal counselor
when considering life insurance as it is imperative that you are insured accurately depending
on your current situation and future needs.
Should you wish to know more, just visit
www.kofc.org.ph for inquiries.
Did you know that?
For as low as PhP10,000 you can already
start the Gift of Life to your loved ones? This
fraternal service plan is called KC Peso Saver. It
is a single contribution endowment plan which
will mature at the end of the benefit certificates
10th year. In fact, a lot of Knights of Columbus
Members invest with this Gift of Life every
Christmas for their spouse and children.

Gemille Isabel P. Gloria

A Meek Christmas
IMAGINE a pregnant mother,
who is supposed to give birth to
a child at the moment and rides
on a donkey with her husband.
Apart from the pain of labor
the mother is enduring, death
chases their yet unborn child as
their King deliberately kills all
the newborn babies that night.
Turned down by the innkeepers
they ended up in a crude stable,
sharing it with the farm animals
and the shepherds, as she gave
birth to a baby boy and placed
him in a manger. I bet you are
picturing a scene of a movie in
your head right now. This is
actually what the first Christmas
looked like.
Going back to the present,
Christmas is far more delightful
and exciting. Shopping, feasting,
gift-giving, and vacation tripping
are just few of the activities that
we cannot do away with in our
Christmas lists. We think of
Christmas like no other ordinary
day of the year. We make sure

that for Noche Buena there is

abundance of bountiful feasts in
our dining table, from a platter
of mouth-watering leche flan to
a sumptuous lechon, new clothes
up to fifty percent sale on the
selected items section, and expensive gifts covered in a Santa Claus
wrapper under a fully decorated
Christmas tree. We associate the
Christmas season as a time of
splendor since it is the birthday of
our Savior. Unfortunately, some
of us could only imagine these
things. They are our fellow who
are counted by the government in
abject poverty, who could hardly
think of where and how to get
their first meal for the 365 days
of the year, including Christmas
day. One does not need to move
afar to behold this. Traversing nearby the office, we could
already see some of the faces in
poverty. If you have not taken
yet the underpass connecting
Manila City Hall and Intramuros, as you make your way out of

it you will see sullied children in

tattered clothes inhaling plastic
bags containing rugby with some
soiled adults who seem to be their
parents doing the same thing.
With their hunger already in their
head, some children forcibly take
the food of the passersby. During
the night, the space where people
enter and exit the underpass
in the day turns into a freezing
home for the homeless. You
can see in their wrinkled face the
feeling of sleeping on the passageways with only cardboard boxes
and worn out fabrics in between
their body and the cold cemented
ground. Their condition is not
far from what Jesus experienced
on the first Christmas: born into
and chose to live a life of poverty.
Remembering mar tyred
Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar
Romero who once said that,
No one can celebrate a genuine
Christmas without being truly
poor. The self sufficient, the
proud, those who, because they

have everything, look down on

others, those who have no need
even of God, for them there
will be no Christmas. Only the
poor, the hungry, those who
need someone to come on their
behalf, will have that someone.
That someone is God. Emmanuel. God-with-us. With
what he thought, we cant argue
that at times we want everything.
The more you have, the more
you want and the more you get.
What if we have nothing? What
if we dont have gifts, food, and
new clothes for the Christmas?
What if we are in the place of the
homeless? Would we still feel the
same Christmas Spirit without
the things we celebrate with it?
We have to learn to celebrate
Christmas with how the poor
perceive it. Let us not reach
the point where we celebrate
Christmas just because we will
receive our one-year wish list.
Let us learn to lose, to sacrifice,
and to give during Christmas.

