Monitor

CBCP

FEBRUARY 5 - 18, 2018 VOL. 22 NO. 3 CBCPMONITOR@AREOPAGUSCOMMUNICATIONS.COM

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

UGNAYAN A3: NEWS A6: LOCAL NEWS B1: PASTORAL CONCERNS

THE NEWS SUPPLEMENT Pope to religious: Your hearts must be open 24-7 Caritas appeals for tent materials to aid Mayon CBCP pastoral guidelines for discerning
OF COUPLES FOR CHRIST evacuees the moral dimension of the present-day
moves for Charter change

‘Is Charter change really necessary?’

By Roy Lagarde

WILL Charter
change solve the
country’s pressing
problems?
Catholic bishops weighed
in on proposals to revise the
Constitution and stressed the
need for sincerity in fostering
genuine change.
The bishops did not
make a categorical stand
on the matter but called
for a “transparent” process
that would bring solution to
poverty, economic equality,
corruption, and human
rights violations.
The church leaders
also suggested the full
implementation of the 1987
Constitution, including
provisions on political
dynasties.
The bishops did not
identify any political clan
but they repeatedly said
that domination of dynastic
families have been a serious
threat to maintaining real
political democracy.
“Without conversion of
mindsets, the new political
wine of Charter change will
remain in old political wine-
skins, and merely end up
bursting the hope for a new
political culture,” they said.
Charter / A6 Catholic bishops arrive at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral to celebrate Mass at the start of their bi-annual plenary assembly in Cebu City on January 27, 2018. ROY LAGARDE

CBCP chief calls for end to ‘waste of lives’ Pursue the common good, Cardinal
tells diplomats, religious leaders
AS the police relaunched
its controversial anti-drug
operations, the head of
the Catholic hierarchy
appealed that it won’t
lead to further “waste” of
human lives.
Archbishop Romulo Valles
of Davao, Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines
president, urged the police
operatives to always follow
the law in dealing with drug
suspects.
“We pray that the police
follow the prescribed
Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle greet leaders
steps in implementing the of different faiths at the opening of the World Interfaith Harmony Week in Manila, Feb.
law… steps that should be 1, 2018. ROY LAGARDE
done in exercising their
responsibility as policemen,” DIPLOMATS and religious different faith groups and
Valles said. leaders share responsibility started the celebration with
“Let us inspire them to to work toward serving something very simple—a meal.
Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, CBCP President, delivers his homily during the closing Mass of the National Conference for the
follow the necessary steps Promotion of the New Ratio in Cebu City, Jan. 26, 2018. ROY LAGARDE others based on the common For the cardinal, it is a “very
when they need to apprehend good, Cardinal Luis Antonio profound” way of developing
and as much as possible, we with revamped guidelines, guidelines, measures will of people dead. Tagle said. harmony.
make sure that we do not and the chief assured it will be implemented to prevent In one of their statements, Speaking to some “That’s why for the
waste any lives,” he said. be “bloodless” this time. human rights abuses. they appealed for an end to dignitaries and faith leaders Christians, our memorial of
The Philippine National PNP chief Director The CBCP sharply criticized the unabated killings while on Thursday, he said that Jesus is connected to a meal.
Police (PNP) relaunched General Ronaldo Dela the government’s war on calling for the country to “start a commitment to dialogue That’s where family is always
recently its “Oplan Tokhang” Rosa said that the new drugs that has left thousands healing”. (CBCPNews) must be the hallmark of every regenerated and the wider
institution with a view to the family is being called again,”
Church leaders tell PNP: Stop Nuncio to consecrated persons: well-being of everyone and
peaceful coexistence.
he said.
“Maybe during the week,

theatrics, just follow the law ‘Bring Christ to everyone’
CATHOLIC officials made a
clarion call to the police to
do away with and “theatrics”
and “exaggeration” and
rather focus on addressing
alleged abuses in its anti-
drug campaign.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio
David of Kalookan said the
Philippine National Police
needs to do more to resolve
cases of extrajudicial killings.
“They need not exaggerate
it. We’re just asking them to
abide by our laws,” David,
who is also the Vice President
of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP), said.
“Resolving the countless
‘deaths under investigation’
might be more necessary
than providing bodycams
in a relaunched ‘Tokhang’,”
said David.
Cops who conduct the
government’s anti-drug
campaign will be clutching
Bible and rosaries, the
Eastern Police District said.
Authorities are hoping
bringing religious items
would help anti-drug
operatives to convince
drug suspects to surrender
peacefully.
Fr. Jerome Secillano,
Theatrics / A6
Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia arrives to celebrate Mass for the World
Day of Consecrated Life at the Manila Cathedral on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. ROY LAGARDE
POPE Francis’ envoy to the
Philippines challenged the
country’s consecrated men
and women to bring Christ
in the midst of the people.
Papal Nuncio Archbishop
Gabriele Caccia said that
everyone, especially the
men and women religious,
Consecrated / A6
“Let’s all work for the
common good for it will
serve our individual interest
and good,” Tagle said during
the celebration of the 2018
World Interfaith Harmony
Week (WIHW) in Manila.
“But if we just focus on our
individual good and neglect
the common good then we also
suffer individually,” he said.
The Catholic Church in
the Philippines has joined
the global community in
celebrating the WIHW with
this year’s theme “Celebrating
the Transforming Love for
God and Neighbor for the
Common Good”.
In the country, the event
brought together members
of the Diplomatic Corps and
in meals and different forms
of coming together, we will
celebrate the love of God
and how the love of God
could transform us to love
neighbors,” added Tagle.
Proclaimed by the UN
General Assembly in 2010,
the WIHW is an annual event
observed during the first
week of February starting 1
as a way to promote harmony
between all people regardless
of their faith.
“If there’s any resource
that could be tap for the
promotion of common good,
religion is one of them. And
the celebration of the World
Interfaith Harmony Week
strives to achieve that,” he
also said. (CBCPNews)
A2 WORLD NEWS February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 CBCP Monitor

Vatican Briefing Conference addresses Catholic journalism,

fake news, and a ‘post-truth’ era
Don’t let technology replace real encounters,
LOUDES, France— Hundreds of
Francis says on Candlemas
Catholic media experts from all over
Pope Francis told consecrated men and women the world recently gathered to discuss
that they are called to have real encounters with the problem of “fake news” and the
their brothers and sisters, and that technology challenge of reporting in what has been
should never have a higher priority than time spent dubbed by some as the “post-truth” era.
with God and others. “Today’s frantic pace leads With the advent of the internet and
us to close many doors to encounter, often for fear a sharp rise in the number of media
of others,” the Pope said Feb. 2. “Only shopping outlets going online, competition to be
malls and internet connections are always open.” the first to report a story is becoming
“May we never look at the screen of our cellphone more and more fierce.
more than the eyes of our brothers or sisters, or The result is often a mass production
focus more on our software than on the Lord.” The and consumption of information
Pope’s homily came during Mass for the Feast of with few adequate systems of checks
the Presentation of the Lord, which also marks the and balances to verify what is being
22nd World Day of Consecrated Life. (Hannah published. Pressure is high to
Brockhaus/CNA) compromise fact-checking for the sake
of staying on top of a rapidly changing
Pope: It’s blasphemy to commit crimes in news cycle. Some entities intentionally
the name of God offer misleading information to promote
Pope Francis met with participants in a conference a certain agenda or sway public opinion.
on violence committed in the name of religion, Fake news can be hard to recognize
emphasizing that to use God as justification for because it often contains elements of
sin is one of the worst blasphemes, and something truth, but is mixed with inaccurate or Stack of newspapers. CBCPNEWS
religious leaders must work to combat. “The partial facts. This has led to confusion
religious person knows that among the greatest and a mistrust of information and the talking about fake news right now “is echoed Govekar’s sentiments. With
blasphemies is to invoke God as the justification for institutions providing it, experts say. central because the panorama of media the rise of digital media, she said,
one’s own sins and crimes,” the Pope said Feb. 2. An analysis of this malady and has changed.” information can be spread more quickly
Speaking to around 50 participants in a conference proposals for a possible remedy were With traditional newspapers in crisis, than ever before, but “the challenge is to
titled “Tackling violence committed in the name precisely the topic of discussion during he said, news is increasingly being spread provide quality material that people find
of religion,” Francis said that religious leaders this year’s Saint Francis de Sales Days by “a plethora of people who think of useful and helpful in their lives.”
need to “unmask any attempt to manipulate God conference, which took place Jan. 24-26 themselves as authoritative interpreters Osman spoke to the conference about
for ends that have nothing to do with him or his in Lourdes. of contemporary life on the internet.” state of both secular and Catholic media
glory.” (Hannah Brockhaus/CNA) The conference, titled “Media and This phenomenon, he said, “confuses in the United States, highlighting a
Truth,” was co-organized by the Vatican’s presence, at times very widespread, with decrease of trust in journalists. This,
In February prayer video, Pope urges global Secretariat for Communications and pertinence.” Because of this, addressing she said, is largely due to the fact that
French organization the Federation of the problem of fake news “means having journalists are perceived to be out of
leaders to resist corruption
Catholic Media (FMC). Other entities, the journalistic profession at heart.” touch with their audiences, and can also
Pope Francis in his latest prayer video places a
including nonprofit media organization Natasa Govekar, director of the be attributed to social media being used
spotlight on the problem of corruption, saying that
SIGNIS and the French bishops Pastoral Theological Department of to promote “yellow journalism.”
it is the root of most societal evils and praying that
conference, also participated. the Secretariat for Communications, “There’s this growing acceptance
those in power would be able to resist its allure. Speakers at the conference, who hold said that while technology may appear or reference for conspiracy theories
The video, released Feb. 1, opens with the dramatic various positions in Catholic media, to make communication easier than in or concepts that aren’t even factually
image of a young girl with dirty face and clothes discussed the topic from philosophical, past generations, “in reality it’s harder… accurate,” Osman said, explaining that
holding an infant, and who appears to be part of theological, political, economic and because we are inundated with images, in her experience, she finds that this
a group of migrants or refugees. “Corruption,” journalistic points of view. but without an education on images.” trend is often due to fear.
Francis says, “is not countered with silence. We Typically an event for French speaking “We don’t realize the power that they As Catholic journalists, “we know
must speak about it, denounce its evils and try media, this year the conference was open have and we perceive them as if there what answers those fears,” she said, so
to understand it so as to show our resolve to to international media and coincided were just illustrations that accompany “why are we not presenting that in a way
make mercy reign over meanness, beauty over with the Jan. 24 publication of Pope a text to make it more interesting,” she that makes sense to people and helps
nothingness.” Francis then closes his video asking Francis’ message for the World Day told CNA. “We don’t realize that they them sort through this?”
viewers to join him in praying “that those who have of Social Communications, which was arrive much faster and much more Other speakers also noted that the
material, political or spiritual power may resist any dedicated to the topic of fake news. directly than words,” and often words Catholic media have not been exempt
lure of corruption.” (Elise Harris/CNA) In comments to CNA, Msgr. Dario aren’t able “to ‘correct’ the choice of a from the troubling trends plaguing
Edoardo Vigano, prefect of the mistaken image.” modern journalism. (Elise Harries/
Find good readers for Mass, Pope says Secretariat for Communications, said Helen Osman, president of SIGNIS, CNA)
On Jan. 31, Pope Francis spoke about the
importance of the Liturgy of the Word, and the
resulting importance of having lectors who can
Catholic bishops join with rabbis, imams in Canadian religious liberty fight
proclaim the readings and the Responsorial TORONTO, Canada— abortion access. belief, and allows religious funds. This clarification of
Psalm well. “We must look for good readers!” he Interreligious leaders “An organization that organization to stay true to the new policy emphasizes
said, in off-the-cuff comments during the general from across Canada came has the explicit purpose of their communal identity and a distinction between the
audience. Good readers and psalmists understand together Thursday to sign a restricting women’s rights by beliefs. The new application activities and the beliefs of
what they are reading and can convey it well, statement urging the national removing rights to abortion requires each organization an organization when the
he continued, explaining that they need to be government to respect their and the rights of women to to give non-negotiable and government determines who
prepared by reading over the text before Mass. freedom of conscience by control their own bodies is unqualified affirmation of will receive funding.
When someone reads well, not “distorting the changing controversial new not in line with where we certain beliefs held by the The statement also
words,” this helps to create “a climate of receptive requirements to qualify for are as a government, and government.” includes five example of how
silence,” he said, which is important, because “it is federal funding of youth quite frankly, where we are Cardinal Thomas Collins eligibility is determined,
not enough to hear with the ears, without receiving summer jobs. as a society,” said Canadian of Toronto was among the with a hypothetical “faith-
“The changes to the Canada Prime Minister Justin speakers at the statement’s based organization with anti-
in the heart the seed of the divine Word, allowing
Summer Jobs guidelines and Trudeau when he discussed release. abortion beliefs” among its
it to bear fruit.” (Hannah Brockhaus/CNA)
application not only violate the Canada Summer Jobs “Many organizations examples.
the fundamental freedoms program Jan. 10. will be deemed ineligible “Example 1: An organization
Pope taps Scicluna to probe Barros
of faith-based organizations, Trudeau continued, because they are unable to whose primary activities are
accusations they also significantly impact “Women have fought for or unwilling to attest that focused on removing, or actively
After recently affirming his support for a Chilean the broader communities generations for the right to their core mandate and undermining existing women’s
bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse, served by their programs, control their own bodies, to be beliefs align with the current reproductive rights, applies
Pope Francis has named a delegate to examine often the most vulnerable able to choose for themselves government’s self-identified for funding. This organization
information that, the Vatican said, has since been in Canadian Society,” reads what to do with their bodies … values. These groups, though would not be eligible to apply,”
brought forward. According to a Jan. 30 Vatican the interreligious statement There are organizations that their views and actions are begins the list.
statement, “following some information recently signed Jan. 25 by 87 religious couch themselves in freedom accepted by law and by The next example
received regarding the case of Juan de la Cruz leaders, organizations, and of speech and freedom of the Charter of Rights and differentiates a situation
Barros Madrid,” the Pope has asked Archbishop institutions. conscience … when those Freedoms are being denied in which “a faith-based
Charles J. Scicluna of Malta to travel to Santiago Signatories included beliefs lead to actions aimed access to a government organization with anti-
“to listen to those who have expressed the desire representatives of the to restrict a women’s right benefit solely because of abortion beliefs applies for
to submit items in their possession.” In addition to Catholic Church and on what to do with her body, their religious beliefs or funding to hire students to
overseeing the Diocese of Malta, Scicluna in 2015 Orthodox Churches, as well that’s where we draw the conscientious objection,” serve meals to the homeless.
was named by the Pope to oversee the doctrinal as the Protestant, Jewish, line.” said Cardinal Collins. The organization provides
team charged with handling appeals filed by and Muslim communities of Diverse religious leaders The Canadian Conference numerous programs in
clergy accused of abuse in the Congregation for Canada. came together in Toronto of Catholic Bishops originally support of their community.
the Doctrine of the Faith. Scicluna served as the Federal funding the afternoon of Jan. 25 raised objections to changes The students would be
congregation’s Promoter of Justice for 17 years, requirements for the Canada and released the following in the federal funding responsible for meal
beginning in 1995. He is widely regarded for Summer Jobs program statement: requirements for the Canada planning, buying groceries,
his expertise in the canonical norms governing were added Dec. 19, 2017 “We … call on the Prime Summer Jobs program in a serving meals, etc. This
allegations of sexual abuse. (Elise Harris/CNA) stipulating that “both the job Minister and the Government Jan. 11 statement. organization would be
and the organization’s core of Canada to amend the In response, the Canadian eligible to apply,” according
Pope to Rota: There’s an ‘urgent’ need to mandate respect individual Canada Summer Jobs government issued to the Employment and Social
form consciences on marriage human rights in Canada,” guidelines and application “supplementary information” Development department
In a speech to the Roman Rota, Pope Francis including “reproductive process so that it does Jan. 23 about what situations of Canada. (CNA/EWTN
said there is a need to develop better means of rights,” or the right to not compel agreement or would warrant a denial of News)
forming the consciences of the faithful in the
Church, especially those preparing for marriage Vatican-China bishops deal is ‘imminent’, sources say
and family life. “How precious and urgent is
VATICAN— Several sources familiar
the pastoral activity of the entire Church for the
with a proposed deal between the
recovery, safeguarding and protection of Christian Chinese government and the Holy See
conscience, illuminated by Gospel values!” the have said the landmark agreement is
Pope said Jan. 29. This “long and difficult task” not only a possibility, but an “imminent”
requires bishops and priests to work untiringly certainty that could come to fruition as
“to enlighten, defend and sustain the Christian early as this spring.
conscience of our people,” the Pope said. Pope While no specific timeline has been
Francis spoke during his annual audience with given for the agreement, “I’ve heard that
members of the Roman Rota, at the inauguration it is imminent. And in China, in many
of the court’s judicial year. The Roman Rota is one areas and environments, it is already
of the three courts of the Holy See, the other two taken as a done deal,” Henry Cappello
being the Apostolic Penitentiary and the Apostolic told CNA Feb. 2.
Signatura. (Elise Harris/CNA) President of the “Caritas in Veritate
International” organization, Cappello
Vatican-China / A6
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 NEWS FEATURES A3

