Monitor

CBCP

MARCH 21 - APRIL 3, 2016 VOL. 20 NO. 12

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR@AREOPAGUSCOMMUNICATIONS.COM

IN THIS ISSUE
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE

The Cross:

THE SUPPLEMENT PUBLICATION

OF KCFAPI AND THE ORDER OF
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

A2 Card. Bo: Easter and

democracy break forth

like a river

A3 Let yourselves be moved

by hope, Pope says at
Easter Vigil

A6 Post-Yolanda

expose: Schools with

substandard materials

A7 Bishops seeks protection

for domestic workers

B1 With the weapons of

love, God has defeated

selfishness

Caritas official
frowns on Mars
Yolanda hero
propaganda

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila speaks with inmates during a visit to Manila City Jail on Holy Wednesday, March 23. Along with Papal nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, the cardinal opened the Holy
Door of the detention centers chapel and held Mass as part of the archdioceses celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. ROY LAGARDE

CBCP sounds alarm over

money laundering
By Roy Lagarde

CATHOLIC bishops
voiced alarm over the
growing casino industry in the face of a money laundering scandal
that brought national
shame and rocked the
countrys gaming and
banking systems.

Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of the

National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/
Caritas Philippines, gives a briefing about the
ongoing Yolanda commemoration exhibit at the
Ayala Center in Cebu City, which showcases the
resiliency of the typhoon survivors through the
products they made. RAYMOND A. SEBASTIN

AN official of Caritas Philippines

lashed out at a comic book that
portrayed presidential candidate
Mar Roxas as a hero during height
of typhoon Yolanda.
Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executive
secretary of Caritas Philippines,
called the campaign material
shameful and unacceptable
propaganda.
In conscience, I need to belie
this hypocritical claim of Mar
Roxas claiming to be a hero in the
emergency response, Gariguez
said.
We need to bring truth and
decency in our electoral process.
A call that I dare to make to all
candidates, he said.
Caritas Philippines is also known
as the National Secretariat for Social
Action-Justice and Peace (Nassa),
the humanitarian and advocacy arm
of the bishops.
Titled Sa Gitna ng Unos (In
the middle of a storm), the 28page comic book depicts the
administration bet as an action
man who risked his life to help the
typhoon victims.
Fr. Jazz Siapco, director of Lipa
Archdiocesan Social Action Center,
also criticized the comic book as
misleading and only meant to
advance a political agenda.
He is not a hero. I would consider
those who have helped silently in
their own little ways the heroes.
They are the real heroes, Siapco
said. (CBCPNews)

The bishops ushered Easter week

with a pastoral statement on the
recent money laundering issue that
exposed the Philippines as dirty
money destination.
The prelates were referring to the
USD 81 million electronically stolen
from Bangladeshs official account
at a Federal Reserve Bank of New
York that went into a commercial
bank in the Philippines, and from
there to a local money-transfer firm,
and then into the casinos.
In a statement issued March 28, the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines said no one pulls off a
criminal stunt like this alone, hinting
that syndicates may have colluded
with bank executives and even public
officials.
Money / A6

The Philippine bishops. Roy Lagarde

PH bishops join condemnation

of Brussels attacks

Journos for Jesus

PEOPLE tend to think of

newsreaders as fast-talking, pokerfaced professionals who earn tons
of cash simply by lipping in front of
the camera what others had written
for them.
Not so with Raffy Tima and Mariz

Umali. They have proven time and

again theres more to broadcast
journalists than meets the eye.
For the record, theyre not just
reporters of news, theyre also
proclaimers of Gods Good News.
Journos / A6

CARDINAL Luis
Antonio Tagle of
Manila on Wednesday
joined in the global
condemnation of
the horrible terror
bombings on Brussels
airport and a metro
station.
The cardinal
extended condolences
to the victims and
their families while
expressing solidarity
with the people of
Belgium.
What happened
to our brothers and
sisters in Brussels is
saddening and we
want to express our
solidarity with them,
Tagle said during a
mass for the Jubilee

of Mercy at the Manila

City Jail (MCJ)
We call on Gods
mercy for the people of
Belgium and even for
those who perpetrated
this horrible incident,
he said.
Tagle visited the
prison located in
Manilas Quiapo
district and led the
opening of the
Holy Door of the
MCJ chapel, along
with Papal nuncio
Archbishop Giuseppe
Pinto.
The attacks on
Belgium capital
yesterday claimed 34
lives and injured more
than a hundred people
as Islamic State claims

responsibility for the

bombings.
Bishop Ruperto
Santos, chairman of the
bishops Commission
on Migrants and
Itinerant People, also
offered prayers for
strength and healing
of those who survived
this senseless and
sinful carnage.
It is human tragedy
that there those
heartless people who
nurtured destruction
and death on others. All
must reject violence.
All must respect rights
and dignity of others,
regardless of color,
creed and customs,
he said.
Attacks / A6

A2 NEWS

Vatican Briefing
Popes Instagram launches with appeal for prayer
The official Instagram account of Pope Francis
launched on March 19 with a simple request for his
followers: Pray for me. The inaugural post, which was
translated into nine languages, features a photo of the
Pope reverently kneeling in prayer. The post was made
after noon under the handle @Franciscuswhich is
Latin for Francis. Within 30 minutes of going live, the
account had more than ten thousand followers. The
papal Instagram will feature photos from LOsservatore
Romano, as well as short videos, according to the
Vatican. (CNA)
Its official Mother Teresa will be canonized September 4
After months of anticipation, the date of Mother
Teresas canonization has finally been announced. It
falls on Sept. 4, which this year will also mark a special
jubilee for workers and volunteers of mercy. Though
its been rumored for months that Mother Teresas
canonization will take place Sept. 4, the Vatican
made the date official during a March 15 consistory
of cardinals Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha
Bojaxhiu Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. After
joining the Sisters of Loretto at age 17, she was sent to
Calcutta, where she later contracted tuberculosis, and
was sent to rest in Darjeeling. (CNA)
Pope Francis approves new rules for financial oversight of
saints causes
Pope Francis has issued new guidelines for ensuring
financial transparency in advancing causes of
beatification and canonization, requiring both an
administrator to oversee the process and annual
budget checks. The new norms place a strong emphasis
on regular budgeting and accounting to ensure
transparency, as well as to see to it that donations from
the faithful supporting causes are used as intended.
They were approved by the Pope March 4 in a papal
rescript for an ad experimentum, or provisional,
period of three years. Published March 10, they repeal
the norms which had been put into place by St. John
Paul II Aug. 20, 1983. (CNA)
Bishop says he believes Salesian priest kidnapped in
Yemen is still alive
The bishop who leads the apostolic vicariate that
includes Yemen said he has strong indications that
Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil is still alive in the
hands of his kidnappers. Bishop Paul Hinder, head of
the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, told Catholic
News Service March 28, I have no confirmation that
anything happened Good Friday and added that the
rumors appear to be untrue. Father Uzhunnalil, an
Indian, was kidnapped March 4 from the home for the
aged and disabled run by the Missionaries of Charity
in Aden, Yemen. Four Missionaries of Charity and 12
others were murdered in the attack. (CNS)
Vatican: Pope Benedict is frail, but his mind remains
perfectly lucid
Although retired Pope Benedict XVI is growing
frailer, there are no particular concerns or worries
regarding his health, a Vatican spokesman said.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican
spokesman, issued a statement March 25 following
an interview with Archbishop Georg Ganswein,
the retired popes personal secretary, in which the
archbishop said Pope Benedict was slowly fading.
In April, Pope Benedict XVI turns 89 years old.
He is like a candle that is slowly, serenely fading,
as it happens with many of us. He is calm, in peace
with God, with himself and the world, Archbishop
Ganswein told the Italian magazine BenEssere. The
retired popes personal secretary added that Pope
Benedict still retains his refined, subtle sense of
humor and remains fond of cats. (CNS)
Vatican spokesman: Archives on Argentine dictatorship to
be opened
At the request of Pope Francis, material in the Vatican
Secret archives relating to Argentinas Dirty War
is expected to be opened in the coming months, the
Vatican spokesman said. Jesuit Father Federico
Lombardi, the spokesman, told journalists March 23
that the cataloguing of materials related to Argentinas
dictatorship continues to move forward. The work
goes on regularly and is expected to be completed
over the next few months, he said, adding that the
timing and conditions under which the material may
be studied will be agreed upon with the Argentine
bishops conference. (CNS)
Pope may visit Armenia in June, Vatican says
The Vatican is studying the possibility of Pope
Francis visiting Armenia in late June, the Vatican
spokesman said. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the
spokesman, confirming Pope Francis desire to make
the trip, denied that it already was set for June 22-26
as a news website reported. It is true that a trip to
Armenia in late June is being studied, he said March
18, but the papal trip planners had not yet visited the
country and neither the dates nor the program have
been finalized. (CNS)
Protect needs of poor, refugees, pope tells students at
model UN
Addressing the needs and challenges of the poor and of
refugees is a commitment not only for Christians but
for all men and women, Pope Francis told university
students. Protecting the rights and dignity of each
member of the human family is a calling we have
inside us; something we carry inside us as people,
he said March 17. Meeting in the Vaticans Paul VI
audience hall, the pope addressed the 3,000 university
students from 115 countries who were in Rome for the
four-day 2016 Harvard World Model United Nations,
an international relations simulation that teaches
students the inner-workings of the U.N. and diplomatic
organizations. (CNS)

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

CBCP Monitor

Card Bo: Easter and democracy

break forth like a river
YANGON, Myanmar, March
26, 2016Card Charles
Maung Bo issued his Easter
message to the faithful in
Yangon, and the people of
Myanmar, a country that has
recently experienced historic
political changes: from the
November 2015 elections
won by the National League
for Democracy, to the election
of the first non-military
president after 50 years of
military rule.
Easter breaks forth like
a river in the long desert,
the cardinal says in his
statement. It is a very special
Easter today for the people
of Myanmar. The river of
democracy is slowly spreading
its splendour in the long
desert of hopelessness. We,
people of Myanmar, today
celebrate Easter with signs of
resurrection around us.
This is the season of hope.
In this world of suffocating
darkness of hope, history
proves that resurrection is
the hope that continues in the
human hearts and in human
history. History is full of men
who brought this hope of
resurrection through their
noble acts; men like Abraham
Lincoln, Martin Luther King
and Nelson Mandela; and last
but not least, General Aung
San, father of Aung San Suu
Kyi, who died in 1947. Even
before the dawn of freedom,
his blood was spilled. [. . .]
Myanmar is today can claim
to be a nation because of the
blood of Aung San.
For the archbishop of Yangon,
Christs death and resurrection
are the paradigm of his countrys
recent history. Christ who was
killed on the Cross, through his
blood has washed the sins of

In his Easter message, the Archbishop of Yangon notes that Gods triumph at Easter
brings hope to Myanmar after 50 years of darkness. With Catholics playing a role of
change in the new democracy, the prelate said: Today we see another resurrection:
Resurrection of hope in a frail woman: Aung San Sui Kyi. ASIANEWS

humanity. [. . .] by his wounds

you were healed.
Today we see another
resurrection: Resurrection
of hope in a frail woman:
Aung San Sui Kyi. She was
also raised on the tree of
suffering, for more than 15
years in the jail. Darkness
was penetrating Myanmar
for more than 50 years. Daw
Aung San Sui Kyis suffering
and her fortitude amidst the
suffering has brought the
resurrection of freedom.
This nation was crucified
on the cross of injustice.
Refugees, unsafe migrants,
war affected people, the poor,
drug victims and human
trafficking victims. How can
we forget hundreds of our
countrymen and women who
languished in jails or those
who gave their life for the
freedom of this country.
Myanmar was wounded
several times. The

preferential treatment of
one religion (i.e. Buddhism)
in this country from 1956
[onward] was the first wound.
The ill treatment of other
religions have caused chronic
conflicts and displacements.
In the 1960s, an arrogant
military power snatched the
educational institutions ran
by Christians. Christians were
targeting the poor and those
in the margin for education.
Now The Church is prepared
to demand, or at least request
the return of nationalised
schools by the military junta,
Card Bo said in a recent
interview with AsiaNews.
As the country moves on,
putting its tragic past behind,
with a democratic government
in power, Christians have
a duty to carry forward a
message of mercy.
The Year of Mercy is a
clarion call, the cardinal
said. The Pope calls us to

be merciful with ourselves.

Be merciful as your heavenly
Father is merciful (Lk 6:36).
For many of us buried in the
tomb of guilt and sin, Pope
Francis is calling us to return
to the Lord in forgiveness.
No sin is greater than Gods
mercy, says the Holy Father.
Forgiving others, reconciling
with those whom we wounded
and adopting a positive
attitude are signs of people of
Resurrection.
From Easter, the Catholic
community must draw the
strength to contribute towards
nation-building through
peace and reconciliation,
human development through
education and affirmation of
the rights of our indigenous
brothers and sisters.
As a Catholic Community
we need to be signs of hope
to this nation. We were
persecuted; we were buried
in the tombs of poverty,
oppression and denial of
rights. For many of us, it has
been a long way of the Cross.
We were Good Friday people;
sometimes doubting whether
there was a Holy Saturday.
We even wondered whether
there would be an Easter
Sunday in this country. But
God is God of History. He
speaks through the signs of
times. I strongly believe that
Myanmars resurrection from
its painful past is occurring.
Yes, my dear brothers
and sisters, as Easter people
let us assume this role of
moving mountains of human
tragedies and bring hope to
a new Myanmar of peace,
prosperity and fellowship. Be
the people of faith and hope!
Let us move mountains!
(AsiaNews)

Pastor of Aleppo: Easter is peace and mercy for

war wounded communities
ALEPPO, Syria, March 25, 2016
The Christian community of Aleppo
approaches Easter preparing liturgies
decorating churches with flowers and
ornaments prepared by young people;
we are trying to involve all the faithful,
especially those who have suffered,
people who have had deaths, broken
families whom we have tried to take
care of from not only a material point
of view, but also with psychological and
spiritual support. Its a celebration of
peace, mercy and reconciliation that
the Christians of Aleppo are awaiting
in a city battered by five years of bloody
conflict.
44 year old Franciscan Fr. Alsabagh
Ibrahim is theparish priest of the Latin
parish of Aleppo. He tells AsiaNews
about the fragile truce in the Syrian
conflict, has allowed people to breathe,
instilling new hope. After months
electricity and water have been restored,
the situation has improved, and this has
brought relief to residents.
In the period of Lent and Holy Week
children and youth of the parish are
organizing celebrations: Yesterday they
prepared the liturgy - says Fr. Ibrahim
- and the little ones closely followed the
gesture of the washing of the feet by
the bishop. A ritual that teaches them
about the meaning of authority and the
value of responsibility . Also yesterday
a procession was held and the young
children were delighted to carry the
candles. On Palm Sunday they did the
same. Today we celebrate the Way of the
Cross--he adds--while tomorrow there
will be baptisms and the children will
be involved in the community initiatives.
To make celebration of young and

old even more joyous, especially for

those who have suffered the most
from the war, the parish decided to
distribute sweets and foods for the
celebration: Two weeks ago - said the
priest - we realized that there were no
chocolates, eggs, meat in the homes.
So we organized a small celebration in
the parish hall, where a corner will be
reserved for children to paint the eggs
and prepare the decorations, under the
careful guidance of the scouts .
In the year of Mercy, the Aleppo
community also wanted to stress
the importance of the sacrament of
reconciliation: The faithful says Fr.
Ibrahim - feel called to go and draw
from the fountain of mercy, to approach
the washing of feet, adoration and
confessions. At each function churches
are full of believers.
Of course, he said, the faithful are
waiting for better times but are full of
gratitude for what has been done. The
people alone cannot sustain themselves-he continues--because there are no
jobs, prices are high, there is not always
electricity. The support the Church has
given in recent months is immense
and there they are grateful, they see
it as a sign and gesture of mercy. The
many initiatives include repairing wardamaged houses, payment of bank debts,
the distribution of food, water tanks,
etc ... all things made possible thanks to
the commitment of the Church and the
contribution of many benefactors.
In recent weeks the Latin Vicariate of
Aleppo has insisted that it is necessary
to involve the faithful in the preparation
of celebrations, to understand the value
of sacrifice. During Lent parishioners

visited the elderly and sick, put aside

small amounts of money and other
goods, to offer them to the poorest,
under the slogan: There is always a
dish, an object or well in more to give.
Everyone, including the poor, must be
involved and donate to those who are
even poorer .
On March 21st, Mothers Day was
celebrated. For the occasion, the youth
have distributed more than 200 packets
of sweets to the neighborhood mothers.
Mothers who live alone because the
children escaped and the husband is
not there, and widows, some of them
young with children. A distribution that
involved all mothers, without distinction
between Christian and Muslim, because
a mother is everything, said the priest.
Finally on Sunday, there is the solemn
celebration presided by the Apostolic
Vicar of the Latins, Msgr. Georges
Abou Khazen, with the participation
of the whole community, which will be
followed by the traditional exchange of
greetings. The next day, after a few years
in which the initiative was suspended
because of the war, the catechism
classes and their families (600 people)
will go to the College of the Holy Land,
where there is a large outdoor plaza
where we will celebrate Mass; then share
a packed lunch. The war, the crisis,
have destroyed many families and
people, says Fr. Ibrahim, yet so many
families have returned to the Father,
to the Church, because of mercy. It has
awakened in them something forgotten
and abandoned, this is why we are
celebrating this joy and we are happy
to live this communion and witness.
(AsiaNews)

Italys bleeding thorn marks the coincidence of Good Friday, Annunciation

ANDRIA, Italy, March 25,
2016A single thorn held
to has been taken from
Christs crown of thorns
that traditionally bleeds
each time that Good
Friday falls on March 25,
has done so again this
year.
Bishop Raffaele Calabro,
Bishop Emeritus of Andria

in Italys Apulia region,

confirmed today that the
thorn has bled.
The miracle has
started, the wonder
is underway, Bishop
Calabro stated.
The thorn has been kept
in a reliquary in Andrias
cathedral since 1308.
A commission who

observed the miracle

confirmed the formation
of three spherical
formations or gems
on the thorn and that
on the base of the
thorn is the residue of
the preceding miracle of
2005, renewing.
The last time the miracle
of the bleeding thorn took

place was in 2005, and it is

not expected to do so again
until 2157. The occurrence
has been recorded since
1633.
Bishop Calabro thanked
God for what he is doing,
as the miracle is a gift
from the love of God and
is a sign of his love for this
community. (CNA)

CBCP Monitor

NEWS A3

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Let yourselves be moved by hope, Pope says at Easter Vigil

VATICAN, March 26, 2016--During
the Easter Vigil, Pope Francis
told attendees not to be overcome
by sadness in the face of lifes
difficulties, but to be open to
hope, which is not the absence of
problems, but is a gift from God
when we allow him to enter our
lives.
We, like Peter and the women,
cannot discover life by being sad,
bereft of hope, the Pope said
March 26.
He urged the faithful not to stay
imprisoned within ourselves, but let
us break open our sealed tombs to the
Lord so that he may enter and grant
us life. Let us give him the stones of
our rancor and the boulders of our
past, those heavy burdens of our
weaknesses and falls.
As we anticipate Jesus
Resurrection from the dead, the
first stone which must be moved
aside is the lack of hope which
imprisons us within ourselves,
he said.
The Pope then prayed that the
Lord would free us from the trap
of being Christians without hope,
who live as if the Lord were not
risen, as if our problems were the
center of our lives.
Pope Francis spoke to the
thousands present inside St. Peters
Basilica for the Easter Vigil, which
is celebrated the night before Easter
in anticipation of Jesus rising from
the dead.
The vigil began in the atrium of the
basilica with the traditional blessing
of the fire and the preparation of the
Easter candle. The Pope then led a
procession with the lit candle to the
main altar, where he continued with
the rest of the Mass.
In the course of the celebration,
Francis administered the
Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Baptism, Confirmation and the
Eucharist to 12 newcomers in the
Catholic Church, hailing from Italy,

Vatican City - April 5, 2015. Pope Francis coming out of St. Peters Basilica in St. Peters Square on a rainy Easter Sunday morning on April 5, 2015. CNA

Albania, Cameroon, Korea, India

and China.
Those being baptized included
Yong Joon Lee, the Korean
ambassador to Italy, and his wife
Hee Kim.
In his homily, the Pope noted
how the women in the Gospel, after
going to anoint Jesus body, had
run to the disciples and told them
about how they had found the tomb
empty.
Peter and the others did not
initially believe the women, yet
Peter ran to the tomb anyway, he
said.
There was doubt in Peters heart,
together with many other worries:
sadness at the death of the beloved
Master and disillusionment for
having denied him three times
during his Passion, he said.
But still, something in Peters

Vatican: Pope Benedict is frail, but

his mind remains perfectly lucid

Vatican City - June 16, 2015. Pope emeritus Benedict XVI meets with seminarians
from the diocese of Faensa-Modigliana, Italy on June 16, 2015 at the Vatican Gardens.
DIOCESE OF FAENZA-MODIGLIANA

VATICAN, March 25,

2016 Although retired
Pope Benedict XVI is
growing more frail, there
are no particular concerns
or worries regarding his
health, a Vatican spokesman
said.
Jesuit Father Federico
Lombardi, the Vatican
spokesman, issued a
statement March 25 following
an interview with Archbishop
Georg Ganswein, the retired
popes personal secretary, in
which the archbishop said
Pope Benedict was slowly
fading.
In April, Pope Benedict
XVI turns 89 years old. He
is like a candle that is slowly,
serenely fading, as it happens
with many of us. He is calm, in
peace with God, with himself
and the world, Archbishop
Ganswein told the Italian
magazine BenEssere.
The retired popes personal
secretary added that Pope
Benedict still retains his
refined, subtle sense of
humor and remains fond
of cats.

Contessa and Zorro, two

cats that live in our gardens,
come often to say hello to the
pope emeritus, he said.
After questions were raised
regarding the aging pontiffs
health, Father Lombardi said
his condition does not raise
any particular concerns.
Of course, it is part of
the effects of old age and a
gradual, growing fragility
of the physical condition as
with any elderly person,
he said. (Pope Benedicts)
mind is perfectly lucid as
we recently witnessed in his
extraordinary interview with
an Italian publication.
In that interview, published
in mid-March with Belgian
Jesuit Father Jacques Servais,
Pope Benedict reflected on
the theme of mercy as a sign
of the times that shows
how, deep down, people still
experience a need for God.
Mercy is what moves us
toward God, while justice
makes us tremble in his
sight, he said. (Junno
Arocho Esteves/Catholic
News Service)

behavior had changed. Instead of

staying sedentary and remaining
at home with the others, Peter rose,
refusing to succumb to the somber
atmosphere in the days following
Jesus death or to be overcome by
his doubts.
Peter, the Pope said, was not
consumed by remorse, fear or
the continuous gossip that leads
nowhere.
He was looking for Jesus, not
himself. He preferred the path of
encounter and trust. And so, he got
up, just as he was, and ran towards
the tomb from where he would
return amazed.
This, Francis observed,
marked the beginning of Peters
resurrection, the resurrection of his
heart. Without giving in to sadness
or darkness, Peter made room for
hope: he allowed the light of God

to enter into his heart, without

smothering it.
Like Peter, the women also had
the same experience of awe when
they went to Jesus tomb with oil
and met the angel, who told them
that the Lord had risen, Francis
said, adding that like them, we cant
allow ourselves to be overcome by a
lack of hope.
Pope Francis stressed that there
will always be problems both
within and without, which wont
go away. Whats important, he said,
is to place them in the light of the
Risen Lord, and in a certain sense,
to evangelize them.
The resurrection of the Lord
is the foundation of our hope,
he said, clarifying that this hope
is neither mere optimism, nor a
psychological attitude or desire to
be courageous.

Rather, he said, Christian hope is

a gift that God gives us if we come
out of ourselves and open our hearts
to him.
Hope will never disappoint us
because we have been given the
Holy Spirit, the Pope said, noting
that the Spirit doesnt seek to make
things look appealing or remove
evil with a magic wand.
The Holy Spirit, he said, pours
into us the vitality of life, which is
not the absence of problems, but the
certainty of being loved and always
forgiven by Christ, who for us has
conquered sin, death and fear.
Pope Francis emphasized that
each person, after having met
Jesus, is then sent out by him to
proclaim the Easter message, and
to awaken and resurrect hope in
hearts burdened by sadness, in
those who struggle to find meaning
in life.
However, he cautioned that we
shouldnt proclaim ourselves, but
must rather be joyful servants of
hope who announce the Risen Lord
through our lives and the ways in
which we love.
Otherwise we will be only an
international organization full
of followers and good rules, yet
incapable of offering the hope for
which the world longs, he said.
Francis concluded his homily by
telling attendees that their hope can
be strengthened by following the
angels advice to the women in the
Gospel: Remember what [Jesus]
told you. He urged them to always
remember Jesus words and deeds,
otherwise we will lose hope.
He urged everyone to open
our hearts to hope and go forth,
praying that the constant memory
of Jesus works and words would be
the bright star which directs our
steps in the ways of faith toward
the Easter that will have no end.
(Elise Harris/CNA/EWTN
News)

Pope: Priests can be blinded by complex

theology, bubbly spirituality
VATICAN, March 24,
2016--Priests must identify
with people who are
excluded and not be blinded
by complex theology, an
excessively bubbly and
watered-down spirituality,
and worldliness that is more
and more accessible in the
digital age, Pope Francis said.
Priests can also be oppressed
by the allure of a thousand
commercial advertisements
that impede them from going
forward along paths that lead
us to love of our brothers and
sisters, to the Lords flock, to
the sheep who wait for the
voice of their shepherds,
he said March 24 during the
chrism Mass in St. Peters
Basilica.
However, Jesus comes to
redeem and transform them
from being poor and blind to
ministers of Gods mercy and
consolation.
Pope Francis presided over
the first of two Holy Thursday
liturgies, in which he blessed
the oils that will be used in
the sacraments of baptism,
confirmation, ordination and
the anointing of the sick. Later
in the day, he celebrated the
Holy Thursday Mass of the
Lords Supper at a refugee
center in Castelnuovo di Porto,
about 15 miles north of Rome.
Commemorating Jesus
institution of the priesthood,
Pope Francis led thousands of
priests, bishops and cardinals
surrounding the basilicas
main altar in renewing their
priestly vows. The pope
reflected on the days Gospel

Vatican City- March 24, 2016. Pope Francis celebrates the Chrism Mass on Holy
Thursday at St. Peters Basilica on March 24, 2016. CNA

reading from St. Luke, in

which Jesus proclaims
the fulfillment of Isaiahs
prophecy of the Lords
anointed one, who brings glad
tidings to the lowly, healing
to the brokenhearted and
liberty to those held captive,
releasing the imprisoned and
comforting those who mourn.
Despite encountering
opposition to his words,
Jesus passes through the
midst of all those who would
stop him and continues on
his way, the pope said.
Jesus does not fight to
build power. If he breaks
down walls and challenges
our sense of security, he does
this to open the floodgates of
that mercy which, with the
Father and the Holy Spirit,
he wants to pour out upon

our world, he said.