The Cross

D3

December 7, 2015 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

Process for PHs new Servant

of God starts rolling
MANILA, Dec. 7, 2015 Manila Archbishop Lus Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle
officially accepted on Monday, Dec. 7,
the Feast of St. Ambrose, the petition to
open an investigation on the sanctity and
heroic virtues of Fr. George J. Willmann,
S.J., founder of the Knights of Columbus
(KC) in the Philippines, among other
Catholic lay organizations.
At least 1,000 of the naturalized Filipino Jesuit priests spiritual children from
all over the country, including no less
than former Supreme Court (SC) Chief
Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., became
part of Philippine Church history as they
witnessed at the Manila Metropolitan
Cathedral Basilica the solemn opening of
the archdiocesan process they hope would
lead to beatification and canonization.
Great responsibility
In line with this, Tagle appointed Msgr.
Pedro C. Quitorio, III of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) Media Office as postulator for
the cause of the countrys newest Servant
of God.
He also approved the appointments of
Msgr. Geronimo S. Reyes, Fr. Wilmer R.
Rosal, and Fr. Ricardo P. del Rosario as
episcopal delegate, vice postulator, and
promoter of justice, respectively, as well
as of a host of other experts, both cleric
and lay, who vow to work together to give
Filipinos another saint.

The prelate went on to swear in all

those involved in the cause for Willmanns
beatification and canonization, reminding
them of the great responsibility they
have assumed and the importance and
seriousness of the task at hand.
PHs Fr. McGivney
Dubbed Fr. McGivney of the Philippines due to his dedication to expand KC
locally, Willmann worked for the radical
transformation of faith into action.
Born on June 29, 1897 to very devout
Catholic parents in Brooklyn, New York,
the American Jesuit was granted Philippine citizenship by President Ferdinand
Marcos through Presidential Decree
(P.D.) No. 740.
In 1938, he first served as chaplain
of KC Manila Council 1000, then returned in 1954 to become the Orders
first Philippine Deputy until his death
in 1977.
In total, the priest spent 44 fruitful and
productive years in the Philippines serving the poor, the sick, the orphans, the
oppressed, the lonely, and the desolate,
especially the young ones.
KCFAPI, etc
Besides what is formally known as the
Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI),
which he founded in 1958, Willmann
established other organizations, as follows:

Catholic Youth Organization (1938)

Establishment of the Catholic Press,
Filipinas and the Cross Magazines
(1946)
Columbian Squires in the Philippines
(1950)

Daughters of Isabella in the Philippines (1951), reorganized as Daughters

of Mary Immaculate (1977)
Columbian Farmers Aid Association
(1951), reorganized as Knights of Columbus Community Service , Inc (1962)

Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI)

(1958)
Knights of Columbus Philippines
Foundation Inc (1971) (Raymond A.
Sebastin / CBCP News)

The Gentle Warrior

By James B. Reuter, SJ
Part II of Chapter Two of The Gentle Warrior series
CHAPTER TWO
--------.--------The Ateneo de Manila
THE Ateneo was a boys school.
The objective of a boys school is to
make a man out of a boy. The main
virtue of a man is courage. God
mirrored His virtues in His children.
But he divided them, between girls
and boys. There is such a thing as a
masculine soul, and a feminine soul.
If a boy and a girl are suddenly confronted with a wild bull, thundering
down on them, if the girl screamed
and hid behind the boy, that would
be normal. But if the boy screamed,
and hid behind the girl, everyone
would be ashamed of him. The
virtue of a girl is not physical courage; it is love and mercy. The virtue
of a boy is courage, and justice. But,
in our schools, there is no course in
the curriculum called: Courage.
There is no subject called:

Courage. There is no mark for

Courage. It has to be taught in
every subject, through the whole
life of the school. The Jesuits
understood this, very well. And
George understood it. He began
to learn the meaning of courage,
himself, when he was five years
old, sitting on the curbstone on
Putnam Avenue, when the wheel
of the garbage truck crushed both
his feet.
In the old Ateneo there was
a strong tradition of Romans
and Carthagenians. Jose Rizal
was the Emperor of the Romans.
Every class was competitive. The
Romans would be lined up on
one side of the class, the Carthagenians on the other. The first
question went to the Romans.