Pope to religious: Your hearts Stop loan sharks with fair

lending options, frugal
must be open 24-7 lifestyles, pope says
VATICAN— Usury is a grave first.
sin that must be fought “Human dignity, ethics,
by building more just and solidarity and the common
humane economic and good must be the focus of
financial systems as well as economic policies,” he said.
by teaching people to live Measures should be enacted
within their means, Pope to discourage practices that
Francis said. then push people to turn to
The practice of usury unethical lenders, such as
-- lending money at legalized gambling, which is
exorbitantly high interest “another scourge,” the pope
rates -- “humiliates and said, that “grabs you and
kills” just like a snake by kills you.”
“strangling its victims,” the “Usury is a grave sin; it kills
pope told members of an life, tramples people’s dignity
Italian association dedicated and is a vehicle for corruption
to fighting usury and loan and impedes the common
sharking. good,” he added.
“It is necessary to prevent According to studies
it, saving people from the on payday lending in the
illness of debt incurred for United States by the Pew
subsistence or for saving Charitable Trusts, 58 percent
one’s business,” he told the of those who turn to payday
delegation at the Vatican lenders have persistent
Feb. 3. difficulties in paying their
But prevention also should monthly expenses rather
include teaching people to than find themselves facing
live a more frugal lifestyle, an unexpected temporary
he said. emergency.
People need to be able to Severe financial
tell the difference between desperation drives 37
what is “superfluous” and percent of borrowers to
Nuns from different religious congregations attend Mass for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the World Day of Consecrated Life at the Manila Cathedral, February what is absolutely necessary, accept whatever terms are
2, 2018. ROY LAGARDE he said, while learning to offered while the majority
never take on debt for things of borrowers -- 78 percent
VATICAN— Lift up your eyes from your women and men belonging to religious must never “toss aside” the elderly that one could live without. -- are unaware of the huge
smartphones and see your brothers and orders, began with the traditional members because “if the young are “It’s important to recover cumulative costs and time
sisters, those who share your journey blessing of candles and a prayer that called to open new doors, the elderly the virtue of poverty and required to pay back such
of faith and those who are longing for God would guide people toward his son, have the keys.” sacrifice: poverty, to avoid loans, which often results in
the Word of life, Pope Francis told “the light that has no end.” One’s brothers or sisters in the becoming a slave to things, repeated borrowing, the Pew
consecrated men and women. In his homily, Pope Francis focused on community are a gift to be cherished, and sacrifice, because one studies said.
“Today’s frantic pace leads us to close a series of encounters: between people he said before adding a plea: “May we cannot receive everything in An average payday loan
many doors to encounter, often for fear and Jesus; between the young Mary never look at the screen of our cellphone life,” he said. carries an annual percentage
of others,” the pope said in his homily and Joseph and the elderly Simeon and more than the eyes of our brothers or The pope praised the rate of 300 to 500 percent
for the feast of the Presentation of the Anna; and between individuals and sisters, or focus more on our software association’s work in saving and is due in a lump sum
Lord and the World Day for Consecrated members of their religious communities than on the Lord.” more than 25,000 families on the borrower’s next
Life. “Only shopping malls and internet or their neighborhoods. Pope Francis said strengthening the in Italy from loan sharks, payday, according to the Pew
connections are always open.” “In the Christian East,” the pope intergenerational bonds in a religious thereby helping them Charitable Trusts.
Yet believers’ hearts must be open explained, “this feast is called the community also is an antidote to “the save their homes or small Approximately 12 million
as well, because every believer receives ‘feast of Encounter’: It is the encounter barren rhetoric of ‘the good old days’” businesses and recover their Americans use payday
the faith from someone and is called to between God, who became a child to and the only way “to silence those who human dignity. loans annually, spending an
share it with others, the pope said at the bring newness to our world, and an believe that ‘everything is going wrong At the root of every average of $520 in fees to
Mass Feb. 2 in St. Peter’s Basilica. expectant humanity.” here.’” economic and financial crisis, repeatedly borrow $375, it
The feast day commemorates the The pope, himself a Jesuit, told the Religious life, with its vows of poverty, he said, lies a worldview that said in a 2015 report. (Carol
40th day after Jesus’ birth when, religious that their own journeys were chastity and obedience, always has puts profits, and not people, Glatz/CNS)
in accordance with ancient Jewish “born of an encounter and a call” which, been countercultural, he said. And
practice, Mary and Joseph took him to while highly personal, took place in yet it is the source of true freedom ‘Rambo’ the hero: Dog saves nuns from fire
the temple and presented him to the the context of a family, a parish or a because while “the life of this world
Lord. The feast’s Gospel reading from St. community. pursues selfish pleasures and desires,
Luke recounts how the aged Simeon and Members of religious orders must the consecrated life frees our affections
Anna, who were praying in the temple, realize that they need each other—young of every possession in order fully to
recognized Jesus as the Messiah. and old—to renew and strengthen their love God and other people.” (Cindy
The Mass, attended by thousands of knowledge of the Lord, he said. They Wooden / Catholic News Service)

Caviezel to play St. Luke in upcoming St. Paul biopic

Virgen de la Candelaria Chapel burns on Jan. 20, 2018. DIOCESE OF VILLARICA, CHILE

SANTIAGO, Chile— A dog of the neighbors they were able

named Rambo lived up to to keep the fire from spreading
his “action hero” name, when to the nuns’ convent.
his barking alerted sleeping The Panguipulli fire
religious sisters that a chapel chief, Rodolfo Zúñiga, told
next to their convent was on Cooperativa Radio that the
fire. electricity to the church was
In the early morning hours shut off at the junction box, so
of Jan. 20, a fire destroyed the the fire was probably caused
Virgen de la Candelaria Chapel by a third party.
in the town of Calafquen, “Unfortunately for
Chile, next to the home of our town, as residents of
the Franciscan Sisters of the Panguipulli, [arson] is
Sacred Heart. Police suspect already becoming routine,
the fire was caused by arson. the situation is lamentable,
Fr. Alejandro Gutiérrez is but once again today we had
the pastor of San Sebastián one of the most beautiful
Parish, which includes the chapels in the area reduced
chapel. The priest told Radio to rubble,” the fire chief said.
Bio Bio that the sisters’ house The Franciscan superior,
DENVER, Colo.— It has been more centers on forgiveness and merciful While the release of “Paul” is still a “is attached to the church. A Sister Maria Daniela, told
that a decade since Jim Caviezel played love, a message relevant today, and he month away, Caviezel is also excited much greater tragedy could Radio Bio Bio that she believes
Jesus in the “Passion of the Christ.” This recalled a powerful scene in which Paul about another movie, the sequel to “The have happened there. If the the fire was intentional,
spring, he’ll play St. Luke in another restrains Luke from calling for justice Passion,” again directed by Mel Gibson. dog’s barking hadn’t alerted though the sisters had not
major religious film, “Paul, the Apostle on the Roman oppressors. Caviezel has not disclosed the sequel’s them, the fire would have received any kind of threats.
of Christ,” opening in theaters on March “Forgiveness starts with not just love, tentative schedule for the filming date, spread to the convent and “We are women of peace.
28. but ardent love,” Caviezel told USA but has hinted at some surprises in the we would be grieving over a This is an oasis of peace,” the
Unlike the “Passion,” Caviezel will Today. “It’s really easy to love people retelling of Christ’s resurrection. much more serious incident.” religious explained. “I never
not be the main actor in the film: James who think like you think; it’s very hard “There are things that I cannot say Gutiérrez explained that would have imagined that
Faulkner, star of HBO’s “Game of to treat someone with a polar opposite that will shock the audience,” he said. the chapel was 80 years old, people would come and do
Thrones,” will portray Paul. view with the same dignity and respect “But I’ll tell you this much: The film [Mel and the sisters there worked something bad.”
“James Faulkner is to Paul as you would treat a friend. That’s this Gibson’s] going to do is going to be the mainly in education.” Sister Maria Daniela sent a
Christopher Reeve is to Superman. … movie’s core message.” biggest film in history. It’s that good.” “This just creates a new message to those responsible:
This guy was born to play Paul. When Since Caviezel played the role of Christ, Mel Gibson has talked about the opportunity to continue serving “you need to place yourselves
he was walking around, it was in his he has received offers for parts in other movie in the past. He has said it has Jesus Christ and to strengthen in the presence of God. It’s
behavior. You couldn’t find someone religious movies, but is picky about the taken time to develop a script that sheds our faith,” the priest said. sad to know that there are
else who organically nails it like this,” movies that change scriptural stories. a new light on Christ’s resurrection Sources told ACI Prensa people dedicated to doing
Caviezel recently told USA Today. “It’s like, ‘We want to change this, pull without making it “weird.” that around 3:30 in the evil, because the world does
The movie follows St. Paul in the that out,’” said Caviezel. “I’m like, ‘This “The resurrection. Big subject. Oh, morning, a group of masked not progress with evil.”
last days of his life, facing Roman book has been around a lot longer than my God,” Gibson told USA Today. arsonists broke a window in Two other churches in
imprisonment for preaching Christianity any of us in Hollywood.’” “We’re trying to craft this in a way the rear of the Church, and Panguipulli were also recently
while waiting execution under Emperor “‘I have the faith to believe it’s still that’s cinematically compelling and threw a fire bomb inside. attacked and two received
Nero. Luke, a physician, is able to visit good for us now.’ That’s one of the enlightening so that it shines new light, Four companies of threats, including the town’s
his fellow Christian in jail. greatest things about [“Paul.”] You don’t if possible, without creating some weird firefighters arrived on scene to main church. (ACI Prensa/
Caviezel said the movie’s theme realize it, but it’s actually scriptural.” thing.” (CNA) fight the flames. With the help CNA)
A4 OPINION February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

Could this Cha-cha be worst?

AS the conversation gets louder on proposed changing of the
Philippine Constitution as a way to adopt Federalism as a
new form of government, real issues, some disturbing ones,
come to fore. Retired Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., calls
the bold move “a lethal experiment, a fatal leap, a plunge to
death, a leap to hell.” That may sound an overstatement, but
Davide raises valid arguments that call for more and deeper
discussion, beyond the haphazard and careless threats of the
Speaker of the House and the President.
A former party-list congressman, Neri Colmenares said in a
recent forum that “This is the worst cha-cha ever. This is the only
cha-cha with pork barrel enshrined in the Constitution.” He also
raised fears that charter change may lead to a much too powerful
president, “It centralizes repressive powers in President Duterte.”
The Council of the Laity of the Philippines, which is the

ILLUSTRATION BY BLADIMER USI

umbrella organization of major lay Catholic organizations in
the country, thinks that the Duterte cha-cha is “a threat to our
democratic system and our aspirations as a free and progressive
nation.” In a statement they further said, “We are disturbed
that this exercise is being viewed by many as something that
we cannot freely argue about anymore, because doing so will
put the lives and well-being of those resisting this initiative,
at risk…We are disturbed that instead of implementing the
excellent provisions of the current Constitution, majority of our
legislators appear to be in a hurry to supercede these, with an
Role of priests in a Living Mission
agenda that will disregard the hard-earned gains of the Filipino,
such as social justice, human rights and democracy.” Vatican II Church Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM
The Association of Major Religious Superiors of the
Philippines (AMRSP) called on their members and all
concerned Filipinos to discern well in face of this impending
political exercise because “reckless decisions will surely THE Church in the Philippines is on its to the Christian community. These desired renewal of the whole Church
lead our nation into chaos and a bleak future. In a recent nine-year journey to 2021. Through principal duties are: (1) announce depends to a great extent on the ministry
statement, they said, “We are deeply bothered by the a series of yearly focused themes, a the Gospel by preaching, teaching, of its priests. It proclaims the extreme
partisanship that has not taken over the reins of charter profound renewal is envisioned for the and inviting all to conversion; (2) importance of priestly training and lays
change and federalism. A shameless proposal to extend terms Church. This year (2018) focuses on the assist people to fully participate down certain basic principles….”
of office has been inserted to the legislative draft at the lower Clergy and Consecrated Persons. This in the liturgy, since the Eucharist The decree emphasizes that every
house. Threats have been lured at local government units who certainly does not imply that the laity, and the sacraments are central to aspect of a seminarian’s formation
will not toe the line. This does not augur well for a free and who comprises the vast majority of the priestly ministry; and, (3) build up should be developed with the “pastoral
informed discussion on the issue at hand.” People of God, are viewed as “second the Church by encouraging people needs” of the faithful in mind. As
The Catholic ishops of the Philippines during their plenary class” Christians; recall that the entire to strive for Christian maturity and expected, many concrete, practical
assembly held in Cebu in January 2018, did not categorically year 2014 was dedicated to the laity. by forming communities that are guidelines are enunciated; they include
state their stand on charter change and federalism. But one Because of the gift of our Baptism prayerful, charitable, and missionary. areas of ministry such as catechetics,
can easily infer that they too are disturbed. Coming up with into Christ, everyone is equal in dignity Priests are to develop healthy preaching, liturgy and worship, works
pastoral guidelines for discerning the moral dimension on the in the Church, though we may have relationships in their ministry, in of charity and pastoral duties.
moves for Charter change is obviously not a simple lecture to differing talents, roles, and functions. particular, with their bishop, other This Vatican II decree emphasizes
a congregation on an ordinary Sunday. It is a careful selection One can validly say that we all share in priests, and lay people. Priests are the urgent duty of fostering priestly
of fundamental moral principles that are at risk in the way a “discipleship of equals.” All are equal to be helpers and advisors to the vocations. This responsibility belongs
this Charter change issue is unfolding. in dignity as Jesus’ missionary disciples. bishop; together they are to develop “to the whole Christian community,”
The building blocks that this Administration has constructed Yes, there is a diversity of ministries, but fraternity and community life. Pastoral principally to families and then to
leading to the Charter change is not very encouraging, nay a oneness of mission. Everyone (laity, collaboration among priests themselves parishes. Teachers as well as all
impressive. Some are suspicious, others are getting chilling clergy, and religious) are all called to is necessary, since “no priest can on priests and bishops “are to manifest an
signals. Are we heading for the worse? holiness and to live the spirit of the his own accomplish his mission in apostolic zeal in fostering vocations”
beatitudes in their lives. a satisfactory way” (PO 7). Finally, (OT 2). This can be accomplished
A test of charity Ministry and Life of Priests. The priests should promote the dignity and through prayer and penance, preaching
Second Vatican Council issued two involvement of the laity, accepting their and catechetical instruction, use of
CHRIST himself has commanded us that we have to love our documents related to the priesthood. insights and competencies. All these social communication, and systematic
neighbor, that is, everyone, as he himself has loved us. He One focuses on the life and ministry of priestly functions demand genuine programs of vocational recruitment.
even went to the extent to telling us that we have to love our priests; the other deals with the training holiness, achieved through a balanced, Final Questions. All of us in the
enemies. This commandment, of course, can be obeyed in and formation needed for seminarians personal, spiritual life. Church (laity, religious, and priests)
many ways. But one good way to see if our love is as Christ as future priests. Priestly Training and Formation. can seriously ask ourselves: What am
has commanded us is to see that we make ourselves as lovable Presbyterorum Ordinis, the Vatican The Vatican II decree on priestly I personally doing to promote priestly
as possible to everybody even as we try our best to love all,
II document on the Ministry and Life training, Optatam Totius, opens with and religious vocations? How am I
including the most unlovable.
of Priests, describes the priest’s three these remarkable words: “Animated by promoting the renewal of the Church in
This is how Christ has loved us. For him to be lovable to us,
major functions; all are centered the spirit of Christ, this sacred synod this year of the Clergy and Consecrated
he being the son of God became man and adapted himself to us
around the services that he is to render [Vatican II] is fully aware that the Persons?
all the way to making himself like sin without committing sin if
only to save us. For this, he emptied himself just to be close to
us and even to identify himself with us. And as a consequence,
he adapted himself to our ways, teaching the great mysteries And That’s The Truth An open letter to my
of our faith, for example, in easy-to-understand parables.
He also had to pay taxes and followed the local customs and Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS daughter, the nun
practices. He was like anybody else, except committing sin.
Christ personified what St. Paul once described how we
should be—that we be all things to all men for the sake of
human redemption. That was how Christ made himself lovable MY dearest daughter: Let do not know how it happened the budding young woman a nun creates expectations
to everyone, even if there were some who could not love him. me begin this letter with but after you had gone and we had hoped to give us in others, whether you like
But even with these people—the Pharisees and the scribes—he a plea for pardon. I am life went back to normal, bits brilliant grandchildren in it or not—expectations
in the end asked his Father for their forgiveness, finding some aware that what I am about and pieces of those holiday time, and the radiant “bride which, by the nature of your
excuses for them: “For they know not what they are doing.” to say may sting you, and moments with you would of Christ” crowned with roses vocation, you may not just
Christ’s love was and continues to be universal in scope. And it yet in conscience I believe flash back to mind, very on her “wedding day.” As take for granted. The public
involved everything in his power—from showing basic affection that my silence might hurt much like a silent movie the women’s lib generation expects you to be different—
and compassion to offering forgiveness. It was a love that was you more. I have spent trailer challenging me to would say: “You’ve come because they believe you to
and continues to be gratuitously given. And that is also the love countless nights turning listen to what was left unsaid. a long way, baby!” Maybe be several notches above us
that he expects us to have since we are patterned after him. We these thoughts over and Strangely I would catch your mom is just getting old in virtue or holiness. You
are meant to be “alter Christus,” another Christ. “Without cost over in my head—specifically myself seeing you not just as and worrisome, but I cannot are aware of this, as your
you have received, without cost you have to give.” (Mt 10,8) since last Christmas when a nun but also as a daughter help singing to you along numerous anecdotes about
While we cannot deny that we are subject to all kinds of for a few days we had the I had given up for good, with Diana Ross your own receiving special treatment
conditionings that would lead us to have preferences and biases, privilege of having you at for God. In fact, I would favorite song, “Do you know from strangers reveal. We,
likes and dislikes, we have to learn how to go beyond those home with us and enjoying see through your religious where you’re going to?” your family, have our own
conditionings, not allowing ourselves to be trapped by them. all those family reunions habit the tomboyish grade- Where you are going, my expectations, too, that in the
Everyday, actually, offers us a lot of opportunities to develop and parties—agonizing over schooler, the spunky papa’s daughter, is my rightful spirit of fairness must not
this Christian love by making ourselves as lovable as possible how I could share with you girl, the teen-ager beginning concern, too, in spite of the be ignored. Like all others,
to everybody, and by loving every one, including our enemies my observations without to notice boys and scare security you enjoy within the rightly or wrongly we do
and the unlovable. We have to understand that every event sounding like a meddler. I them away with her high IQ, convent walls. Your being And That’s the Truth / A7
and situation in our life, no matter how they are considered
according to our human and natural standards, should be an
occasion to love God by loving everybody!
Turning distractions Candidly Speaking
into enhancers
Monitor
CBCP Fr. Roy Cimagala