Gods mercy, he continued,
is infinite and continuously in
motion, often in small steps
that advance in areas where
indifference and violence
have predominated.
The parable of the Good
Samaritan, the pope said,
exemplifies the path of mercy
which gathers together small
gestures and allows it to
grow with each helpful sign
and act of love.
Pope Francis also called
on priests to follow the
example of the fathers everincreasing mercy, outlining
two areas where God shows
an excess in mercy.
Recalling Jesus parable,
the pope said the first area is
the joyful encounter between
the merciful father and the

prodigal son, an encounter

that serves as a reminder to
not be fearful of exaggerating
our gratitude to God.
Mercy restores everything;
it restores dignity to each
person. This is why effusive
gratitude is the proper
response: We have to go to
the party, to put on our best
clothes, to cast off the rancor
of the elder brother, to rejoice
and give thanks, he said.
The second area God exceeds
in mercy, he continued, is in
his forgiveness, which enables
Christians to move directly
from the most shameful
disgrace to the highest
dignity.
The pope added that the
proper response to the fathers
forgiveness is a healthy
tension between a dignified
shame and a shamed dignity
that allows one to seek a
humble place while allowing
the Lord to raise him up
for the good of the mission,
without complacency.
As ministers of Gods
overabundant mercy, Pope
Francis reminded the priests,
bishops and cardinals
present that growing in this
humbling dignity can help
them understand their true
calling.
It is people who are
poor, hungry, prisoners of
war, without a future, cast
to one side and rejected,
that the Lord transforms
into a priestly people, the
pope said. (Junno Arocho
Esteves/Catholic News
Service)

Let God know how much you love Him priest to faithful
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, March
27, 2016--Archdiocesan oeconomus
and Sto. Nio Parish co-pastor Fr.
Wilson Chu challenged the faithful
to make God feel their love.
He posed these questions: Do
you love God? Do you think that
God feels that you love Him? If
yes, why are you still [behaving
badly]? Why is it that we cannot give
ourselves to God? Why is it that we
cannot change our lives? Is it what

God really deserves?

Chu, who miraculously recovered
from dengue in time for the Paschal
Triduum last week, called on the
attendees of the Easter vigil to value
Christs Passion and death.
Offering to Jesus
Christ sacrificed his being a
God for us, he exclaimed with a
challenge.
What is it that we can offer to Him?

The priest added: The joy we

have right now comes from that
triumphant love of God [who] never
gives up in spite of what we have
done [and] continues to believe
in us in spite of our persistent
sinning.
Chu likewise called on the people
to continue being a light to others,
to offer themselves to others like
Jesus did, and to value relationships
because we are aware of their

(other peoples) sacrifices for us.

Underscoring the fact that
Easter is about joy after pain,
SNP co-parish priest Fr. Ronel
Taboso stressed the significance
of welcoming Easter through
participation in the Easter vigil,
dubbed the Mother of all Vigils
for Catholics.
More important than Christmas
Easter, he said, is far more

important than all the liturgical

celebrations in the Roman Catholic
Church, including Christmas and
feast days.
Taboso was likewise blessed to
have been discharged from hospital
confinement in time for the Paschal
Triduum, like Chu.
Archbishop John Du led the
Easter vigil at the Metropolitan Palo
Cathedral. (Eileen N. Ballesteros
/ CBCP News)

A4 OPINION

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

THERE are indications that the now deviant Philippine politics

by and large brought about by a good number of elected and
appointed errant public officials from the local to the national
levels of governmentis definitely not hopeless. This positive
outlook is by and large premised on some subsistent factors
which are rather well-known and not really hard to understand.
Filipinos in generalwith a good number of heroes and
heroines in their history such as during the Japanese occupation,
the shameless National Elections in 1978, and the Martial Law
Regime as a whole plus the world-known EDSA Revolution
can and do stand up to act, to protest, and to win over their
common enemies when duly challenged. They can fight back
when dared, can stand tall when belittled.
More Filipinos are also becoming more and more knowledgeable
and conscious of the personal liabilities as well as the individual
incompetence of public officials already holding government
positions. Likewise, more Filipinos are more and more
demanding and selective of the political candidates they elect
for government positions.
So it is that the following phenomena come to fore: Different
movements and organizations are formed for different procommon good objectives. Various groupings and sectors of
Philippine society are standing up and fighting for various worthy
causes from human rights to environment issues. Knowledgeable,
critical and active fellowships, and crusades against graft and
corrupt practices are coming to fore at their own option and risk.
All these are but signs of hope for a possible transformation of
Philippine politics for the common good and national progress.
Truth to tell, more and more Filipinos are getting tired of
incompetence in government, graft and corrupt practices,
criminality, bad governance, and poverty, among others.
In the meantime, let it be said then that even politics is subject
to the norms of ethics and provisions of morals. So it is that the
Church has her Social Doctrine about human rights, about the
morals of politics, the obligations of politicians, and the like.
Thus it is that as the State may not have an official religion,
clerics may not hold public Office with the exercise of civil power.
The Church, however, has the obligation to speak what is morally
right or wrong about politicsan obligation that brings about
hope for a better Philippines.

Charity amid political differences

WE should never think that charity is the odd man out in the
field of politics. Precisely because politics is fast becoming
like a contact game, sportsmanlike charity should be the main
character in it.
Charity and politics are not meant to fight each other. They
need each other. Charity should be the soul of politics. And
politics, given our social nature, should be one of the best
occasions where charity can be developed and lived fully. It
provides an excellent test to see if charity is authentic.
Charity is what makes us to be real men and women, not human
caricatures stretched and warped by our petty shenanigans.
Its what we need to live and have, if we want to keep our
humanity, sanity and sanctity intact. Its what leads us to truth
and objectivity, freedom, justice, fairness and mercy, especially
in our politics.
And so we just have to learn how to keep our emotions and
judgments in control, and to be quick to rectify our instinctive
or spontaneous reactions. Charity needs to spring first from the
heart, mind and will that should be vitally linked to God, and
then packaged with the best refinement we are capable of. Again,
especially in our politics.
We have to disabuse ourselves from the thought, sadly quite
common these days, that in politics some exceptions from charity
can be tolerated and even expected. We can feel free to insult,
attack, even make up charges, indulge in some below-the-belt
gimmicks No, thats not true at all.
The real test to see if we are doing politics truly proper to us is
when we manage to live charity even in the midst of the dizzying
variety of possibilities and conflicts politics can occasion. Its
when the heat generated by politics also fans the flames of love
for God and for the others.
What we should do in politics, whether we are politicians
or ordinary citizens and voters, is first of all to pray and offer
sacrifices, to see to it that our spiritual life is strong and healthy
before we enter into the intricacies of our unavoidable politics.
Never ignore this requirement. They are what will link our politics
to the very providence of God.
Then we have to know and study the issues well. In this regard,
we have to be open-minded and willing to listen to all sides as
much as possible. We should try to make a conscious effort to
reject biases and prejudices that we find to have no good basis.
Dialogues are crucial in this area. Thus, they should be conducted
in the most charitable way, always respectful of everyone no matter
how much we disagree with them. We should avoid inflammatory
rhetoric, rash judgments and tactless statements.
That the others do some anomalies is no excuse for us to do
the same things. Remember that charity is patient, is kind, it
does not envy, does not deal perversely, it is not puffed up, is
not ambitiousit bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things and endures all things. (1Cor 13,4-7)
Then we have to know and study the politicians and candidates.
This is the most tricky part, but we just have to try our best to
get a good picture especially of their integrity and competence,
the two basic elements to know about them.
Again here, its more of establishing the positive aspects rather
than of the negative side of the personalities involved. We have to
be careful to distinguish the traits that we think can serve the needs
of our political life, from the personal defects that should not be put
out in public unless they have some bearing in public life.
Then we have to really understand the essence of freedom
which should infuse every step of our political exercises. Freedom
and charity go together always, and they give more importance
to the persons than to the issues. Our attitude to politics should
have this basic orientation.

Monitor
CBCP

ILLUSTRATION BY BLADIMER USI

Signs of hope

Living Mission

Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

Eucharist in
contemporary Asia

Year of Eucharist and Family Reflection

THE local Churches throughout all of
Asia regularly come together to share
their commitment to missionary evangelization through an assembly known
as the Federation of Asian Bishops
Conferences (FABC). Asias bishops
assert that witnessing and preaching
the Gospel today demands that the
Church enter into a triple dialogue
with Asias people, especially the poor,
Asias rich cultures, and Asias diverse
religions. Following this valid and helpful paradigm, we can reflect on how the
Eucharist is related to this three-fold
dialogue of FABC.
Feeding the Hungers of the Poor.
Asia, including the Philippines, is a continent rich in cultures and traditions;
its peoples are rich in human and religious values. However, large numbers
of people live in situations of poverty,
powerlessness, marginalization, victimization, and suffering.
These people are not poor in human values and potential; they are
poor only in that they are deprived
of access to material goods and resources which they need to live with
dignity. They cannot ensure stable
living conditions for themselves
and their families. Often, oppressive social, economic, and political
structures keep them from enjoying
a dignified life.

The Church is called to help feed the

many hungers of the poor, following
the example of Christ who voluntarily
became poor to enrich us through his
poverty (2Cor 8:9). A Christian realizes
that whatever is done to ones neighbor
is actually done to Christ (Mt 25:40).
A truly Eucharistic Christian community will try to live a simple lifestyle; it will also engage in active social
intervention, seeking to be a prophetic
communityaddressing the diverse
hungers of the poor.
Eucharist and Asian Cultures.
To fulfill its mission of evangelization
in Asia, the Church must engage a wide
variety of cultures. A profound vision
underlies this endeavor: the emergence
of genuine communities of faith in Asia.
These Christian communities must be,
according to the FABC, Asian in their
way of thinking, praying, living, and
in communicating their own Christian
experience to others.
This incarnational approach does
not jeopardize the Church; rather, it
fosters genuine catholicity. As Pope
Francis notes: When properly understood, cultural diversity is not a threat
to Church unity (EG 117). Thus, liturgy
and sacraments take on cultural expressions of the local people. In this way,
the enfleshment of the Body of Christ is
realized in the life of particular peoples.

Illumination from
the empty tomb
MAY mga penitensya pa
ba sa Pilipinas? emailed
a friend, an Ateneo graduate, living abroad for many
years now. As a child she
used to gawk at them in her
hometown in Pampanga.She
commented that these masochistic flagellants reflect a
pervasive sense of worthlessness that infects the national
consciousness which in turn
keeps the country in stagnation. This friend (who has
a yen for psychoanalysis)
thinks Filipinos are used to
suffering and enjoy being
victims, thus they have endured centuries of injustice to

their own detriment.She sees

poverty and ignorance as the
main culprits in the countrys
state of affairs and thinks the
solution lies in educating the
people and eradicating graft
and corruption. Of course,
I emailed her a piece of my
mind as well. It follows:
I observe that the flagellants come from the lower
socio-economic echelons and
would not be in a position to
analyze their penchant for
blood-letting in the same
way an Atenean probably
would. Yes, they looked at
the forsaken Jesus and probably identified with the man

Candidly Speaking

Inculturated liturgy, the Eucharist in

particular, will contribute significantly
to a richly developed and authentic
spirituality for Asian Christians. Undoubtedly, in this growth and evolution,
the Holy Spirit is leading the Churches of
Asia to integrate culture and faith. Such
inculturated faith will be Asias special
gift to the universal Church.
Eucharist as Source of Dialogue.
The theological-pastoral reflections
used at the Cebu Eucharistic Congress
contain rich insights into the Eucharist
and its relation to dialogue in Asia.
Through our active participation in the
Eucharistic celebration, we enter into
a communion of life with the triune
God because we are inserted into the
dialogue of life and salvation that God
has initiated with all peoples to accomplish his design of salvation. Thus,
the Eucharist shines forth as a unique
experience of Gods dialogue with us and
our response to God: a dialogue of life,
a dialogue of love.
Already at their first Plenary Assembly
in 1974, the Bishops of Asia (FABC) noted that the Church needs to be in continuous, humble and loving dialogue
with the living traditions, the cultures,
the religions of the Asian continent.
As noted earlier, this triple dialogue
approach to evangelization retains its
validity todayover four decades later!

And Thats The Truth

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

on the cross butI would

venture a guessnot out of
a deep sense of victimhood
as a people. Their horizon
is within arms reach, orbaranggay-wide in some cases,
and they wouldnt be bothered by history, let alone link
their present condition to a
past of indignities the colonizers subjected their great
great great grandparents to.
As a growing girl and later
on as mainstream media
person, I myself had been
privileged to get acquainted
with a handful of them. Thats
practically all Im basing my
observations onperson

to person contact. Most, if

not all of them, live a notch
above or below poverty line.
They can barely make both
ends meet but they can always persuade Aling Belay
at the cornersari-saristore
to spare them a bottle of lapad or quatro cantos (read
Marka Dimonyo) at the end
of each harrowing day. And
for them every godforsaken
day is harrowing.When you
are poor and ignorant, it is
hard to believe you have any
choice.
But their self-immolation
is a choice, their choice
And Thats the Truth / A5

The Easter spirit

Fr. Roy Cimagala

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

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News Editor

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The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the

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CHRIST, our savior, is risen, never to

die again. This is the greatest news of all
time. Nothing can outshine it. And with
it, a dam-burst of happy consequences
come our way.
The only thing that can nullify this news
is our freedom, that is, when we would
stupidly use it to deny Christ, either
openly or secretly, without repenting.
Yes, Peter, the head of the apostles, came
close to it by denying him, not only once,
but three times, but he repented. That is
the difference between our salvation and
condemnation, between our glorification
and perdition.
With Christs resurrection which by
the way came as a result of his death on

the cross and never separated from it,

all possible sins and their consequences,
especially the worst one which is our
eternal death, have been conquered.
What great joy we are given with this
piece of news!
With Christs resurrection, we are
given a way out of all our predicaments,
no matter how bad, ugly, and humanly
insoluble they are. If we only unite
ourselves with Christ, that is, if we are
willing to go through all his suffering
and death, we too, with him, can also
have our resurrection. Victory is actually
guaranteed for us already.
Of course, we have to understand that
Christs passion, death, and resurrection

summarize all his teaching. And so, if we

are willing to go through Christs paschal
mystery, we should at least have tried to
live by his teaching.
Yes, we should try our best to be
most consistent to Christs teaching
and example, but we also know that
observance of Christs teaching is not
perfect, and in fact is full of deviations.
Just the same, as long as we have the
intention, as long as we repent when we
fall, then the fruits of Christs redemptive
work can still be
ours. Thats what divine mercy is all
about.
The only sin that cannot be forgiven or
Candidly Speaking / A7

CBCP Monitor

By the Roadside
Fr. Eutiquio Euly Belizar, Jr. SThD

THE question appears odd, if a bit

threatening in itself?
What, after all, is the Filipino nation
but a multi-colored, multi-layered,
multi-cultural blend of Filipino families?
No Filipino families, no Filipino nation.
It seems that simple.
But it is not.
That the Filipino prizes his family
extra highly is beyond doubt. Every day
thousands leave the country to look for
better-paying jobs to provide better
foryou guessed right, their families.
Even politicians are not exempted, else
they would not move heaven and earth
in and out of election season just so
their families could get into power or
remain there for as long as possible.
In the Philippines, as in other parts of
the globe, power is the key to wealth
and everything else human society
considers worth having or pursuing. The
Marcoses. The Aquinos. The Estradas.
The Duranos. The Binays. The Osmeas.
The Dutertes. The Cayetanos. The list is
endless. These are only some of Filipino
families that have ruled parts or all of
the country, the end-result being more
Filipino families having less than their
counter-parts who hold power or are in
control of the countrys wealth; in the
Philippines the one is often the other,
or vice versa.

Is the Filipino family a

Commentary
threat to the Filipino nation? Marcus Roberts

Consider also the many variations of

the story of the culture of corruption.
From the small fries, such as government
employees who gently expect/demand
cash gifts to speed up the services they,
in the first place, are salaried to provide
hapless members of the public to the
big-time crooks who steal millions and
billions the legal way by way of (but not
limited to) the DAP, PDAF etc., there
are family members who are willing
and active beneficiaries or participants.
Remember the crooked generals sons
who were caught in a foreign country
with plenty of cash later traced to the
Philippine treasury? Or the daughter of
an alleged billions-of-pesos plunderer
who flaunted a lifestyle that not only
kept up with the Joneses but even
exceeded them as well. Families like
them are definitely not assets to the
Filipino nation. Now multiply their
ranks by the number of those who
they successfully buy votes from or sell
influence to, and you arrive at a picture
of a nation hardly anyone can be proud
of or work happily for.
Many a writer or observer have
remarked that Filipinos love their
families so much that little is left
for the country. One could even add
that some sacrifice so much for their
families at the expense of the country;

Protecting our
environment
SUMMER time: Unlike
in previous years, now we
can feel the extreme and
oppressive heat of summer.
Scientists claim that this
excessive heat is due to global
warming or climate change,
caused by the thinning
ozone layer. Global warming
and climate change refer
to the rise in the average
temperature of the Earths
climate and its related effects.
Scientific evidence shows
that the climate system is
warming. Most of additional
energy stored in the climate
system has gone into ocean
warming. The remainder
has melted ice, warmed
the continents, and the
atmosphere.
The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) reported in 2014 that
scientists were more than 95%
certain that global warming
is mostly being caused by
increasing concentrations of
greenhouse gases (GHG) and
other human (anthropogenic)
activities. Anticipated effects
include warming global
temperature, rising sea levels,
changing precipitation, and
expansion of deserts in the
subtropics. Warming is
expected to be greater over

OPINION A5

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

land than over the oceans and

greatest in the Arctic, with the
continuing retreat of glaciers,
permafrost, and sea ice.
Other likely changes include
more fre que nt e xtre me
weather events, including
heat waves, droughts, heavy
rainfall with floods and heavy
snowfall, ocean acidification;
and species extinctions due to
shifting temperature. Effects
significant to humans include
the threat to food security
from decreasing crop yields
and the abandonment of
populated areas due to rising
sea levels.
Possible societal responses
to global warming include
mitigation by emission
reduction, adaptation to its
effects, building systems
resilient to its effects, and
possible future climate
engineering. Most countries
are parties to the United
Nations Framework
Conve ntion on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), whose
ultimate objective is to prevent
dangerous anthropogenic
climate change. Parties to
the UNFCCC agreed that
deep cuts in emissions are
required and that future
global warming should be
limited to below 2.0 C

in fact, a few Filipinos have proven

themselves able to rob their country
blind for the sake of their families. It is
in this sense that, I agree, the Filipino
family could be a threat to the Filipino
nation.
But if the Filipino family were to be
true to Christ Jesus, it would also be,
like Christ Jesus, be able to leave self
behind, even to the point of kenosis
or self-emptying individually and
collectively. It would also take up the
cross of observing the Gospel of justice
and of peace, of brotherhood and of
solidarity in community, of service to
the poor and the oppressed, of honesty
to the point of being truly horrified by
the least undeserved gain or profitall
of this beginning in the family and, by
collective effort, made to overflow into
society. It would not spend for the family
what belongs to the country. It would
not hesitate to die to blind political
ambition so that true and needed
servants may live and lead. It would
not seek Paradise for the family while
the nation remains in limbo. It would
commend its spirit in the Father, not in
money, party or ideology.
All we are saying here is that the truly
Christian Filipino family, far from being
a threat, will certainly be a treat to the
Filipino nation.

Duc In Altum
Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

(3.6 F) relative to the preindustrial level.

On November 12, 2015,
NASA scientists reported that
human-made carbon dioxide
continues to increase above
levels not seen in hundreds of
thousands of years: currently,
about half of the carbon
dioxide released from the
burning of fossil fuels is not
absorbed by vegetation and
the oceans and remains in the
atmosphere.
***
During his visit to ground
zero in Tacloban, Former
Vice President of the United
States and environmentalist
Al Gore, gave the projected
impact on the Philippines
should temperatures continue
to rise despite the 2-degree
limit in carbon emissions
set by the Paris Climate
Accord in December 2015.
He said We are seeing the
loss of endangered species.
Already, the Philippine
eagle is endangered. He
also presided over the 3-day
Climate Reality Leadership
Training Corps where
he stated that 50% of all
living species on the planet,
including the endemic birds
in the Philippines, would

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

be lost in a century if we
dont arrest this dangerous
trend. He also said that
2015 was the hottest year
and the last month was the
372nd consecutive month
with global temperature
higher than the 20th century
average.
We are now in the midst of
El Nio and dry spell. El Nio
is a large-scale meteorological
phenomenon that develops in
the Pacific Ocean commonly
associated with drought in
the Philippines. It does not
only cause drought, it also
brings stronger typhoons, but
this is expected only in the
latter part of the year. Two
recent typhoons that hit the
country, Marilyn and Nona,
helped provide relief from El
Nios effects, especially in
rice-producing regions.
***
In his Encyclical, Laudato
Si, Pope Francis promotes
care for our Mother Nature.
He said Let us be protectors of
creation, protectors of Gods
plan, inscribed in nature,
protectors of one another
and of the environment.
He further said God always
forgives; human beings
Duc in Altum / A7

Heart

Fr. Alan Gozo Bondoc, SVD

WHEN we pray, what kind of heart do

we present to God? People honor Him
with their lips, but their hearts are far
from Him. God is concerned not with
the words that we say in prayer but in
the disposition of our hearts. In fact,
even without words He can still hear us
through the beating of our hearts, our
unspoken desires and fears.
If our hearts is the true compass
that leads us to God, it would be wise
to think about the things that could
block us from fully experiencing and
encountering God fully our life. I will
use the word HEART as an acronym to
talk about a few of these things.
HATRED. We cannot love fully if there
is hatred in us. Hatred blinds us from
seeing the goodness in others. Hatred
draws us away from understanding
others and putting ourselves in their
shoes. Hatred is a high wall that cuts
down relationships with no hopes for
reconciliation.
ENVY. We envy because we fail to
value ourselves as a person. Envy draws
us to obsess over other peoples things
and circumstances, things we wish to
possess because we believe if we have
them, we will finally be happy. Envy

leads us to despise others.

ANGER. It becomes a sin if we hold
on to it for a long time. Anger is like a
stone carried around in our hearts. The
longer we carry it without letting up, it
hardens our heart.
RESENTMENT. It is like a cancer that
eats our heart. It is caused by planting
anger into our hearts for so long that it
creates roots already. It kills the love and
goodness in us. It leads us to look at life
skeptically and with pessimism.
TIMIDITY. It brings us to believe that
we are worthless and of no value. It is
for this reason that we hide ourselves
in darkness. It destroys our faith and
weakens our soul.
God is inviting us to change and heal
our hearts. To fill our hearts with His
presence. We could experience Him
if we place these things in our heart.
Again, I will use the word HEART to
show us the way.
HAPPINESS. It a personal decision.
We can choose to be happy. Happiness is
a choice of the heart and not dependent
on circumstances. Happiness is not
about getting what we want but loving
what we already have in us. We are
blessed and gifted by God.

ENCOURAGEMENT. It brings hope

and inner strength. It draws us to a
deeper faith that all shall be well with
God. Courage is not the absence of fear
but having faith that is bigger than our
fear.
APPRECIATION. It gives life to
others. It has the power to uplift the
fallen spirit, to heal the broken heart,
and to enliven the weary soul. It makes
us see the goodness of others and in
ourselves as well.
RESPECT. It is another word for love
and care. We give value to the dignity
of a human person. There is respect
because we see the image of God in
others.
THANKSGIVING. A heart that is filled
with thankfulness is a heart full of love
and joy. Gratefulness is to see everything
as a blessing from God.
It is good to pray with a heart that
is free from Hatred, Envy, Anger,
Resentment, and Timidity.
It is better to pray with a heart filled
with Happiness, Encouragement,
Appreciation, Respect, and
Thanksgiving.
Lift up our hearts and let it give praise
to God.