If the Romans answered it correctly, the questioning stayed

with the Romans. If any Roman
missed, the question went to the
Carthagenians. Then the Roman
boys would growl and grumble at
the Roman who missed. It was
competition, to teach courage.
And the battle cry of all the
teams was: Animo, Ateneo! You
could translate that as: Lets go,
Ateneo! or Spirit, Ateneo! or
Fight, Ateneo! but in practice
it meant courage. Never give up,
no matter what the odds. Go,
get em, Ateneo! Never say die.
This was obvious, in everything
that the boys did.
But it never degenerated into:
Win, at all costs! The second
masculine virtue is justice. This

means honesty, integrity, and fair

play. Both at once courage
and fair play. The verse that every
athlete in the school knew by heart
was: If I should win, let it be by
the code, with my head and my
honor held high. But if I should
lose, let me stand by the road, and
cheer as the winner goes by!
It was a tremendous amount of
work teaching night and day,
running the Sodality, the ACIL,
and the magazine but George
loved it.
And his students loved him. The
friendships that he made during
those three years of regency, from
1922 to 1925, lasted more than
fifty years.
(To be continued on the next
issue.)

provided relief to victims of the

war and of violence while also alleviating the sufferings of the poor.
He likewise established ways to
preserve and promote the sanctity
of life, marriage and the family.
It was in 1997 or eighteen years
ago that the Knights of Columbus
in the Philippines first started a
concerted thrust to formally lay
the groundwork for the Cause
of Fr. Willmann. During the
Orders centennial celebration of
Fr. Willmanns birth, the Order
created a Committee on Cause
composed of Ramon V. Consing,
Lauro M. Cruz and Msgr. Pedro
C. Quitorio III as co-chairmen.
Notable activities of the Committee included: gathering of testimonials, launch of the Prayer for
the Centennial of Fr. Willmann
with the Imprimatur of Msgr.
Jose C. Abriol, launching of Fr.
Willmann Fellows, meeting with
then Jaime Cardinal Sin and the
Father Provincial of the Jesuits to
seek their respective endorsements
of the Cause. The Order published
and distributed the pamphlet A
Glimpse...The Life and Works
of Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ.
in order to give due acknowledgment and recognition as well as to
increase awareness about Fr. Willmann. A landmark achievement of
this period was the publication of
The Gentle Warrior, a biography
of Fr. Willmann authored by Fr.
James B. Reuter, SJ.
Establishing and spreading the

fama sanctitatis of Fr. Willmann

included the presentation and
promotion of his works made
more concrete by direct testimonies of various individuals whom
he personally interacted with.
Fr. Willmann Fellows one-time
membership donations have been
pooled to fund the production
of materials such as prayer cards,
publications, tarpaulins, posters
to effectively promote Fr. George
Willmann not only to brother
Knights, but more importantly,
to the youth, the poor and underprivileged of various communities.
In 2011, through the efforts of
the KC Fraternal Association of
the Philippines and the Knights
of Columbus Fr. Willmann Charities, Inc., the National Executive
Committee (NEC) for the Cause
of Fr. Willmann was created with
the primary function of overseeing
all the initiatives relative to or in
connection with the Cause
We are blessed that the Diocesan process of the Cause of Fr.
George J. Willmann, SJ. has now
been formally opened thereby
giving us significant reason to
rejoice. Henceforth, he will now
be regarded Servant of God. Let
us fervently pray for continued
enlightenment from the Holy
Spirit for everyone involved in this
Diocesan process and the Cause
as a whole so that our beloved
Fr. George J. Willmann may ultimately be elevated to the honors
of the altar.

Sainthood / D1

Deogracias Fajota, Fr. Jeronimo

Ma. Cruz, Fr. Antonio Rex Palaya,
Fr. Melvin Gamelo, Fr. Julius
Cuison, Fr. Felix Labios, Fr. Ramelle Rigunay, Fr. Randy Salunga,
Fr. Joel Cariaso, Fr. Hernandez
Mendoza, Fr. Julius de Sagun, Fr.
Ronel Ilano, Fr. Lowie Palines and
Fr. Emmanuel Hiipolito,.
In his homily, Cardinal Tagle
started by citing that aside from
the formal opening of the Diocesan process for Fr. Willmann,
it was also the feast day of St.
Ambrose, a great teacher of the
Church known for his sanctity
and teachings. It was also the eve
of the Immaculate Conception of
our Blessed Mother Mary plus the
start of the Advent season.
The Cardinal then focused on
the question: What does it mean
to be holy? With the opening of
the Cause, he said that Fr. George
J. Willmann, St. Ambrose and
Mother Mary all responded to
sanctity and holiness. Cardinal
Tagle clarified that Holiness is
an attribute of God and not mans
achievement nor his work. It is
God who is Holy and our holiness is a gift of God our oneness
with Him.
Cardinal Tagle added that the
message of the First Reading is that
the Holiness of God is seen with
marvelous work like transforming a desert into a garden filled
with water and flowers where we
are able to drink from Gods goodness with a safe road along the