ESPECIALLY in our prayer that plays and heart with the vain hope that assured and locked, when prayer is
PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE a crucial role in our life, we need to perhaps some inspiration will come our truly felt, and not just lingering in the
learn how to turn distractions into way. We have to realize more deeply that intellectual level.
Pedro Quitorio enhancers. We cannot deny that very inspiration can come to us more readily In fact, what would also help to a great
Editor-in-Chief often our prayer is hounded by all sorts if we are prepared for prayer. extent is when we are physically fit as
of impertinent and stray thoughts that Of course, we have to understand that well, not tired and burned out. That’s
Nirva’ana E. Delacruz Ron Ramos would practically annul the effectiveness preparation for our prayer should be simply because prayer requires not
Associate Editor Design Artist
of our intimate conversation with our both remote and proximate. Remote in only spiritual strength but also physical
Father God. the sense that we are always referring stamina. If we feel physically weak, most
Roy Lagarde Mercedita Juanite
News Editor Circulation Manager Perhaps one immediate thing we can things to God all throughout the day. likely we cannot go the distance, and we
do to address this problem is to make Proximate preparation can mean would easily be carried away by all kinds
Kris Bayos Marcelita Dominguez sure that we have a clear topic to take stirring up the proper dispositions of distractions.
Features Editor Comptroller up in our prayer, together with relevant just before our prayer time. Physical fitness would very well
materials—bible, some spiritual book, Those should help us to have focus support our mental and psycho-
The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the Areopagus
Communications, Inc. with editorial and business offices at novena and other devotional items— and concentration when we pray. Just emotional faculties in our prayer. It
Ground Flr., Holy Face of Jesus Center & Convent, 1111 plus a list of intentions to pray the same, we also need to elicit in us the facilitates the mobilization of these
F. R. Hidalgo Street, Quiapo, Manila. Editorial: (632) 404 -
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for. appropriate feelings, if not, passions. faculties.
com, Business: (632) 404 - 1612. ISSN 1908-2940. We should go to our prayer truly Prayer becomes more effective and Since not all days are good and
prepared and not with an empty head focused, our connection with God better Candidly Speaking / A6
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 OPINION A5

Is fake news necessary?

By the Roadside Collection Box
Fr. Eutiquio ‘Euly’ Belizar, Jr. SThD Fr. Jerome R. Secillano, MPA

A HIGH government official, the
presidential spokesman to be exact, was
recently quoted to the effect that in his
advocacy for a “free market of ideas”
“fake news” may not only be expected
but could also prove helpful in arriving
at the truth.
To quote some of his words in point:
“Mayroon mang fake news...sabi nila
sa isang kaso—kung walang fake news,
hindi natin malalaman kung ano yung
true news. Hindi natin malalaman kung
ano’ng kasinungalingan, hindi natin
malalaman kung ano’ng katototohanan.
So let there be a free market of ideas...
(Even though there’s fake news...as they
said in one case—if there’s no fake news,
we wouldn’t know what’s true news. We
wouldn’t know the lies, we also wouldn’t
know the truth. So let there be a free
market of ideas (Quote and translation
from Rappler).” Naturally these words
ignited an uproar both in mainstream
and social media. To many the statement
was nothing short of not merely justifying
the proliferation of fake news from both
non-government and government-
connected sources but also encouraging
such proliferation. In the aftermath,
the spokesman denied any intent by
government to espouse fake news. He
defended his statement as really a push
“How is the date of
for the freedom of speech and the free
expression of ideas. Point well taken,
Mr Secretary.
But I believe we need to examine your
basic assumption that without fake news,
“we wouldn’t know what’s true news” and
that we “wouldn’t know the lies, we also
wouldn’t know the truth”. That, in effect,
amounts to arguing for the necessity
of fake news. It’s like saying we need
the weeds to be able to distinguish the
real rice, or that the tares (of the gospel
parable) are a must presence so true
wheat could thrive. That simply defies
logic.
Not that I am against the “free market
of ideas”. That is the ocean where human
dignity swims. Nor am I for the scrapping
of the freedom of expression, for that
is like denying my right to say what I
saying now. My point is that truth does
not need falsehood to be itself. It is truth
that liberates us, it is truth that liberates
even itself from the clutches of falsehood,
however long it takes. When truth is
suppressed at one time; at another time,
it resurrects itself. On the other hand,
falsehood enslaves human minds; an
enslaved mind further multiplies itself
in other minds it wins to its side. The
phenomenon of social media “trolls” that
gobble up fake news and present them as
gospel truth, spreading them wrapped
in hate or snooty language intended
for its critics online are a classic case of
falsehood-enslaved minds.
Let me go back to the first part of
that last sentence. The problem we
often stumble into these days is the
phenomenon of fake news dressed and
presented like truth. Ordinary untrained
citizens such as you and me are often at a
great loss when it hits us from otherwise
trustworthy sources. Remember the
supposed foreign bank account numbers
allegedly belonging to a certain senator
critical of the administration that were
actually “made up” by someone in the
highest office, by his own admission?
Was it a necessary fake news so that, for
instance, the fake claims of the senator
could be exposed? In the first place,
who would have known it was fake news
had it not been shown to be so by the
senator’s own sleuthing expeditions with
media representation in a foreign city?
The lie did not help expose the truth; it
was exposed to be a lie by a “cornered
admission” and by simple truthful
reporting. To quote Miguel de Cervantes
(Man from La Mancha): “Truth may be
stretched, but it cannot be broken, and
always gets above falsehood, as oil does
above water.”
Federalism and its limits
POLITICIANS favoring federalism argue that a shift
from the unitary form of government would tilt the
balance of power from “Imperial Manila” to other
regions. But what does Manila have to do with power
when in truth it rests in the hands of politicians who
control our nation’s affairs? Whether you accept it or
not, “Sovereignty resides in the people’’ is just an empty
slogan in the country.
Having Malacañang in Manila and other major
government offices does not in itself make Manila
“imperial.” The way funds are distributed - from
Manila to provinces - should not also be viewed as
‘’imperialistic’’. Look, senators and congressmen are
each given funds to finance projects of their choice.
The provincial government and Local Government
Units (LGUs) are also allotted budgets in the form of
Internal Revenue Allocations (IRA). The process to get
these funds may be long and tedious but at least under
the current system, provinces and LGUs are still not
financially deprived. Only when a politician is not allied
with the administration does he receive zero budget for
his office and constituents.
What is imperial in this context is the expansion of
PDP Laban, the once irrelevant and obscure political
party of Pres. Duterte, whose membership has grown
by leaps and bounds and is now poised to shove up
our mouth whatever inglorious plans they have. The
likes of Speaker Alvarez and other government officials
with dictatorial tendencies are “imperialists” who take
advantage of the public’s naiveté and inability to go
against their inordinate wishes.

Easter determined?”
IN two weeks, the Catholic
community will observe
Ash Wednesday, the first
day of Lent, the start of
the preparation for the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ on Easter Sunday.
But why does Easter Sunday
or Ash Wednesday never
fall on the same date every
year? Research shows that
the Council of Nicaea decided
that Easter must always be on
a Sunday because Jesus rose
from the dead on a Sunday.
Easter was set on the first
Sunday after the paschal full
moon (the full moon that
falls on or after the vernal or
spring equinox, which was set
at March 21). Passover fell on
the date of the paschal full
moon in the Jewish calendar,
and the Last Supper (Holy
Thursday) occurred on the
Passover. Therefore, the very
first Easter Sunday was the
Sunday after Passover. That
means Easter is always the
first Sunday after the first full
moon that falls on or after
March 21.
The date of Ash Wednesday
is determined by the date
of Easter Sunday or by the
length of Lent. Lent is 40 days,
Sundays are not included in
the count, since it is the day of
resurrection, a day for feasting
and not fasting. In Genesis,
God rested on Sabbath, the
7th day. “However, Christ rose
from the dead on a Sunday,
the first day of the week,
and the original apostles saw
Christ’s Resurrection as a
new creation, and so they
transferred the day of rest
and worship from Saturday
to Sunday.”
The full 40 days of fasting
before Easter is counted
backward from Holy
Saturday, skipping 6 Sundays,
so Ash Wednesday falls 46
days before Easter every year
- 40 days plus the six Sundays.
***
The Pilgrim Relics of St.
Therese of the Child Jesus
visited the Diocese of
Kalookan from February 8
to 10. Welcome, Veneration
and Enthronement Rites were
celebrated in the 3 cities of the
Diocese – San Jose Church
in Navotas, San Bartolome
Church in Malabon and San
Roque Cathedral in Caloocan.
Catechesis, Taize Prayer and
Eucharistic Celebrations
highlighted the visit. Bishop
Pablo Virgilio David presided
the Diocesan Eucharistic
Celebration and concelebrated
by the Kalookan Clergy.
***
February 2 is the Feast of
Duc in Altum
Atty. Aurora A. Santiago
Candelaria or the blessing of
candles and the Feast of the
Presentation of Jesus Christ at
the Temple. It occurs 40 days
after Christmas. As our Parish
Priest Fr. Bong Gino stated in
his homily, “in the Gospel, we
see the infant Jesus presented
in the temple and the Holy
Family’s encounters with
Simeon and Anna. This day
is also known as the Feast
of the Purification because
we celebrate Mary’s return
to the Temple. According
to the Mosaic law, mothers
who had given birth were
considered unclean after the
birth of a child and were
not permitted to enter the
Temple to worship. This
was 40 days after the birth
of a son and 60 days after
the birth of a daughter. At
the end of the 40 or 60 days,
the mother was brought to
the Temple or synagogue and
ritually purified. The mother
had to bring at the temple a
lamb for a holocaust and a
young pigeon or turtle dove
for sin; the priest prayed for
her and so she was cleansed.
(Leviticus 12:2-8) Now she
can go to religious services
again, and generally go out
in public. So we celebrate
the ritual Purification of the
Virgin Mary, the specified 40
days after she gave birth to
Jesus.”
***
Our dear readers, our family
is so happy and elated for our
two young boys, so please allow
me to congratulate them—my
nephew Romarico “Rome”
Santiago and grandnephew
Charleroi Guillaume “C2”
Rosales Castro.
Last January, Kumon San
Fernando Valley (Panorama
City, California) Pre-K
School awarded Rome Silver
Trophy for Mathematics and
Bronze for Reading. Last
year, Rome was also awarded
by the same school Silver in
Mathematics. As of press
time, Rome is celebrating his
4th Birthday; he is the son
of my brother Dr. Roy and
Jinky Santiago.
Last week, C2 and his
partner Maisie Macalagay
were the Grandslam winners
in Magis Academy, Marikina
City school competition -
Little Mr. and Miss Best in
Talent, Little Mr. and Miss
Photogenic, Little Mr. and
Miss Peoples’ Choice Award
and the overall award, Little
Mr. and Miss Altius 2018.
C2 is 6 years old and son of
my niece Gretchen (daughter
of my sister Ate Violeta and
Kuya Cel) and Charlie Castro.
Proponents of federalism argue that government will be
closer to the people once the shift happens. Truth is, these
politicians, who jumped on the Duterte wagon not for the
noblest of principles but for greener pastures, should be
faulted for not making government closer to the people.
They live in Manila while their constituents languish in
poverty in the provinces. Instead of filing laws that will
pave the way for more infrastructure and development
projects, they instead focus on renaming streets, schools,
and other buildings. Many do not care to even consult
their constituents on what laws, policies, and programs
are beneficial to them. They oftentimes make decisions
not on the basis of their constituents’ needs but on the
urging of higher political power in exchange for generous
rewards and yet they are bold enough to claim that with
federalism there will be wider citizen participation and
greater democratization. Such a hypocritical stand is
downright condemnable and should be exposed.
Change in the system of government does not mean
an automatic shift for politicians to exhibit a greater
degree of commitment to public service. Our country’s
politicians have always shown an amazing propensity
to find holes in every system leading to opportunities,
prospects, and occasions for thievery, corruption, and
abuse of power.
In theory and principle, federalism provides a good
prospect for a better Philippines. But people should not
be misled by it because reforms, peace, development
and the eradication of poverty are still contingent on
so many factors, foremost among them is the caliber of
politicians who will manage their region’s affairs.
The alarming part is, establishing political dynasties
and the lifting of term limits are not far-fetched under
a federal system. With changes in the 1987 Constitution
already underway, our “dutiful” congressmen may
easily fashion a provision that each federal state/region
will be responsible for determining the term limits of
their governors and other officials. With a high degree
of political machination and manipulation, this can
practically happen, especially since they know that a
region is a good prospect for establishing a fiefdom with
an even greater possibility of turning it into a “thiefdom”.
Supporters of federalism are selling it to the public on
the basis of its perceived advantages. President Duterte
acknowledges that it will bring development to regions,
it will foster peace in Mindanao, and it will distribute
political power by decentralizing it.