The growth of the

Catholic Church
HAPPY Easter everyone! I thought that todays topic was
appropriate for the season...The Vatican has just released its
statistics on the recent size and growth of the Catholic Church
throughout the world which are contained within the 2016
Pontifical Yearbook, and the 2014 Annuarium Statisticum
Ecclesiae.
These statistics show that throughout the period studied
(the ten years 2005-2014) the number of Catholics increased
from 1.12 billion to 1.27 billion. This represents a growth rate
faster than that of the global population meaning that as a
proportion of the world there were slightly more Catholics in
2014 than in 2005.
As the Catholic news Agency reports, certain areas of the
world saw massive growth in the number of Catholics:
The greatest increase in Catholics was seen in the African
continent at 41 percent, amid an overall population growth
of 23.8 percent. This was followed by Asia, with a 20 percent
Catholic increase vs. the 9.6 percent population increase,
then America which saw an 11.7 percent increase in Catholics
compared to 9.6 percent of the population.
In contrast, in Europe the growth of Catholics only kept
pace with population growth while in Oceania the overall
population growth was slightly larger than that of the Catholic
population.
The number of bishops worldwide increased in line with
the overall growth of Catholics, as did the number of diocesan
and religious priests. However, there was a decline in the
number of new priests in Europe and Oceania. The number
of permanent deacons increased in Africa, but overall there
was a decline worldwide. Similarly, there was worldwide
decline in the number of female religious, but an increase in
Africa and Asia.
The number of seminarians for the priesthood also
slightly increased from 114,439 in 2005 to 116,939 in 2014.
This number peaked in 2011 at 120,616. The number of
seminarians was consistently highest in Africa, Asia, and
Oceania, while Europe and America saw a decline in the
number of seminarians.
Now, one can dispute the definition of a Catholicshould
we use it to apply to someone who is baptized, but is not
practicing? Your answer would probably depend on your view
of the nature and effect of baptism. However, there is little
doubt that the medium-term future of the Catholic Church
in terms of numbers of laity and religious is not Europe but
Africa and Asia.
(Republished with permission from MercatorNet)
And Thats the Truth / A4

Vatican pronouncements
notwithstanding.They flagellate themselves because its a
panata, a vow to be honored
year after year as their way of
expressing remorse for their
sins. They are happy that
way. They may feel worthless in their sinfulness but
not hopeless in their bloodletting. Being whipped and
nailed on the cross is for them
reliving the pasyon ni Hesus peculiar, perhaps, but
it is their imitation of Christ.
These Holy Week masochists are by no means the sole
barometer of our national
spiritual climate. It would
be myopicnot to mention
unjustto say that Filipinos
bear in their collective psyche
the sense of worthlessness
that has made them endure
centuries of injustice and
that keeps the country in a
perpetual state of stagnation.
Let me ask you:How many
flagellants do we have every year? Hundreds? How
many get crucified?
Two?Three?For every penitent bleeding himself clean
during semana santa, how
many pleasure-seekers
troop to the beaches oblivious of the pasyon? If we
have masochists, we also
have hedonists by the
thousands; is it a feeling of
worthlessness that drives
them to escape the dour Holy
Week spirit? For every dozen
who choose holiday over Holy
Week, how many hundreds of
thousands of Filipinos stay
put in the cityflocking to the
churches for the Seven Last
Words, going on avisita iglesiawith families and friends,
attending the Easter vigil
vibrating with anticipation,
as though awaiting the very
birth of Christ itself? Can
you honestly say that we as a
people have in our core this
sense of worthlessness? Is
progress elusive because we
are used to suffering?
Gotcha!
As a people, we are where
we areand no president
or Poncio Pilato can save
usnot because we are used

to suffering but because

we are afraid to suffer for
Christ s sake!Sa totoo lang,
tita, we run away from the
Cross!Those who are already
suffering from poverty and
ignorance are caught in a
rut because those who are
in a position to help them
out are unwilling to suffer
with them.Our concept and
practice of charity even tend
to perpetuate the status quo
when do-gooders help the
poor placate their conscience
while the poor use their poverty as an excuse for their
slothfulness. Thats the real
picture: rich and poor alike,
educated or not, refuse to
walk the extra mile to unite
and improve things for the
country!People are too comfortable in their own little
worlds to bother looking at
the big picture, much as less
to work towards building the
Kingdom of God !
So you see, even though
poverty and ignorance is our
problem, it is a mistake to
think that money and education alone can liberate us from
these twin evils. We still find
in all economic levels people
who are never satisfied with
the money they are makingthey feel impoverished
if they cannot have more,
more, more. We have more
and supposedly better schools
now than our grandfathers
who were raised oncatonever
did, and yet we still encounter
soul-searing ignorance even
among our PhDs.
Thanks to Lea Salonga and
Manny Pacquiao, our masses
can now proclaim they are
proud to be Pinoyweve
come a long way from feeling worthless, havent we?
and yet our flagellants have
remained with us for centuries now, like indelible footprints of a bygone era.And in
our collective ignorance we
blame anything but ourselves
for the moribund state our
country is in.
We are in the dark and we
do not know it.The solution
to the problem of poverty
And Thats the Truth / A7

A6 FEATURES

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Post-Yolanda expos: Schools

built with substandard materials
NEARLY three years after
super typhoon Yolanda,
an international nongovernment organizations
school construction project
for survivors on this island
reveals that government
contractors built public
schools using sub-standard
materials and continues to
do so.
According to Peter Timm,
Caritas Switzerlands
technical delegate for its
school construction projects
on this island, remnants of
school structures damaged
by the super typhoon show
that contractors chosen by the
Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH) built
public schools with limestone,
beach sand, and sea water,
materials unsuited for
construction.
[For] the previous schools,
they used limestone. They
used beach sand and on the
island they use also sea water
to construct the building. You
can see this when you see the
damage [after Yolanda], its
clear that they used limestone
and beach sand, he explained
during an exclusive interview
with CBCP News on March 21.
He stressed: The building
will collapse if you dont use
the correct materials.
Wrong materials
Beach sands natural
qualities, together with
the particular moistness of
limestone, explained Timm,
destroys the integrity of steel
reinforcements, causing
corrosion.
The concrete breaks, then

Several schools in Bantayan Island, Cebu have been found to have been constructed using substandard materials. The Pili
Elementary School in Madridejos, however, was built under a Caritas Switzerland project that ensured it was structurally sound
and disaster-ready. NIRVA DELACRUZ

its finished, said the German

construction engineer, noting
also that limestone is too soft
to make durable concrete.
During a briefing with the
media on Monday, Timm, who
has supervised construction
in various countries not just in
Germany but in Afghanistan,
Haiti, and Africa, among
others, also mentioned seeing
a damaged school fitted with
bamboo reinforcements
instead of steel.
He specifically mentioned
an ongoing DPWH school
construction in Bunakan,
Madridejos also on this island by
a certain Gonzales construction
company that uses the wrong
kind of reinforcements.
The said contractor uses
green-tipped reinforcements
for a 2-storey building, which,
Timm said, should use a yellow
one, a sturdier, bigger type.
They start already
with the construction and
again, they use the wrong
reinforcements.

Unfinished buildings
According to Timm, who
oversees the details of Caritas
Switzerlands post-Yolanda
school construction projects
on the island together with the
NGO Emergency Architects,
pre-Yolanda construction
mistakes continue
unaddressed in ongoing
rehabilitation efforts.
He said: In Kinatarcan, it
was unbelievable. They built
18 classrooms with the wrong
materials, with the wrong
reinforcements and it was a
disaster.
Government contractors,
according to Timm,
apparently fail to deliver
complete services to the
communities in need.
And it also they do not
finish the buildings. They (the
buildings) are not painted,
they have no electricity
But they said, The money
is all out, we will stop
construction, added the

community mobilizer.
According to Rafonzel
Roska, junior social manager
of the NGOs school
construction projects, the
Caritas Switzerland staff had
repeatedly contacted the
DPWH to call their attention
about their findings but their
calls and messages have
remained unanswered.
Caritas Switzerland
officially turned over on
March 21 its second school,
Malbago Elementary School,
which was completely
damaged by super typhoon
Yolanda. After construction
and special retrofitting, the
school can withstand 7.2
magnitude earthquakes and
super typhoons.
Swiss Ambassadress Andrea
Reichlin as well as Caritas
Switzerland chief delegate
Marcel Reymond were
present at the schools simple
ribbon-cutting and blessing
ceremony. (Nirvaana Ella
Delacruz/CBCP News)

Journos / A1

Our values as Christians are reflected

in the stories we make, at least the basic
ones, by being fair, by being honest,
stressed Raffy in an interview.
Since they cant sound preachy while
on air, the Umalis make it a point to let
their non-verbal gestures do most of the
evangelization on their behalf.
Religion as profession
According to Mariz, they always try
to find balance between religion and
profession by being prudent, fair, sensitive,
and responsible media practitioners.
After all, these are values consistent
with the Churchs teaching.
These are the basic tenets of
journalism and the basic tenets of
Christianity, Raffy noted.
Off cam, the couple relish those rare,
precious moments they spend alone
together like watching movies, eating
out, diving, or going out of town.
But more often than not, when
not mouthing scripts in the name of
Serbisyong Totoo, Mariz can be spotted
reading the greatest script of all time
Scripturesat Sacred Heart Parish in
Kamuning on a Sunday as a lector, or
crowning images of the Blessed Virgin
wherever one is scheduled.
The Marian devotee shared she was
only a girl of seven when her mother
introduced her and her siblings to a
ministry in the church.
Proud Catholic
Of course, that was not the first time
we stepped together inside the church
But that was the time my mom brought
us there for us to become members of

the Sacred Heart Parish Choir. So I was

seven, my other sibling was six, and the
youngest was four. That early, we were
already exposed to the serving Christ
through a ministry in the parish, she
said.
A Catholic from head to foot, Mariz
counts Sts. Clare of Assisi, Rita of
Cascia, Thrse of Lisieux, and our very
own Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila and Pedro
Calungsod of Cebu among her heavenly
barkadas.
Moreover, she considers her coverage
of the canonization of Popes John
Paul II and John XXIII in Rome as the
highlight of her career.
When the relics of St. Clare was
brought here [at GMA], one of the things
I asked through her intercession was for
me to be sent [by the management] to
the Vatican to cover the canonizations
of Pope John Paul II and Pope John
XXIII, she said.
A veteran of the World Youth Day held
in Manila in 1995, Mariz boasted it was a
dream come true and an experience of a
lifetime witnessing personally John Paul
IIs raising to the altar.
It was a big deal for me, really. I felt
like it was the closest thing to meeting
him Its as though I now have a direct
line to heaven, she said.
Ecumenical marriage
Meanwhile, Raffy credits his Christian
upbringing for making him more
accepting of the views and beliefs of
others.
As the son of an anthropologist who
was a former Protestant minister at that,
he was exposed to different cultures as

a child.
In Zambales where he grew up among
the Aetas, Raffy learned the importance
of giving.
Through the Christian foundation
the elder Tima put up, the father and
son were able to help those in need
regardless of color or creed.
Three years after their wedding
they exchanged vows on Dec. 8, 2012,
feast of the Immaculate Conception, at
Santuario de San Jos in San Juanthe
couple attended Couples for Christs
Christian Life Program (CLP).
Although CLP is Catholic-based, its
fundamentals are Christian, so in a way it
is just a continuation of my background
[in Zambales], explained Raffy, a
Protestant, thanking the CLPand
Mariz for rekindling his relationship
with the Lord.
For her part, Mariz feels happy her
husband doesnt allow theological
differences get in the way of a richer
married life.
In fact, Raffy goes with her to the
various Marian events she has marked
in her calendar. And whenever she prays
the Rosary, he patiently joins, silently
listening and waiting for her to finish.
I find it amazing that I have a support
like his. Thats why the things we mistake
for challenges, like not having enough
time for each other, or sometimes being
apart because of assignments out of
town or abroad, all of these we are able
to overcome, thanks to the strong faith
that we have in Christ, because we have
Christ at the center of our relationship.
(Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP
News)

Money / A1

So it is that the dramatis

personae in this sad story
of loot and theft are many
including cyber-criminals,
colluding bank executives,
probably even government
officials and public servants,
said Villegas, president of the
131-member CBCP.
Detestable activity
The bishops lamented
how government sanctionedgambling, particularly online
betting, continue to thrive
in the country even if many
countries have already made
them illegal, criminal even.
Villegas said many
foreigners make their way
into the country only to place
online bets and indulge in

the varied forms that this

detestable activity takes.
Repeatedly, they said,
large-scale and organized
gambling has been linked to
organized crimelike money
laundering.
However, they lamented,
casinos continue to flourish
because the government
allowed them to do so.
And while we are not
prepared to say that all gambling
in the Philippines is crimerelated, we are alarmed at the
seeming lukewarmness on the
part of government and civil
society at dealing with these
forms of high-stakes, high-risk
gambling, stressed Villegas.
The Church reiterated
its position against casinos,

emphasizing that gambling

and upright moral value
cannot flourish side by side.
It is common knowledge
that fortunes have been lost,
families have been wrecked,
futures shattered at casino
tables, Villegas said.
Wheres mercy?
Earlier, Cardinal Luis
Antonio Tagle of Manila
has also lashed out at
the multimillion money
laundering scandal.
In his Palm Sunday homily
at the Manila Cathedral, he
said the recent controversy
only shows some peoples
unbridled hunger for money
and power.
The cardinal did not

specifically mention the

ongoing senate probe on the
issue, but the reference was
obvious when he spoke on the
start of the Holy Week.
How can we learn from
the mercy of Jesus in a world
where theres a lot of violence
and stealing Millions of
dollars are being transferred
and until now I dont know
everybody is washing
their hands, Tagle said.
Where is mercy? Where is
compassion?
The bishops vowed to
vigilantly monitor the
gambling industry, alert
authorities to illegal activities
and educate the faithful on
the immorality of gambling
in whatever form.

CBCP Monitor

PH Church prays for Lahore

after suicide attack
PHILIPPINE bishops
expressed solidarity with
Pakistan after a suicide
attack in Pakistan killed 65
people on Eastern Sunday.
Most casualties were
women and children while
around 300 others were
injured when the blast hit
the crowded Gulshan-eIqbal Park in Lahore.
A Taliban splinter group
claimed the attack, saying
it has targeted Christians
celebrating Easter.
Cardinal Tagle, who
heads Rome-based Caritas
Internationalis, deplored
the attack and continued
violence.
The spread of evil
continues, those who are
blind and numb to the
exploitation of life and ones
dignity, Tagle told Radio
Veritas on Monday.

But the cardinal urged

the faithful and those hurt
by anti-Christian violence
not to let these persecutions
destroy their faith.
Let us not lose hope
Dont let the evil defeat
our faith, Tagle added,
as he assured prayers for
the victims of the attack
and their families for the
conversion of heart of the
perpetrators.
For Bishop Ruperto
Santos, wrong ideology has
caused the attack, including
recent violence in Belgium,
Turkey and Iraq.
This shows that a wrong
ideology causes violence and
deaths of innocent people,
said Santos, who chairs
the bishops Commission
on Migrants and Itinerant
People. (Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)

Cardinal Tagle warns against

deceptive pearly gates
A TOP Philippine churchman
warned the faithful against
falling into the traps of
tombs disguised as pearly
gates to entice many people.
Cardinal Luis Antonio
Tagle of Manila said the
people are facing many
signs of deaths caused by
materialism, worldliness,
and hunger for recognition,
money and power.
Among these, he said
include the tombs of vices,
illegal drugs corruption,
abuse of women, children and
the helpless, consumerism,
human trafficking, violence,
among others.
All of these, new tombs,
but they are presented like
they are mansions, promising
a good life, a successful life
but tombs, Tagle said.
The cardinal on Saturday
evening presided over the
Easter vigil Mass at the Manila
Cathedral, with more than 2,000
churchgoers in attendance.
Christians around the
world marked the greatest
feast of the Church calendar
today as they remember
Jesus Christs resurrection.
In his homily, Cardinal

Tagle stressed that these

tombs does not only mean
death due to poverty, hunger
and wars but also death of
cultures.
The death of profound
wisdoms being killed by
superficiality and cultures
that pretend to be superior,
he said.
But Tagle concluded his
homily with a message of
hope, saying that love and
hope prevail as long people
search for Jesus and have
seen and proclaim the power
of His resurrection.
Easter is a time to look
for Jesus. Those who look
for Jesus will find Jesus,
he also said. What are we
looking for? It it Jesus? Ask
your heart.
Jesus is truly risen. Let us
search for him. We will find
him. He will find us, and go
to the rest of the world telling
the Good News, Tagle said.
The Easter service, which
started with Tagle holding
a candle while entering
the hushed and darkened
cathedral, included a
baptism of four catechumens.
(CBCPNews)

Country needs leader who can

heal wounds, says priest
WHAT the Philippines needs
at this time is a national
leader who can heal wounds
of society, according to a
Catholic priest.
Biking priest Father
Amado Picardal, a known
peace advocate, said the
next leader should have a
track record of not being a
divider but of bringing people
together to get meaningful
things done.
Can this leader help heal
the wounds of the Philippines
or can just cause the wounds
to deteriorate, said Picardal,
executive secretary of the
bishops Committee on
Basic Ecclesial Communities
(BECs).
The priest, known for
biking around the country
bringing the message of
peace, made the statement
during an election forum
organized by Radio Veritas
on March 14.
Picardal is particularly
hoping candidates have a
clear platform on how to

end the conflict in Southern

Philippines.
He said to be a healer,
one should understand the
historical context of the
Mindanao conflict and learn
from both sides.
There are historical roots
for the conflicts that we have
to understand. A leader must
be able to understand what
caused these wounds, he
pointed out.
He
added
that
reconciliation can be made if
leaders look into the peoples
common grounds, and that
as Filipinos, we are brothers
and sisters.
Once we do not
acknowledge that, it will
really be difficult, explained
Picardal.
He also said: For Christian
settlers, it is the land of
promise. For Muslims and
Lumads, it is their ancestral
land. We have to begin
with the common ground.
We are all Filipinos! (Roy
Lagarde/CBCPNews)

Attacks / A1

We pray that they realize

their evil deeds, selfish and
sinful ideologies and reject
the paths of death. All those
guilty and harboring death
should have contrition and
conversion, said Santos.
At the Vatican, Pope
Francis also deplored the
blind violence which caused
so much suffering and
offered his condolences to
the victims.
In his message to

Archbishop Jozef De Kesel

of Mechelen-Brussels, the
pontiff entrusted to Gods
mercy those who died and,
in prayer, he shared the pain
of their loved ones.
Learning of the attacks in
Brussels, which have affected
many people, His Holiness
Pope Francis entrusts to
Gods mercy those who died
and, in prayer, he shares the
pain of their loved ones, the
message said. (CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor

FEATURES A7

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Bishop seeks protection

for domestic workers
BALANGA, BataanA
Catholic bishop has demanded
for more protection of Filipino
domestic workers after a new
study showed that domestic
work is largely undervalued
and unprotected.
Bishop Ruperto Santos of
Balanga said the Philippine
government must stand up for
the rights of local and overseas
domestic workers, stressing
their vulnerability to abuse.
The reason why we are
always appealing and we
are always promoting the
rights and the dignity of our
OFWs, Santos, who chairs
the bishops commission for
the pastoral care of migrants,
told Radio Veritas.
No social security
A total of 60 million of the
worlds 67 million domestic
workers have no access to
any kind of social security
coverage, the International
Labour Organization (ILO)
said on Monday.
When domestic workers
become old or injured, they
are fired, without a pension or
adequate income support. This
can and must be redressed,
said Isabel Ortiz, head for
social protection department
of the UN labor agency.
The report noted that vast
majority of domestic workers
are women, accounting for
80 per cent of all workers in

Palo Archbishop John Du joins the clergy in blessing fronds on Palm Sunday joyfully
waved by the churchgoers reliving the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
EILEEN BALLESTEROS

Filipino maids gather around the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. KC TAN

the sector globally.

It added that the largest
gaps in social security
coverage for domestic
work are concentrated in
developing countries, with
Asia and Latin America
representing 68 per cent of
domestic workers worldwide.
Confiscated passports
However, the study finds

that social protection deficits

for domestic workers also
persist in some industrialized
countries.
In Italy, for example, some
60 per cent of domestic
workers are not registered
with, or contributing to,
social security systems. In
Spain and France, 30 per
cent of domestic workers are
excluded from the coverage.

Bishop Santos also said

the abusive practices such as
confiscation of passports by
foreign employers continue
to contribute to a system of
exploitation against OFWs.
He said OFWs whose
passports and other key
documents are being held
hostage by employers to keep
them from leaving their work.
(CBCPNews)

Encourage youth to enter priesthood priest to faithful

GUIGUINTO, BulacanDuring the
celebration of the Mass of the Lords
Supper at the Immaculate Conception
Seminary Complex, Guiguinto, Bulacan,
Fr. Sonny U. de Armas, rector of
the Immaculate Conception Minor
Seminary, reflected on how families
can encourage the youth to enter the
seminary and become priests.
Because the Church is in great need
of priests, you, pilgrims now present
with us, have a responsibility to help in
encouraging the youth of today in the
Church to enter the seminary, said the
priest.
Armas said the faithful could be more
proactive in the matter by helping young
men understand their calling.
Challenge to families
He said: In encouraging young men
to become priests, it is either we support
them by giving our all for them or we do
not, and by it we are unable to help in
the growth of the Church.
It is therefore the challenge for all
families today, Armas explained, to
become disciples of Christ in allowing
His call to be heard by the youth of the
Church.
In his homily, delivered to hundreds
of pilgrims attending the seminarys
annual visita iglesia , he also shared
his reflections on the significance of
the sacrament celebrated on Maundy
Thursday.
In this celebration of the Lords
Supper, it is good to reflect not only on
the Eucharist but [on] one important
sacrament of the Church established on
this day, the sacrament of the ordination
to the priesthood.
Priests role
Expounding on this thought, he
compared the role of a priest to other
professionals by mentioning that

A priest and two seminarians bless the Blessed Sacrament in one of the many chapels of the Immaculate Conception
Major Seminary, which opened its doors to the faithful from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, March 24, 2016.
KENDRICK IVAN B. PANGANIBAN

people usually come to engineers,

doctors, and lawyers when there is a
specific need for which they can offer
their services.
However, he said, If you are going to
ask [about] the role of the priest, he is
needed by the faithful from the moment
a person is born until he passes from
this world.
Armas outlined the faithfuls need for
the sacraments at each major crossroad
of life: baptism as a child; confirmation
in the faith; sacrament of matrimony
as an adult; anointing of the sick as one
gets ill or dies.
The priests service is needed in order
for the faithful to receive the means of
salvation, he stressed.
Eucharistic vigils
According to Armas, this is in line

with Christs own ministry in which

Jesus showed His utmost love for
those who followed Him as seen in the
re-enactment of Jesus washing of the
feet of the disciples during the Mass of
the Lords Supper.
The Immaculate Conception
Seminary, composed of the minor
and major seminaries with the
Carmelite Monastery of the Holy
Family also opened its doors to
pilgrims for the annual visita iglesia
on Holy Thursday.
There are five chapels in the
complex in which each department
of the seminary has the Blessed
Sacrament opened to the veneration
of faithful for the whole evening of
Holy Thursday until to Good Friday.
(Kendrick Ivan Panganiban/
CBCPNews)

Duc in Altum / A5

sometimes forgive; but when

nature is mistreated, she
never forgives.
St. Pope John Paul II stated
The earth will not continue
to offer its harvest, except
with faithful stewardship.
We cannot say we love the
land and then take steps to
destroy it for use of future
generations.
Pope Emeritus Benedict
XVI stated: We are all
responsible for the protection
and care of the environment,
this responsibility knows no
boundary.
***
Every year, the Philippines

Palo prelate: Real leaders

must be ready to sacrifice

joins the Earth Hour, a

worldwide movement for
the planet organized by
the World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF). The event
is held worldwide annually
encouraging individuals,
communities, households,
and businesses to turn off
their non-essential lights
for one hour, from 8:30 to
9:30 p.m. towards the end of
March, as a symbol of their
commitment to the planet.
It was famously started as
a lights-off event in Sydney,
Australia in 2007. Since then,
it has grown to engage more
than 7,000 cities and towns
worldwide. Today, Earth

Hour engages a massive

mainstream community on a
broad range of environmental
issues. The one-hour event
continues to remain the
key driver of the now larger
movement. Earth Hour 2016
was on Saturday, March 19,
from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
during participants local
time. Kalookan Diocese Hello
Father 911 Saturday Edition
at Radio Veritas 846 gave way
so that the Catholic-runned
radio station could be at the
fore-front covering the onehour program of on the spot
reports and commentaries
during the Earth Hour. Let
us care for Mother Nature,

Let us care for our Future!

***
I thank the Lord for the
blessing of life, family and
friends. For what I am, I
owe it to Him. For what I
have been, I owe it to my
parents. Obeying Gods will
for what I have been, is my
offer of thanksgiving to Him.
I will continue my advocacy
of sharing my time, talent,
and treasure in the service
of the Universal Church,
through mass media and my
law profession, as long as my
health would allow. Amen.
Nasa Diyos ang Awa, Nasa
Tao ang Gawa.

PALO, LeyteYou want

change. What kind of leader
can actually deliver it?
For Palo Archbishop John
Du, what the country needs
today is a humble leader
who is willing to sacrifice
and symphatizes with the
poor.
Let us choose one who
is really for the people, has
the heart for the people and
one who can sympathize,
Du said in his Palm Sunday
homily at the Palo cathedral.
Thousands of faithful
joined the celebration to mark
the the triumphant entry of
Christ into Jerusalem, which
the archbishop related to the
upcoming elections.
According to him, the
people during that time
were waiting for a leader

who would save them from

suffering, oppression and
injustices.
That condition when
Jesus entered Jerusalem was
the same condition we are
experiencing right now, is it
not? Du said. We are about
to face that this coming May!
The prelate has also urged
candidates to to emulate
the leadership style of
Jesus Christ which was
not anchored on wealth
accumulation and siphoning
of public funds for personal
gains.
Yes we need money and
wealth, but they are for us
to share in order to feed
the hungry and to give for
those who have nothing, he
added. (Eileen NazarenoBallesteros/CBCPNews)

Candidly Speaking / A4

that resists Gods abundant

mercy, is the sin against the
Holy Spirit, which is not only
a matter of refusing to believe
in the Holy Spirit but also of
mocking him. This is when we
live on our own strength and
our own estimation of things.
It would just be a matter of
time before an invincible
despair would set in.
This is the Easter spirit
that is given to us and that
we should receive with great
joy, gratitude, and utmost
fidelity. It is a spirit that
gives us supreme confidence
and peace. It is a spirit of
continual renewal, of making
ourselves a new creation in
Christ again and again.
To have this Easter spirit
we need to rise also from the
death of our sins, like what
Christ did. This can happen
every time we say sorry to
God and to anyone affected
by our faults, mistakes, sins,
and especially when we go to
confession and receive Christ
in holy communion.
In other words, its when
we welcome the risen and
ever-living Christ that we
receive this Easter spirit.
How wonderful it would
be if we just abide by this
central truth of our faith!
We should not miss this
great opportunity. Lets not

be doubtful as the apostles

were before the resurrection
and even right before Christs
ascension.
Let me remit to you the
beautiful words Pope Francis
said in his Easter Vigil homily.
We cannot discover life by
being sad, bereft of hope. Let
us not stay imprisoned within
ourselves, but let us break
open our sealed tombs to the
Lord so that he may enter and
grant us life.
Let us give him the stones of
our rancor and the boulders
of our past, those heavy
burdens of our weaknesses
and falls. Christ wants to
come and take us by the hand
to bring us out of our anguish.
This is the first stone to be
moved aside this night: the
lack of hope which imprisons
us within ourselves. May
the Lord free us from this
trap, from being Christians
without hope, who live as if
the Lord were not risen, as if
our problems were the center
of our lives.
We see and will continue to
see problems both within and
without. They will always be
there It is important to shed
the light of the Risen Lord
upon our problems, and in a
certain sense, to evangelize
them.
Let us not allow.