holy way. The desert symbolizes

humanity that is seen to be dry,
fruitless, empty and even lifeless. However, when God enters,
all these are transformed into a
bountiful garden. Gods Holiness
always creates miracles. Whenever we experience hopelessness
loaded with faults, we must not
be afraid for that is the time when
God will come to infuse His Holiness and cure the sickness. That is
the Good News. Cardinal Tagle
added that during this season of
advent, we must look deeper into
our deserts in order to experience
the Holiness of God.
The Cardinal then underscored
that we need to respond to Gods
Holiness, not like the scribes in
the reading who questioned and
rejected Jesus; but like the friends
of the paralyzed man who looked
for a nonconventional way through the roof - to bring the
paralytic closer to Jesus. Cardinal
Tagle stressed the need for us to be
alert, discerning with eyes of faith
in order for us to respond to our
Holy God in His action when we
are in our desert.
The Cardinal then asked the
people to pray for those entrusted
with the Cause of Fr. Willmann
that they may be illumined with
eyes of faith. With no intention of
pre-empting the Diocesan process,
Cardinal Tagle simply thanked
God as we are now privileged
to share Gods holiness through
personal experiences with Fr. Will-

Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle leads the Mass of the formal opening of the Archdiocesan
Process for the Causes of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Father
George J. Willmann, SJ, father of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines. LIN REGINO

mann and his life and ministry

devoted to service that provided
fresh water and good news,
particularly to the youth, the poor
and the prisoners.
The Cardinal cited his own basic
formation as a Charter member
of the Columbian Squires in
Imus, Cavite where they helped
the Church in its program for the
street children. He also mentioned
his appreciation for being a scholar
of the Knights of Columbus during Fr. Willmanns time.
Reiterating that God indeed
transforms deserts into places of
rest, peace and holiness, Cardinal
Tagle ended his homily by encouraging all in attendance to be agents
of Gods holiness.
People from all walks of life
joined the celebration of this Mass
that formally opened the Cause of
Servant of God - Fr. Willmann.

Also represented were various

organizations established and nurtured by Fr. George including the
Daughters of Isabella (now Daughters of Mary Immaculate), Catholic
Youth Organization, Columbian
Squires and the Knights of Columbus. Parishioners and residents
with their families from nearby
cities and communities of Tondo,
Intramuros, Sta. Cruz, Malate and
other more distant places likewise
witnessed the very meaningful
Opening of the diocesan process
for the Cause of their Father and
Benefactor of forty years.
Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ.
devoted the last forty years of his
life, not only in humble service
and dynamic leadership of the
Knights of Columbus in the
Philippines, but equally being a
compassionate pastor in the care
and formation of the youth. He

D4

December 7, 2015 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 25

The Cross

Former SC Justice to
fellow PH Knights: Pray
for Willmanns Cause
MANILA, Dec. 8, 2015 Former Chief
Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr. has called
on fellow members of the Knights of Columbus (KC) nationwide to keep praying
for the eventual raising to the altar of
the groups spiritual father, Fr. George J.
Willmann, S.J., who was declared Servant of God Monday, Dec. 7,
So what is demanded of us as members of Knights of Columbus? What is
demanded of us as members of Knights
of Columbus Fraternal Association of the
Philippines, Inc. [KCPAFI]? he asked.
We need to pray a lot. Pray, pray, pray
that the tribunal will listen to the evidence
presented. Pray, pray, pray that the tribunal will actually collate all the evidence
and determine once and for all that what
has been presented through our postulator is credible to merit the conferment of
beatification later on. This is our task.