Whatever
Fr. Francis Ongkingco
“THE Clergy and Consecrated Persons”
is this year’s CBCP theme for the
Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a
historical-spiritual milieu to prepare our
journey towards the 500th anniversary
of the arrival of the Catholic faith in the
Philippines, in 2021.
I then pondered on how the clergy
and consecrated persons – including
all the faithful who are called to become
disciples of Christ – can delve deeper
into their identity and mission within
the Church. Naturally, one’s spiritual
identity stems from his intimate
encounter with Christ who constantly
seeks us out and asks us to follow Him.
But is there, so to speak, a common
point where all callings converge?
Or a spiritual wellspring to return to,
nourish, and strengthen ourselves in? A
specific place or event where our identity
as priests or consecrated persons may
be spiritually renewed and revitalized?
Obviously, there is no one episode in
the Gospel that exhausts the notion of our
calling and mission. The whole Gospel
is a rich portrait of Jesus’ invitation,
encouragement, and formation of His
disciples. But I believe there is one place
that merits our attention: the Upper Room.
The upper room
The Upper Room isn’t so much is the only Priest, and we participate in
the place itself but what transpired His priesthood by no merit on our part
within. There our Lord instituted two but only when we allow Him to take
very important sacraments: the Holy possession of us: we disappear and only
Eucharist and Holy Orders. Through Christ shines. Sacramentally, this occurs
these Sacraments the Church would be when the priest is no longer his own,
built upon and spread. However, in this upon praying the words of the liturgy in
room I wish to focus on Jesus’ humble the Person of Christ: this is MY Body…
gesture of washing the apostles’ feet. this is MY Blood….”
St. Peter protests, “Lord, you shall not Moreover, this lesson has a mission:
wash my feet!” Perhaps, Simon thought our capacity to wash other people’s feet
that this reaction would further mark is fruitful and enduring insofar as we
his conviction and commitment to his allow Christ to constantly wash us. He
discipleship. Moreover, it was neither has already washed us once through
customary nor proper for a servant’s feet Baptism, then anew in Confirmation,
to be washed by his master. constantly when we confess, through
Jesus, however, replied compassionately, the Eucharistic celebration and through
“If I do not wash you, you have no part in other numerous sources of grace.
Me!” He teaches that being His priests and May we, as priest or consecrated
consecrated disciples doesn’t depend on persons, learn to avoid Peter’s external
our personal knowledge or capability but reaction rejecting Jesus’ gesture of
in allowing Jesus to play His part which converting love. And may we reject the
ultimately incorporates us to Himself. temptation to be like Judas, who may
Jesus wants to see if we will allow Him have hypocritically allowed his feet to
to work in us and through us, even when be washed but not his heart.
what He requires is not easy to understand We will not fall into either reaction if
or accept. we learn to frequent our personal Upper
The gesture of “washing their feet”, Rooms of prayer and examination
thus becomes the “mission-icon” of asking ourselves: do I always allow Jesus
the priesthood or discipleship. Christ to wash my feet?
It’s hard to argue against the third one, on account
of the fact that federalism is really about division of
power between the central government and the regional
government.
The first two, however, are not direct and immediate
consequences of federalism. They are goals which the
government wishes to achieve through federalism. Having
said that, people need to realize that federalism won’t
operate in a vacuum as in like a ‘’tabula rasa’’. The presence
of corrupt politicians, the practice of patronage politics,
and the weakness of our laws to exact accountability from
erring public servants are sure to undermine whatever
strength or advantage federalism has.
The failed experiment in ARMM, the continuing
armed struggle of both Moro rebels and Communists,
rampant corruption, the complete disregard for rules,
enormous poverty, and the widespread abuse of power
are gigantic burdens leading many experts to say that,
‘’Federalism is not a panacea to everything afflicting
the nation’’.
To put it best, federalism will simply allow regions to
fend for themselves and to deal with their own problems.
In a study of American federalism, experts and
scholars observed that the system, “Makes it difficult
to cope with many problems that are simply too big for
state and local governments to handle properly. It fosters
harmful competition among the states and uneven
distribution of wealth. It confuses and inconveniences
citizens who face different laws as they do business in
different states or move from state to state. It requires
an excessive number of governmental units, leading to
increased costs and inefficiency’’.
If really forced on us, the Church should be prepared to
deal with regional laws on abortion, same-sex marriage,
death penalty, and divorce because regions will now be
competent to enact them, especially with strong regional
leaders who can stand toe to toe with Church authorities.
A6 LOCAL NEWS February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 CBCP Monitor

Cardinal Tagle calls for ‘everyday Caritas appeals for tent materials
martyrs’ of God’s love
to aid Mayon evacuees

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle celebrates Mass on the feast day of Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon at the
Manila Cathedral, Feb. 3, 2018. ROY LAGARDE
The Diocese of Legazpi’s social action center and the Order of Malta distribute aid to hundreds of families sheltered at Tabaco National High School in Albay,
THE world today needs believers but he remained faithful to Jesus. Jan. 28, 2018. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAC LEGAZPI
who witness each day to the love Like Blessed Takayama, Tagle THE social action arm only will diseases spread, marine plywood (#1/2). and Employment’s cash-
of God, who also sacrificed His life said Christians are called to bear of the Catholic Church is protection and security For a duplex tent, for-work program,” he
for others, Cardinal Luis Antonio witness and suffer for the love of appealing for donations of women and children Caritas would need at added.
Tagle of Manila said. Jesus even if this world of sin and of building materials may also be a problem,” least Php13,000 to set up As of the latest
But witnessing heroism doesn’t injustice calls them “foolish”. amid fears that shelter Caceres Archbishop everything. estimates, the number
always mean sacrificing “by “But now, his foolishness is is starting to run out as Rolando Tria Tirona, The archbishop of evacuees has already
blood,” said the prelate, inviting wisdom for us, his weakness is thousands more evacuees Caritas national director. also asked the local swelled to nearly 90,000.
the faithful to proclaim the Gospel strength for us,” he added. flee the erupting Mayon To address the government and Caritas Philippines
despite opposition and hostility, Also present during the Mass volcano. problem, Caritas will the Church to use said donations may
and detached from the material were a number of Japanese bishops, Caritas Philippines be constructing tents available open spaces be deposited to the
world. priests, and lay pilgrims. said there is an urgent and provide dignified as temporary shelter for Bank of the Philippine
“We are invited to be martyrs Takayama is one step closer to need for temporary temporary shelters to at those displaced by the Islands (BPI) branch in
and witnesses every day. We don’t possible sainthood after being shelters as more families least 500 families. calamity. Intramuros, Manila under
wait for martyrdom by blood,” beatified in Osaka, Japan on Feb. are expected to arrive at Initially, said the “Communal water account name “CBCP
said Tagle in his homily during 7, 2017. evacuation centers set up archbishop, the agency and sanitation facilities CARITAS FILIPINAS
the Mass to mark the feast day of The Archdiocese of Manila first across Albay province. needs at least 750 plastic will be the counterpart FOUNDATION, INC.”
Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, a proposed Takayama for sainthood “If congestion sheets (4x6m), 7, 500 of other partners while with account number
Japanese martyr, at the Manila in 1630, only 15 years after his will continue in the pieces of timber (2x2x8), labor will be from the 4951-0071-08.
Cathedral. death. evacuation centers, not and 1,000 pieces of Department of Labor (CBCPNews)
“Every day in our lives, we are In 1986, an alumnus of the UST
asked by Jesus, ‘be with me, witness Graduate School was commissioned Charter / A1
to My love, give yourself to mission to study the Cause after the petition
The bishops’ statement was issued life principles enshrined in the leaders, educators, and civic society
for others,’” he said. for Takayama’s beatification was
following their plenary assembly Constitution “are mostly likely to be to take the lead in providing the
The cardinal said Takayama, who revived.
held in Cebu City on Jan. 27 to 29. overturned” under a new Charter. necessary voters’ education to
died in exile while in Manila in To ensure that the movement had
It was also their first meeting the people on the issue of Charter
1615 after refusing to renounce his roots, the UST established the Lord
under the leadership of Davao Threat to democracy Change.
Christian faith, is a manifestation Justus Takayama Professional
Archbishop Romulo Valles who Earlier, a group of Catholic lay “(This is) so that the results of any
of the power of the love of Christ. Chair in Philippine-Japanese
officially assumed the CBCP people said they are disturbed by plebiscite for this would truly reflect
“He blessed our soil with a Studies in February 1989.
presidency in December 2017. the ongoing moves for Charter the sentiments of an informed and
testimony of faith and heroism,” A month after his beatification,
The shift to a federal form of change, calling it “a threat to our responsible citizenry,” she noted.
said Tagle. the university also built a historical
government is among the Duterte democratic system”.
The Japanese Catholic samurai, marker to memorialize the first lay
administration’s top priorities Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas Partisanship
according to him, was given the Japanese Christian martyr in the
intended to address certain President Julieta Wasan particularly The country’s religious
chance to turn away from his faith Philippines. (CBCPNews)
issues particularly in strife-torn criticized the haste and manner by congregations which run leading
Mindanao. which proposal is presented to the universities said they, too, are
Consecrated / A1 At the same time, the bishops people by the administration’s allies “deeply bothered by the partisanship
are called to serve God in the a gift”. expressed concern that the pro- in Congress. that has now taken over the reins of
presence of others, particularly “…Religious men and women life principles enshrined in the “The manner by which Charter charter change and federalism”.
those in “difficult and unjust should be somebody who brings Constitution “are mostly likely to be Change is presented to the Filipino The Association of Religious
situation”. in his arms always the presence overturned” under a new Charter. people by the Administration, Superiors in the Philippines
“We cannot claim to love God of God,” he added. Consistent with its previous stand, especially the House of (AMRSP) chided the “shameless”
who we don’t see if we don’t love During the Mass, priests and the CBCP stressed the need for a Representatives, is with undue haste attempts to extend the terms of
our brothers and sisters who we nuns also washed the feet of 12 “widespread” public participation” and without much consultation and office of legislators by using Charter
do see,” said the prelate during people from different sectors of in the process, hitting plans to dialogue,” she said. change.
his homily at a Friday Mass at the society including a mother of an convene Congress into a constituent The organization then called on “We are concerned that the push
Manila Cathedral. alleged victim of extrajudicial assembly. Filipinos to “relentlessly search for for charter change … will divert our
The liturgical service celebrated killing, a former drug addict and “It would be totally rash for the truth” on the current Charter legislators and peoples’ attention
the feast of the Presentation of the a Muslim woman. members of Congress to presume Change moves. from the more pressing problems
Lord and marked this year’s World For his part, Archbishop the reasoned approval of their “It is our duty to let the people of poverty and a humane quality of
Day of Consecrated Life. Romulo Valles of Davao, the constituents on so grave an issue as know what is happening, help them life,” it said.
The nuncio urged the religious to president of the Catholic Bishops’ the move to overhaul the nation’s form their conscience, seek the The organization warned that
always look at Jesus who sacrificed Conference of the Philippines, Charter,” they said. truth and do what is right,” said “reckless decisions will surely lead
His life for others “out of love”. called for renewal of the clergy and At the same time, the bishops Wasan. our nation into chaos and a bleak
“A good father and a good consecrated persons as servant expressed concern that the pro- She also urged government future.”
mother sacrifice for the good of leaders for the new evangelization.
Vatican-China / A2
the children and even more,” “Renew your values, mind-
added Caccia. sets, behavior, and life-styles by travels to China on a one of which is Ma, whose Many Catholics in China in July 2017,
The archbishop also spoke about following the example of Christ, regular basis to offer excommunications have parishioners and priests confirmed the news on
the important role of religious life, the Good Shepherd,” he said. training to the country’s been explicitly declared who have rejected the bishops’ proposed
describing it as “a gift” from God. “Truly become servant-leaders, bishops, and has strong by the Vatican. government control approval, saying “if the
According to him, to be religious who care most especially for the ties with both those Most notably, the new have been imprisoned, Vatican is going to accept
means to testify and witness to least, the lost, and the last,” said approved by the Holy See deal would also apparently harassed and otherwise them and an accord be
His presence, “not as duty but as Valles. (CBCPNews) and those backed by the outline government and persecuted. reached, it’s going to be
communist government’s Vatican roles in future Currently every bishop for all of them. ”
Theatrics / A1 Chinese Patriotic Catholic episcopal selection. recognized by Beijing Figueiredo, who lives
Association. Reportedly, the details must be a member of the in Rome, travels to China
executive secretary of the bishops’ The priest urged the law enforcers Cappello was in China of the deal would have patriotic association, and several times a year with
Committee on Public Affairs, also to strictly adhere to standard police two weeks ago, where the Vatican proposing many bishops appointed Caritas in Veritate, said
called on the PNP to focus on issues operation guidelines with or without Joseph Ma Yinglin, the names and the Chinese by the Vatican who are not he has worked closely
that matter most to the public. religious items at hand. government-backed government having the recognized or approved by with the seven bishops in
“Bringing those religious items “Let the police do their jobs with bishop of Kunming, final say over Vatican- the Chinese government question, and “they have
during police operations is good high regard for standard procedures explained the proposed vetted candidates. have faced government desired this communion
only for theatrics. They are not and the legal rights of suspects,” deal to him. Cappello said the persecution. for years.”
essentially necessary,” he said. said Secillano. CBCPNews Without the Vatican’s proposal has already been Many of the Vatican- He personally delivered
consent, Ma was discussed in China, and approved bishops in China a letter from the bishops
Candidly Speaking / A4
tapped by the patriotic he believes “this is the are drawing near to the to the Pope in 2016, which
conducive to prayer due to our that the effectiveness of our prayer association to head the direction that things are age of 75, when they are he says told the Pope they
changing conditions, we need to can only come from God himself. diocese in 2006. After his going.” required to submit their wanted communion with
realize that a certain discipline and We have to humble ourselves to episcopal ordination, Ma’s In 1951 Beijing broke request for retirement, Rome.
forcefulness is necessary to have always ask for his grace even as excommunication was official diplomatic ties and many others have “They didn’t propose
focus in prayer. We just have to be we apply force and discipline on declared by the Vatican, with the Vatican. Since the died, yet few successors the deal, certainly not
game in this respect. It’s not all the ourselves. because he was ordained 1980s they have loosely have been named, raising in the letter they gave
time that we would be euphoric and If in the end, in spite of all our a bishop without approval cooperated in episcopal questions as to whether me, because that’s what’s
ecstatic in our prayer. There will be efforts, distractions would still from Rome. In 2010 he appointments, however, or not a deal might be come afterwards,” he said,
plenty of times when we will feel hound us, it may be because God was appointed president the government has also drawing near. noting that the Vatican has
dry, but we just have to go on. wants us to use those distractions of the Chinese patriotic named bishops without Regarding the seven on several occasions sent
This is actually true in all aspects as the very material for our prayer. association’s bishops’ Vatican approval. bishops who will be a delegation to Beijing to
of our life. And Christ somehow Before God, we can actually bring conference. The result has led to a recognized should a discuss the details of a
articulated this need when he said: up anything as long as we are aware As part of the agreement, complicated and tense new agreement come possible agreement.
“From the days of John the Baptist that we conversing with God. which has been widely relationship between to pass, Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo said the deal
until now the kingdom of heaven The distractions can actually reported in recent days, the patriotic association Figueiredo, who has could come within the
has suffered violence, and men of shed light on things that we need the Vatican is expected to and the “underground worked with the seven next few months, saying
violence take it by force.” (Mt 11,12) to know. They can point to some officially recognize seven Church,” which includes bishops in question “I think it could well come
At the same time, we have to be important things that we tend to bishops who are out of priests and bishops who through the Caritas in this spring, absolutely.”
always humble in our prayer in the take for granted. The important communion with Rome, are not recognized by the Veritate for the past (Elise Harris / CNA /
sense that we should always realize thing is that we are praying. including 2-3 bishops, government. several years and was EWTN News)
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 DIOCESAN NEWS A7