And Thats the Truth / A5

and ignorance is not a flawless political system, a better economy or even more
education. What we need is:
illumination. Illumination
to dispel the darkness of
ignorance and to enable us
to see the divine behind our
material poverty. We need
illumination from the empty
tomb to see our own sins before those of others.
Easter is upon us.We sayAllelujah!to the Risen Christ but
do we really believe in Him? Believe in Him enough to want to
make ourselves channels of His
light and love?We say Peace be
with you! but are we willing to
wage war on our inner demons,
to mean what we mouth in order
to spread the peace of Christ all
over our land?
In this only Christian nation in Asia, there are poor
people among the moneyed, ignorant ones among
the schooled, and greedy
ones from rich and poor
alike. Which reminds me of
Jeremiah 6:13-14, For from
the least to the greatest of

them, everyone is greedy for

unjust gain, and from prophet to priest, everyone deals
falsely.They have treated
the wound of my people carelessly, saying Peace, peace,
when there is no peace.
Peace will come upon our
land when the illumined
those to whom more is giventake up their Cross, follow their Master, and bring
the light of the Risen Christ
to the people not by the words
they are saying but by the
life they are living. It may
appear that thehoi polloiare
still in flagellation mode,
stuck on thepasyonand the
Black Nazarene, but the truly
enlightened know in their
hearts that nothing escapes
the compassionate gaze of
God.Whatever is happening
in our midst is the best that
can happen at the moment,
we need only to have faith
that in Gods boundless
mercy, He will help us to see
our suffering through the
illumination from the Empty
Tomb. And thats the truth.

A8

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

CBCP Monitor

Priest gets environmental hero award

A CATHOLIC priest, who has waged
years of battle against a nickel mine
in a call to protect Mindoro Islands
biodiversity and its indigenous
people, received an environmental
hero award Thursday.
Jesuit-run Xavier University
bestowed a Doctor in Humanities,
honoris causa, on Fr. Edwin
Gariguez for his sustained and
significant efforts to protect the
environment and indigenous
peoples.
Fr. Roberto Yap, university
president, said Gariguezs ministry
is an inspiring response to Pope
Francis challenge to hear both the
cry of the earth and the cry of the
poor.
The vocation you have patiently
and perseveringly pursued in the
peripheries has truly been serving
the faith that does justice and
ecological stewardship, Yap said
in his letter to Gariguez.
According to Yap, the Caritas
official, who is also a native of

Mindoro, is a true activist and

scholar for the IPs and the
environment
Gariguez, executive secretary
of Caritas Philippines, received
the award during the universitys
graduation ceremony in Cagayan
de Oro City on March 17, where he
also delivered the keynote address.

The Department of Environment

and Natural Resources then
indefinitely revoked Intexs permit
and stopped mining operations.
In 2015, however, the DENR
reinstated the environmental
compliance certificate for Intex to
mine ore in Mindoro after six years
of suspension.

Hunger strike
This is not the first time the
priest has been recognized for
championing the causes of the
indigenous communities and the
environment.
In 2012, he was a recipient of
of the Goldman Environmental
Prize, the worlds largest award for
grassroots environmental activists.
Gariguez became a prominent
figure against mining in the country
when he led an 11-day hunger
strike with some Mangyans and
activists to stop operations of the
Norwegian mining company Intex
in 2009.

25-year moratorium
Jaybee Garganera, national
coordinator of Alyansa Tigil Mina,
said a 25-year moratorium against
large-scale mining issued by the
provincial government of Oriental
Mindoro in 2010 is stalling Intexs
operations.
They cant explore because there
is a need to secure an endorsement
from the local and provincial
governments, Garganera said.
And even with the ECC, he said
the mining firm still needs to
negotiate with the Mangyans and
other stakeholders to get consent.
Calapan Bishop Warlito Cajandig

Fr. Edwin Gariguez (center) joins a protest rally to oppose mining in Mindoro Island in June 2015.
CARITAS PHOTO

has vowed to oppose the ECC for

Intex and called on the faithful
to keep their vigilance against

attempts by Intex to operate again

in their province. (Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)

Pinoy Recollect bags Green Ring Award Swiss ambassador

CLIMATE justice advocate
Brother Jaazeal Jakosalem of
the Order of the Augustinian
Recollects (OAR) has
brought home the first ever
Green Ring Award for his
Outstanding Work Towards
Solving the Climate Crisis.
I am humbled for receiving
the award in the midst of
dedicated environmental
activists and the 700 new
Climate Warriors. I felt
small, because I am aware of
their amazing work for the
Earth, he said in a message
to CBCP News.
Handing him the award
was no less than former
United States Vice President
and Nobel Laureate Al Gore,
founder of The Climate Reality
Project (TCRP), in a ceremony
held Wednesday, March 16, at
the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in
Pasay City.
Better known as Bro.
Tagoy, Jakosalem was
recognized for the grassroots
work he and his team have
done in the service of climate
change education.
Grassroots awareness
In 2010, he took part in
Gores TCRP training in
Beijing, China.
According to him, this training
emboldened his advocacy and
encouraged him to deepen his
understanding of the climate
crisis to be able to come out with
alternative solutions.

graces disaster-ready
school turn-over

Swiss Ambassaddress Andrea Reichlin and Fr. Charles Jayme, Cebu archiocesan relief
and rehabilitation unit director, grace the ribbon-cutting and blessing of disaster-ready
Malibago Elementary School in Bantayan Island, Cebu. Caritas Switzerland sponsored
the construction of structurally-sound classrooms for the school, March 21, 2016.
NIRVA DELACRUZ

Br. Jaazeal Jakosalem, OAR, the first ever Green Ring awardee, with former US Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore, founder
of The Climate Reality Project (TCRP). SHIRLEY LUA

From then on, the

TCRP presentation
became an instrument of
reaching to young people
and communities for lifelearning, he shared.
Since 2010, the Recollect
friar has been at the frontline
of climate change awareness
in Southern Negros,
especially in the remote areas
of Bago and Murcia, among
others.
Until today we are
promoting this grassroots

awareness, and we are

even more emboldened by
Pope Francis Laudato Si;
working on giving workshops
and conferences about
the encyclical around the
country, he shared.
Journey for
planet continues
Jakosalem and his
associates were also among
those who actively pushed for
the 850,000-Catholic climate
change petition for COP21

in 2015.
In gratitude, he went on
to thank The Tsinelas of
Hope team, DIHON artists,
Heartanonymous, CSEC-R,
and others who mentored
him and who support his
fight for the climate justice.
This is our journey
for the planet, let us be
together on this offering
our lives for God, earth
and humanity, he added.
(Raymond A. Sebastin
/ CBCP News)

Leaflets help evangelization go viral

AS the Catholic Church marks the third
anniversary of Pope Francis election
to the Office of Peter on March 13 an
educator revealed how a time-proven
instrument has been enabling Christians
respond to the Holy Fathers ever
present call to evangelization.
Executive Summaries, one-page
leaflets containing key facts and points
of Catholic doctrine designed for mass
distribution, all started as a response
to the confusion brought about by
arguments pushed forward by advocates
of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.
Catechesis, no. 1 need
Dr. Raul Nidoy, Director for Formation
of the Parents for Education Foundation
(PAREF), printed and also posted
online the leaflet Science Facts on the
Reproductive Health (RH) Bill which
immediately went viral.
It was printed and shared by other
individuals thousands of times,
published in mainstream media,
adapted by organizations as their leaflet,
posted in the internet, and translated
into Tagalog and Cebuano.
Production of leaflets on other topics
of interest went to high gear due to the
result of our survey that the number one
need of Filipinos is basic catechesis,
shared the educator.
Spreading in the Philippines
According to Nidoy the leaflets were
designed to be easily reproduced by
anyone.
In the University of Asia and the
Pacific (UA&P) alone, just by leaving
them in an open box in one lobby,
12,000 copies were distributed from

mid-August to Dec. 31. And since

anyone who gets a leaflet can make as
many copies as he wants, they have
been shared, and re-shared, in schools,
offices, parishes, etc.
Nidoy cited recent experiences of
professionals who, in the midst of their
ordinary work environment, turned
themselves into effective agents of the
New Evangelization with the use of the
leaflets.
He said Movie and Television Review
and Classification Board (MTRCB)
chairman Atty. Eugenio Toto
Villareals stock of leaflets always gets
used up.
Dr. Rudy Ibanez, former President
of UNILAB, posts them in his Viber
group that reaches people all over the
world.
On his part Joel Aurellano, a member
of Servants of the Lords Vineyard,
called the leaflets very potent tools in
promoting the Church teachings and
in dispelling any misconception about
issues.
Nidoy gladly reported that Don Bosco
Technical Institute in Makati is printing
out the leaflets for free starting this
Lenten season.
It was a most pleasant surprise when
the parish priest, Fr. Renato de Guzman,
explained that this is precisely their
type of apostolate because the name
Salesian comes from St. Francis de
Sales who converted 72,000 Calvinists
through leaflets since they rejected his
visits!
The dream is for these leaflets to be
available in more parishes and secular
places like offices, condominiums,
parks, stores, etc., he added.

In the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) alone, just

by leaving them in an open box, 12,000 leaflets were
distributed. DR. RAUL NIDOY

Each person, a Catholic

evangelical library
Since the Executive Summaries are
printed or posted online free of charge,
anyone can display the leaflets and ask
for donations to print more. Or they can
use the leaflets to raise funds for their
apostolic projects or their organizations
by printing them and selling them.
In this way, we help provide not just
the greatest knowledge of all, the clear
and fresh teachings of Jesus Christ, but
also some bit of support to the apostolic
work of people and their groups, Nidoy
explained.
Executive Summaries one-page
leaflets can be downloaded at http://
primacyofreason.blogspot.com/ (Fr.
Mickey Cardenas / CBCP News)

HUNDREDS of school kids

braved the summer sun to
greet Swiss Ambassaddress
Andrea Reichlin, who was
the guest of honor for the
turn-over ceremony and
blessing earlier today of the
now disaster-ready Malibago
Elementary School on this
island.
The ambassador, during
a brief message at Caritas
Switzerlands official handover
of the 12-classroom school,
lauded the participatory
approach the community took
in building the school, saying
in the long run it will be the
students who will make the
difference.
You, as a community, saw
the situation and decided (to
do something), said Reichlin,
noting how locals took concrete
steps to address the damage
wreaked by super typhoon
Yolanda in November 2013.
Before Caritas Switzerlands
intervention to build
completely new retrofitted,
disaster-ready classrooms,
some 500 elementary students
had to make do with a tent for
daily classes for the last two
years as the school had been
deemed structurally unsound
after the typhoon.
According to Orwell Obach,
shelter project manager of
Caritas Switzerland in
Bantayan Island, each
classroom is retrofitted with
specially treated pinewood

reinforcements from New

Zealand, ensuring that each
structure is able to withstand
7.2 magnitude earthquakes as
well as super typhoons.
Caritas Switzerland chief
delegate Marcel Reymond;
Emergency Architects head of
mission Claudie Delebecque;
Malbago Elementary School
head teacher III Zita Tampus;
and Brgy. Malbago barangay
captain Thelma Compra
were present during the
ribbon-cutting and handover
ceremony, which was presided
over by Fr. Charles Jayme,
Cebu archiocesan relief and
rehabilitation unit director.
Various stakeholders and
representatives from the local
government were also present
at the event, including Jay
River Dela Fuente, Madridejos
mayor Salvador Dela Fuentes
son; Compra; Department of
Education (DepEd) VII Office
of the regional director OIC
Dr. Juliet Jeruta; Supreme
Pupil Government president
Joecel Espina; and DepEd
district supervisor Chloe
Garucha along with the entire
student population.
Following the turnover of
Pili Elementary School in
Madridejos on Dec. 11, 2015,
Caritas Switzerland aims to
complete building 5 other
similar elementary schools
on the island by June 2016.
(Nirvaana Ella Delacruz
/ CBCP News)

Kerygmas Grand Easter Feast 2016

focuses on mercy
THIS years Grand Easter
Feast, organized by the
Kerygma Worship Team,
focused on the theme of
mercy.
As expected by organizers,
thousands of people from
all walks of life gathered on
Easter Sunday, March 27
for the event at the Mall of
Asia Arena (MOA) Arena in
Pasay City.
As we celebrate the Year
of Mercy, we realize that
one of Gods greatest gifts
to us is His forgiveness. Our
Easter celebration invites us
to understand the depth of

Gods mercy and breathe in

His love, so that we may, in
turn, extend mercy and love
to other people, they said.
Fr. Joel Jason and Fr. Mario
Sobrejuanite celebrated a
Easter Mass to open the
event.
Bestselling author and
lay evangelist Bo Sanchez,
Fr. Bob McCognaghy, and
Monching Bueno also gave
life-changing talks.
The GEF had two sessions:
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
(morning session) and 2:00
p.m. 6:00 p.m. (afternoon
session). (CBCPNews)

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

DEAR Brothers and Sisters, Happy

Easter!
Jesus Christ, the incarnation of Gods
mercy, out of love for us, died on the
cross, and out of love he rose again
from the dead. That is why we proclaim
today: Jesus is Lord!
His resurrection fulfills the prophecy
of the Psalm: Gods mercy endures for
ever; it never dies. We can trust him
completely, and we thank him because
for our sake he descended into the
depths of the abyss.
Before the spiritual and moral abysses
of mankind, before the chasms that
open up in hearts and provoke hatred
and death, only an infinite mercy can
bring us salvation. Only God can fill
those chasms with his love, prevent us
from falling into them and help us to
continue our journey together towards
the land of freedom and life.
The glorious Easter message, that
Jesus, who was crucified is not here
but risen (cf.Mt28:5-6), offers us the
comforting assurance that the abyss of
death has been bridged and, with it,
all mourning, lamentation and pain
(cf.Rev21:4). The Lord, who suffered
abandonment by his disciples, the burden of an unjust condemnation and
shame of an ignominious death, now
makes us sharers of his immortal life
and enables us to see with his eyes of
love and compassion those who hunger
and thirst, strangers and prisoners, the
marginalized and the outcast, the victims of oppression and violence. Our
world is full of persons suffering in body
and spirit, even as the daily news is full
of stories of brutal crimes which often
take place within homes, and large-scale
armed conflicts which cause indescribable suffering to entire peoples.
The risen Christ points out paths of
hope to beloved Syria, a country torn
by a lengthy conflict, with its sad wake
of destruction, death, contempt for
humanitarian law and the breakdown of
civil concord. To the power of the risen
Lord we entrust the talks now in course,
that good will and the cooperation of all
will bear fruit in peace and initiate the
building of a fraternal society respectful
of the dignity and rights of each citizen.
May the message of life, proclaimed by
the Angel beside the overturned stone
of the tomb, overcome hardened hearts
and promote a fruitful encounter of
peoples and cultures in other areas of
the Mediterranean and the Middle East,
particularly in Iraq, Yemen and Libya.
May the image of the new man, shining on the face of Christ, favor concord
between Israelis and Palestinians in the
Holy Land, as well as patience, openness
and daily commitment to laying the
foundations of a just and lasting peace
through direct and sincere negotiations.
May the Lord of life also accompany
efforts to attain a definitive solution
to the war in Ukraine, inspiring and
sustaining initiatives of humanitarian
aid, including the liberation of those
who are detained.
The Lord Jesus, our peace (Eph2:14),
by his resurrection triumphed over
evil and sin. May he draw us closer
on this Easter feast to the victims of
terrorism, that blind and brutal form
of violence which continues to shed
blood in different parts of the world,
as in the recent attacks in Belgium,
Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Cte
dIvoire and Iraq. May he water the
seeds of hope and prospects for peace in
Africa; I think in particular of Burundi,
Mozambique, the Democratic Republic

CNA

CBCP Monitor

Vatican City - March 20, 2016. Pope Francis in St. Peters Square during the celebration of Palm Sunday Mass on March 20, 2016.

With the weapons of love,

God has defeated selfishness
and death

The Urbi et Orbi blessing of Pope Francis given on Easter at the Vatican, March 27, 2016
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever (Ps 135:1)
of the Congo and South Sudan, marked
by political and social tensions.
With the weapons of love, God has
defeated selfishness and death. His son
Jesus is the door of mercy wide open
to all. May his Easter message be felt
ever more powerfully by the beloved
people of Venezuela in the difficult
conditions which they are experiencing, and by those responsible for the
countrys future, that everyone may
work for the common good, seeking
spaces of dialogue and cooperation with
all. May efforts be made everywhere to
promote the culture of counter, justice
and reciprocal respect, which alone can

guarantee the spiritual and material

welfare of all people.
The Easter message of the risen
Christ, a message of life for all human-

ugees--including many children--fleeing

from war, hunger, poverty and social
injustice. All too often, these brothers
and sisters of ours meet along the way

to be centered on the human person

and his or her dignity, and to come up
with policies capable of assisting and
protecting the victims of conflicts and

Only God can fill those chasms with his love, prevent us
from falling into them and help us to continue our journey
together towards the land of freedom and life.
ity, echoes down the ages and invites
us not to forget those men and women
seeking a better future, an ever more
numerous throng of migrants and ref-

with death or, in any event, rejection by

those who could offer them welcome
and assistance. May the forthcoming
World Humanitarian Summit not fail

other emergencies, especially those who

are most vulnerable and all those persecuted for ethnic and religious reasons.
On this glorious day, let the earth

rejoice, in shining splendor (cf. Easter

Proclamation), even though it is so
often mistreated and greedily exploited,
resulting in an alteration of natural equilibria. I think especially of those areas
affected by climate change, which not
infrequently causes drought or violent
flooding, which then lead to food crises
in different parts of the world.
Along with our brothers and sisters
persecuted for their faith and their fidelity to the name of Christ, and before
the evil that seems to have the upper
hand in the life of so many people,
let us hear once again the comforting
Love, B7

B2 PASTORAL CONCERNS

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

CBCP Monitor

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

A friend of mine tells the story of a priest
who returns to his town after many years being away. The parish priest receives him very
happily and asks him if he could celebrate
the Mass for the parish. The next day, as was
customary in that parish, the priest makes
himself available to hear confessions before
the Mass. It was election time. The first
person who went to him for confession, after
receiving the absolution, asked: Father, who
should I vote for? The priest answered: Vote
for the candidate who you think is bestthe
one whos program is more in agreement with
the doctrine of the Church. After a brief
silence the penitent insisted: But Father,
please tell me concretely who I should vote
for. This anecdote illustrates the problem I
want to tackle in this article.
1. Distinction between the Church &
the Political Community
The Church, insofar as it is a visible
society in the worldwith its own faithful members who are also members of
the civil society, with its own Hierarchical
Authority constituted for the attainment
of its own purely spiritual endsbreaks
the old notion of a unique temporal authority organizing all public life, including
the religious one. What is important is
to avoid two extremes: a laicist notion of
separation of Church and State on the one
hand, and on the other hand a clericalist
notion reminiscent of the caesaropapism of
the early Christian era and the hierocracy
characteristic of the medieval ages.
a. Towards Christian Dualism: Bases in the
New Testament
The reply of Jesus Christ to the entrapment set upon him by the Pharisees is the
classic line foisted by those who affirm the
so-called separation of Church and State:

Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that

are Caesars, and to God the things that are
Gods (Mt 22,15-22; Mk 12,13-17; Lk
20,20-26).
In fact Jesus reply goes much further
than the strictly laicist idea of the separation of Church and State. In effect, Christ
alluded to matters not strictly of public
life, but would nevertheless require treatment by the temporal authority, since the
Church would not be competent to deal
with them.
Other less-known New Testament
texts are 1 Pet 2,13-17 and Rom 13,1-7,
where these Pillars of the Church order
the Christians to obey and be subject to
the civil authority in those matters which
are of their strict competence.
The most decisive textfor the question we have at handcan be found in
the Acts of the Apostles (4,19-20). To the
command of the Sanhedrin for Peter and
John to stop their evangelizing activity,
the Apostles reply: Whether it is right in
the sight of God to listen to you rather than
to God, decide for yourselves. For we cannot
but speak of what we have seen and heard.
Here we find the criterion to follow in
the case of possible conflicts of directives
between the civil authority and the Law of
God. Furthermore, we find the basis for
a statement of the Principle of Christian
Dualism.

John Frances Fuentes

Church and Politics:

Ecclesiasitical Authority and the Rights
and Duties of the Lay Faithful
in the Exercise of their Political Options

Participants identify the characteristics of good leaders of the country and the concerns that they should be attending to during the Political Education Trainers
training organized by the Archdiocesan Social Action Center of Davao, Feb. 20, 2016.

realm or ambit of its proper endsto the

power of the civil authority of the Roman
Empire.
The Christian, therefore, rejected any
religious duty imposed by the imperial

lion against the traditional deities and

modes of worship.
b) Civil Disobediencefor not accepting the authority of the Roman Emperor
on religious matters.

There is an order wanted by God that has to be respected.

Secular matters have a moral dimension and are subject to
divine and natural law
b. The Principle of Christian Dualism.
Christianity introduced the idea of the
Church as a society which was distinct
from the political one, and which therefore did not consider itself subjectin the

power. This insight gives us the key for the

political explanationfor exampleof
the early persecution of the Christians
by the Imperial Authority. The Christian
was persecuted basically on two charges:
a) Atheismgiven his attitude of rebel-

The historical fonts do not permit us to

determine the extent to which a mentality
developed among the early Christians for
the living observance of the above principle. But we do know of the widespread
praxis of accepting martyrdom rather
than fulfilling the religious mandate of
the Emperor to worship idols and the
Emperor himself as deity; together with
the numerous apologetics that belie the
charge that the Christians did not fulfill
their civil duties.

John Frances Fuentes

c. The Doctrine of Vatican II.

Leaving history aside, an important step
in the understanding of the relationship
between the Church and civil society was
taken by the Second Vatican Council. It
clearly proclaimed the autonomy of temporal realities. No.36 of Gaudium et spes
is dedicated to the Rightful autonomy of
earthly affairs. The very title helps to understand that there is a rightful autonomy
and there is another which is not rightful,
therefore an abuse.

Lay leaders from the different parishes in the Archdiocese of Davao joined the Political Education Trainers training organized by the Archdiocesan Social Action
Center of Davao, Feb. 20, 2016.

1) Right autonomy of earthly affairs. If

by the autonomy of earthly affairs we
mean that created things and societies
themselves enjoy their own laws and values which must be gradually deciphered,
put to use, and regulated by men, then it
is entirely right to demand that autonomy.
Such is not merely required by modern

man, but harmonizes also with the will of

the Creator. For by the very circumstance
of their having been created, all things are
endowed with their own stability, truth,
goodness, proper laws, and order. Man
must respect these as he isolates them by
the appropriate methods of individual
sciences or arts (Gaudium et spes, n.36).
This autonomy does not mean that
temporal matters do no affect the mission of salvation or are independent from
God. There is an order wanted by God
that has to be respected. Secular matters
have a moral dimension and are subject
to divine and natural law: Christians in
every temporal affair are to be guided by
a Christian conscience, since not even in
temporal business may any human activity be withdrawn from Gods dominion
(GS, n.36).
2) Wrong autonomy of earthly affairs.
But if the expression, the independence
of temporal affairs, is taken to mean that
created things do not depend on God,
and that man can use them without any
reference to their Creator, anyone who
acknowledges God will see how false such
a meaning is (GS, n.36).
In sum, the Church doctrine on the
relationship between the Church and the
Political Community can be characterized
not as a separation but rather as a distinction of competencies.
2. Consequences of Church-State Distinction for the Christian Faithful
The distinction of competencies between the Church and the Political Community has important consequences on
the Catholic faithful, who are marked by
their secularity.
a. Two different rights.
The distinction of two different
ordersthe temporal (proper of the
Political Community) and the eternal
Political Options, B7

Standing as the Hosts Are Reserved

(Father Edward McNamara,
professor of liturgy and dean
of theolog y at the Regina
Ap o s t o l o r u m u n i ve r s i t y,
answers the following query:)
Q: When the consecrated
hosts are returned to the
tabernacle after communion,
the faithful are asked to stand
up; I ask myself why, if I have
just received Communion?
T.Z., Milan, Italy
A : We h a v e r e c e i v e d
several questions from Italy
regarding this question. Some
of the questions mentioned
a solemn procession from
the altar to the tabernacle
with the ciborium being
carried with humeral veil and
accompanied by two candles.
The reasons given were,
among others, to educate
the faithful regarding the
sacredness of the Eucharist
and the respect due to Our
Lords real presence.While
these are laudable goals,
which I certainly share,
I do not think this is the

appropriate manner or moment

to do so.
The General Instruction of
the Roman Missal (GIRM)
makes no mention of any such
procession. For example, when
dealing with a Mass with a single
priest, No. 163 states:
When the distribution of
Communion is finished, the
priest himself immediately and
completely consumes at the

the credence table, he purifies

the paten or ciborium over
the chalice then purifies the
chalice, saying quietly, Quod
ore sumpsimus (Lord, may I
receive), and dries the chalice
with a purificator. If the vessels
are purified at the altar, they are
carried to the credence table by
a minister. Nevertheless, it is also
permitted, especially if there are
several vessels to be purified, to

deacon, a concelebrant carries

out this duty.
Therefore, since the priest or
deacon carries the remaining
hosts to the tabernacle before
the purification, I think it is
fairly clear that this is considered
as a practical act to be carried
out with all due reverence but
with no special ceremony. This
moment of thanksgiving after
communion does not seem to

is observed.
In some places priests, and
even bishops, were interpreting
GIRM, No. 43, as mandating
that the people should remain
standing until the communion
song was completed or until
everybody had received
Communion. The Holy See
addressed this question in a
response to a doubt published in
2003 (Notitiae 39 [2003] 533).