FST IN CAGAYAN. A Fraternal Service Training program was held in Cagayan De Oro last November 13, 2015.
Participants were from Zamboanga, Misamis and Butuan. The event was graced by KCFAPI Vice President
for FBG, Gari San Sebastian and FBG Manager, Michael Cabra. Aside from the product specifications, the
training also gives an idea regarding the basic insurance process and conceptualization of new marketing
strategies in order to achieve their goals and improve their sales performance. (FBG News)

Archdiocesan process
Davide, who now chairs the National
Executive Committee for the Causes of
Fr. Willmann, made this observation in a
speech following a ceremony held at the
Manila Cathedral during which Archbishop Lus Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle
officially approved the archdiocesan process

for the causes for the beatification and canonization of the naturalized Filipino Jesuit.
The solemn occasion was witnessed
by no less than 1,000 representatives
of KCPAFI and other organizations Fr.
Willmann helped establish like Catholic
Youth Organization, Columbian Squires
in the Philippines (1950), and Daughters
of Mary Immaculate.
The former chief magistrate went on to
describe the entire process as very meaningful since it had the power to make an
ordinary priest into a Servant of God.
Ordinary priest to Servant of God
Imagine during our lifetime today in
the Cathedral we saw the conversion of
an ordinary priest to become a Servant of
God. And we hope that he will merit being a servant of God until the first step of
the process will continue, he exclaimed.
According to him, it must have been the
first time for most people present to have
seen with their own eyes an event of such
historic and momentous significance.
I have lived 20 times four years of my
life almost. And this is the first time I have
witnessed the process, how it evolves, and
what we can gather from it. To me this
is not just making somebody brought to

the honors of the altar but for us to be

able to witness how to live and how to
comport ourselves to be able to follow his
footsteps, he explained.
Built-in holiness
Davide pointed out that holiness is
already built in each person, but it is only
a matter of expressing it.
Why I would say that holiness is in
us already? Because we are the temple
of God and the Spirit of God is with us.
Sometimes, however, we forget that this is
so. We close our ears. We close our eyes to
Jesus Christ. We close our hands to Jesus
Christ by helping others. So this is the
process that we have witnessed today. And
to me, it will very much work, he added.
Davide also credited Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III, postulator of the causes for Fr. Willmann, for the divinely inspired occasion
and the timeliness of the diocesan process.
So Msgr. Quitorio, you are divinely
inspired. You planned everything in such
a way that everything we did, and we will
do, and what we are doing right now is
not only as legacy to the next generation
but even beyond the next generation for
people and children yet unborn, he said.
(Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP News)

New KCFAPI Board of Trustee: Bro. Pascual C. Carbero

AREA MEETING IN VISAYAS. The KCFAPI Western Visayas Armor held an area meeting in Bacolod last
October 24, 2015 led by Agency Unit Manager, Randy G. Bravo and graced by KCFAPI Vice President for
FBG, Gari San Sebastian. (KCFAPI News)

FST IN DAVAO. A Fraternal Service Training program (1 and 2) was held in KCFAPI Davao Service Office,
Davao City last November 20-21, 2015. Participants were from Compostela Valley, Cotabato City, and
General Santos. The training was attended by KCFAPI Vice President for FBG, Gari San Sebastian and FBG
Manager, Michael Cabra. (FBG News)

PRODUCERS FORUM. KCFAPI Vice President for FBG, Gari San Sebastian and FBG Manager, Michael Cabra
led a Producers Forum wherein fraternal counsellors all over Luzon were gathered for an update of their
incentives program held last November 11, 2015 at the KCFAPI home office. (FBG News)

Hundreds of members of the Knights of Columbus participated at the coastal clean-up project of the Luzon
South Jurisdiction headed by its State Deputy Ramoncito A. Ocampo. The Knights of Columbus Luzon South
Jurisdiction recently conducted a Coastal Clean-Up Project at the Las Pias Paraaque Critical Habitat
and Eco-Tourism (LPPCHEA) as part of its environment protection and preservation advocacy. The project
was dubbed as Linis Kalikasan 2015, transpired in cooperation with the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) through the Manila Bay Coordinating
Office. The occasion was graced by (inset picture left to right) State Warden Gani Maghirang, Community
Director Pete Paradero, Mayor Pablo Olivarez, Luzon South State Secretary Boni Martinez , Luzon South
State Program Director Elmer Erolez, and Luzon South State Ceremonial Chairman Efren Mendoza. (With
reports from Jun Pineda)

IN February of 1986, Bro.