Legazpi diocese has hands full with Mayon evacuees

LEGAZPI City – Almost
overnight, it’s suddenly
Legazpi Bishop Joel Z.
Baylon’s responsibility to
help feed 84,000 evacuees
in this city, especially as
Mayon’s eruptive stage
continues.
“Most of the evacuees
are farmers and would not
have anything to augment
their needs such as viands
to enhance rice, noodles,
and sardines handed
out by government and
non-government relief
agencies,” shared the
prelate in an interview early
Friday morning, the 25th
anniversary of the fateful
1993 eruption.
According to Baylon,
both the government and
the Catholic Church in
Albay province have been
in constant coordination as
to the numbers of evacuees
that need to be served and the
kind of response required.
2000 scenario
He said the Legazpi
diocese’s Social Action
Center has been responding
to various needs since day 1
of the eruption because Albay
is prone to many forms of
disasters.
“We have devised ways
to immediately respond to
the disaster victims’ needs,”
said the 64-year old bishop.
Baylon was a former parish
priest in Bigaa, Legazpi City
two years after the disastrous
1993 Mayon eruption.
According to him, whatever
donations the diocese receives
– mats, mosquito nets,
blankets, food items – are
brought to evacuation centers
with a matching evacuee head
count. “If they’re only for 85
persons, then we look for
an evac center that holds at
most 85 persons…. and not
more than that,” said Baylon,
saying things get out of hand
when not all evacuees are
given something.
Science and Technology
Undersecretary Renato U.
Solidum, Jr. said when they
explained possible scenarious,
they use the 2000 scenario.
“The current eruption may
be similar to that in terms of
the eruption style of the first
phase, Strombolian, followed
by a Vulcanian phase,” he
explained in a text message
to CBCPNews.
Going beyond relief goods
Should Mayon volcano
continue its eruptive stage,
the prelate said the local
Church would be able to
Mayon volcano is expected to continue its eruptive stage, Jan. 30, 2018. BISHOP JOEL BAYLON
help “with minimum
capacity,” meaning basic
food requirements.
The diocese needs more
funds to be able to feed and
assist a greater number
of evacuees, said Baylon.
“Otherwise, if they stay in
the centers for some more
weeks or even months, our
help would be very limited.”
There is an existing micro-
finance project in the city
that helps farmers plant
and engage in agribusiness.
The products sold by its
beneficiaries are redeemed by
the evacuees who have been
issued color-coded cards by
the Diocese of Legazpi, which
will pay for the products.
“No doubt the evacuees
would survive on noodles,
sardines and other canned
goods and dried fish because
they’re in disaster mode, but
feeding them the person the
same food will not be good,”
explained the bishop.
Evacuees can get eggs,
vegetables, sweet potatoes,
and more, using the color-
coded access cards. Baylon
described the set-up as a “win-
win” program for both the
producers and the evacuees.
He likewise disclosed that
a local mall operator, Liberty
Commercial Center, also
honors the plastic cards worth
Php1,000, even reducing
their prices to factory-level
costs.
During Mayon’s last
eruptive stage, Baylon said
the diocese did a skills-
inventory survey among the
evacuees and offered their
findings to both government
and private agencies, who
may need manpower through
food-for-work programs.
He said this could be
implemented these days to
help address the income
losses of farmers and other
skilled evacuees.
“These days you’ll see
women who brought their
sewing machines to the
evacuation centers and
continued their work,” he
said.
He added President
Rodrigo Duterte recently
visited the city and addressed
the concerns of the local
government officials and of
the evacuees.
“The Catholic Church in
Legazpi will continue to do its
share to help,” he said. (Melo
M. Acuna with reports
from Nirva’ana Ella
Delacuz/CBCPNews)

From the sea to Ilocanos’ hearts: The discovery of ‘Apo Badoc’ ‘Dinagyang’: More than pageantry,
LAOAG, Ilocos Norte –
The image of the Virgin
of the Lady for the Sinait
Church. When the Badoc
image could not be set
on fire, recounted Josue.
Vivar, OSA which is kept in
the Augustinian archives a ‘call to imitate Jesus’
was described to be fishermen took hold of the Hundreds of years later, in Valladolid, Spain.
delicately hand-painted image of Christ, recounted numerous people continue Following the issuance
holding the Holy Child the priest, they could to flock to Badoc to invoke of decree on Dec. 6,
and the Crucified Christ not carry it. The same the maternal protection 2017 by the Vatican
she was found with was with the Sinait men, who and intercession of “La Congregation for Divine
made of dark wood. Today, could not lift the image Virgen Milagrosa.” Worship and Discipline of
the “La Virgen Milagrosa of the Madonna. They It is presumed that these the Sacraments, Cardinal
de Badoc,” which was eventually exchanged religious images came from Robert Sarah, its Prefect,
“discovered” in the 15th images. Surprisingly, the the persecuted Christians granted “La Virgen
century is recognized as men from Sinait were able of Japan. Fr. Danny Laeda, Milagrosa de Badoc,”
the “patroness of Ilocos.” to lift the dark Crucified known as the “Historian patroness of Ilocos Norte,
According to Fr. Ericson Christ easily and same of the North,” echoes in the privilege of being
Josue, historian and with the Badoc men with a Facebook post that the crowned as mandated by
archivist of the Diocese the Madonna. “discovery” happened papal authority.
of Laoag, the image of For them, this indicated around the same time as The pontifical The faithful venerate the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu in Iloilo during the religious procession from
the port area to San Jose Church on Jan. 26, 2018. PHOTO COURTESY OF VINCENT VALENCIA
“La Virgen Milagrosa de that the Crucified Christ the martyrdom of Lorenzo coronation, as announced
Badoc” was retrieved from wanted to be enshrined Ruíz, Paul Miki, and their in a Jan. 13 pastoral letter ILOILO City– As thousands of “As we look at and pray before
the sea by fishermen of in Sinait while the Lady companions. He said: by Laoag Bishop Renato devotees and visitors congregated the small image of the Child Jesus,
Badoc and Sinait in 1620. preferred the chapel of the “To avoid incriminating P. Mayugba, will be on in this city over the weekend for the let us do a serious examination of
It was found in a box “Visita” of Badoc. Since evidences, Christians May 31, Feast of the world-famous festival celebrated conscience and ask ourselves: ‘Up
together with the revered the discovery, numerous jettisoned their religious Visitation. He noted the every fourth Sunday of January, to what point am I succeeding in
image of “Santo Cristo miracles were attributed articles into the sea. By significance of the date as an Augustinian friar reminded the imitating Christ in my life?’, ‘What
Milagroso de Sinait.” to both, including the stroke of luck and Divine the “…moment when John people that the are some of the things that hinder
Accounts say the end of an epidemic in the Providence, these articles the Baptist (“in utero”) “Dinagyang” is, above all, a me from imitating His poverty,
fisherfolk of Badoc capital town of Vigan when found their way to our LEAPED FOR JOY!” The challenge to imitate the Señor chastity and obedience?’” the priest
wanted the Crucified the images were brought shores.” Parish of Badoc is under Sto. Niño – “the poor, chaste, and challenged the faithful.
Christ brought to their there for devotion. The earliest extant the patronage of St. John obedient Son of God.” According to him, all the faithful,
chapel in the “Visita” There was an attempt chronicle on the origin the Baptist and the Lady “As we celebrate the Dinagyang in not just consecrated persons, are
(peripheral mission) of by pirates to burn the and discovery of the of Badoc is also known honor of the Sto. Niño, we too are called to follow Jesus, living out
Badoc while the ones from Madonna sometime in sacred artifacts is the 1764 as “Cause of our Joy.” reminded of our calling to imitate the “true spirit of poverty, chastity,
Sinait wanted the image the 18th century, but the Chronicle of Fray Pedro de (CBCPNews) Jesus and try our best to become and obedience” according to their
And That’s the Truth / A4 worthy of the name that we bear – capacity and state in life.
that of being ‘Christians’, followers To bring home the message of the
believe you are somehow morally between that young nun and the posts would make you an even of Christ,” Fr. Edsel Raymund Dinagyang, the Augustinian friars,
superior to us, after all, you have 45-year old “Superiora” you are better story-teller, enriching our Alcayaga, O.S.A., exhorted the the faithful of San Jose Parish, and
“given up everything” for God. As a now. What bothers me is you seem lives and drawing people closer to faithful as the main celebrant and other devotees of the Sto. Niño,
consecrated person, do you not feel unaware of the effects your ways the Lord, but last Christmas I saw homilist of the concelebrated High celebrated the festival not only
obliged, for love of God, to be what now have on others. Or, do you that it did not happen. At one point Mass in San Jose Parish Church on with the usual novena Masses,
people expect and believe you to be? care at all? you even expressed dissatisfaction Jan. 28 for “Dinagyang@50”. fluvial parade, processions, and
And does not God have expectations Take, for example, that time over the homily of a bishop. If the “Religious Sadsad”. Programs
of you as well? when, besides the lechon paksiw I had been blind (and therefore Teaching the faithful to be in favor of the “little ones”, such
I hope you will not take offense at and other holiday take-home food could not see your religious habit), I poor, chaste, and obedient as the “Arroz Caldo ni Niño” – a
my temerity, but for now I do not you had been given, you asked for could swear I was just listening to a Alcayaga highlighted the religious feeding program for street children
want to call you “Sister”; instead I the unopened bags of chips and college professor who may not even aspect of the festival and invited -, medical and dental missions,
just want to think of you as Nina, chocolates. Did you not notice the be Catholic at all! I felt sad. devotees to learn from the life of the catechism for barangay children,
my daughter who happens to be a furtive glances from those at the I as a mother also felt sad for Christ Child. livelihood seminars for fathers and
nun. I as the woman who brought table as you—loading them into a your siblings when you acted “The Dinagyang festival has [a] mothers, and a healing Mass for
you to this world feel morally huge bag—were saying “Walang disappointed since none of them much deeper meaning to it than the aged, sick, and abandoned were
obliged to speak out now, for I do ganito sa kumbento eh!” I was quiet could accommodate your request the street dancing competitions, also held.
believe God has expectations of me, lest you think I was depriving you for a ride back to your convent. the stage shows, the revelry and
too. I may not have a Ph. D. as you of a little luxury, but I was thinking, I know they had done that for the partying, or the hundreds and Dinagyang@50
do, but child, if your two doctorate “My child, if they don’t give you you willingly before, but people’s thousands of tourists flocking Dinagyang traces its origins to the
degrees teach you to dismiss as junk food in the convent, there must needs change, and so do their [to] Iloilo City for the colourful late Rev. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez,
grumblings the observations of one be a good reason for it.” It alarms priorities, and it upset me that you, pageantry. O.S.A., parish priest of San Jose
who has given birth to and raised me as your mother to realize that Sister Nina, were too insensitive “The Lord, the second Person Church at the time, who introduced
six children, then I will not think your appetite for such “goodies” to empathize with them. They of the Most Holy Trinity, who in the devotion to the Señor Sto. Niño
twice about twisting your ear so you has made you forgetful of your now have growing families, with the fullness of time became man, to Iloilo City in 1967.
can hear your mother ask, “Do you doctor’s warning about the threat countless familial duties to cope assuming the form of a child – our In 1968, a replica of the original
know where you’re going to?” of diabetes—and your very own with, but because they—not even Señor Sto. Niño – did not only teach image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu was
As a much younger nun, you were concern about weight gain. your kuya—could not directly beg us to be poor, chaste and obedient. brought to the Queen City of the
a perfect blessing to us, I’d dare say. I also noticed something in off and risk displeasing you, they He Himself put His teachings into South by Fr. Sulpicio Enderez as a
You were much easier to get along your conversation. While it was had to rely on me, your mother, to practice,” stressed the priest. gift to the Parish of San Jose.
with, for one. You were a model of good that you sounded very well plead for your consideration. When The theme of the Dinagyang The devotees, led by members
congeniality and humility for all of informed about world news—and I suggested you take a taxi instead, festival on its 50th year highlighted of Confradia del Sto. Niño de Cebu
us; your nephews and nieces adored your nieces and nephews said you and you snapped, “Such a small three essential traits that – Iloilo Chapter, gave the image a
you and listened eagerly to your were “cool” to be abreast of internet favor to ask, and no one can help? characterize the life of Jesus during fitting reception starting at the point
bible stories; your cousins sought trends and social media—I missed You know I’m afraid to take taxis!” His earthly ministry – a life lived in of arrival, parading down the streets
your advice; even our house help the way you used to make us see I seethed inside and managed to a spirit of true poverty, chastity, and of Iloilo, until it arrived at the San
revered you as you would always mundane affairs in the light of the stifle a curt “Afraid? So where is obedience. Jose Church.
volunteer to do the dishes, sweep gospel. It was something only you your God?” That night I couldn’t This became a tradition that
the floor or change the curtains in the family could do—lead us to sleep. I wondered what traumatic Personal conversion has been celebrated annually
while vacationing with us. Your the Lord through your insights as thing you had suffered that made The Augustinian preacher as the “Iloilo Ati-Atihan” and,
father and I secretly felt very proud a daughter of the Church. Years you dread taxi rides; you used to asserted that devotion to the Sto. from the year 1977 onwards, as
of you as we did not have any doubts ago I had felt sure your higher take taxis, jeepneys, buses, and Niño should not only strengthen the “Dinagyang”, taken from the
anymore that you were in the place studies, your travels abroad, your tricycles without fuss before you faith but should also lead to deep Hiligaynon word “dagyang,” or
God had called you to be. But last interaction with anointed men, entered the convent. personal conversion towards the “merrymaking”. (Fr. Mickey
Christmas, I sensed a disconnect and your assignments to important And That’s the Truth / A8 imitation of Christ. Cardenas/CBCPNews)
A8 PEOPLE, FACTS, AND PLACES February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 CBCP Monitor

New PH envoy to Vatican ‘Patroness of Ilocos Norte’

to be pontifically crowned
embraces ‘ora et labora’

The pontifical coronation of “La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc” was granted through the Decree of the
Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments with Protocol Number 495/17.

LAOAG, Ilocos Norte– In a decree of Laoag, Bishop Antonio Mabutas.

Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa attends Mass to celebrate the World Day of Consecrated Life at the Manila Cathedral on Feb. 2, 2018. ROY LAGARDE
MANILA— A product of
the Benedictines, a long
time envoy nominated
as ambassador to the
Vatican understood and
had embraced the spirit
St. Benedict, whose motto
was “ora et labora,” –
“prayer and work”.
For 31 years of serving
in the diplomatic service,
Ambassador Grace
Relucio-Princesa said
the two are inseparable,
adding that prayer acts as
the core of all her work.
“I always pray, discern,
and contemplate to seek
what God and country
wants me to do,” said
Princesa, who is currently
the assistant secretary of
the Department of Foreign
Affairs’ Legislative Liaison
Unit.
The envoy made her first
public appearance after
her nomination as the
Philippine ambassador
to the Holy See at the
Manila Cathedral during
Mass for the World Day
of Consecrated Persons
on February 2.
Princesa said she was
humbled by her appointment
although she has yet to face
the powerful Commission
on Appointments in a bid
to secure congressional
approval on her
appointment.
“We pray for a smooth
confirmation and, God-
willing, approval of the
Vatican,” said Princesa,
who had served as the
first female Philippine
ambassador to the United
Arab Emirates.
She also had previous
postings in Iraq, USA,
Egypt and Switzerland.
Princesa is an alumna of
the St. Agnes Academy, a
Benedictine-run school in
Legazpi City, Albay.
Unknown to many, she is
also a member of the Regina
Rosarii Contemplative
Association, the Catholic
Women’s League, the
Handmaid of the Lord and
the Light of Jesus Family.
If confirmed, Princesa
vowed to help improve
the Philippine-Vatican
relations “since we have
some commonalities on
the issues on migration,
climate change, and
interfaith” and assist
the Filipino religious
community in Rome.
(Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)
issued Dec. 6, 2017 by the Vatican
Congregation for Divine Worship
and Discipline of the Sacraments,
Cardinal Robert Sarah, its Prefect,
granted “La Virgen Milagrosa de
Badoc,” patroness of Ilocos Norte,
the privilege of being crowned as
mandated by papal authority. The
pontifical coronation is set on May
31.
This was granted in response
to Laoag Bishop Renato P.
Mayugba’s petition requesting
papal recognition of the image’s
importance through a pontifical
coronation.
The pontifical coronation, as
announced in a Jan. 13 pastoral
letter by Mayugba, will be on the
Feast of the Visitation. He stated
the significance of the date as the “…
moment when John the Baptist (“in
utero”) LEAPED FOR JOY!” It must
This would only be realized by his
second successor, Bishop Edmundo
M. Abaya on Dec. 8, 1980, who
mandated a diocesan coronation.
This served to jump-start the
devotion to the Virgin of Badoc.
Thirty-seven years after the
episcopal coronation, in preparation
for the bicentennial anniversary of
the establishment of Ilocos Norte
as a civil province, the present
Bishop of Laoag, Bishop Mayugba
started working for the granting
of the pontifical coronation of “La
Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc.” This
was granted through the Decree
of the Congregation for Divine
Worship and Discipline of the
Sacraments with Protocol Number
495/17.
The Diocese of Laoag is expecting
Manila Archbishop Luís Antonio
G. Cardinal Tagle as the crowning

Archbishop Palma joins Dominican Order be remembered that the Parish of

CEBU City— Another prelate has
joined the Dominican community,
becoming the first novice of a newly
erected chapter of the Order of
Preachers in the country.
Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu
was admitted to the Order Priestly
Fraternities of St. Dominic in
a solemn ceremony held at the
archbishop’s residence on Jan. 23.
No other than Fr. Napoleon
Sipalay, Prior Provincial of
the Dominican Province of the
Philippines, presided the rite of
admission.
In March 2015, Archbishop
Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-
Dagupan and the late Bishop
Rodolfo Beltran of La Union also
joined the Order.
The Chapter of St. Vincent Ferrer
is one of the nine newly established
local fraternities of priests in the
Province of the Philippines.
The new chapters were established
on Sept. 23, 2017, at the Convent of
Santo Domingo in Quezon City,
on the occasion of the visit of the
Master of the Order, Fr. Bruno
Cadoré.
The chapter’s current prior is
Photo. Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu becomes the first novice of a newly erected Chapter of Priests
in the Philippines. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS
Fr. Simplicio Pugasan Jr. of the
Archdiocese of Cebu, and it has
currently around 20 members.
In his thanksgiving speech,
Palma affirmed his affinity with
the Dominicans under whose
institutions he obtained his higher
education.
The former president of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines completed his Licentiate
degree in Theology at the University
of Santo Tomas, Manila, and his
Doctorate degree in Theology at the
Pontifical University of St. Thomas
Aquinas in Rome. (CBCPNews)
Badoc is under the patronage of st.
John the Baptist and the Lady of
Badoc is also known as “Cause of
our Joy.”
In a Facebook post, Fr. Danny
Laeda, known as the “Historian
of the North,” recalled that the
attempt to seek a papal mandate
for the coronation of the sacred
image of the Virgin started during
the foundation of the Diocese of
Laoag in 1961 by the then Bishop
And That’s the Truth / A7
Your religious habit opens many
doors for you—you know how
our people hold priests and nuns
in high esteem. People believe
you are “malakas kay Lord” and
count on your “hotline to God”
to obtain favors for them. But
not all of those whom you help
are poor, and those who are not
have rewarded your friendship
and intercession with gifts only
the well-off can afford—like iPads,
gadgets, branded bags and shoes,
etc. Has this gotten into your
head? Subtly ignited a sense of
entitlement in you? Or am I just
guilty of inordinately taking your
religious vows more seriously than
prelate and Cotabato Archbishop
Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo, OMI,
a native son of Ilocos Norte, as the
preacher for the Mass.
The presence of the Apostolic
Nuncio to the Philippines,
Archbishop Gabriele Giordano
Caccia; the president of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines, Davao Archbishop
Romulo G. Valles, and other
Philippine bishops are also expected
to grace the event. (CBCPNews)
you are? Nina, my child, forgive
me if I have been too harsh on you,
but I only wish to let you know that
with what I have seen and heard of
you now, I am missing the young
nun we all knew many years ago
who by her purity and simplicity
spoke to us of a divine reality to
strive for in this life. I have a few
more years left before I join your
father in the afterlife. I pray you
will look for that young “bride of
Christ” and find her still alive in
the core of your being, because
when I am finally reunited with
your father, I am sure he will ask
about you; I do not want to have
to tell him, “I am sorry I lost her.”