In some places priests, and even bishops, were interpreting GIRM,

No. 43, as mandating that the people should remain standing
until the communion song was completed or until everybody had
received Communion.
altar any consecrated wine that
happens to remain; as for any
consecrated hosts that are left,
he either consumes them at the
altar or carries them to the place
designated for the reservation of
the Eucharist. Upon returning
to the altar, the priest collects
any fragments that may remain.
Then, standing at the altar or at

leave them suitably covered on

a corporal, either at the altar
or at the credence table, and to
purify them immediately after
Mass following the dismissal of
the people.
If there is a deacon, he brings
the hosts to the tabernacle
(GIRM, No. 183). During a
concelebration, if there is no

be the appropriate moment

for anything resembling a
Eucharistic procession.
With respect to the posture of
the people after communion the
GIRM says in No. 43:
The faithful [], as
circumstances allow, [] may
sit or kneel while the period of
sacred silence after Communion

The text is the following:

In many places the faithful
are accustomed to remain
kneeling in private prayer or
to sit after they return to their
seats once they have individually
received the holy Eucharist at
Mass. Whether the provisions
of the Third typical edition of
the Roman Missal prohibit this

practice?
R. In the negative and
with a rationale.
The rationale is that by
the prescripts of the General
Instruction of the Roman
Missal, n. 43 is intended to
give, on the one hand, within
broad limits some uniformity
of posture in the congregation
for the various parts of the
celebration of the holy Mass,
and at the same time, on the
other hand, not to regulate
posture so rigidly that those
who wish to remain kneeling
or to sit would no longer be
free to do so.
It is true that this response
does not specifically address
the precise question at hand.
It is related, however, and in
the light of this response I
think it is a logical conclusion
that it is not the intention of
the universal liturgical norms
that the faithful should be
asked to stand while the
priest or deacon brings the
Eucharist to the tabernacle
after the distribution of
Communion.

YOUR Eminences and Excellencies,

During the January 2016
112thCBCP Plenary Assembly in
Cebu, there was a discussion on
the issue of standing or kneeling
after the consecration until
after the Amen. The discussion
included a question on why
we do not continue kneeling
after the consecration until
after the Amen. After a short
discussion, the Permanent
Council of the CBCP was tasked
to look into this issue.
So, at the March 15,
2016 meeting of the CBCP
Permanent Council one of the
issues discussed was this issue
on the posture of standing
after the consecration and to
keep standing or of kneeling
after the Sanctus until after
the Amen of the Eucharistic
Prayer. This is the reason for
this letter.
Before the 1990s, we can
still recall that we had the
established practice of kneeling
after theSanctusuntil after the
Amenof the Eucharistic Prayer.
In the 1990s the practice of
standing after the consecration
was begun. This change in

FEATURES B3

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Philippines, the people kneel

after the Sanctus, rise for the
memorial acclamation, and
kneel after the Lamb of God.
In both instances, the 1990
Guidelines for the Eucharistand
the proposed Philippine
Adaptations to the General
Instructions of the Roman Missal
2002, no recognitio was ever
received from Rome.
Specifically for thePhilippine
Adaptations to the General
Instructions of the Roman Missal
2002 that were submitted to
Rome, no answer was ever
received. Archbishop Romulo
Valles, during anad liminavisit
in September 2003,made
a follow up at the office of
the Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Discipline of
the Sacraments on the status the
Philippine proposed adaptations.
After that, until up to now
we have not received a formal
written reply.
In February 2016, Bishop
Julius Tonel, Chairman of the
Episcopal Commission on
Liturgy, made a query with the
Secretary of the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments

Dominic Barrios

CBCP Monitor

On the QUESTION of Kneeling or Standing

After the Consecration Until After the GREAT AMEN
During the Eucharistic Celebration
Kneeling through
the Doxology
ROME, MAY 18, 2010 (Zenit.org)Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor
of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

Dominic Barrios

Q: I wonder why in the United States the rule is to keep

kneeling for the final Amen of the doxology, while in
other countries the rule is to stand. In some places, people
even elevate the hands, as in the Old Testament, while
acclaiming the Amen. That Amen is accompanied by a
sign of elevation-offering, which implies a movement
of the whole community toward God. Kneeling at that
moment seems to contradict the original meaning of the
great Amen. What is important is not the rule in itself,
but the meaning of the liturgical gesture in the whole
context of the celebration. J.D., Poteet, Texas

Kneeling is part of our

Christian culture. We cannot
abandon or set aside the culture
of kneeling in favor of the
culture that says as freemen we
must face God on our feet.

the practice became always

standing after the consecration
until theAmen.
In Januar y 2003 at the
86thCBCP Plenary Assembly, one
of the proposals that the CBCP
approved to include among
thePhilippine Adaptations to the
General Instructions of the Roman
Missal 2002was:Proposed
Philippine Adaptation: In the

about this specific proposed

adaptation. In reply to his query,
it was confirmed that a formal
reply or recognitio had never
been given.
With the above information,
we sought the advice of some
of our bishops knowledgeable
in the Code of Canon Law.
They have responded that no
answer or silence from Rome

Johann Mangussad

the established practice was

based on the 1990 Guidelines
for the Eucharist which were
approved by the CBCP in
January 1990. Number 3 of
the1990 Guidelines states:
The people should kneel
from the Sanctus until the end
of the Eucharistic Prayer...
If the acclamation after the
consecration is sung, the people
may stand for it and keep
standing. However, in reality

means that the recognitio has

not been given. Without the
recognitio the CBCP does not
have the authority to make or
implement any such adaptation.
This being the case, we have to
revert to the established practice
before the request.
Based on the above
documented information,
the Permanent Council came

to the decision that we must

ABANDON the practice of
standing after the consecration
until theAmenas we do not have
the authority to make such an
adaptation nor do we have the
authority to implement it. We
must go back to the previously
established practice of kneeling
after the Sanctus until after
the Amen of the Eucharistic
Prayer.
To g o b a c k t o o u r
established practice is very
much in keeping with our
current General Instructions of
the Roman Missal, approved
by the CBCP and given the
needed recognitio from Rome,
published in the Philippine
Edition of the Roman Missal
of 2011. Number 43 states:
Where it is the practice for
the people to remain kneeling
after the Sanctus until the end
of the Eucharistic Prayer , it
is laudable for this practice to
be retained.
Another way of saying this is
that we go back our established
practice where the people kneel
beginning after the Sanctusand
remain kneeling until after
the Amen of the Eucharistic
Prayer knowing that this is
in harmony with the present
GIRM.
You are kindly requested to
inform our clergy and Catholic
faithful about this re statement of
position and lead them, through
liturgical catechesis, to deepen
our reverence for the Most
Blessed Sacrament. The spirit
of the law is to observe greater
reverence for the Real Presence.
We remind you of some
lines contained in our Pastoral
Exhortation to Open the 2016
Year of the Eucharist and the
Family:

A: The U.S. version of the General Instruction of the

Roman Missal (GIRM) says in No. 43: In the dioceses
of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus
until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer []. In
the original Latin and other languages, the norm states
that the people kneel during the consecration from the
epiclesis to the Mysterium fidei. It adds, however, that
the custom of remaining kneeling for the entire Eucharistic Prayer may be praiseworthily maintained in places
where it is prevalent.
Therefore, the two alternatives are a question of
local tradition and custom. The Holy See approved
the U.S. bishops adaptation of the general rule
because it was already a well-established practice in
the country.
Although our reader makes an interesting point regarding the sign of elevating-offering, I believe that asking
the people to rise up before the Amen would actually
interrupt the prayers natural flow. While gestures are
important, the faithfuls essential participation at this
moment is in joining in the great Amen that concludes
the canon. With this Amen the people in a way make all
of the prayers and intercessions proclaimed by the priest
their own and, through the priest, unite themselves to
Christs eternal sacrifice.
For this reason, the priest and deacon should hold the
paten and chalice aloft until the Amen is fully concluded.
As is mentioned in GIRM, No. 180: At the final doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer, the deacon stands next to
the priest, holding the chalice elevated while the priest
elevates the paten with the host, until the people have
responded with the acclamation, Amen.
Related to this is a recent 2009 official response to a
doubt published in Notitiae, the organ of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. The doubt
asked if it was licit at a concelebration for several priests
to raise sundry chalices during the doxology.
The Vatican congregation responded negatively and
specifically reprobated the practice. The congregation
stressed that only one paten and chalice should be raised
at this moment. The congregation explained that it was
not so much a gesture carried out to show the host and
chalice to the people but rather to ritually express the
words said by the priest in the final doxology.

Kneeling is part of our

Christian culture. We cannot
abandon or set aside the culture
of kneeling in favor of the culture
that says as freemen we must
face God on our feet. Bending
the knee before the tabernacle in
genuflection, kneeling down at
the celebration of the Eucharist,
kneeling down to adore the
exposed Blessed Sacrament

these are little but sublime acts of

adoration that we must preserve
and protect.

Sincerely yours,
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
A rc h b i s h o p o f L i n g a ye n Dagupan
President, CBCP

B4 FEATURES

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

CBCP Monitor

Let us not forget his words and his works,

otherwise we will lose hope
Homily of Pope Francis on Easter Vigil, Holy Saturday, March 26, 2016
the perfumed ointments to the
tomb, had the same experience.
They were frightened and bowed
their faces, and yet they were
deeply affected by the words of
the angel: Why do you seek the
living among the dead? (v. 5).
We, like Peter and the women,
cannot discover life by being sad,
bereft of hope. Let us not stay imprisoned within ourselves, but let
us break open our sealed tombs to
the Lord each of us knows what

will never let us down.

This is the foundation of our
hope, which is not mere optimism, nor a psychological attitude or desire to be courageous.
Christian hope is a gift that
God gives us if we come out of
ourselves and open our hearts to
him. This hope does not disappoint us because the Holy Spirit

free us from this trap, from being

Christians without hope, who live
as if the Lord were not risen, as if
our problems were the centre of
our lives.
We see and will continue to see
problems both within and without. They will always be there. But
tonight it is important to shed the
light of the Risen Lord upon our

and always forgiven by Christ,

who for us has conquered sin,
conquered death and conquered
fear. Today is the celebration of
our hope, the celebration of this
truth: nothing and no one will
ever be able to separate us from
his love (cf.Rom8:39).
The Lord is alive and wants to
be sought among the living. After

How can we
strengthen our
hope? The
liturgy of this
night offers
some guidance.
It teaches us to
remember the
works of God.
they are so that he may enter
and grant us life. Let us give him
the stones of our rancour and the
boulders of our past, those heavy
burdens of our weaknesses and
falls. Christ wants to come and
take us by the hand to bring us
out of our anguish. This is the first
stone to be moved aside this night:
the lack of hope which imprisons
us within ourselves. May the Lord

MY brothers:
Here we are again on this Thursday of
Holy Week to remember. We remember
what we have done to Christ. We remember what Christ has done for us. My
thoughts bring me back to the fragrant
sweet scent of sandalwood, a tree that
thrives in India known for its fragrant oil
and sweet smelling timber. Sandalwood is
added to incense to sweeten its odor. The
fragrance of sandalwood is known to last
for decades. Hit the tree with an ax and
the ax becomes fragrant for decades. Cut
the bark with a knife and the knife smells
sweet for years. Cut the tree and turn in
to timber and the saw that cuts it becomes
fragrant like the tree.
The sandalwood leaves a lasting fragrance on the ax that strikes it. It leaves a
long fragrant sweetness on the blade that
hurts it.
What the ax does to sandalwood we
have done to Christ. What sandalwood
does to the ax that strikes it, Christ has
done for us. He has left us with a fragrant
grace of ordination. The priesthood is
Gods sweet revenge for our sins in the
seminary.
The Revenge of God
The priesthood is the fragrance of
Gods love that He has left on the men
who have hurt him--that is all of us. The
priesthood is not a reward for virtue; the
priesthood is Gods response to our betrayals. The priesthood is not a prize for the pious perfect; it is Gods answer to the three
denials of Peter and our own countless
denials. The priesthood is not an award
for those who remember him always; it is
Gods reply to those who have forgotten
him. The priesthood is not a gift for the
generous; it is Gods revenge for those
who cannot even stay awake and keep
watch with him. The priesthood is not a

CNA

PETER ran to the tomb

(Lk 24:12). What thoughts
crossed Peters mind and stirred
his heart as he ran to the tomb?
The Gospel tells us that the eleven,
including Peter, had not believed
the testimony of the women, their
Easter proclamation. Quite the
contrary, these words seemed to
them an idle tale (v. 11). Thus
there was doubt in Peters heart,
together with many other worries:
sadness at the death of the beloved
Master and disillusionment for
having denied him three times
during his Passion.
There is, however, something
which signals a change in him:
after listening to the women and
refusing to believe them, Peter
rose (v. 12). He did not remain
sedentary, in thought; he did not
stay at home as the others did. He
did not succumb to the sombre
atmosphere of those days, nor was
he overwhelmed by his doubts.
He was not consumed by remorse,
fear or the continuous gossip that
leads nowhere. He was looking for
Jesus, not himself. He preferred
the path of encounter and trust.
And so, he got up, just as he was,
and ran towards the tomb from
where he would return amazed
(v. 12). This marked the beginning of Peters resurrection, the
resurrection of his heart. Without
giving in to sadness or darkness,
he made room for hope: he allowed the light of God to enter
into his heart, without smothering it.
The women too, who had
gone out early in the morning to
perform a work of mercy, taking

Vatican City - March 26, 2016. Pope Francis baptizes catechumens during the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peters Basilica on March 26, 2016.

has been poured into our hearts

(cf.Rom5:5). The Paraclete does
not make everything look appealing. He does not remove evil
with a magic wand. But he pours
into us the vitality of life, which
is not the absence of problems,
but the certainty of being loved

problems, and in a certain sense,

to evangelize them. To evangelize our problems. Let us not allow
darkness and fear to distract us
and control us; we must cry out
to them: the Lord is not here, but
has risen! (v. 6). He is our greatest
joy; he is always at our side and

having found him, each person is

sent out by him to announce the
Easter message, to awaken and
resurrect hopein hearts burdened
by sadness, in those who struggle
to find meaning in life. There
is so necessary today. However,
we must not proclaim ourselves.

The joy of remembering

Meditation for Priests on Chrism Mass 2016
prize for his loyal defenders; it is Christs
vengeance for his cowardly deserters when
His arresters came. The priesthood is not a
gift for the Gospel bearers with beautiful
feet; it is the vengeance of God for those
who have so much dust of dirt on their
feet. The priesthood is the fragrance of
Gods mercy on the spear that pierced
His side. We look at him whom sin has
pierced and we allow His eyes to pierce us
in return, not in rebuke and revenge, but
in mercy and pardon, sweet mercy and
fragrant pardon.

Communion tires us and we just ask the

laity to do it for us so we can sit back and
relax. The breviary becomes a book in the
shelf and no longer a partner through the
day. We are too busy to go to confession
and so we also get too busy to sit down
and wait for Gods prodigal children.
This is the heavy price of forgetting that
we are priests of the mercy of God. We
become like employees of God rather than
his grateful servants. We feel entitled to
Church money because of our advanced
age and higher academic degrees. We have
forgotten our first love, we have lost our

visits were limited, we were so willing

to follow the house rules and show how
much we wanted to be priests someday.
How excited we were to look at ourselves
in the mirror when we wore our first cassock and put on our first Roman collar!
Can you recall your trembling hands
as you gave Holy Communion the first
time? Can you recall the secret joy of
wearing your first surplice or holding in
your hands your first alb? Can you recall
the pride of praying the psalmody from
the one volume Christian Prayer and then
later on having your first four-volume

When this sense of sin is lost, when this sense of

unworthiness is replaced by a sense of entitlement, when the
excitement about our ordination fades away and the cross
of monotony takes over us, we become cold and forgetful.
Lost Memory
When this sense of sin is lost, when
this sense of unworthiness is replaced by
a sense of entitlement, when the excitement about our ordination fades away and
the cross of monotony takes over us, we
become cold and forgetful. We get bored
with having to repeat Do this in memory
of me. We become sad priests; we become
annoyed and annoying ministers; we
become clanging cymbals at the pulpit
and paid hirelings at the altar. Our first
love is lost and replaced by the idolatry
of convenience and comfort. Giving Holy

first fire; we have blurred our vision with

comfort and jumbled our priorities to
accommodate our whims.
First Love Forgotten
Today, let us remember not only our
ordination day. Let us push further and
return to our first day and first night in
the seminary, our honeymoon night in
the seminary. When our hearts were purer
and our understanding of our vocation
was simpler, we were so ready to sacrifice
everything just to be able to serve at Mass.
When the food was lesser and the family

set? Can you recall your mistakes in your

first Mass because you were so nervous
to do something not even angels can do?
Do you remember receiving your first
stipend? How big you thought it was
for so small a service? Do you remember
your smile when you received your first
appointment after ordination?
In the beginning we were always happy.
In the beginning we were so full of excitement. In the beginning our feet had wings
and our heart had fire. In the beginning
our face was aglow and our eyes had a
purpose. In the beginning God looked at

Rather, asjoyful servants of hope,

we must announce the Risen
One by our lives and by our love;
otherwise we will be only an
international organization full
of followers and good rules, yet
incapable of offering the hope for
which the world longs.
How can we strengthen our
hope? The liturgy of this night
offers some guidance. It teaches
us to remember the works of
God. The readings describe Gods
faithfulness, the history of his love
towards us. The living word of
God is able to involve us in this
history of love, nourishing our
hope and renewing our joy. The
Gospel also reminds us of this: in
order to kindle hope in the hearts
of the women, the angel tells
them: Remember what [Jesus]
told you (v. 6). Remember the
words of Jesus, remember all that
he has done in our lives. Let us not
forget his words and his works,
otherwise we will lose hope and
become hopeless Christians. Let
us instead remember the Lord, his
goodness and his life-giving words
which have touched us. Let us
remember them and make them
ours, to be sentinels of the morning who know how to help others
see the signs of the Risen Lord.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Christ is risen! And we have the
possibility of opening our hearts
and receiving his gift of hope. Let
us open our hearts to hope and
go forth. May the memory of his
works and his words be the bright
star which directs our steps in the
ways of faith towards that Easter
that will have no end.

us and found us very good and didnt we

feel good about ourselves too?
Ano ang nangyari? Bakit naging
ganito?
I have only one answer. We have
forgotten.
Gratitude is now drowned by complaint. Obedience is now a victim of dialogue. Prayer is now duty not a joy. Joy in
ministry is a thing of the past replaced by
taking exotic vacations. The branded shirt
is preferred to the Roman collar. What
was once a gift we have now considered
as our right! Christ is in the back burner
and vanity is in the front stage. The care
and reverence is replaced by contempt
and rush. The well is dry and the fire is
now cold.
The Memory of God
We have forgotten. We have compromised. We have invented excuses.
And God knows we can forget so
quickly that is why he told us to Do this
in memory of me.
Let us return to our first love and
remember our first fire. Let us not allow
the awards and titles, the position and
the experience to blur our memory of
our wretched and wicked roots. If we are
fragrant it is because we have axed the
Lord. If we have sweetness it is not us, it
is the Lord. Dominus est!
Let memory me grateful. Let memory
be humble. Let memory be honest. Let
memory bless our vocation. May we all
find our joy living in that memory! May
that memory brighten our tomorrow!
May that memory bring us to the portals
of forever! Amen
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
March 24, 2016
Saint John the Evangelist Cathedral
Dagupan City

Gods triumph is sure.

Love, mercy and life will prevail!

Roy Lagarde

2016 Easter Message of Manila

Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle

Some 2,000 people attended the Easter vigil presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila. The Easter service, which started
with Tagle holding a candle while entering the hushed and darkened Manila Cathedral, included a baptism of four catechumens,
March 26, 2016.

THE resurrection of Jesus from

a death mercilessly inflicted on
him by people blinded by ambition, power and narrow legalism
gives us hope. Local and international events tempt us to be
cynical and pessimistic. We often
wonder whether decency, caring,
and courtesy still exist. We are
shocked when we hear stories of
cheating, theft and betrayal. We
weep when we see the teeming
numbers of street kids, street
families, beggars, youth dissipated
by drugs, women trafficked into
prostitution and slavery, families
torn apart by poverty, parents

searching for their missing children. We convince ourselves that

images of refugees and victims of
terrorist attacks are merely a passing nightmare. We cry with the
earth as we cry with the poor. Yes
we need to cry as we see and visit
these tombs. But the Risen Lord
changes the whole story.
We loudly sing Alleluia above the
blast of bombs and gunfire. Before the signs of evil that destroys
life, human dignity, the common
good and creation, we profess
with conviction, Jesus is truly
risen. God has truly triumphed!
Evil will never win. To those who

are fearful and despairing, we

bring the Risen Jesus greeting,
Peace be with you. As people
breathe out fury at each other, we
follow the Risen Jesus in breathing on the world and saying,
Receive the Holy Spirit. To the
weary and despairing who have
lost energy to stand and walk, we
say, In the name of Jesus Christ
the Nazorean, rise and walk.
In the name of the Archdiocese of
Manila, I bring you greetings of
Easter joy, hope and mercy. God
has raised Jesus back to life. Gods
triumph is sure. Love, mercy and
life will prevail!

CBCP Monitor

STATEMENTS B5

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Money laundering in the gambling republic

MONEY-LAUNDERING is what
allows criminal syndicates to thrive,
and to perpetrate their criminality.
Money-laundering keeps the life-blood
of terrorist groups, domestic and international, flowing, and it bears the
detestable fruit of murder, brigandage,
pillage and wantonness. This is the
reason that the Philippines joined the
rest of the world in enacting tough
legislative measures against moneylaundering.
National Shame
Alas, our country figured prominently in a recently reported heist
involving what was reported to be
$81 million stolen from Bangladesh.
From Bangladesh, this astoundingly
huge amount supposedly went into
one of our commercial banks in
the Philippines, and from there, to
a local money-transfer firm, and
then into the casinos. Senate has
commenced an investigation into
the matter, and we are only now
starting to see how wide the reach of
this form of criminality and arrant
immorality is.
No one pulls off a criminal stunt

like this alone. So it is that the dramatis personae in this sad story of loot
and theft are many including cybercriminals, colluding bank executives,
probably even government officials and
public servants.
The amendment to the law that different sectors press for diverts attention
from the real problem: Enforcement,
public vigilance and the moral bank-

proceeds of criminal activity take on

the appearance of legitimate currency
and earnings!
But we decry casinos more as a
symbol of the reckless abandon with
which many live their lives. It is
common knowledge that fortunes
have been lost, families have been
wrecked, futures shattered at casino
tablesand yet, they continue to

improvement of the quality of life, but

to place online bets and indulge in
the varied forms that online gambling
takes!
Repeatedly, large-scale, organized
gambling has been linked to organized
crime. And while we are not prepared
to say that all gambling in the Philippines is crime-related, we are alarmed
at the seeming lukewarmness on the

No one pulls off a criminal stunt like this alone. So it is that

the dramatis personae in this sad story of loot and theft are
many including cyber-criminals, colluding bank executives,
probably even government officials and public servants.
ruptcy that underlies all forms of criminality, disorder and immoral conduct.
Government Sanctioned
Gambling Increased!
Casinos of course can be avenues of
money-laundering, and it is just not
possible to include within legislation
whatever means criminals, in their
ingenuity, may make use of to make

thrive, government sanctions them

and their operators and owners continue to enrich themselves.
Many countries of the world have
made online betting illegal, criminal
even, but in the Philippines, this
detestable activity continues. Many
foreigners make their way into our
country in behalf of foreign principals,
not for trade, nor to contribute to the

part of government and civil society at

dealing with these forms of high-stakes,
high-risk gambling.
Gambling Corrodes Our Moral Fiber
We likewise reiterate the moral
teaching that gamblings malice consists in the desire of the gambler to
profit, if possible immensely and

quickly, without making any corresponding contribution to society in

terms of industry, investment and the
creation of job-opportunities. Gambling also runs counter to the providence by which every person ought to
provide diligently and prudently for
himself and for his family, for it leaves
to the flipping of dice, the spinning of
wheels or the fortuity of cards what can
and must be earned through diligence,
creativity, application and toil.
In each diocese then, the Bishops will
vigilantly monitor gambling activities,
promptly report to authorities the operation of illegal gambling outlets, and
constantly educate the faithful on the
immorality of gambling in whatever
form, taking special care to keep the
youth farthest away from this vice.
In the Risen Lord, we know we can
prevail!
From the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, March 28,
2016.
+ SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
President, CBCP

You have received a great charism for the

baptismal renewal of life
Address of Pope Francis to the members of the Neocatechumenal
Way on the occasion of the missionary sending of 250 families to
evangelize in 5 continents; attended by several thousand members
on March 18, 2016 at the Vatican

CNA

DEAR Brothers and Sisters,

good morning!
I am happy to meet with you
and I thank you, because you
have come in such great numbers. A special greeting goes to
those that are about to depart!
You have received the call to
evangelize: I bless the Lord for
this, for the gift of the Way and
for the gift of each one of you.
I would like to underline three
words that the Gospel has just
consigned to you, as a mandate
for the mission: unity, glory
and world.
Unity. Jesus prays to the Father
so that His own may become
perfectly one (John 17:23); He
wants them to be one (v. 22), as
the Father and He <are one>. It is
His last, most heartbroken request
before His Passion: that there be
communion in the Church. Communion is essential. The enemy
of God and man, the devil, can
do nothing against the Gospel,
against the humble strength of
prayer and of the Sacraments,
but he can do much harm to the
Church by tempting our humanity. He causes presumption, judgment on others, closures, divisions.
He, himself, is the divider and he
often begins by making us believe
that we are good, perhaps better
than others: thus the terrain is
ready to sow darnel. It is the temptation of all communities and it
can insinuate itself also in the most
beautiful charisms of the Church.
You have received a great
charism for the baptismal renewal
of life; one enters the Church,
in fact, through Baptism. Every
charism is a grace of God to enhance communion. However, a
charism can deteriorate when it
is closed or is boastful, when it
wishes to be distinguished from
others. Therefore, it is necessary

Thousands pack the Vaticans Paul VI Hall on March 18, 2016 for the meeting with the Holy Father.

to protect it. Protect your charism!