Carbero started his knightly
service in the Knights of Columbus under Council 10695
in Valenzuela City. During
his service in Council 10695,
he has been appointed as
Chancellor for CY 19921993, and as Deputy Grand
Knight and Program Director for CY 1993-1994. In
District M-31 of Valenzuela
City, Bro. Carbero was Grand
Knight for CY 1994-1995,
District Warden for CY 19961997, and District Deputy
for CY 1997-1999. He was
also Chairman for the Round
Table District Deputies for
CY 1998-1999. At the Dr. Pio
Valenzuela Assembly, ACN
#1772 Meycauayan, Bulacan
he was the Faithful Navigator for CY 1999-2000. On
that same term, Bro. Pascual
was the Luzon State Auditor for CY 2000-2003 and
the Luzon State Warden for
CY 2000-2003 of the Luzon
Jurisdiction. After which, for
CY 2000-2001 he became
the Charter Faithful Navigator for the City of Valenzuela
Assembly, ACN #2676. For

CY 2007-2015, Bro. Carbero

was re-appointed as Luzon
State Warden. Bro. Carbero
was a voting delegate in the
KC Supreme Convention held
at Washington D.C. in 2010
and also a non-voting delegate
held at Anaheim, California
in 2002 and 2012. Currently,
he is the State Secretary of the
Luzon North Jurisdiction.
Bro. Pascuals dedication
and enthusiasm in participating in the Order gave him
the endeavor to author the
creation of the City of Valenzuela Assembly in 1999 with
the assistance of the District
and Vice Supreme Master.
With his knightly service, he
was awarded with several recognition namely: Outstanding
District/Deputy for CY 19971999, Star District Awardee
for CY 1997-1999, and Civic
Awardee as Charter Faithful
Navigator of the City of Valenzuela Assembly ACN #2676
CY 2000-2001.
Apart from Knights of Columbus, Bro. Carbero partakes
his services in other civic and
religious organizations. He is
a Special Lay Minister of the

Holy Eucharist Parish of the

Holy Cross since 1989, and a
member of the Parish Renewal
Experience Group. He is the
Director and Treasurer of the
Philippine Insurers Club from
2013 to 2014 and currently its
President. He is also a member
of the Insurance Executive
1st Friday Club of Makati
and an incoming President
of the Philippine Association
of Surety Underwriters, Inc.
this 2016.
He was Director, Corporate Secretary of Mace Insurance Agency, Inc. from 2012
until 2014, and currently
the Independent Director of
Kompass Credit and Financial
Corporation and KCFAPI,
respectively. Bro. Carbero is
also a fellow of Father George
J. Willmann Charities, Inc.
And since 2006, he has been
the Vice President of Intra
Strata Assurance Corporation.
He graduated with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration Major in Management at Philippine School
of Business Administration in
1973 and finished Bachelor of
Laws in Lyceum of the Philip-

pines in 1988.
Bro. Pascual Carberos wife,
Sis. Remedios, was past president for three years of the
Catholic Womens League
(CWL) Valenzuela Chapter
and currently the Assistant
Vice President for Underwriting in Mercantile Insurance
Co., Inc. in Intramuros, Manila. They are blessed with six
wonderful children namely:
Soidemer Claire, a pediatrician; Abigail Claire, a lawyer;
Valerie Claire and Christine
Claire, both of whom are registered nurses; Therese Claire,
who graduated with Bachelors
degree in Laws and is currently
reviewing for Bar exams; and
Adrian Brian, who is also a
registered nurse and presently
a 3rd year medical student.