Bible Study resource website launched in Bacolod

BACOLOD City– In celebration
of National Bible Sunday, the
Diocesan Commission on Biblical
Apostolate (DCBA) of Bacolod
launched on Jan. 27 a new website
dedicated to providing resources
related to the Bible.
The Center for Biblical Literacy
and Education (CBLE) website
cble-online.org provides Sunday
reflections, updates on events
related to the Bible apostolate as
well as online Bible study lessons.
‘High-tech’ initiative
Explaining the timeliness of the
latest “high-tech” initiative for the
New Evangelization, Fr. Deogracias
Aurelio V. Camon, Ph.D., director of
the Diocesan Commission on Bible
Apostolate, said: “We are hoping
that through cble-online.org we can
provide Bible study materials in an
easy-to-understand and relevant
manner.”
According to him, the website
is an attempt to help the faithful
shift through the great number
of resources online by gathering
credible and useful materials in
one portal.
“For this purpose, the CBLE
will serve as a kind of a ‘curator,’”
he said, “that will select the best
resources, crafting them into short
but meaningful articles or posts that
the registered member of the CBLE
can access anytime, anywhere.”
For those thirsting for God’s
Word
The priet also pointed out that
the website aims to reach out to
Catholics who want to study the
Bible for free in their own time and
at their own pace. “The Center for
Biblical Literacy and Education
(CBLE) hopes that it can answer the
need of those who are thirsting for
the Word of God.”
According to the priest, the Bible
Project is made possible thanks to
a non-profit animation studio from
Portland, Oregon, which granted
permission to CBLE to embed their
animated videos on the Bible study
lessons of the CBLE.
The CBLE was developed in
partnership with the Philippines
Association of Catholic Religious
Educators, Inc. (PACRE), which
is a professional organization
of Catholic religious education
teachers based in the University
of Negros Occidental – Recoletos
(UNO-R).
Hoping that this new project
will benefit many, the Biblical
apostolate director encouraged
Catholic teachers, catechists,
and those involved in religious
education in Catholic schools to
use the resources of cble-online.
org.
Camon announced that the
website is now online while the
downloadable mobile application
of cble-online.org, for easy access
to the site, will be available by
February 2018.
Roots of National Bible Week/
Sunday
According to the official Episcopal
Commission on the Bible Apostolate
(ECBA) website, “the annual
celebration of National Bible Week
for the Catholic faithful held every
last week of January became official
when President Corazon C. Aquino
issued Proclamation No. 44.”
President Fidel V. Ramos’s PP
1067 further strengthened this,
recognizing that: “national attention
be focused on the importance of
reading and studying the Bible in
molding the spiritual, moral and
social fiber of our citizenry.”
These two Presidential
Proclamations were actually an
affirmation of the late President
Ferdinand E. Marcos’s PP 1923
issued Oct. 27, 1979, in recognition
of the Bible as “an excellent source
of principles for the development
of moral and personal discipline”,
the ECBA website indicated.
(Fr. Mickey Cardenas/
CBCPNews)
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3
Catholic bishops pose for a group photo after the opening Mass of their 116th plenary assembly at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Jan. 27, 2018. SAMMY NAVAJA
CBCP pastoral guidelines for
discerning the moral dimension of the
present-day moves for Charter change
Beloved People of God:
Introduction
To change or not to change the Constitu-
tion, that is the fermenting political question
of the day. The move for Charter change is,
and has been, the proposed vehicle to adopt
Federalism as a new form of government.
But ignored in the welter of political opinions
regarding Charter change is the fundamental
moral dimension of this human political act.
Today, encouraged by the Social Doctrine
of the Church, as articulated in the teachings
of many Popes,[1] as well as in the teachings
of PCP-II, we wish to make our moral stand
clear and forthright.
A Long-Standing CBCP Position on
Charter Change
On the matter of changing the 1987 Consti-
tution, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines has declared its moral stand not
only once but at least five times since 1987.
We began with a moral judgment in 1986 de-
claring that, though imperfect, the provisions
of the draft 1987 Constitution were consistent
with the Gospel.
In subsequent attempts at Charter change
by our legislators,[2] our moral stand was and
remains consistent, namely:
Amending the fundamental law of the land,
so carefully crafted for the common good after
years of dictatorship, requires widespread
peoples’ participation and consultation, unity
of vision, transparency, and relative serenity
that allows for rational discussion and debate.
A Moral Critique of the Charter Change
Movement
From the moral teachings of the Church,
four principles stand out as bases for moral
judgment on this current move towards Char-
ter change.
1. The Principle of Human Digni-
ty[3] and Human Rights[4]
Human rights flow from the God-given dig-
nity of the human person. Men and Women
are all created in the image of God. The human
person is sacred, bearing the imprint of the
Divine. In the 1987 Constitution are enshrined
fundamental human rights that correspond to
Christian values based on the Gospel.
Given present developments and trends
in legislation where pro-life principles are
even now being undermined, we are deeply
concerned that such principles, which are
consistent with the fundamental nature of
marriage and the family, and which are now
enshrined in the 1987 Constitution are most  new Constitution places these moral values
likely to be overturned.
2. The Principle of Integrity and
Truth[5]
This moral principle requires total transpar-
ency and accountability, clarity and purity of
motives. When the move for Charter change
becomes self-serving, such as when it calls
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17)
for “No-El” (no elections) and pushes for an
extension of terms of office, it is to be expected
that citizens would react with suspicion, as-
tonishment and exasperation.
In addition the feeling of a creeping dictator-
ship is conjured by past experience. Moreover,
political dynasties are really and factually
becoming a dominant factor in our country’s
political life.
3. The Principle of Participation[6]  and
Solidarity[7]
Participation is at the heart of democ-
racy. Clearly, a move for Charter change
that involves transforming the Congress
into a Constituent Assembly is bound to be
deficient of widespread peoples’ participa-
tion, discussion, and consultation. It would
be totally rash for members of Congress
to presume the reasoned approval of their
constituents on so grave an issue as the
move to overhaul the nation’s Charter.
When such a situation arises, the prin-
ciple of solidarity is patently violated. Soli-
darity is the “persevering determination to
commit oneself to the common good” for
we are responsible for one another.[8] This
principle summons us to protect one
another’s rights and to work together for
the good of the family, the community, and
of the nation.
4.  The Principle of the Common
Good[9]
The principle of the common good is linked
intimately with social justice. To work for so-
cial justice is to strive for the common good.
Without social justice, the common good
is not attained. The thematic framework of
the 1987 Constitution is in fact social justice,
as one framer of the 1987 Constitution has
rightly asserted.  Apparently, the intention of
some legislators to revise the 1987 Constitu-
tion might indeed be the common good. But
lack of participation, lack of transparency, as
well as perceived promotion of self-interests
contravene this intention.
Moreover, a full understanding of the com-
mon good goes beyond mere political, social,
or economic good. Our moral teaching de-
scribes the common good as “the sum total of
social conditions which allow a people, either
as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfill-
ment more fully and more easily”.[10] Thus
the common good would include defense
and promotion by the State of fundamental
moral values regarding human dignity, human
rights, and religious freedom—necessary
paths to full human life. A rash move for a
in extreme peril.
Of significance is the fact that PCP-II listed
the following as the first two requirements
for lay participation in political leader-
ship:[11] “that the basic standard for participa-
tion be the pursuit of the common good; that
participation be characterized by a defense
and promotion of justice.”
Convergence of the Moral and Political
Critique
If the Constitution is to be revised at all,
the process should lead to a greater defense
and promotion of the above-mentioned moral
values of human dignity and human rights,
integrity and truth, participation and solidar-
ity, and the common good.
These are the moral translations of the
political critique on Charter change, to wit,
the broadening and deepening of the dif-
ferentiated institutions of democracy, the
enhancing of the separation and distinction
of various forms of state powers, the foster-
ing of social justice, the resolution of issues
of massive poverty, corruption, patronage
politics, political dynasties, centralization of
power in the  so-called “imperial Manila,” and
the blatant disregard for human rights (e.g., in
the campaign against illegal drugs).
It is hopefully with these aspirations in mind
that the members of the consultative com-
mittee recently appointed by the President
to review the 1987 Constitution carry out the
task expected of them.
Alternatives to Charter Change
As servant leaders, we have listened to many
others who believe that the solution to these
problems is not a revision of the Constitu-
tion, but a full implementation of the 1987
Constitution (e.g., on political dynasties & on
freedom of information), and a revision of the
Local Government Code, originally designed
to devolve power from central authority, fol-
lowing the moral principle of subsidiarity.
We have also heard the views of those who
believe that the solution we seek is ultimately
the transformation of our political culture,
the eradication of a political mindset of per-
sonalities, pay-offs, and patronage—a culture
that is entrenched in our present political
structures and practices. Without conversion
of mindsets, the new political wine of Charter
change will remain in old political wine-skins,
and merely end up bursting the hope for a new
political culture.
On Federalism
The reported objective of Charter change is
to shift from a unitary to a parliamentary form
of government in various shapes that would
govern federal states. It is often claimed that
there is a necessity of devolving powers from
the central government to Federal States.
We ask the question: is it necessary to
change the Charter in order to devolve power?
Many constitutional and legal experts do not
seem to think so. What is truly needed for
a genuine devolution of power according to
them, is a full implementation of the Constitu-
tion, the creation of enabling laws, and some
revisions on the Local Government Code, and
a more decisive effecting of the Indigenous
Peoples’ Rights Act. Only these, they believe,
can ensure that self-determination and de-
centralization of powers, both political and
financial, are in fact realized.
PASTORAL CONCERNS B1
Moreover a major objection to a federal
system that devolves power to the Federal
States on an equal basis will not satisfactorily
address the aspirations of the Muslims and
Lumads in Mindanao for self-determination
and respect for ancestral rights.
Gift of the Spirit – Freedom to do Good
and not Evil
St. Paul speaks of freedom that is a gift of the
Holy Spirit. It is a freedom towards life and not
towards death, a freedom not to do evil but to
do good. Political authority is God-given and
is designed to defend, promote, and ensure
what is good.
When political power is exercised for this
task, it fulfills what God intends with this gift. 
There the Spirit of God operates and there the
freedom of God’s children flourishes. When
political authority fails to do what is good,
there the spirit of God is absent. We should
not then be surprised when properly formed
consciences declare in the manner of Peter and
the other apostles, “We must obey God rather
than men.” (Acts 5:9)
Conclusion:   Discern, Decide, and
Act with Mary our Mother
We call upon you, dear People of God, to
form or reactivate circles of discernment and
use your freedom as God’s children to discern,
participate, discuss, and debate. Have an in-
formed conscience and decide in the light of
Gospel values. Do what is necessary. Persuade
our legislators to do only what is genuinely for
the good of all on this issue of Charter change.
We entrust this urgent moral task that seri-
ously impacts the future of our nation to the
intercession of our Blessed Mother, the Virgin
Mary, Reyna ng Pilipinas.
 