How? By following the masterful
way: humble and obedient unity.
If this exists, the Holy Spirit continues to work, as He did in Mary,
open, humble and obedient. It is
always necessary to watch over
the charism, purifying eventual
human excesses through the search
for unity with all and obedience to
the Church. Thus one breathes in
the Church and with the Church;
thus you remain docile children
of the Holy, Hierarchical Mother
Church, with the heart prepared

and ready for the mission (cf.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual
Exercises, 353).
I stress this aspect: the Church is
our Mother. Just as children bear
on their face the imprint of their
resemblance to their mother, so
all of us resemble our Mother, the
Church. After Baptism, we no longer live as isolated individuals, but
we have become men and women
of communion, called to be operators of communion in the world,
because Jesus not only founded the
Church for us, but He founded

us as Church. The Church is not

an instrument for us: we are the
Church. We are reborn from her,
she nourishes us with the bread
of life, from her we receive the
words of life; we are forgiven, and
accompanied home.
This is the fecundity of the
Church, which is Mother: it is not
an organization that seeks followers, or a group that goes forward
following the logic of its ideas, but
she is a Mother that transmits the
life received from Jesus.
This fecundity is expressed

through the ministry and guidance

of Pastors. In fact, the institution
is also a charism, because it sinks
its roots in the source itself, which
is the Holy Spirit. He is the living
water, but the water can only continue to give life if the plant is well
looked after and pruned. Slake
your thirst at the source of love, the
Spirit, and take care, with delicacy
and respect, of the whole ecclesial
organism, especially of the more
fragile parts, so that it can all grow
together, harmonious and fecund.
Second word: glory. Before His
Passion, Jesus announced that
He would be glorified on the
cross: His glory would appear
there (cf. John 17:5). However,
it is a new glory: worldly glory is
manifested when one is important,
admired, when one has goods and
success. Gods glory is revealed,
instead, on the cross: it is love,
which shines there and spreads.
It is a paradoxical glory: without
noise, without profit, and without applause. But only this glory
renders the Gospel fecund. Thus
Mother Church is also fecund
when she imitates the merciful
love of God, which is proposed
but not imposed. It is humble; it
acts like rain on the earth, as the air
that is breathed, like a small seed
that bears fruit in silence. Whoever
proclaims love can only do so with
the same style of love.
And the third word that we
heard was world. God so loved
the world that He sent Jesus
(cf.John3:16). One who loves is

not distant, but goes out to encounter. You will go and encounter
so many cities, so many countries.
God is not drawn by worldliness;
in fact, He detests it, but He loves
the world He created, and He
loves His children as they are in
the world, where they live, even if
they are distant. Life will not be
easy for you in distant countries,
in other cultures, it will not be easy
for you, but it is your mission. And
you do this out of love, out of love
for the Mother Church, for the
unity of this fecund Mother; you
do it so that the Church is Mother
and fecund. Show to the children
the tender gaze of the Father and
consider the reality you encounter
a gift. Familiarize yourselves with
the cultures, the languages and the
local usages, respecting them and
recognizing the seeds of grace that
the Spirit has already scattered.
Sow the first proclamation without yielding to the temptation to
transplant acquired models: what
is most beautiful, greatest, most
attractive and at the same time
more necessary (Apostolic ExhortationEvangelii Gaudium,35).
It is the Good News that must
always return, otherwise the faith
risks becoming a cold doctrine
without life. To evangelize as
families, then, living unity and
simplicity, is already a proclamation of life, a beautiful testimony,
for which I thank you very much.
And I thank you in my name,
but also in the name of the whole
Church for this gesture of going,
of going to the unknown and also
to suffer. Because there will be
suffering, but there will also be
the joy of Gods glory, the glory
that is on the Cross. I accompany
you and encourage you, and I ask
you, please, not to forget to pray
for me. I remain here, but in my
heart I come with you.

The problems of humanity are not faceless

DEAR Friends, Good Morning,
I am happy to welcome all of you to the
Vatican, and I hope that your time in Rome has
been beneficial, as you participate in the 2016
Harvard World Model United Nations. I am
grateful to Joseph Hall, the General Secretary
of your meeting, for his words offered on your
behalf. I am especially pleased to know that
your members represent so many nations and
cultures and, therefore, reflect the rich diversity
of our human family.
As university students, you are given in a
particular way to the pursuit of truth and understanding, of growing in wisdom not only for
your own benefit, but for the good of your local
communities and broader society. I hope that this
experience will lead you to appreciate the need
for, and the value of, structures of cooperation
and solidarity which have been forged by the
international community over many years. These
structures are especially effective when they are
directed to the service of the most vulnerable and
marginalized in our world. I pray that the United
Nations, and each individual Member State, may
always be ordered to such service and care.
The greatest benefit of your time together here
in Rome, however, does not have to do with

learning about diplomacy, institutional systems

or organizations, however significant and worthy
of your study these are. The greatest benefit is
your time together, your encounter with people
from around the world, who represent not only
our many contemporary challenges, but above
all the rich diversity of talents and potential of
the human family.
The issues and challenges you discuss are not
faceless. For each of you can articulate the hopes
and dreams, the challenges and sufferings, which
mark the people of your country. In these days,
you will learn much from one another, and will
remind each other that, behind every difficulty
our world is facing, there are men and women,
young and old, people just like you. There are
families and individuals whose lives are daily
shaped by struggles, who are trying to care for
their children and provide not only for their
future but also the basic necessities for today. So
too, many of those affected by our worlds greatest problems of violence and intolerance have
become refugees, tragically forced from their
homes, and denied their land and their freedom.
These are the people who need your help, who
are crying out for you to hear them, and who are
supremely worthy of our every effort on behalf

of justice, peace and solidarity. Saint Paul tells us

that we are to rejoice with those who rejoice, and
weep with those who weep (cf. Rom 12:15). In
the end, our strength as a community, on every
level of life and social organization, lies not so
much in our learning and personal ability, but
in the compassion we show for one another, in
the care that we exercise especially for those who
cannot care for themselves.
I also hope that your experience has led you
to see the commitment of the Catholic Church
to serving the needs of the poor and refugees,
to strengthening the family and communities,
and to protecting the inalienable dignity and
rights of each member of our human family. We
Christians believe that Jesus calls us to be servants
of our brothers and sisters, who care for others
regardless of their background or circumstances.
This is not only a mark of Christians, however,
but is a universal call, rooted in our common
humanity. Its something we have as persons,
that we have inside as human persons!
Dear young friends, I assure you and your
families of my prayers. May Almighty God bless
you with the happiness he has promised to those
who hunger and thirst for justice and work for
peace. Thank you.

CNA

Address of Pope Francis to the participants of the 2016 Harvard World Model United Nations;
Vatican, March 17, 2016

B6 REFLECTIONS

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

CBCP Monitor

Christs resurrection:
Glorious life for Him,
new life for all!
Easter Sunday (C), John 20:1-9
March 27, 2016
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
THE Resurrection is, first of all,
an event that concerns Jesus Christ.
It is his personal triumph over
death, and the confirmation of
the truth of his teaching. He had
spoken about it before it happened. The fulfillment of that
prophecy underscores the power
of Christ and the truthfulness
of his message. He experienced
his physical
resurrection
in all its transforming vitality, just as he
had experienced
the destructive
power of sin in
his agony and
death. This is
what the Paschal Mystery
is all about. The
Resurrection reveals this with
a glorious clarity perceived
through the
eyes of faith.
Bu t w h a t e ve r h a p p e n e d t o
Christ has also a cosmic resonance. It influences and affects
positively the whole universe,
but especially mankind. At the
Incar nation, the Son of God
united himself in a permanent
way to every human being with a
solidarity that makes him share
in all the miseries of every in-

dividual (including the deadly

consequences of sin), but also
makes ever y human being a
sharers in Christs dignity, holiness, and glory.
This is why Jesus coming out
of the tomb alive, transformed,
immortal . . . concerns us, too. It
concerns all human beings. His
Resurrection is also mankinds
resurrection because it marks its
liberation from the oppression
of sin.

a new humanity rose from the

slavery of sin and death, in Jesus,
through him and with him. (See
Col 2:12-13.)
No human expression can exhaust the transforming greatness
of this mystery. The Church has
been proclaiming it during her 20
centuries of existence through her
liturgy, her creeds, and her life.
She will continue to do so until
the liberating power of the Resurrection will have reached its full
manifestation in
the Kingdom of
Heaven.
There are a
billion and one
reasons for celebrating, then, as
we commemorate
and re-live the
Resurrection of
Jesus. But we are
also challenged to
prove that the resurrection of Christ
marks also our resurrection by living a new life. We
have to get rid
of the old yeast of corruption
and wickedness, and live a life
characterized by sincerity and
truth. (See 1 Cor 5:7-8.) We
have to set our hearts on what
pertains to higher realms (Col
3:1). Then will our actions
ring the joyous notes of the
Easter alleluia, and we shall
become a living proof of
Christs Resurrection.

Christs shattering the shackles of death (manifested through

the breaking of the seals of his
grave) is like the cracking of the
shell of a seed which allows the
sprout to burst forth with all
the freshness of the new life it
carries. That sprout is Christ,
but is also the whole of humanity and of each of us. On Easter
morning a new world dawned,

Cecco del Caravaggio

No human expression can

exhaust the transforming
greatness of this mystery.
The Church has been
proclaiming it during her
20 centuries of existence
through her liturgy, her creeds,
and her life.

Signs of reality of the Resurrection

2nd Sunday of Easter (C), John 20:19-31
Divine Mercy Sunday, April 3, 2016
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
WHO could blame Thomas for his
refusal to believe what his co-disciples
were saying about the apparition of the
risen Jesus? He was a concrete, positive
man. To believe what his friends were
saying about Jesus was like believing
that the sun had risen at midnight!
He was ready to grant that, during the
three years he had been with Jesus, he
had witnessed quite a number of happenings which seemed as incredible as a
midnight sunrise: lepers cured instantly;
paralytics who walked home carrying
the mats on which they had been lying
for years; thousands fed with just a few
loaves and fish; and even dead people
coming back to life!. . . He believed in
the reality of their occurrence because
he had seen them happen with his own
eyes.
But Jesus, the reportedly risen Jesus,
where was he? If he could just see and
touch his body, then Thomas also would
say, Amen! Since he was not around
when Jesus had appeared to the whole
group, what Thomas was asking was no

less than a personal apparition of the

Risen Christ to him.
And Thomas got it all, thanks to Jesus
loving condescension. He saw Jesus and
was able to put his fingers into the holes
bored by the nails and the spear. And
he exploded in that confession of faith
for which he will be remembered till the
end of time. (See Jn 20:28.)
Thomas is a contemporary of every
generation. Even today, many refuse to
believe in the reality of the Resurrection
until they see some proof of it.
Especially in our days, the only valid
proof of the Resurrection people are
prepared to consider is our life our
Christian witness. It is through our lives,
more than our words, that we can show
that Jesus is really risen from death and
is now alive.
An existence characterized by charity
and service to the needy is undoubtedly
a strong sign that, after the death of
Christ, a new powerful stream of life has
entered the marshes of human history
and human nature. Such life-giving
reality has quickened to a superior level
of existence the whole of mankind,
thanks to the resurrection of Christ.

No human being could constantly

overcome the temptation and natural
inclination to be self-centered if Christ
did not rise from death. A life totally
spent in the service of others is a sign
of the Life that has conquered death in
Christs resurrection.
Another decisive sign of the reality
of the Resurrection is the forgiveness
that we grant to those who have wronged
us. Every offense that we suffer opens
painful wounds in our sensitivity. They
are the marks of the emotional agony,
and even of our death, which human
cruelty, unfairness, dishonesty, treachery,
. . . have inflicted on us. But if and when
we are able to be good to the persons who
have hurt us so deeply, to speak well of
them, to smile at them in other words,
to forgive them from the heart, then even
the hardest unbeliever is faced with a very
strong proof (the strongest one, perhaps)
of the reality and life-giving effects of the
Resurrection. Perfect forgiveness which
overcomes all inclination to hate back is a
first-class miracle indeed. And the Holy
Spirit, whom the Risen Christ gave to
his disciples on Easter Sunday, has a lot
to do with it.

Peter, the head steward

of Christs flock
3rd Sunday of Easter (C)
John 21:1-19, April 10, 2016

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

AFTER the Resurrection, Jesus external
appearance must have been quite altered
if no one could recognize him at first
sight . . . But what
had not undergone
any change in him
was his love for his
disciples, in spite of
their many shortcomings.
He made it a point
to prove this even
in his apparition in
Galilee. His interest
in their fruitless toil,
his suggesting what
to do in order to
make a big catch, the
fish freshly broiled,
the bread just baked
. . . (see Jn 21:4-14)
were all signs of his loving care for them.
But that early spring morning, Jesus
had more than fish and bread to offer
them. Feed my lambs . . . Tend my sheep,

he said to Simon Peter in the presence of the

other apostles, his gaze piercing gently the
misty eyes of the fisherman from Bethsaida. (See Jn 21:15-17.) The meaning
of Jesus words was clear, in spite of the
figurative language used: the risen Christ
had made Peter the
head-shepherd of the
Church! The first
Habemus Papam
in history--a proclamation done by
Jesus himself on the
quiet lakeshore near
Capernaum, close
to the place where
everything had
begun three years
earlier. Quite a gift
for Peter and for all
believers, too!
That appointment
was the fulfillment
of the promise which
Jesus himself had made to Peter at Caesarea
Philippi many months earlier in response
to the disciples profession of faith in Jesus

Once again, as
he had already
done at Caesarea
Philippi, Peter
gave the right
answer, Lord,
you know that
I love you!

Peter, B7

Bo Sanchez

SOULFOOD

Bishop Pat Alo

ENCOUNTERS

Fathomless mercy

CELEBRATING the feast of Divine Mercy on

the 2nd Sunday and Octave of Easter in this
Jubilee Year of Mercy makes one ponder on the
great heart of the Risen Lord that continues to
unlock hearts paralyzed by shackles of fear that
they be open to the Truth of Gods unending
mercy, and thus experience the freedom of
Gods redeemed children.
Our most merciful Savior freely offered
Himself as sacrificial lamb of sacrifice to take
away the sins of many and win pardon for their
offenses. Pope Francis, reflecting on the mystery of divine justice and mercy, writes; Gods
justice is his mercy given to everyone as a grace
that flows from the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ (MV21).
Jesus crucified, who offered himself in perfect
obedience to the Fathers will, has become
the model of all saints and martyrs, living and

dead, who have cooperated with divine grace

to become agents of mercy and compassion in
response to the loving Saviors challenge. Our
sorrow is not for the death of Jesus but for our
sins which caused him such suffering, for in the
end there is unending joy to feast on from the
mysterious certitude of Gods forgiving love
and eternal life.
St. Faustina Kowalska, the Polish nun and
messenger of Divine Mercy, wrote this private
revelation from the Lord in her diary: Let no
soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its
sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no
mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to
fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything
that exists has come forth from the very depths
of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its
relation to Me will contemplate My love and
mercy throughout eternity (Diary, 699).

Dont be afraid of what

others will say

LAST week, I wrote how Elisha,

the disciple, asked for a double
portion of anointing from his
mentor Elijah.
If there were people around
who heard Elisha ask in that way,
perhaps some of them would have
said, How dare he ask that way?
My gosh, he asked for double.
The gall. How arrogant! How
selfish!
But Elijah asked for a double
portion NOT so that he would be
greater than his teacher. No. He
asked so that he could serve more.
(So if youre going ask, might as
well ask big.)
Some people are afraid of rejection. Theyre scared that when

theyre successful, their family and

friends will say, Youre different
now. So they dont ask for what
God wants to give them. What
will other people say! they think.
So the Buffet of Blessings is waiting but they dont partake of it
because of shame.
There are times when we pray
for something, and then we stop
because we feel that its a selfish
prayer. Its just for me, we
think. And so we reject the blessing of God that was supposed to
benot for usbut to be a used
as a blessing for many others.
Heres a key principle youve
got to understand: God wants to
bless others through you, but He

has to bless you first.

Are you ready to be blessed?
Are you ashamed for who you
are?
There are people who feel
that they dont deserve to ask for
anything.
Thats why I like the story of
Elijah and Elisha.
Next to Moses, Elijah was the
greatest Old Testament prophet.
Elisha was his disciple, his understudy. Think Robin to Batman.
One day, the great prophet says
to his disciple, Ask what I shall
do for you before I be taken away
from you.
I love what Elisha said. He reSoulfood, B7

CBCP Monitor

SOCIAL CONCERNS B7

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Pinewood-reinforced schools
after Yolanda, why not?
BANTAYAN Island, Cebu, March 26,
2016Students having lessons in tented
makeshift classrooms remain a common
sight in this area, which had suffered from
gale-force winds and rain when super
typhoon Yolanda hit the island and other
regions in the Visayas in November 2013.
For locals, who had never been the recipient of NGOs outreach programs before
the disaster, thanks to the islands off the
radar profile, the delivery of basic services
and facilities like disaster-ready schools and
training years after Yolanda is like manna to
a population long starved.
This is exactly how Grade 2 teacher Raquel
Ilusorio of Pili Elementary School feels, saying the school, the first school Caritas Switzerland completed building on the island, is
now conducive for learning, a far cry from
what it once was.

Disaster-ready
Steel, unlike wood, will bend without
warning, collapsing the building on inhabitants, explained Obach.
Steel C-perlines hold the reinforcements in

Melo M. Acua

ISABEL, Leyte, March 23, 2016Some 30 fishermen from the

coastal communities of Merida, Palompon in this town received
on Feb. 18 fishing implements through the Center for Agrarian
Reform Empowerment and Transformation, Inc., a Quezon
City-based NGO funded by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
During a simple ceremony at the Isabel covered court last Friday morning, Mayor Gregorio Cerillo said the assistance came
at a time when the communities are slowly but surely recovering
from the onslaught of typhoon Haiyan nearly three years ago.
CARETs executive director Ferdinand Buenviaje said fishermen have encountered dwindling fish catch due to illegal fishing
and encroachment of commerical fishers in the municipal waters
which are supposedly for subsistence fishermen.

Php1.5 M Donation to Fishermen. A beneficiary holds a rudder to be installed

in one of the 30 fibreglass boats donated by the Chinese Embassy in Manila to
subsistence fishermen from Isabel, Palompon and Merida.

Nirva Delacruz

Virtually earthquake, typhoon-proof

The roofs are gone Then the classrooms
are not that strong. The buildings are weak
and easily destroyed. The walls are cracked
because of an earthquake, she added, mentioning an October 2013 earthquake that
also damaged the school a month before
Yolanda.
Aside from actually looking the part of
a fully functional school, Pili Elementary
School, like the other six schools being constructed by Caritas Switzerland, has been
retrofitted with pinewood reinforcements
from New Zealand, making the classrooms
able to withstand 7.2 magnitude earthquakes
and super typhoons.
According to Orwell Obach, shelter
project manager of Caritas Switzerland in
Bantayan Island, the specially-designed reinforcements feature pinewood structures and
not steel or concrete because wood has both
tensile and compressive strength.
He said once the specially-treated pinewood reaches its breaking point, it would
initially show signs of breaking and damage
before giving way, buying enough reaction
time for evacuation.

Leyte residents
receive boats from
Chinese Embassy

One of 10 retrofitted classrooms in Pili Elementary School that is able to withstand super typhoons and 7.2-magnitude
earthquakes.

place, helping seal the schools identity as a

truly disaster-ready building that can double
into an evacuation center, as mandated by
the Department of Education.
The rehabilitated school will serve as
evacuation area if a heavy typhoon or other
calamity strikes the area. Disaster risk reduction and mitigation strategies are an integral
part of the rehabilitation program, said
Caritas Switzerland Chief Delegate to the

Philippines Marcel Reymond.

Other ongoing similar school constructions under the Caritas Switzerland project
include ones in Talangan, Mancilang,
Maibago, Kaongkod, Hagdan and Bunakan.
The most recent school to be turned over,
Malbago Elementary School, cost about
Php23.96 million and is a second home to
500 kindergarten and elementary students.
(Nirvaana Ella Delacruz/CBCPNews)

Good friends, neighbors

Buenviaje said even after a year after the super typhoons
impact on Eastern Visayas, fishermen have resorted to renting
out their boats or have started working for commercial boat
owners as fish workers receiving meager pay.
The Chinese Embassys First Secretary and Director
for Political Section YU Jun said they have extended a
humble contribution to the improvement of the residents
livelihood in the typhoon affected areas of Merida,
Palompon and this bustling community of over 45,000
people.
He added his embassy has been dedicated to the well-being
of the Filipino people for a long time.
For thousands of years, China and the Philippines have been
good friends and neighbors, he added.
He quoted an ancient Chinese saying that a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. (Melo M. Acua/
CBCP News)

Love, B1

Political Options, B2

(proper of the Ecclesiastical Community)

has as consequence the existence of two
rights belonging to the faithful: the first as
member of the civil society and the second
as member of the Church.
1) Religious freedom as a human
rightwhich is guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
recognized by an increasing number of
sovereign states.
2) Freedom in temporal affairs as an
ecclesiastical right, recognized by the Code
of Canon Law in c. 227.
Both rights indicate a clear incompetence of the State and of the Church in
some matters. Thus, Vatican II clearly
stated:
The situation of the layperson with
regard to both ecclesiastical and civil society involves two fundamental rights: the
right to religious freedom within the civil
society and the right to freedom in secular
matters within the ecclesiastical society.
The State does not have competence in
religious matters, nor does the Church
in secular ones. The person who has been
baptized is a layperson in the canonical
sphere and a citizen in the civil sphere.
This is the typical field in which the
faithful should learn to distinguish
carefully between the rights and the duties which they have as belonging to the
Church and those which fall to them as
members of the human society (Lumen
gentium, n.36)
b. Object of the right to freedom in temporal affairs in the Church
The Christian faithful is completely free
to act in temporal affairs. The only duty he
has is to act in agreement with faith and
morals. His activity has to be illuminated
by the faith (Cf. Christifideles laici, n.15).
He cannot be forced by anybody
neither by Ecclesiastical authority nor by
other faithful or groupsin such matters,
because these aspects of his activities are
left by God to the free will and understanding of the faithful.
Consequently, he cannot present his
actions or options as the only ones which
are really Christian. Thus, the label of
Catholic can only be applied to a specific

reality when officially sanctioned by the

competent Church authority.
c. Subject of the right: Only the laity or
for all Christian faithful?
What is established by c. 227 is for every
faithful. All faithful enjoy this freedom.
The differences among the faithful will
only affect the extension and the usual
areas in which the faithful can exercise
this fundamental right.
This area will be wider or narrower depending on the degree of secularity that is
characterizing the life of the faithful. This
in turn depends on the specific vocation
and mission of every faithful. They are
all equal, but at the same time different.
1) The role of the clergy. The clerics special configuration with Christ leads him
to have a special position in the Church
and in society.
The minister of God should be an
element of unity in the Christian community, never an element of division.
The sacred minister is called to be a guide
through his word and behavior. Because of
his position as pastor, he is under certain
prohibitions which aim precisely to avoid
any danger to the Christian community.
Thus, canon law prohibits him from
taking an active role in politics and trade
unions. He cannot engage in business or
administer the goods of lay people. He
cannot hold any public office.
2) The role of the laity. The specific role
of the lay members of Christs Church is
to order the temporal realities according
to the will of God. (Cf. Lumen Gentium,
n.31).
Their secular character is proper and
peculiar to the laity. Although those in
Holy Orders may sometimes be engaged
in secular activities, or even practice a
secular profession, yet by reason of their
particular vocation, they are principally
and expressly ordained to the sacred ministry.
But by reason of their special vocation
it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal
affairs and directing them according to
Gods will. They live in the world, that is,
they are engaged in each and every work

or business of the earth and in the ordinary circumstances of social and family
life, which, as it were, constitute their
very existence. They are called by God
that, being led by the spirit of the Gospel,
they may contribute to the sanctification
of the world, as from within like leaven,
by fulfilling their own particular duties
(...) It pertains to them in a special way
so to illuminate and order all temporal
things with which they are so closely associated that these may be effected and
grow according to Christ and may be to
the glory of the creator and Redeemer
(LG, n.31).
This is his vocation. He is called by God
to sanctify himself in those activities (cf.
also Christifideles laici, n.15). But all his
words and deeds, his mission, etc. are done
under his personal responsibility, without
involving the Church in his decisions. He
does not act in the name of the Church.
He is not the long hand of the Hierarchy.
He is a full time citizen. All should respect
him, in the Church and in civil society.
3) The Church Hierarchy and its role
of orientation and guidance of the faithful. The Church Hierarchy cannot be
expected to provide concrete solutions to
temporal problems (cf. Gaudium et spes).
Her duty is to give the principles, to provide formation and the sacraments to the
faithful, so as to foster their maturity. This
is the real sense of the empowerment of the
laity: to actualize the strong potentiality of
being a Christian.
Vatican II declared this clearly: It is
their (laity) task to cultivate a properly
informed conscience and to impress the
divine law on the affairs of the earthly
city. For guidance and spiritual strength
let them turn to the clergy; but let them
realize that their pastors will not always be
so expert as to have ready answer to every
problem (even every grave problem) that
arises; this is not the role of the clergy:
it is rather up to the laymen to shoulder
their responsibilities under the guidance
of Christian wisdom and with eager attention to the teaching of the Church
(GS, n.43).
Exception: The Church can make a
concrete jurisdictional intervention in
temporal affairs exceptionally, when very

important issues related to the Church

(e.g., her freedom to perform her mission) demand this kind of intervention.
In this case, the faithful are obliged to
obey. This was what happened during the
years around World War II, for example,
when the Pope condemned Nazism in no
uncertain terms.
3. Principles for the case of elections
a. Guiding Principles in the Case of
Elections:
1. Freedom and responsibility of all citizens, including the Catholics (lay, priests,
religious). Each one has the obligation to
vote according to his/her conscience. This
is a sign of his dignity as a human person
and as a member of a political community. Each member of society is called to
participate, each one has something to say
in public life.
2. The vote of every Catholic has to
be guided by the Magisterium of the
Church. This means that the person has
to chose according to the programs of the
candidates or political parties.
3. The role of the hierarchy is to place
all Catholics in front of their social,
economic and political responsibilities,
indicating the guiding moral principles
which are more relevant in the country,
but without indicating concrete political
options (candidate or party). Thus, every
Catholic faithful is responsible before God
and society. With this orientation, each
person will choose.
b. Concrete behaviors contrary to the
right to freedom in temporal affairs (in
elections):
1) To sell or to buy votes is contrary to
the good of society and constitutes a great
harm, because it is a kind of corruption
that fosters more corruption in all government levels.
2) Any form of clericalism, forcing
people to chose a concrete candidate or
political party. This is tantamount to
removing the freedom wanted by God
for the faithful. It is an invasion of areas
in which there is freedom in the Church.
In this case, the faithful are not obliged
in conscience to follow the advice of the
clergy or of the hierarchy.