For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines,
 
+ROMULO G. VALLES
Archbishop of Davao
President, CBCP
January 29, 2018
Mandaue City, Cebu
---------------
[1] Cf. for instance Pope Paul VI, Pope St. John Paul II, Pope
Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
[2] In 1997, 2003, 2006, and 2017.
[3]Cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church [CSDC],
# 109, 111, 132.
[4] CSDC #153
[5] Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] # 2468
[6] CSDC # 190-91
[7] CSDC # 193
[8] Pope John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, #38
[9] CSDC # 164, 168
[10] Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes # 26
[11] PCP II # 351
B2 UPDATES
What makes a Catholic school:
By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.
My attention has recently been
called by two friends—separately—
on what apparently is a scandalous
controversy raging in the diocese
of Bacolod. Before the Christmas
break, an old friend from my UP
years approached me regarding
the conflict between the Board
of Trustees of the SJI-Huaming
School in Bacolod and the Diocese.
With the Christmas break and
my teaching engagements in the
interim, I had temporarily shelved
this matter. But as soon as I got
back, my attention was called, this
time by a fellow canon lawyer,
regarding the position paper of the
President of the CEAP regarding the
aforementioned controversy. As a
judicial vicar, he had been asked by
the catholic school community in his
own diocese regarding that paper.
I would like to contribute towards
the resolution of this matter, since
obviously the only one benefiting
from the conflict is the devil, who
foments division in the Mystical
Body of Christ.
1. Catholic education
vs. Catholic educational
institutions
Education includes not only the
transmission of different fields
of learning, but also the effort to
inculcate the virtues that form part
of the fully developed human person.
Thus, for education to be considered
Catholic it must not only transmit
religious doctrine in accord with
the Magisterium of the Church, but
must also strive towards the integral
formation of the human person and
be oriented to his supernatural last
end (cf. c.795).
a. Catholic education.
Education can be called Catholic
based on its content and the
formation given, independently of
whether it is given by educational
institutions of the Church or by
the Catholic faithful of their own
initiative. It would be Catholic if it is
imbued by the Christian spirit with
which, on the other hand, all the
faithful should inform their actions.
Such Catholic education can be
(Father Edward McNamara,
professor of liturgy and dean of
theology at the Regina Apostolorum
university, answers the following
query:)
Q: The Sign of Peace is
positioned at the worst part of the
Eucharistic celebration. It should
be at the introduction part, prior
to the Eucharist, I believe. — G.W.,
Bahamas
A: It might be just a tad excessive
to say that the kiss of peace is placed
at the worst part of the celebration,
especially considering that it has
probably been in its current position
since Pope St. Gregory the Great
(590-604).
Perhaps our reader’s difficulties
stem from the fact that rite is
sometimes carried out in a confused
manner, which is not the mind of
the Church and is not how the rite
developed in history.
The kiss, or sign, of peace was
already part of Church practice
from the earliest times, perhaps
inspired by St. Paul’s invitation
to the Corinthians: “Greet one
another with a holy kiss” (1
Corinthians 16:20).
The rite is mentioned in ancient
sources such as the “Apostolic
Constitutions” and the sermons of
St. Augustine.
At first, the kiss of peace was
considered as an important, and
even obligatory, preparation for
those about to receive Communion
but was later extended to all. After the
year 1000 the kiss of peace gradually
became a far more formalized rite
and later the exclusive preserve of
the clergy, except for some special
occasions.
Thus, the sign of peace, as
described in the present missal,
roughly restores the rite to the form
it had in medieval times in which
WHAT MAKES A CATHOLIC SCHOOL (PART 1):
imparted in private—ecclesiastical
or otherwise—or public (state)
institutions.
Canon Law considers the
transmission of Catholic values
as an integral part of education.
Such transmission of values is
considered as primarily the work
of persons—i.e., parents, the
community, pastors, educators, etc.
But in the context of Canon Law, it
needs institutional expression and
support—e.g., parishes and religious
institutes, or Catholic educational
institutions.
b. Catholic educational
institutions. What makes an
educational institution Catholic?
This topic has been the object of
extensive discussion, but for the
purposes of this article, we shall
limit ourselves to two dimensions
of what the law considers to be the
Catholic identity:
1) Internal Dimension of
Catholic identity. The latest
juridic Church document on the
matter, Ex corde Ecclesiae,
lists four essential characteristics
for a university to be Catholic
(art.13). Mutatis mutandis,
we can assume the same
requirements for other Catholic
educational institutions:
i) Christian inspiration
not only of individuals but of the
university community as such;
ii) Continuing reflection in
the light of the Catholic faith
upon the growing treasury of human
knowledge, to which it seeks to
contribute by its own research;
iii) Fidelity to the
Magisterium—i.e., to the
Christian message as it comes to us
through the Church;
iv) Institutional commitment
to the service of the People of
God and of the human family in
their pilgrimage to the transcendent
goal which gives meaning to life.
In short, the identity of a Catholic
University—mutatus mutandis, of a
Catholic school--is essentially linked
to the quality of its teachers and to
respect for Catholic doctrine.
2) External Dimension of
Catholic Identity. This refers to the
institution’s public image as Catholic,
Kiss of Peace
everyone briefly gave the kiss of
peace to the person beside him. At
that time, the gesture of the kiss
was more a mark of respect than
of affection. Hence, the gesture
adopted today should be what local
custom considers as a gesture of
respect.
We should also consider the nature
of the peace that we are giving. The
rite is preceded by the monition,
“The peace of the Lord be with you
always.” This is both a signal for
the rite of peace and an indication
that the peace we exchange is not
merely a benevolent feeling for our
neighbor but the peace that comes to
us through Christ and the unity and
harmony that derives from sharing
the Eucharist.
After the synod on the Eucharist in
2005 there was some discussion and
widespread consultation regarding
the possibility of changing the
moment of the sign of peace. The
majority of experts recommended
keeping the traditional position
before communion.
Finally, on June 8, 2014, the
Congregation for Divine Worship
published a circular letter “Pacem
relinquo vobis,” on “The Ritual
Expression of the Gift of Peace at
Mass” (Prot. N. 414/14) with the
conclusions of the inquiry:
“1. ‘Peace I leave you; my peace
I give you.’ As they gathered in the
cenacle, these are the words with
which Jesus promises the gift of
peace to his disciples before going
to face his passion, in order to
implant in them the joyful certainty
of his steadfast presence. After his
resurrection, the Lord fulfills his
promise by appearing among them
in the place where they had gathered
for fear of the Jews saying, ‘Peace
be with you!’ Christ’s peace is the
fruit of the redemption that he
brought into the world by his death
and resurrection — the gift that the
St. John Institute – Hua Ming. PHOTO COURTESY OF SJI
and to its formal relationship with
the Catholic Church, particularly
to the Catholic hierarchy. Given a
Catholic educational content, an
educational institution can formally
(officially) use the name Catholic
only with the permission of the
competent Catholic authority (cf.
cc.216 & 803, §3), which is only
given when the Hierarchy—and the
Church—is in some way committed
in such institution. These can be of
two different types (cf. c.803, §1):
i ) Th o s e e s t a b l i s h e d a n d
directed by the Hierarchy or by a
public ecclesiastical juridic person.
ii) Those recognized as Catholic
by the competent authority through
a written document.
2. Catholic schools
By Catholic schools we understand
those educational institutions in the
first (elementary) and secondary
(high school) levels, which meet
Risen Lord continues to give even
today to his Church as she gathers
for the celebration of the Eucharist
in order to bear witness to this in
everyday life.
“2. In the Roman liturgical
tradition, the exchange of peace is
placed before Holy Communion
with its own specific theological
significance. Its point of reference
is found in the Eucharistic
contemplation of the Paschal
mystery as the ‘Paschal kiss’ of the
Risen Christ present on the altar as
in contradistinction to that done
by other liturgical traditions which
are inspired by the Gospel passage
from St. Matthew (cf. Mt 5:23). The
rites which prepare for Communion
constitute a well-expressed unity in
which each ritual element has its own
significance and which contributes
to the overall ritual sequence of
sacramental participation in the
mystery being celebrated. The
sign of peace, therefore, is placed
between the Lord’s Prayer, to
which is joined the embolism which
prepares for the gesture of peace,
and the breaking of the bread, in
the course of which the Lamb of
God is implored to give us his peace.
With this gesture, whose ‘function
is to manifest peace, communion
and charity,’ the Church ‘implores
peace and unity for herself and for
the whole human family, and the
faithful express to each other their
ecclesial communion and mutual
charity before communicating in
the Sacrament,’ that is, the Body of
Christ the Lord.
“3. In the Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis,
Pope Benedict XVI entrusted to
this Congregation the competence
of considering questions about
the exchange of peace, in order to
safeguard the sacred sense of the
Eucharistic celebration and the
sense of mystery at the moment
February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3
the requirements of Catholic
identity. Reserving a more thorough
discussion of this point for Part II of
this article (vid. infra), we can say at
this point that Catholic identity
has many aspects. It may refer to
the actual transmission of Catholic
values in and by a school, or to a
public perception that the school
is truly Catholic, or to an official
commitment of the school to the
Roman Catholic Church.
a. Rationale for Catholic
Schools
The establishment of Catholic
schools finds its rationalization in
the following principles:
1) Right-duty of parents to
educate their children: Primary
education is tied in with the
fundamental right-duty of parents
to educate their children in accord
with their own religious and moral
principles. The Code reflects several
of receiving Holy Communion:
‘By its nature the Eucharist is
the sacrament of peace. At Mass
this dimension of the Eucharistic
mystery finds specific expression in
the sign of peace. Certainly this sign
has great value (cf. Jn 14:27). In our
times, fraught with fear and conflict,
this gesture has become particularly
eloquent, as the Church has become
increasingly conscious of her
responsibility to pray insistently for
the gift of peace and unity for herself
and for the whole human family.
[…] We can thus understand the
emotion so often felt during the sign
of peace at a liturgical celebration.
Even so, during the Synod of
Bishops there was discussion about
the appropriateness of greater
restraint in this gesture, which can
be exaggerated and cause a certain
distraction in the assembly just
before the reception of Communion.
It should be kept in mind that
nothing is lost when the sign of
peace is marked by a sobriety which
preserves the proper spirit of the
celebration, as, for example, when
it is restricted to one’s immediate
neighbors.’
“4. Pope Benedict XVI, further
than shedding light on the true sense
of the rite and of the exchange of pace,
emphasized its great significance as
a contribution of Christians, with
their prayer and witness to allay
the most profound and disturbing
anxieties of contemporary humanity.
In light of all this he renewed his call
that this rite be protected and that
this liturgical gesture be done with
religious sensibility and sobriety.
“5. This Dicastery, at the request
of Pope Benedict XVI, had already
approached the Conferences of
Bishops in May of 2008 to seek
their opinion about whether to
maintain the exchange of peace
before Communion, where it is
presently found, or whether to move
CBCP Monitor
consequences of this right-duty:
a) Right-duty of parents to
foster Catholic education in
schools: The Christian faithful are
to strive so that in civil society the
laws which regulate the formation
of youth provide also for their
religious and moral education in
the schools themselves in accord
with the conscience of the parents
(c.799).
b) Right-duty of parents to
provide Catholic education
to their children: Parents are
to entrust their children to those
schools in which Catholic education
is provided; but if (the schools)
are unable to do this, they are
bound to provide for their suitable
Catholic education outside the
schools (c.798).
The Code even goes further,
typifying the opposite of this as
Catholic / B7
it to another place, with a view to
improving the understanding and
carrying out of this gesture. After
further reflection, it was considered
appropriate to retain the rite of
peace in its traditional place in the
Roman liturgy and not to introduce
structural changes in the Roman
Missal. Some practical guidelines
are offered below to better explain
the content of the exchange of
peace and to moderate excessive
expressions that give rise to disarray
in the liturgical assembly before
Communion.
“6. Consideration of this theme
is important. If the faithful through
their ritual gestures do not appreciate
and do not show themselves to be
living the authentic meaning of the
rite of peace, the Christian concept of
peace is weakened and their fruitful
participation at the Eucharist is
impaired. Therefore, along with the
previous reflections that could form
the basis for a suitable catechesis by
providing some guidelines, some
practical suggestions are offered to
the Conferences of Bishops for their
prudent consideration:
“a) It should be made clear once
and for all that the rite of peace
already has its own profound
meaning of prayer and offering of
peace in the context of the Eucharist.
An exchange of peace appropriately
carried out among the participants at
Mass enriches the meaning of the rite
itself and gives fuller expression to
it. It is entirely correct, therefore, to
say that this does not involve inviting
the faithful to exchange the sign of
peace ‘mechanically.’ If it is foreseen
that it will not take place properly
due to specific circumstances or if it
is not considered pedagogically wise
to carry it out on certain occasions,
it can be omitted, and sometimes
ought to be omitted. It is worth
recalling that the rubric from the
Kiss / B7
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons B3

Filipino priests encouraged to study in Rome

CEBU City— A top Vatican official
exhorted Filipino bishops to send
more priests to Rome for further
studies.
Cardinal Beniamano Stella,
Prefect of the Congregation for
the Clergy, said that studying in
universities in Rome may allow
priests to discover wider horizons
for their work of evangelization.
He particularly encouraged the
priests “to undertake, in a unique
way, ongoing human, spiritual,
intellectual and pastoral formation”.
“This is in line with the desire of
the Ratio Fundamentalis: to better
prepare our seminary formators,
as they interact with brother
priests from different regions of the
Philippines,” Stella said.
The cardinal made the suggestion
in a message to the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines on the
occasion of its plenary assembly in
Dumaguete City.
His letter was read by Mexican
Archbishop Jorge Patron Wong,
secretary of seminaries at the
Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy.
The plenary assembly was preceded
by the National Conference for the
Promotion of the New Ratio where
Wong served as its keynote speaker.
Stella said it would also be “most
advantageous” if priests would
attend the “Course on the Practice
of Priestly Formation” that is held
at their dicastery.
“This course will help them, first
of all, to deepen their own vocation,”
Mexican Archbishop Jorge Patron Wong, secretary of seminaries at the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy, speaks during the CBCP’s plenary assembly in
Dumaguete City, Jan. 27, 2018. ROY LAGARDE
he said.
“They will also acquire better
formational skills and educational
methods to help the youth discern
their vocation, guide seminarians,
and accompany their fellow priests,”
he added.
The CBCP has a center in Rome
where priests and seminarians can
finish their studies.
To date, there are about 27
Filipino priests residing at the
Pontificio Collegio Filipino (PCF)
and are studying in the different
ecclesiastical centers in Rome.
But of the 86 Philippine dioceses,
PCF rector Fr. Greg Gaston said
that only 20 have student-priests
in Rome.
These include three from Bacolod,
two each from Caceres, Capiz,
Cebu, Lipa and Manila, and one
each from Bayombong, Calbayog,
Cotabato, Davao, Gumaca, Jaro,
Laoag, Lingayen-Dagupan, Lucena,
Marbel, Palo, San Fernando in
Pampanga, Tagum and Virac.
“It is hoped that more dioceses
could send at least one priest for
further studies at least every five
years to man their seminaries,
tribunals and other specialized
ministries,” Gaston said.
He also said that the Collegio
tries its best to help dioceses send
priest to Rome in terms of finding
scholarships, encouraging local
funding counterpart and urging
benefactors to help priests from their
dioceses of origin. (Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)

Papal nuncio urges greater attention

to seminary formation
CEBU City— Papal Nuncio
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia has
said the Church must pay greater
attention to the new generation
of seminarians in their formation
programs.
Speaking before the bishops
gathered for their plenary assembly
in Cebu City on Jan. 27, he
encouraged for continued efforts to
provide minor and major seminaries
with the “best formators”.
“All our efforts in the formation
in faith will ensure good results not
only for the seminarians themselves
but for the Church at large, wherever
discernments of their vocation will
lead them,” Caccia said.
This is the first time that the
new Vatican envoy, who only
assumed his post last November,
attended the biannual meeting of
the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines.
The plenary assembly was preceded
with the National Conference on the
Promotion of the New Ratio attended
by the nuncio and hundreds of
bishops and seminary formators
from across the country.
The four-day conference was
also graced by Mexican Archbishop
Jorge Patron Wong who came all
the way from Rome as secretary
for seminaries at the Vatican’s
Congregation for Clergy.
The gathering was among the
activities as the local Church marks
the ongoing Year of the Clergy and Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia is flanked by CBCP President Archbishop Romulo Valles and Vice President Bishop Pablo Virgilio David as he delivers his message for the 116th bishops’ plenary assembly
Consecrated Persons (YCCP). in Dumaguete City, Jan. 27, 2018. ROY LAGARDE
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza,
chairman of the CBCP’s Commission implications on their approaches to aid the CBCP agency in the task of the YCCP also concerns the bishops good to stress the necessity of the
on Seminaries, said the event was formation. coming up with an updated “Ratio as its “it presents us an occasion for ongoing formation and renewal for
to familiarize formators with the According to him, it also helped Nationalis”. the renewal of our life and ministry”. all priests, including bishops,” he
content of the new Ratio and its in generating more ideas that will Archbishop Caccia also said that “In this year of the clergy, it is said. (CBCPNews)