Peter, B6

as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. (See Mt

16:18-19.) The disciple had done nothing to deserve
such a promise. Jesus said that Peters answer had been
the Fathers doing! (See Mt 16:17.) He had actually
done quite a bit to lose any claim to its fulfillment, for
he had deserted and disowned his Master, in spite of all
his boastful assurances. (See Mk 14:29-31.)
In that painful process, Peter had lost almost all his dignity, but not his faith in Jesus and his love for him. He had
also learned to be humble. And that, for Jesus, was enough.

The question, Do you love me? asked three times was not
meant to embarrass the repentant disciple, but to bring him
to realize that love and humility are indispensable virtues for
one who is called to represent the humble and loving Master.
Once again, as he had already done at Caesarea
Philippi, Peter gave the right answer, Lord, you know
that I love you! The whole Church rejoices in it, for a
strong and humble love for Jesus is the basic condition
for Peter to be the visible leader of the new People of
God--a leader according to the heart of Christ.

The role of Peter in the Church, intended to be handed

on to his successors, is one of the most precious gifts of the
risen Christ to the other Apostles and to all his followers
throughout the centuries. In Peter and his successors, in
fact, we find the indispensable visible point of reference and unity, and the leadership that presides in
charity and guides all the believers in being faithful to
the common Lord. In this frail head-shepherd, we see
a proof of Christs love for the Church and sign of his
unfailing presence in it.

words of the Lord:Take courage; I have

conquered the world! (Jn16:33). Today is
the radiant day of this victory, for Christ
has trampled death and destruction
underfoot. By his resurrection he has
brought life and immortality to light
(cf.2 Tim1:10).He has made us pass
from enslavement to freedom, from sadness to joy, from mourning to jubilation,
from darkness to light, from slavery to
redemption. Therefore let us acclaim in
his presence: Alleluia!(Melito of Sardis,
Easter Homily).
To those in our society who have
lost all hope and joy in life, to the
elderly who struggle alone and feel
their strength waning, to young people
who seem to have no future, to all I
once more address the words of the
Risen One: See, I am making all
things new To the thirsty I will
give water as a gift from the spring of
the water of life (Rev 21:5-6). May
this comforting message of Jesus help
each of us to set out anew with greater
courage and greater hope to blaze trails
of reconciliation with God and with all
our brothers and sist ers. Of which we
have great need!
Soulfood, B6

plied, I pray that I get a double portion

of your spirit.
Wow! What guts. What daring. What
boldness!
Sometimes, I imagine if Elisha was
Filipino. It would have been a very different scenario, believe me.
Because the Pinoy Elisha would have
blushed, chuckled, and with a wave of
his hand replied, Oh, nothing at all.
Youve given me so much already.
And Elijah would have to cajole him,
Come on, Elisha, tell me. What do
you want?
To which the Pinoy Elisha would
reply, Nothing. Really! Nothing at all.
Elijah would press some more, until
Elisha would say, OK, just give me
a itsy-bitsy little, tiny smudge of your
anointing. And Ill be more than happy!
This is what I call the Itsy-Bitsy
Spirituality. And it has many devotees.
Its very Filipino. But Im sure that its
a universal phenomenon too.
We need to learn to ask.
Many times, we dont ask because we
think we dont deserve to ask.
We dont feel we deserve a good job.
We dont feel we deserve a good
husband.
We dont feel we deserve a house.
We dont feel we deserve healing.
We think that were small.
Ask!

B8 ENTERTAINMENT

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Moral Assessment

CBCP Monitor

Buhay San Miguel

Brothers Matias

Lolo Kiko

Bladimer Usi

Abhorrent

Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome

Exemplary
Technical Assessment

Poor
Below average

Average

Above average
E
xcellent

SPOTLIGHT is about the efforts of a team of crack journalists of The Boston Globe working
on a story of sex abuse committed largely by clergymen of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Boston. The story was kept hidden for so long by The Boston
Globe itself despite the incriminating information provided by
the lawyers and victims in the
earlier years. To make up for
such omission, the Spotlight
teameditor Walter Robby
Robinson (Michael Keaton)
and reporters Mike Rezendes
(Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer
(Rachel McAdams), and Matt
Carroll (Brian dArcy James)
is commissioned by the papers
new chief, Marty Baron (Liev
Schreiber) to reinvestigate the
issue. After diligently gathering evidences and testimonies
from people concerned including the victims themselves
and the teams searing concern
over the possible consequences
of unearthing the truththe
Boston Globe publishes the story
to a shocked public.
If only the Oscars had an
award for Best Ensemble, Spotlights actors would romp away
with it hands down. There
are no villains, heroes, lead
characters, or stars in Spotlight
because the films spotlight is on
the powerful material, which a
power-packed cast has given justice to by their on-target performances. The Oscars Best Film
for 2015 focuses the limelight
on a newsroom crisis involving
professional journalistswhose
forte is in-depth investigation
of local storiesplayed with
such incredibly credible finesse
by: Keaton as the even-keeled
news editor, Ruffalo, McAdams
and Carroll as bulldog reporters
contributing their distinctive
traits as meticulous fact-diggers
in an American city that would
rather look the other way in the
face of a crackling and definitely
damaging controversy.
Spotlights dramatic tug of
war is caused not by the peren-

nial conflict between right and

wrong, or good and evil, but
from ethical and moral struggles
experienced by the journalists
who must decide what to do
with the time bomb ticking
away in their hands. Some
viewers think Spotlight is a film
no Catholic should see; some
say its a film no Catholic should
miss. CINEMA would hesitate
to make such sweeping generalizations because whatever
damage the expose can do to the
image of the Catholic Church
has been done by the actual
media coverage of the real-life
controversy in early 2002, to
be exact. Spotlight is not an
expose in itself but a close look

SPOTLIGHT
DIRECTOR: Tom McCarthy
LEAD CAST: Mark Ruffalo,
Michael Keaton, Rachel
McAdams, Liev Schreiber,
John Slattery, Stanley
Tucci
DISTRIBUTOR: Open Road
Films
LOCATION: United States
RUNNING TIME: 2 hrs. 15
minutes
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:

MORAL ASSESSMENT:
CINEMA rating: V18

into what went on inside the

Boston Globe newsroom and
at its editorial board meetings
before the public disclosure that
rocked the staunchly Catholic
community of Boston. It is not
about flaws in the priesthood;
it is about a landmark moment in journalism. In fairness,
CINEMA must say director
Tom McCarthy handled the
material with equal parts skill
and respect. In the hands of an
opportunistic filmmaker, the
story could have been milked,
molded, and marketed like any
sensational tabloid material, but
Spotlight instead treated the
true story not only clinically
and level-headedly but with
empathy as well.

ABUSES by clergymen across the globe did not necessarily stop

after the Boston Globe published the appalling record of pedophiliac
priests and brothers in the local archdiocese in 2002. But the papers
pursuit and delivery of the story, despite dire consequences even
beyond Boston, made the stellar difference.
Spotlight is not a movie about the cover up of clerical sex abuse
cases in the Archdiocese of Boston. It actually tells the story of the
six-man team of journalists behind that story. It narrates how loopholes in the leadership and the institution, which failed to put an
end to the abuses, was uncovered and reported.
Hardly any reader cares about how a news report comes about.
But Spotlight succeeds in stressing out that the story behind each
story also matters. While portraying journalists making calls and
writing their stories is hardly cinematic in film, the movie depicts
the thrilling legwork they dothe countless visits made to the
courtroom and law offices, the paper- and people-trail that have to
be meticulously traced and counterchecked, the emotionally sensitive victims that had to be interviewed, the uncooperative sources
that had to be dealt with, the confirmations that took so long to
get, and the physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that each
reporter had to endure in line of duty.
More often than not, pursuing an important story also makes or
breaks a reporters spirit. But doing his job wont make a watchdog a
hero, will it? Spotlight urges audience to consider that rocking the
boat just to inform people about ugly truths that are otherwise swept
under the rug takes relative amount of courage and determination
from journalists who are humans and therefore sinners themselves.
Making the effort to get to the bottom of the story and to fearlessly
expose the truth to deter the problem from happening again, makes
the unmistakable difference between a journalist from a lawyer who
mere does his job.
Spotlight also emphasizes the freedom of the press, without
which no balanced news will ever see print. Independence of the
press allows it to do its job--regardless if pursuing a story, let alone
publishing it, will or wont sit well with those involved--even if it
will disturb the status quo. Like a mother feeding her children bitter
medicines to keep them healthy, the press is duty bound to publish
the truth to force officials to take charge, institutions to work and
systems to be improved. Without the Fifth Estate, who would bother
unearth somebody elses mess and warn the people about it.
Thankfully, media subscribes to no religion but its adherence to
the truth. But journalists do. Spotlight also zooms into the lives
of the journalists who were born and raised as Catholics and their
internal struggle after seeing their untainted views of the men of
cloth and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church fall apart.
Indeed, a special report about the clergys sexual abuses, among
other worlds problems, will not put an end to them. But acknowledging and proving such a problem exists is the start of the long
and painstaking process of eventually solving it. Awareness of the
truth compels people to take action. And no religion or institution
can ever debunk a story when it only tells the truth. (Kris Bayos/
CBCP News)

Buhay Parokya

Look for the images of the Holy dove, Saint

Therese and Saint John Paul II .
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

THE CROSS

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

CBCP Monitor Vol. 20, No. 12

March 21 - April 3, 2016

Thousands join Walk for Life

Life is a song sing it.
Life is a game play it.
Life is a challenge meet it.
Life is a dream realize it.
Life is a sacrifice offer it.
Life is love enjoy it.
- Sai Baba
FOR many people, life has
different meanings, different
purposes and different
reasons to live by but for
Knights of Columbus, life is a
God given gift that should be
protected, shared and deeply
valued. With that, KofC held
its nationwide Walk for Life
campaign led by State Deputy
Officers which kicked off last
February 27, 2016.
The said annual walk for
life began in Mindanao and
led by State Warden Jose Q.
Tan, Jr. Hundreds of Knights
of Columbus members
and supporters peacefully
marched down the streets
of Zamboanga City holding
the banners and campaign
paraphernalia that expresses
the Associations conviction
against abortion and its
advocacy of protecting life.
This initiative was then
followed by the councils
from the Visayas region that
vigorously held their separate
Walk for Life events involving
the provinces of Iloilo, Samar
and Negros.
Iloilo Councils walk for
life gave a good head start
when they had their March
for Life on February 28,
2016 and were able to gather
participants from PNP R6
Band, First Iloilo Ready
Reserve Infantry Battalion,
TASG-Panay AFRESCOM,
West Visayas State UniversityLambunao Campus ROTC
Unit, University of San
Agustin ROTC Unit, ISATUROTC Unit, University of
Iloilo I-PHINMA ROTC Unit,
San Jose Catholic School,
Colegio del Sagrado, Corazon
de Jesus, State Officers,
MPPCs, Grand Knights and
Walk for Life / C3

1. Luzon North Deputy and President of the Knights of

Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc
Bro. Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. together with Knights of
Columbus Luzon North Secretary Bro. Pascual Cabrero
led the annual Walk for Life 2016 together with their
friends and families marched from Bulacan Sports
Complex to Malolos Sports and Convention Center
held last March 19, 2016. (Roy Lagarde/CBCP News)
2. From Left to Right: KCFAPI Chairman Arsenio Isidro G.
Yap, Knights of Columbus Luzon South Deputy Ramoncito
A. Ocampo and Supreme Director Alonso L. Tan joined
thousands of supporters and members of the Knights of
Columbus as they prepare to march during the annual

Walk for Life held last March 12, 2016. (YouthPinoy)

Isidro G. Yap. (Yen Ocampo)

3 . Most Rev. Vicente M. Navarra, District Deputy led

the Knights of Columbus March for Life in Bacolod City.

5. Officers and members of Daughters of Mary

Immaculate International, led by Ma. Theresa G.
Curia, Diocesan Regent of the DMI - Diocese of
Malolos, show their support to Knights of Columbus
advocacy as they join Luzon Norths Walk of Life last
March 19, 2016.

4. (L-R) KCFAPI Vice President for FBG, Gari M. San

Sebastian; Luzon South State Secretary, Bonifacio
Martinez; KCFAPI Spiritual Director, Msgr. Pedro
Quitorio III; State Warden, Isagani Maghirang;
Awards and Reports Chairman, Saturnino Galang;
Luzon South State Deputy Ramoncito Ocampo;
Tourism Director of Manila, Liz Villaseor; Manila
City Administrator, Atty. Jojo Alcovendaz; Supreme
Director, Alonso L. Tan; and KCFAPI Chairman, Arsenio

6. Luzon North Deputy Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr

thanks the doctor for supporting Knights of Columbus
initiative of free ultrasound diagnosis for pregnant
women which was held last March 19, 2016 in
Malolos Sports and Convention Center.

7. Walk for Life supporters and members emphasizes

the right to defend life and repudiation to abortion by
showing this banner paraded during the Annual Walk
for Life held in Zamboanga City.
8. The Armed Forces of the Philippines from 6th
Infantry Kampilan Division joined the Annual Walk
for Life with KCFAPI employees last March 12,
2016.
9. Police officers marched along with the crowd of
supporters during the Annual Walk for Life held in
Zamboanga City last February 27, 2016 led by State
Warden Jose Q. Tan, Jr.

Knights of Columbus and KCFAPI

campaigns for #CleanVotePH
IN response to the call of the Catholic
Church for a clean and honest
election, members of the Knights
of Columbus in the Philippines and
the Knights of Columbus Fraternal
Association of the Philippines,
Inc. (KCFAPI) were encouraged to
execute programs and activities in
lieu with the upcoming national
elections.
It was unanimously agreed
that the Knights of Columbus in
the Philippinesin the spirit of
Our Founder, Venerable Michael
J. McGivneybe proactively
concerned in our political life and
in the forthcoming elections by
upholding Catholic Values and the
Social Teachings of the Catholic
Church, Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III,
CBCP Media Director and KCFAPI
Spiritual Director announced during
the First Walk for Life of the K of
C Luzon South Jurisdiction last
March 12.
The following programs and
activities were proposed for
implementation: Discuss and deliver
a catechesis on the social teachings
of the Church, with special emphasis
on its role in politics, during Marches
for Life, State Conventions, and
Council Meetings; Conduct Civic
and Political Education periodically;
Collaborate with dioceses and
other organizations in promoting
Catholic values and initiatives for

it is also a valid Christian political

choice. Voting for the lesser evil
is still voting for evil, he furthered.

a clean, honest, orderly, peaceful,

and credible elections; Organize
religious activities to pray for clean
elections and good governance; and
Initiate a social media campaign for
clean elections by using the hashtag
#cleanvotePH.
Msgr. Quitorio III reminded the
participants to be guided by a sense
of the common good when we elect
leaders for those whom Christ died
for. Let us choose those who are
truly upright and self-sacrificing,
respectful of the dignity of all, and
compassionate towards the poor.
He added that voters must reject
those who are dishonest, deceitful,
self-seeking, and unmindful of the
poor. Not voting for a particular
position when no one is fitted for

Every life is a gift

The message of Supreme Knight
Carl A. Anderson expressed support
and gratitude to the Brother Knights
and their families for their courage
to conduct Walk for Life witnessed
by the public an activity that aims
to uphold the dignity and sanctity of
all human life.
Your participation in the March
for Life offers a public witness to
the truth that human life is sacred
and precious from the moment of
conception until natural death,
stated in the message delivered by
Supreme Director, Alonso L. Tan.
The annual and simultaneous
Walk for Life has a powerful message
that the Knights of Columbus stands
firmly for the dignity and protection
of all human life.
Although you face many
challenges in the Philippine
legislature and a court, including
the much-debated RH Bill that now
has become law, I urge you not to
lose heart or to become discouraged.
Through prayer, education, and
gentle persuasion in the public
square, you serve not only God but
also the Philippine nation that we
all love so much, as stated by the
Supreme Director. (Yen Ocampo)

DISCOUNTED RATES
GROSS
SINGLE
STANDARD
PHP2,000
PHP999.00
PREMIUM
PHP2,500
FAMILY
PHP3,500

DOUBLE
PHP1,600
PHP1,800
PHP2,500

- Free shuttle service

- Free breakfast will be provided based on occupancy. One free breakfast
for single occupancy, two free breakfast for double occupancy, and
maximun of four free breakfast for family room. Additional breakfast
will be charged PHP20,000.
- Additional bed will be charged PHP400.00
- Check-in time is 2:00PM and check-out time is 12:00NN. A half-day
rate is charged beyond 12:00NN.
- Only cash or credit card will be accepted as form of payment to the
hotel.

C2

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Arsenio Isidro G. Yap

The Cross

Ma. Theresa G. Curia

Curia Settings
Chairmans
Message
OUR Lord Jesus Christ was born to die. He has to die to pay
for our sins, to redeem us from eternal
damnation. His crucifixion and death on
the cross however, gave us life. But, are
we grateful?
What exactly do we do in general during
the 46-day Lenten Season? It begins with
Ash Wednesday, having our foreheads
marked with a cross from the ashes of
blessed palm leaves that was used during
the Palm Sunday a year ago. This was
supposed to remind us that from dust
we came and to dust we shall return. Nowadays, we are told
to repent and believe in the Gospel as we receive our marks on
the forehead.
Traditionally, Ash Wednesday tells us to fast and abstain from
meat as a sign of remorse for our sins for the past year. It is also
a day of intimate prayer of repentance to atone for our sins and
I believe a lot of us still practice this form of penitence up to this
day. Others abstain from meat on all seven Fridays of Lent. While
some not only abstain from meat but also fast on these Fridays.
A growing number of faithful even take the time out to do a lot of
corporal works like giving food to the poor and the like.
Some Catholics even participate in relative events of Holy
Week such as Stations of the Cross, Visita Iglesia, Pabasa,
Confessions, Retreats, Recollections, Chrism Mass, Washing of
the Feet, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Passion Plays,
Seven Last Words, Veneration of the Cross, Santo Entierro
Procession, Easter Vigil, Salubong, and Easter Sunday Mass at
time with an Easter Egg hunt to boot for small children. Other
traditions are daily prayers for Lent. Visita Iglesia is being done
not only on Maundy Thursday but on any days of Lent, it is like
a pilgrimage to different churches and in some cases not limited
in one day nor limited to seven churches.
Retreats, Recollections, Visita Iglesia, Fasting, and Abstinence are
mostly done by the majority before Palm Sunday. Most people are
transformed in the wrong way beginning the Friday before Palm
Sunday. From being a very religious and remorseful Catholic into a
bunch of very rowdy, party hungry, vacation-sick, and shopping-mad
people. All of a sudden, we forgot or worse we ignore the very essence
and the culmination of the Lenten Seasons Holy Week where we
recollect the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross
on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Holy Week is becoming synonymous with vacation places like
beaches, Baguio, Tagaytay, and other tourist destinations. The
elites of course would be in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, etc.
They would also be having their own Visita Iglesia in different
malls and tourist attractions. The tambays would be having
seven rounds of tagay. The chismosas would share their sietes.
How sad. But Im still hopeful that those who still practice the
devotions of the Holy Week would not only continue but would
dare to pass it on to their families and the next generations. I also
pray that all who no longer do these practices will be renewed
into better Catholics. Let us help and re-educate them on the
true meaning of fasting and abstinence. Let us help them be
transformed into a better and knowledgeable Catholic who is
able to live and share the good news of the Gospel. After all, its
what Easter is all about Transformation.

Easter Speaks of Second Chances

Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr.

YOU must have heard people say that

Christians are Easter people. In other
words, real Christians are those who
live in the spirit of Easter. But what is
the spirit of Easter that almost defines
who we are as followers of Jesus? What
realities do Easter represent which we,
as Christians, are invited to make real in
our lives?
On Easter day, Jesus rose from the
dead. We, his followers, believe that one
day, we will also rise from the dead and
live happily ever after with Him until the
end of time.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we
believe that there is life after death for
all of us. This enables us to want to live
our life in the best way possible because
we know that whatever good we start
while we live in this earth and whatever
beautiful things we experience in our
earthly life, it will continue even after
we die. We know that good things, good
energy, positive thoughts and attitudes
are things that will last and will never die
that they will be forever with us. After
all, those good things are what we have
learned from the life of Jesus.
Similarly, the thought of Easter boosts
our morale when life is tough and rough
for us. We know that Easter promises us
that if we cannot have the good life we are
dreaming of here on earth, one day in the
life after, things will change for us. There
is an end to sufferings, for we saw this in
the life of Jesus. He suffered and died.
But he rose again after three days. After
we die, our tears will be changed to joy.
Our fears and our sorrows will be washed
away and the vision of God will make
us experience deep joy, peace, and love.
Whatever has happened to the risen Lord
will also happen to us, who follow Jesus.
But belief in Easter does not bear
fruit in our lives only after we die. If we
believe in Easter, we can have a taste of
the Resurrection in our everyday life.
Resurrection happens to us even now.
After my Mother died, my father had
a very serious disease. His stomach was
torn and he could have bled to death. The
ICU was his home for 14 days due to his
very critical condition. When we brought
him home he had private nurses taking

Presidents Message

Michael P. Cabra

care of him round the clock for three

months. All of us siblings also took turns
in taking care of him and giving him all
his needs. To make the story short, he got
well. That was an experience of miracle for
us... and an experience of Resurrection.
That was a real experience of
Resurrection for all of us. It gave new
life to our father, and it also renewed
our hopes and energies as we kept vigil
over his recovery. It was the end of fears,
worries, and tears. After Tatay got well,
we could joke and laugh again. With
all our sacrifices of time, money, and
resources added with love and care, we
found a new life.
Personally, this new life of my father
made me realizes who and what is
important for me. This experience of
Resurrection made me see that the ties
that bind me to my parents and to my
siblings take primary importance in my
life. My husband and my children were
in it too. It made me feel the presence
of Nanay through all our trials and
difficulties. Nanay died on July 11, 2014.
Tatay got sick and we confined him at
the hospital on August 11, 2014. What
transpired after he recovered had given
us a taste of forever.
The months that we took care of my
father were an experience of Lent and
passion for all of us. When he got well, we
had a taste of Easter.
So, now as we enter the last few days of
Lent and are about to enter the memory of
Christs passion and death, I wish I could
truly enter into the spirit of Jesus passion
and death through our liturgy. Hopefully,
during the Easter vigil, I can also have a
taste of the joys of the apostles in seeing
Jesus alive in their hearts.
The apostles, seeing Jesus in their midst
after His resurrection, never doubted
again that the Spirit of Jesus was dwelling
in their hearts. That awareness and
conviction became very, very strong in
their consciousness that they were able
to keep his memory alive among them,
especially at every celebration of the
Eucharist. Their experience of Christs
indwelling propelled them to establish the
Church with conviction. They preached
and continued what Christ did for them

to all the people they met. That was how

the Church started from a handful of men
and women. I pray that the memory they
passed on to us will urge us also to pass it
on to the next generation.
I pray for my family and my friends,
for the people I work with and even for
our country that we may never doubt
that the Spirit of Jesus lives within and
among us. I think this is what Easter did
for the apostles and this is what we can
also beseech from the Spirit to make it
real in our lives.
If we live in the spirit of Easter, then
perhaps it can make us live good lives.
It is the Spirit of Jesus who will make us
live in truth, in goodness, in mercy, and
in compassion. If we do this, then there
will be no corruption, violence, cheating,
indifference, terrorism, and fears. If we are
aware that Jesus lives in us, then perhaps
we will really avoid doing evil, and we will
create a culture of goodness and truth. This
must also be the culture of Easter.
I want to continually believe in Easter
so that I will never lose hope that one
day our families will find their home in
Jesus. I will continually hope that one
day I will also correct my bad habits and
my imperfections. One day, if we work
together honestly, our work will also
flourish and bring us fulfillment.
The Spirit of Easter invites us to believe:
- That Good will triumph over evil.
- That Life is the final word, not death.
- That Grace will overcome sin.
Like St. Augustine, our motto could be:
Today, I begin.
Let us therefore give ourselves and
others second chances. The Spirit of Jesus
will strengthen us, renew our hopes and
good desires, and give us new ideas that
will enable many people to live better
lives. This could take time. But we will
continue to rise up after every fall.
In Jesus, we shall overcome all our
hurdles. He is alive. Alleluia!!!!
[The author, Ma. Theresa G. Curia, is the
Executive Vice President of the Knights
of Columbus Fraternal Association
of the Philippines, Inc and also the
Diocesan Regent of the Daughters of
Mary Immaculate International-Diocese
of Malolos]

My Brothers Keeper

Seeing the Risen Christ in People

Everyday
EASTER is a joyous occasion for
Catholics like us. Imagine yourself
meeting a loved one again after being
separated for a month or several
months. One definitely becomes excited
and happy to see that person. The
opposite was the feeling when that same
loved one had to leave you, for example,
to work abroad for many years. One is
deeply saddened even if it will be good for the familys future.
Such are the emotions during the Lenten season sad in
remembering Jesus passion and death on the cross, then joyful in
His resurrection. Being the Son of God, and being God Himself,
Jesus overcame death and resurrected to be with us again. Easter
is that event that should remind us that Jesus is in our midst 24/7.
Such knowledge and belief give us hope.
Oftentimes, we are just like the two travelers to Emmaus who
did not recognize Jesus even when He walked along with them.
Sometimes, we forget that our priests are the representatives of Jesus
on earth. So, we often choose to be kind only to priests who we like
and criticize or find fault on those we dont like. We have acquired
prejudices, favoritism, and other unfair judgments. Sometimes,
we fail to see the goodness of our family members waiting to be
appreciated, or the lowly people who work for us at home and in our
workplace. These are the people we are with everyday and yet, we
have not seen the Jesus in them. Rather, we easily see their faults
and their weaknesses that challenge our patience.
We have gone through several Easter celebrations already
but the way we think of them and treat them have not changed.
So, let us take this opportunity given by God to improve our
ways and thoughts this coming Easter Sunday. Let us prove to
others and let us be models of our parish in being merciful and
compassionate, so that this year of Mercy and Compassion will
be productive in the eyes of God. Let us ask God for the grace to
do what we want to do that is pleasing to Him. And since God
has much hope in us in spite of our sinfulness, we will surely
succeed for He is faithful and untiring in His generosity. He has
much more hope in us than we on Him. May God be praised!
Let us rejoice for Easter is coming again.

Easter Eggs of KCFAPI

EGG in general is a traditional
symbol of rebirth while
for Christians; Easter egg
symbolizes the empty tomb
of Jesus. Though an egg is
shaped like the stone of a
tomb, a bird hatches from it
with life. Similarly, Easter egg
for us Catholics is a reminder
that Jesus rose from the
grave, and that those who
believe will also experience
eternal life.
Easter eggs are part
and parcel of the Knights
of Columbus Order. These
are the benefit certificates
(insurance policies) that each
member avail for himself
and his immediate family
members from KCFAPI. Not
having a benefit certificate
makes ones affiliation to
the Order incomplete. It is
because the primary objective
of the Order is To render
pecuniary aid (financial
support) to its members, their
families and beneficiaries of
members and their families.
Rev. Fr. Michael McGivney
refers pecuniary aid to life
insurance protection.
Akin to the promise of
Easter eggs, which is the

rebirth of our Saviour Jesus

Christ, each benefit certificate
assures a better life to the
remaining living members of
a brother knight.
The period of contribution
for each benefit certificate may
appear like a 40- day Lenten
Season for some, but living
benefits (like cash values,
cash participation, and cash
maturities) and family benefits
are indeed more like an Easter
Egg found during the hunt on
Easter Sunday.
Allow me to share the Easter
Eggs that KCFAPI offers. There
are eggs that will ensure a
better life for the remaining
living members of the family
(protection plans), eggs that
will promise secured senior
years (retirement plans) and
eggs that assist to achieve ones
dreams and ambitions (savings
and investment plans).
One of the highly
recommended Easter eggs
for a brother knight who is
also a bread winner is KC
Family Protect 100. It is a
life insurance plan which
offers both protection and
accumulation of savings
for life or up to age 100.

Insurance protection and

contribution is from issue age
up to age 100 which makes it
very affordable and practical.
Though the insurance
benefit of KC Family Protect
100 is for the loved ones you
will leave behind, it has two
(2) living benefits; cash value
and cash participation. Cash
value is available and starts
to accumulate by the end of
the 2nd Benefit Certificate
(BC) year. It is a living benefit
because, in case of future
financial emergencies you
can always immediately file
a BC loan up to 90% of your
present cash value. No need
to look for lending institution
who will charge you with high
interest loan. With BC loan
its only 10% per annum or
less than 1% per month. On
the other hand, BC Holders
are entitled to participate
in the earnings shared by
KCFAPI. It is a living benefit
because, in case of future
financial emergencies and
you do not want to file a loan,
you can always withdraw
the accumulated cash value.
If there is no financial
emergency, there will be no

need to neither file a loan

against your cash value nor
withdraw your accumulated
cash participation. In case
of early demise of the
proposed insured with KC
Family Protect 100, the living
beneficiaries will receive
100% of the face value or
insurance protection. This is
the family benefit.
For example, if you are
aged 50 now and you have
a PhP1Million face value,
your living beneficiaries will
receive the whole 100% even
during your early contribution
period. Annual contribution is
only PhP29, 690.00. It is like
saving PhP2,474.17 monthly
or PhP81.3 daily. Imagine,
for only PhP29, 690 you are
now worth PhP1Million. If
you will just put or leave
this amount of money in a
bank you will never increase
your human economic
value to PhP1Million. For
other features, advantage,
and benefits of this plan
please contact your fraternal
counsellor.
Have a new benefit
certificate and have a Happy
Easter everyone!

Life like an empty tomb

ALL men die but not all men live.
Sometimes we get so caught up in
our daily lives that we merely exist
and forget the purpose of living. We
only live once and the thought of
leaving this life behind is quite scary.
So, we dream of prolonging our lives
and fantasize of living forever in
search of the fountain of youth, the
Philosophers stone, and the elixir of
life. We focus too much on ourselves
that we tend to forget that this life is
only temporary.
If there was ever a man in history

that deserved to live a long life, it is

someone who lived among us long
ago. He was born in humility. He
was a preacher, a rabbi, a healer. He
underwent baptism even though the
Baptist was the one who needed to
be baptized by him. He is the truth,
the way, and the life. And yet at the
young age of 33, he was betrayed,
arrested, brutally tortured, put into
trial, and sentenced to death via the
worst punishment one could endure,
crucifixion. He was wrongfully
accused and yet he wholeheartedly

accepted the punishment, carried the

Cross, was crucified, and died on it.
He did all these to absolve us of our
sins and for the salvation of our souls.
Jesus body was hastily placed in
the tomb and there was no time to
properly prepare it for burial. Early
Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene
and several other women went to
the tomb, but when they arrived they
found the tomb was opened and they
did not find Jesus body inside.
Suddenly, two angels in dazzling
white clothes appeared. The women

were terrified, but the angels said

to them, Why do you look for the
living among the dead? He is not
here; He has risen! Remember how
He told you that He would be turned
over to sinful men, be crucified, and
rise again on the third day! Jesus
appeared to Mary Magdalene who
did not recognize him and thought
he was a gardener. She said: Sir, if
you have carried him away, tell me
where you have put him, and I will
get him. Only after Jesus called her
name that she recognized him. Jesus

said, Do not hold on to me, for I have

not yet ascended to the Father. Go
instead to my brothers and tell them,
I am ascending to my Father and your
Father, to my God and your God.
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples
with the news: I have seen the Lord!
And she told them that he had said
these things to her. Jesus appeared
to his Disciples on several accounts,
including the infamous doubting
Thomas. Even though they were
followers of Christ, they themselves
Empty Tomb / C3

The Cross

C3

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

Councils can strengthen Catholic family life through our

prayer program and consecration to the Holy Family
By SK Carl A. Anderson
IN my column last month, I related a
part of the conversation the supreme
chaplain and I had with Pope Francis
regarding our Orders new emphasis
on strengthening Catholic family life.
During the last fraternal year,
we implemented a new family life
program titled Building the Domestic
Church: The Family Fully Alive. Each
month, it provides prayers, Scripture
readings and meditations for families
on different aspects of the domestic
church and recommends charitable
activities that councils can sponsor.
At last Augusts Supreme Convention,
we began our 17th Orderwide rosarybased pilgrim icon prayer program
this year dedicated to the Holy Family.
Then, at the midyear State Deputies
meeting, I announced an important
new initiative: Building the Domestic
Church While Strengthening Our
Parish. It encourages councils
to sponsor programs promoting
Catholic family life while integrating
their activities more closely into the
life of their parish.
Last month, I asked that
the opening Mass at all state
conventions this year include an

act of family consecration to the

Holy Family. This should become
an essential part of our family life
programs, and should move from
state convention Masses to the
parishes where our local councils
are based.
The response of Pope Francis
and of many bishops and priests
to these programs has been greatly
encouraging, and I now take this
opportunity to announce another
expansion of our initiative.
Our Holy Family Prayer
Program has met with such
success that we should take it to a
new level. I have asked our state
deputies and state chaplains to
continue our Holy Family Prayer
Program in local parishes, but
also to select one Saturday this
October to offer the program as
a diocesan-wide event, and to
invite all Catholic families.
The diocesan-wide event should
retain the rosary, papal meditations
on family life, and the litany to the
Holy Family that is already a part of
the parish-based prayer program.
But it should be expanded to include
recitation of the new act of family
consecration to the Holy Family and

solemn Benediction of the Blessed

Sacrament.
State councils should begin
now to make preparations for
this diocesan-wide Holy Family
Prayer Program. State chaplains
should also assist in selecting a
suitable parish in each diocese and
in coordinating the event with the
local bishop.
Recently, Pope Francis reminded
us that the Church continues to
propose marriage not as an ideal
only for a few but as a reality
that can be experienced by all the
baptized faithful.
This is precisely the idea of our
program. Every family can benefit,
and every family should be invited
to participate.
One of the great lessons of the
recent World Meeting of Families
in Philadelphia was that millions of
families can be helped by coming
together in solidarity with and for
each other.
What is also necessary for an
effective evangelization of family
life is for Catholic families to
realize that the principles of
charity, unity and fraternity
apply also to them as families.

This is one of the keys to

understanding the family as a
domestic church.
There is no Catholic organization
better positioned today to assist
in the renewal of family life than
the Knights of Columbus. But the
realization of this goal will require
the renewed dedication of our local
councils.
A renewal of Catholic family
life can begin with a simple plan:

the consecration of millions of

Catholic families to the Holy Family
and their dedication to living as a
domestic church within their parish
communities.
The Knights of Columbus can
begin to make this happen. With
the intercession of Our Lady of
Guadalupe and our venerable
founder, Father McGivney, let us
begin!
Vivat Jesus!

Join the Father Michael

J. McGivney Guild!

The Gentle Warrior

By James B. Reuter, SJ
Part II of Chapter Two of The Gentle Warrior series
CHAPTER TWO
--------.--------The Battleground
AGLIPAY did not mean to rebel against
the Church, or against the authority of
Rome. In his Manifesto of October 21, 1898,
Aglipay said:
Now that the Revolution is about
to emancipate us from the
political
domination of Spain, we must also
endeavor to throw off the yoke with
which the Spanish clergy is still trying to
enslave us.
In this way we shall become worthy
followers of those Filipino priests who
immolated themselves in defense of our
clear rights, which have been usurped highhandedly by the Friars, who have made
themselves masters of our dear land.
At the first meeting of the Council, a
special Commission shall be appointed to
declare to the Holy See, in the name of
the entire Filipino clergy, its unshakeable
allegiance, and to obtain from the Holy
Father the canonical appointment as
Archbishops and Bishops of those Filipino
priests whom the Council shall nominate
for these dignities.
Obviously, Aglipay did not mean to rebel

THE Knights of Columbus established the Father McGivney Guild to promote the cause for canonization
of our founder, Venerable Michael J. McGivney (18521890). The goal of the Guild is to spread the good word
about his holiness of life, to encourage devotion to his
memory, and to seek his intercession before the throne
of God. The Guild serves as a clearinghouse for information about Father McGivney, his life and works, and any
favors attributed to his intercession. Father McGivney
is a unique model today for both Catholic laymen and
priests because of his attention to the social ills and injustices of his day and his collaboration with the people
of his parish. He was zealous for the life of union with
God through prayer and the sacraments, and would have
been right at home in todays world. He was then and
would be today an eager apostle for the Gospel of life,
and active in building a civilization of love.
Membership in the Guild is open to anyone who wishes
to share in this mission of making known the life and work
of Father McGivney and of encouraging devotion to his
memory. To join, fill out the attached application and mail it
to the address given. There is no charge to enroll, and you
need not be a member of the Knights of Columbus.
The Guild is anxious to receive reports of favors received through Father McGivneys intercession. It is not
only miracles that are required to move the cause forward, but witnesses to the power of the servant of Gods
prayers before the throne of God.
As a member of the Guild you will receive a newsletter and periodic updates on the progress of his
cause for canonization. We ask your prayerful support
that Gods will be done and that the Holy Spirit guide
us at each step along the way. Welcome to the Guild!

against the Catholic Church. But another

leader, Isabelo de los Reyes, born in Vigan,
and educated in the Vigan seminary,
led a real rebellion on August 3, 1902.
He launched the Aglipayan Church, the
Philippine Independent Church. Out of
seven million Catholics in the Philippines, at
that time, one million followed Aglipay and
de Los Reyes. They identified the Church
with Spain. Revolting against the unjust
oppression of Spain, they thought that they
had to revolt against the Spanish clergy.
This was a weird historical mistake. At
that time, in some places, the governor was
also the Bishop. The Commandant of the
Spanish garrison was also the Bishop. The
Bishop represented not only the Church,
but also the political domination of Spain.
The poor people felt that they had to rebel
against the Bishop! And that is how the
Independent Church began.
The Knights said to George: We were
established in the Philippines as the defense
force of the Catholic Church. Could we not.
sometimes.attack? (To be continued on
the next issue.)

Walk for Life / C1

all other families and friends of

the Knights of Columbus Visayas
Jurisdiction. A short program
followed with inspirational
messages from guest speakers
Rev. Fr. Esperidon Celis Jr.,
Parish Priest of St. Anne- Molo,
Iloilo; Msgr. Joe Marie Delgado
and Dr. Rene Joseph Bullecer.
Councils from Borongan
and Salcedo Eastern Samar
followed suit when they held
their own Walk for Life activity
last March 5 and March 6, 2016,
respectively. It was attended by
parishioners of nearby churches
and other church organizations
along with Council members
from Buabua Salcedo Eastern
Samar, Giporlos Eastern Samar
and ESSU Salcedo Council. The
Walk for Life activity in this area
was spearheaded by District
Council V-109, V-110 and V-107.
The Negros Councils had their
own share of showing support to
the annual Walk for Life when
they organized their own march
held in Bacolod City. It was
attended by all District Deputies,
Council Officers, Brother Knights,
collaborators and pro-life
advocates which is led by State
Director Bro Norlo Gonzales.
The Associations pro-life
stand strengthened even more
as thousands of members of
the Knights of Columbus of the
Philippines in cooperation with
KCFAPIs employees joined the
annual Walk for Life together
with their families, friends, other
individuals and organizations
including representatives from
Keys Realty Development
Corporation, Mace Insurance
Agency, Inc., Holy Trinity

Memorial Chapel, Philippine Red

Cross, Manila High School, Boy
Scouts of the Philippines and the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
last March 12, 2016.
This is a first for Knights
of Columbus Luzon-South
Jurisdiction to lead this
years Walk for Life and was
spearheaded by State Deputy
Ramoncito Ocampo, who gave
a short but meaningful address:
We are gathered once more to
this significant event for our
Catholic advocacy Pro life. It
may sound clich for some but
contradiction to this advocacy is
prevalent. With this, such yearly
activity is never out of line. For
it will not only serve its purpose
[which is] to keep us reminded
of how nice it is to be given a
chance to enjoy and live life.
As members of the Knights
of Columbus, we should be one
in initiating and promoting
the importance of life. But we
should always put in mind
the consequences of whatever
decisions we are going to make.
Such as in the family, one should
consider the factors on how
their childrens future will be
secured. He even added that
Brother Knights should be the
first in initiating and promoting
the importance of life.
Meanwhile, Manila City
Administrator Atty. Jojo
Alcovendaz (representative
of Manila City Mayor Joseph
Ejercito Estrada) acknowledged
the Knights of Columbus as
being the largest Catholic
Fraternal organization in the
world and being at the forefront
of continuing charitable works

on behalf of the Catholic Church.

The Knights also do double
duty, defending our faith in
the face of an increasingly
cynical, secular, indifferent,
and often hostile world by
supporting causes that reflect
the fundamentals of our faith,
such as this annual activity that
was first organized to proclaim
our belief in the sanctity of life,
Alcovendaz said.
Also one of the highlights of
the said event was when Msgr.
Pedro Quitoriano III, KCFAPI
Spiritual Director talked about the
importance of life and relate it to the
upcoming May elections wherein
he emphasized the importance of
having a clean election.
On the other hand, the Walk for
Life for Luzon- South Jurisdiction
celebrated the event for the first
time in Malolos City, Bulacan.
Thousands of participants
marched from Bulacan Sports
Complex to Malolos Sports and
Convention Center on March
19, 2016 for the Walk for Life
organized by the Knights
of Columbus Luzon North
Jurisdiction headed by State
Deputy, Justice Jose Reyes, Jr.
Life is a God given gift, we
should always protect and
treasure it and as members of the
Knights of Columbus, we ought to
be the protector and stewards of
Gods gift, said Reyes. He added
that the culture of life begins in
marriage and it is the foundation
of every family in the world.
We have to work our
marriages to be strong. Ang pagaasawa ay isang bagay na pinagiisipan at pinag-hahandaan. If
a marriage is strong, the family

will be strong; and our society

as well, cited Reyes, who is also
the President of the Knights of
Columbus Fraternal Association
of the Philippines, Inc (KCFAPI)
and even said that we are called
by God to protect and defend life.
The Culture of Life begins
and is nurtured in the family.
It is also understood better
in the context of the family.
Human life is unimaginable
without the family. The family
according to Pope Francis is
the most beautiful thing that
God created. When the family,
therefore, is threatened, life is
also threatened, Reyes ended.
Another initiative during the
Walk of Life event was the
ultrasound diagnosis for preregistered pregnant women
which was provided for free
during the simultaneous Walk
for Life held at the Malolos
Sports and Convention Center.
More than 60 pregnant
women were beneficiaries.
Malolos Mayor Christian D.
Natividad even encourages the
Association to conduct more
pro-life activities in Bulacan
and pledged to support the
Knights of Columbus advocacy
by providing free venue.
Truly the Annual Walk for Life
of Knights of Columbus is not
just about holding up banners
and gathering people on the
streets, but letting its participants
internalize the purpose of life by
sharing the value of life to its
brothers from all walk of life.
With that, kudos to Knights of
Columbus and to our advocacy!
(JM Padrones and Yen
Ocampo)

To start your free membership and receive the Guild newsletter, please complete the form below and return to: Father McGivney Office - Philippines, Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. Center,
Gen. Luna cor. Sta. Potenciana Sts., Intramuros, Manila
1004, Philippines
Name:
___________________________________
Complete
Mailing
Address:
________________
__________________________________________
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Code:
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Empty Tomb / C2

had been afraid. They had locked themselves in a room

in fear that the religious leaders would want them
crucified next. Suddenly, Jesus entered and stood in
among them while the doors remained shut. He said,
Peace be with you. Jesus showed them the wounds
from crucifixion in his side and hands. The apostles
were overjoyed to see Jesus alive again. Jesus said
again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me,
so I send you.
Easter represents the fulfilment of Gods promises
to mankind and is the most important holiday on the
Christian calendar. It is the celebration of Jesus Christs
Resurrection from death and is celebrated on Sunday
and marks the end of the Holy Week and the end of
Lent. It is celebrated because it is the primary basis
of our faith as Christians. Through Christs death, he
saved mankind from bondage to sin, and destroyed the
hold that death has over all of us. It is His Resurrection
that gives us the promise of new life, both in this world
and the next. It marks the triumph of good over evil,
absolution over condemnation.
In life and death situations, resurrection is a very rare
occurrence. Thus, we dont have a choice but to accept
that death is inevitable. However, revivification is not
only defined of having a second life but it also meant of
having a second chance in life. In our daily lives, when
something bad happens we often get overwhelmed,
frustrated, empty, and it even feels like it is the end of
the road. But the truth is, God has a reason and a plan
for us. We just have to put our faith in Him that things
will turn out for the better.
So, for our lives to have a purpose and prevent us
from living like an empty tomb, every one of us must
strengthen our faith in God, courageously live the word
of God, and believe on the providence of having an
eternal life after death. (Erwin John B. Mallari)

C4

March 21 - April 3, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 12

North Luzon Thunders

Bagged 1st Place on the
Annual Service Awards

The Cross

Chartering of Council 16302

North Luzon State officers together with the members of newly chartered Knights of
Columbus St. Josephine Bakhita Council 16302. RAMON SANCHEZ

TO continuously spread the

values founded by Father
Michael J. McGivney,
North Luzon State Deputy
and incumbent President
of Knights of Columbus
Fraternal Association of the
Philippines, Inc., Justice Jose
C. Reyes, Jr. presented the
Chartering of Council 16302
organized by District Deputy
Bro. Benedict C. De Mesa at
St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
in Tala, Orani, Bataan last
March 13, 2016. The said
chartering was assisted by
State Secretary, Bro. Pascual

Carbero; State Treasurer,

Bro. Joven Joaquin; and
State Warden, Bro. Victor
Pulangco.
The event commenced with
a mass celebrated by the
Council Chaplain and Parish
Priest, Fr. Jerry T. Bongcawil,
followed by the inaugural
address delivered by Charter
Grand Knight, Bro. Ramon
O. Navoa.
The objective of this event is
to award its new members and
council officers its chartered
certificate as a new council.
(Luzon News)

Luzon North First State Convention

Kicks Off at Manila Grand Opera Hotel

Reynaldo Q. Segismundo accepts his award during the last Annual Family Service Awards held on March 5, 2016 in Bacolod City. From left to right are the officers of KCFAPI:
Gari San Sebastian, Vice President-Fraternal Benefits Group, Ma. Theresa G. Curia, Executive Vice President, Jose C. Reyes, Jr., President and Arsenio Isidro G. Yap, Chairman of
KCFAPI Board.

KC Luzon North Awardees took a pose with Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines Inc officers who are seated from left to right: Bro. Raoul A. Villanueva,
KCFAPI Treasurer; Bro. Anthony P. Nazario, Visayas Deputy; Bro Jose C. Reyes, Jr, President of KCFAPI; Msgr. Pedro C. Quitoriano III, KCFAPI Spiritual Director; Bro. Arsenio Isidro
G. Yap, Chairman of KCFAPI; Bro. Alonso L. Tan, Supreme Director; Ma. Theresa G. Curia, Executive Vice President; Rowena M. Diapolit, Vice President- Financial Reporting and
Control; and Bro. Rogelio V. Garcia, KCFAPI Board member.

KCFAPI officers together with the KC Luzon South, Visayas and Mindanao awardees and participants of the 39th Fr. George J. Willmann, Servant of God Annual Family Service Awards.

KCFAPI supports Knights of Columbus

Luzon South Baking Project

ON April 30, 2016 Knights

of Columbus Luzon North
jurisdiction will hold its
very first state convention at
Manila Grand Opera Hotel
to be attended by incumbent
District Deputies, Grand
Knights, former District
Deputies and past Grand
Knights.
For this years theme:
Answering the Call to
Evangelize, the State
Secretary and State
Convention Chairman Bro.
Pascual C. Cabrero and
incumbent Luzon South
Deputy Bro. Justice Jose
C. Reyes, Jr. encourages
all delegates to attend
by filling-up the preregistration forms available
at Luzon Norths office. The
said form must be submitted
to the Secretariats office
at Knights of Columbus

1st Luzon North State

Convention, Gen. Luna
corner Sta. Potenciana Sts.,
Intramuros, 1002 Manila
or emailed at: jojo.cablar@
gmail.com along with the
bank deposit slips, not later
than April 27, 2016.
For registered participants,
they will receive a Convention
bag, Convention ID,
Convention Certificate of
Attendance, meal stubs and
one (1) raffle stub for Door
Prize. Registration fees
ranges from Php 1, 800 up
to Php 2, 400 depending on
the period of registration.
For further information
and details, all members of
Knights of Columbus Luzon
North may call their office at:
(02) 527-2248/527-2235 or
you may send your inquiries
to: jojo.cablar@gmail.com.
(JMPadrones)

ANNOUNCEMENT
WE are pleased to announce the hiring
of MS. JULIE ANN M. PADRONES
as the new Human Resource and
Corporate Communications Manager
of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal
Association of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI) effective February 1, 2016.
She was a consistent university
scholar who graduated with a
Bachelors degree in Psychology major in Guidance and
Counseling from Philippine Normal University. Ms. Padrones
took up Masters in Business Administration from Pamantasan
ng Lungsod ng Maynila (2007-2009) and a certificate course in
Labor Laws from UP Solair in 2010. During her younger years,
she was a consistent achiever in school by winning on several
contests such as: 3rd place in Storytelling Contest; 2nd place
in Table Tennis (Doubles) and 5th place in Division Schools
Press Conference (Filipino News Writing Category).
Ms. Padrones brings with her a solid experience in Human
Resources which she gained in previous involvements since
2004 including a background in ISO QMS 9001:2000 for four
years as she had once worked as Head Document Controller in
G4S and with StokedInc as HR and Administration Manager.
To date, Julie is an active volunteer in Girl Scout of the
Philippines (East District) and the Coastal Conservation and
Education Foundation (CCEF). She is married to a stalwart
sergeant named Mark Anthony Padrones, and they are blessed
with three (3) kids.

FST. THE Fraternal Benefits Group of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association
of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) held a two-day Fraternal Service Training program
last March 15-16, 2016 at the KCFAPI Main Office in Intramuros, Manila. (FBG News)

Students of skills training and entrepreneurship development on basic baking hosted by KC and KCFAPI in cooperation with the DSW-Manila Manpower Development Center.

THE Knights of Columbus Luzon South

Jurisdiction and the Knights of Columbus
Fraternal Association of the Philippines,
Inc. (KCFAPI) sponsored a one-month
skills training and entrepreneurship
development on basic baking in
cooperation with the DSW-Manila
Manpower Development Center. The said
event was an initiative of Bro. Eduardo
Lara, Youth Director and Bro. Elmer

Eroles, State Program Director.

Forty two (42) of the participants were
able to finish the project and received their
certificates of participation. The activity
is to teach the students the basic baking
procedures as a livelihood opportunity. It
started last February 15 and culminated
with graduation rites last March 11 at the
KCFAPI Building in Intramuros, Manila.
Among the key officers who gave their

messages during the graduation rites

were: Bernadette Vias, Center Manager
MMDC District 5; Ronulfo Antero
Infante, Vice President for KCFAPIMUA; and Ramoncito Ocampo, Knights
of Columbus - Luzon South Deputy.
KC and KCFAPI are looking forward
for more projects with the DSW-Manila
Manpower Development Center. (KC
News)

MMB1 and MMA1 Area Meeting. FRATERNAL counselors from Metro Manila Achievers
headed by Area Manager Bro. Ju-George Galura (leftmost) and fraternal counselors
from Metro Manila Blue Waves assembled by KCFAPI-FBG Vice President Bro. Gari San
Sebastian (rightmost) held their Monthly Area Meeting in KCFAPI Center, Intramuros,
Manila. They discussed their performances for the month of February and other related
updates for both areas as they aspire to have a better outcome for the month of March
and the upcoming quarters. (Jerome De Guzman)