Relics of Saints of Vocations to go on a free tour

AS the celebrations for the Year of
the Clergy and Consecrated Per-
sons continue, a Marikina-based
reliquarium organized a tour of the
relics of three saints for vocations
and is accepting tour-venue registra-
tions for free.
The Blessed Ivan Merz Center
and Reliquarium has allowed three
of their relics to be exposed and
exhibited on registering parishes,
institutions, offices and even homes
in hopes to “enrich and sanctify
the celebration of communities”
through their presence.
The three relics are as follows:
• A bone of St. John Mary Vian-
ney, Patron of Priests.
• The gauze with blood from the
stigmata of St. Pio of Pietrel-
cina, Patron of civil defense
volunteers and known for
piety and charity
• A stone from the site of the
apparition of Our Lady of
Lourdes.
This event, according to tour coor-
dinator and reliquarium administra-
tor Jorge Kevin Ison, will not only be
an avenue for promoting the above-
mentioned saints but also of the
life-vocations of the Filipino people.
Ison also wrote that the veneration
of the relics of these saints and devo-
tions would be a great opportunity
for “deepening one’s discernment
of vocation.”
“Relics mean remains. Relics are
sacred because it belongs to and
came from Holy People. Relics are
holy because God uses these remains
as his instrument – a channel – of
blessings, healing, and miracles,
“As we venerate the Relics, we
are being reminded that we are
called to be Saints, because Saints
are ordinary people like us who did
ordinary things extraordinarily with
love,” he wrote.
Interested parties may contact the
reliquarium through office hotlines
(02) 621-2230 and 09561253804
or may connect directly to Tour Co-
ordinator Kevin Ison at 0915-636-
1533 for schedule and/or inquiries.
(Niceforo Balbedina)
B4 FEATURES
“Because of the increase of iniquity, the love
of many will grow cold” (Mt 24:12)
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR LENT 2018
DEAR Brothers and Sisters,
Once again, the Pasch of the Lord draws
near! In our preparation for Easter, God in
his providence offers us each year the season
of Lent as a “sacramental sign of our conver-
sion”.[1] Lent summons us, and enables us, to
come back to the Lord wholeheartedly and in
every aspect of our life.
With this message, I would like again this
year to help the entire Church experience this
time of grace anew, with joy and in truth. I will
take my cue from the words of Jesus in the
Gospel of Matthew: “Because of the increase
of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold”
(24:12).
These words appear in Christ’s preaching
about the end of time. They were spoken in
Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, where
the Lord’s passion would begin. In reply to
a question of the disciples, Jesus foretells a
great tribulation and describes a situation in
which the community of believers might well
find itself: amid great trials, false prophets
would lead people astray and the love that is
the core of the Gospel would grow cold in the
hearts of many.
False prophets
Let us listen to the Gospel passage and try
to understand the guise such false prophets
can assume.
They can appear as “snake charmers”, who
manipulate human emotions in order to en-
slave others and lead them where they would
have them go. How many of God’s children are
mesmerized by momentary pleasures, mistak-
ing them for true happiness! How many men
and women live entranced by the dream of
wealth, which only makes them slaves to profit
and petty interests! How many go through life
believing that they are sufficient unto them-
selves, and end up entrapped by loneliness!
False prophets can also be “charlatans”,
who offer easy and immediate solutions to
suffering that soon prove utterly useless.
How many young people are taken in by the
panacea of drugs, of disposable relationships,
of easy but dishonest gains! How many more
are ensnared in a thoroughly “virtual” exis-
tence, in which relationships appear quick and
straightforward, only to prove meaningless!
These swindlers, in peddling things that have
no real value, rob people of all that is most
precious: dignity, freedom and the ability to
love. They appeal to our vanity, our trust in
appearances, but in the end they only make
fools of us. Nor should we be surprised. In
order to confound the human heart, the devil,
who is “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44),
has always presented evil as good, falsehood as
truth. That is why each of us is called to peer
into our heart to see if we are falling prey to
the lies of these false prophets. We must learn
to look closely, beneath the surface, and to
recognize what leaves a good and lasting mark
on our hearts, because it comes from God and
is truly for our benefit.
A cold heart
In his description of hell, Dante Aligh-
ieri pictures the devil seated on a throne of
ice,[2] in frozen and loveless isolation. We
might well ask ourselves how it happens that
charity can turn cold within us. What are the
signs that indicate that our love is beginning
Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, RIP
A Tribute
By Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo, OMI
TODAY the 6th of February 2018 we
celebrate what would have been the 87th
birthday of the late and much beloved
Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. He was truly a
saintly prelate.
Media people have asked me about
his legacy. His legacy to the Church in
the Philippines is his personality and
character. Not anything that he has achieved,
though his achievements have indeed been
considerable—for the Church in Cebu and
for the Church in the Philippines.
He is someone whom I have quietly
admired as a model bishop.
He was the President of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) during the critical events that led to
the 1986 People Revolution. Courageously
he defended the position of the Bishops of
the Philippines. He was the acknowledged
leader. But he let others speak. And when
he spoke it was with calmness and kindness.
This was the language of his heart. He was
very humble. He preferred to stay away
from the limelight. For this reason his
contribution to the moral and political life
of the nation is much less known.
In defense of the truth he was courageous.
Pope Francis is pictured during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Jan. 31, 2018. PAUL HARING/CNS
to cool?
More than anything else, what destroys
charity is greed for money, “the root of all
evil” (1 Tim 6:10). The rejection of God and
his peace soon follows; we prefer our own
desolation rather than the comfort found in
his word and the sacraments.[3] All this leads
to violence against anyone we think is a threat
to our own “certainties”: the unborn child,
the elderly and infirm, the migrant, the alien
among us, or our neighbor who does not live
up to our expectations.
Creation itself becomes a silent witness to
this cooling of charity. The earth is poisoned
by refuse, discarded out of carelessness or for
self-interest. The seas, themselves polluted,
engulf the remains of countless shipwrecked
victims of forced migration. The heavens,
which in God’s plan, were created to sing his
praises, are rent by engines raining down
implements of death.
Love can also grow cold in our own commu-
nities. In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium, I sought to describe the most evi-
dent signs of this lack of love: selfishness and
spiritual sloth, sterile pessimism, the temp-
tation to self-absorption, constant warring
among ourselves, and the worldly mentality
that makes us concerned only for appearances,
and thus lessens our missionary zeal.[4]
What are we to do?
Perhaps we see, deep within ourselves and
all about us, the signs I have just described.
But the Church, our Mother and Teacher,
along with the often bitter medicine of the
truth, offers us in the Lenten season the sooth-
In compassion for those who were considered
in grave error, he was generous. Such was
the case of former Presidents Marcos
and Estrada. He went out of his way to
approach them even when such approach
was interpreted by many as misguided
rapprochement.
This was simply the summons of his kind
and compassionate heart.
It was Cardinal Vidal who introduced me a
young bishop to the work of the Federation
of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. I remember
a meeting of the FABC planning committee
in Singapore in the first half of the 1980’s.
As moderator of the meeting he requested
me to synthesize the long discussion in
order to find out what direction the planning
committee should take. It was a request
out of the blue. I had taken any notes. I
had simply listened to older Asian Bishops.
But the wish of Cardinal Vidal was for me
a command. So I tried my best to do the
synthesis with circles, triangles and arrows
on the board. Cardinal Vidal was one who
inspired, encouraged and evoked instant
confidence in younger people
To me he was not only an elder brother, he
was a very kind father. Knowing that I forgot
February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3
ing remedy of prayer, almsgiving and fasting.
By devoting more time to prayer, we en-
able our hearts to root out our secret lies and
forms of self-deception,[5]  and then to find
the consolation God offers. He is our Father
and he wants us to live life well.
Almsgiving sets us free from greed and
helps us to regard our neighbour as a brother
or sister. What I possess is never mine alone.
How I would like almsgiving to become a
genuine style of life for each of us! How I
would like us, as Christians, to follow the ex-
ample of the Apostles and see in the sharing
of our possessions a tangible witness of the
communion that is ours in the Church! For
this reason, I echo Saint Paul’s exhortation to
the Corinthians to take up a collection for the
community of Jerusalem as something from
which they themselves would benefit (cf.  2
Cor 8:10). This is all the more fitting during
the Lenten season, when many groups take
up collections to assist Churches and peoples
in need. Yet I would also hope that, even in
our daily encounters with those who beg for
our assistance, we would see such requests
as coming from God himself. When we give
alms, we share in God’s providential care for
each of his children. If through me God helps
someone today, will he not tomorrow provide
for my own needs? For no one is more gener-
ous than God.[6]
Fasting weakens our tendency to violence; it
disarms us and becomes an important oppor-
tunity for growth. On the one hand, it allows
us to experience what the destitute and the
starving have to endure. On the other hand, it
expresses our own spiritual hunger and thirst
Catholic bishops pray in front Cardinal Ricardo Vidal’s tomb at the mausoleum of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Jan. 27, 2018.
ROY LAGARDE
to bring a black cassock to Rome, he lent me
one of his cassocks and then afterwards gave
it to me. I shall treasure that cassock all the
rest of my life. A holy man he had generously
given me a possible relic. He was a model of
generosity.
Cardinal Vidal was a mentor by his deeds, a
mentor for me on how to wear the mantle of
high responsibility and honor with simplicity
and humility. A Prince of the Church, he wore
that mantle of honor lightly on his shoulders.
If ever I would have an “idol” in the sense
CBCP Monitor
for life in God. Fasting wakes us up. It makes
us more attentive to God and our neighbour.
It revives our desire to obey God, who alone
is capable of satisfying our hunger.
I would also like my invitation to extend
beyond the bounds of the Catholic Church,
and to reach all of you, men and women of
good will, who are open to hearing God’s voice.
Perhaps, like ourselves, you are disturbed by
the spread of iniquity in the world, you are
concerned about the chill that paralyzes hearts
and actions, and you see a weakening in our
sense of being members of the one human
family. Join us, then, in raising our plea to
God, in fasting, and in offering whatever you
can to our brothers and sisters in need!
The fire of Easter
Above all, I urge the members of the Church
to take up the Lenten journey with enthusiasm,
sustained by almsgiving, fasting and prayer.
If, at times, the flame of charity seems to die
in our own hearts, know that this is never the
case in the heart of God! He constantly gives
us a chance to begin loving anew.
One such moment of grace will be, again this
year, the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative,
which invites the entire Church community to
celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation in
the context of Eucharistic adoration. In 2018,
inspired by the words of Psalm 130:4, “With
you is forgiveness”, this will take place from
Friday, 9 March to Saturday, 10 March. In
each diocese, at least one church will remain
open for twenty-four consecutive hours, of-
fering an opportunity for both Eucharistic
adoration and sacramental confession.
During the Easter Vigil, we will celebrate
once more the moving rite of the lighting of
the Easter candle. Drawn from the “new fire”,
this light will slowly overcome the darkness
and illuminate the liturgical assembly. “May
the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the
darkness of our hearts and minds”,[7] and
enable all of us to relive the experience of the
disciples on the way to Emmaus. By listening
to God’s word and drawing nourishment from
the table of the Eucharist, may our hearts be
ever more ardent in faith, hope and love.
With affection and the promise of my
prayers for all of you, I send you my blessing.
Please do not forget to pray for me.
From the Vatican, 1 November 2017
Solemnity of All Saints
Francis
[1] Roman Missal, Collect for the First Sunday
of Lent (Italian).
[2] Inferno XXXIV, 28-29.
[3]“It is curious, but many times we are afraid
of consolation, of being comforted. Or rather,
we feel more secure in sorrow and desola-
tion. Do you know why? Because in sorrow
we feel almost as protagonists. However, in
consolation the Holy Spirit is the protagonist!”
(Angelus, 7 December 2014).
[4] Evangelii Gaudium, 76-109.
[5]Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Spe
Salvi, 33.
[6]Cf. PIUS XII, Encyclical Letter Fidei Do-
num, III.
[7] Roman Missal (Third Edition), Easter
Vigil, Lucernarium.
that the word is used today, it would be no
other than Cardinal Vidal.
It is a blessing that I was not asked to
give a message at his funeral in Cebu City.
I would surely have broken down in tears.
I do not have a third eye that is able to
see spirits. A few have that gift from God.
If some can see Cardinal Vidal here today,
let me greet him, “Happy 87th birthday,
our beloved Cardinal Carding! May the
Lord gaze and smile at you most graciously
in heaven!”
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 STATEMENTS B5

Message of Archbishop Romulo G. Valles at the Opening

of the CBCP 116th Plenary Assembly in Cebu City
CBCP President and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles speaks at the opening of the 116th CBCP Plenary
Assembly in Cebu City, Jan. 27, 2019. ROY LAGARDE
WELCOME to our CBCP 116th Ple-
nary Assembly!
I also asked permission from the
good Archbishop of Cebu, Archbish-
op Jose Palma, to say this: Maayong
Pag-abot dinhi sa Archdiocese sa
Sugbu! Viva Señor Sto. Niño, Pit
Senyor!
And since we are still in the first
days of the first month of this year,
let me say to all of you, Happy New
Year!
This is my first time to address
you in this way; never in my life did
I ever think that I would address
you in this way!! Thank you for your
vote of confidence … And as I was
thinking of what to say to you this
afternoon, my thoughts brought me
to the recent past of our life together
as the Catholic Bishops here in the
Philippines, and while my thoughts
were on the past, I could not help
but mention to all of us this after-
noon my sense, and I don’t doubt
our sense, of gratitude for and rec-
ognition of the wonderful work of
Archbishop Socrates Villegas, our
immediate past President. And so,
let me say again to you, Archbishop
Soc, our sincere thank you.
And while looking at the recent
past, it was a year of both joys and
sorrows, of smiles and tears. Last
year, in this context of looking at the
past, I can mention our sad realiza-
tion of the gravity and seriousness
of the widespread use and menace of
illegal drugs in the country, and our
deep sadness and very serious con-
cern over the many deaths related
to the anti-illegal drug campaign of
our government, and other deaths
related to the drug problem. Then,
who can forget the painful and
tragic war in the City of Marawi? A
war that escalated us to an interna-
tional issue with ISIS. And recently,
up to the end of last year, we had
typhoons Urduja, Vinta, and Aga-
ton that brought the loss of many
lives, and destruction of homes and
properties. More than a hundred
families celebrated their Christmas
attending to their dead, and with the
loss of their homes, they celebrated
Christmas in evacuation centers.
Now we have the eruption of the
Mayon Volcano with reported initial
evacuation of about 40,000 people.
January 27, 2018
And so much sadness was upon us
when we lost Bishop Rodolfo Beltran
of the Diocese of San Fernando La
Union, and Bishop Leopoldo Tumu-
lak of the Military Ordinariate. With
so much grief, we bade farewell to
Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu, a
very noteworthy priest, bishop and
cardinal of the church here in the
Philippines. We mourned the pass-
ing away of Bishop Juan de Dios
Pueblos of Butuan, the death of
Bishop Christian Noel of the Diocese
of Talibon, and the death of Bishop
Elenito Galido of Iligan.
But joy was in our hearts when,
in January of last year, two bishops
were ordained and installed in their
respective dioceses: Bishop Alberto
Uy as Bishop of Tagbilaran, and
Bishop Victor Bendico as Bishop
of Baguio. In February, Bishop
Socrates Mesiona was ordained and
installed as Bishop of Puerto Princ-
esa. And Archbishop Gilbert Garcera
was installed as Archbishop of Lipa
in April. In July, Bishop Danilo Ulep
was ordained, and in August he was
installed as Bishop of Batanes; and
in November of last year, Bishop Mel
Rey Uy was ordained and installed
as Bishop of Lucena, and just recent-
ly, in January of this year, Bishop
Rex Ramirez was ordained Bishop in
Palo and a few days later installed as
Bishop of the Diocese of Naval. And
in November of last year, we joyfully
welcomed Archbishop Gabriele Cac-
cia, our new Apostolic Nuncio. And
on this, a trivia: I believe that Arch-
bishop Caccia is already familiar
with the Philippines. Because he is
a classmate of our own Archbishop
Barney Auza, the Holy See’s Perma-
nent Observer in the UN!
And also many acts of witness of
faith in the lives of our lay faithful
bring inspiration and profound joy
to our hearts as bishops in the midst
of pain and sorrow. Allow me to
share with you a very particular and
local experience of mine in Davao, a
story of generous self-giving in the
midst of our people’s pain and sor-
row, and hopefully such a story will
let you see similar ones in your life.
In the terrible fire in one of the shop-
ping malls of Davao City during the
8th day of the Misa de Gallo, 38 lives
were lost, and 37 of these were all
employees of a Call Center located in
the building of that mall. The 38th
fire victim was an employee of the
mall who went back many times into
the fire to rescue people, and he was
able to rescue about 80 people until
his last attempt into the burning
building to rescue more people when
he himself was swallowed up by the
fire. Or the story of Bp. Edwin dela
Peña, where in the terrible situation
in Marawi, Muslims and Christians
worked together to serve all people
in evacuation centers. These are
stories that truly make our hearts
hopeful and “joyful.”
And in the days ahead, we, as
bishops, will take a major part in the
preparations for the jubilee of the
500th centenary of the beginnings
of Christianity in the Philippines;
and as part of our nine-year prepa-
ration for this jubilee, this year is
proclaimed as the Year of the Clergy
and Consecrated Persons. This year
also, I believe, is a great opportunity
for us bishops to deepen our sense
of appreciation and gratitude for
the priests and religious in our local
Churches, they are truly gifts to us.
A few of them have brought to the
Church pain and shame; but many
of them, countless of them, are re-
ally our source of joy, pride, and
inspiration.
Also, the recent Seminar on the
Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis
Sacerdotalis has pointed out to us
the big and important task before
us: the crafting of a new Ratio Na-
tionalis.
And in our national socio-political
situation, we have this big issue of
the proposed change of our Con-
stitution; and mainly related to it
is the move to change our form of
government to a Federal one.
But I cannot help myself but men-
tion this—the great opportunity for
our local Churches—that those deep
in addiction of illegal drugs can
come to us, the Church, as a mother
that welcomes them home, to their
home, with open arms (see E.G. nos.
46-49). From my experience, they
are most comfortable and confident
to accept and bring themselves to be
helped through the initiative and
work and programs of the Church.
It is an opportunity for us once again
to proclaim that each and every life
is sacred. Each and every life is to be
loved and treasured. We do not want
anybody to be killed.
Another thing I want to mention
is that the long series of natural
calamities, which a good number
of times were made worse by man-
made mistakes, were occasions
when our local Churches’ Social
Action Ministry and our Caritas of-
fices made wonderful witness in the
work of bringing help and comfort
to those who suffered in these situ-
ations. I propose that as individual
bishops in our respective dioceses,
we take a second look at how to
further strengthen the capability
of our Social Action Centers and
Caritas offices as they participate,
not only in bringing aid to victims of
calamities, but also in strengthening
our communities in their disaster-
preparedness capabilities and in
their awareness of tangible acts of
mercy as rooted in the Gospel.
It is in such a complex situa-
tion, with my very poor attempt
to describe it, that we situate our
ministry. And with this, I remember
what Pope Francis, in his Apostolic
Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium,
said: “I dream of a ‘missionary op-
tion,’ that is, a missionary impulse
capable of transforming everything,
so that the Church’s customs, ways
of doing things, times and schedule,
language and structures can be suit-
ably channeled for the evangeliza-
tion of today’s world rather than
for her self-preservation” (E.G. no.
27). And Pope Francis continues,
“The bishop must always foster this
missionary communion in his di-
ocesan Church, following the ideal
of the first Christian communities,
in which the believers were of one
heart and one soul (cf. Acts 4:32).
To do so, he will sometimes go
before his people, pointing the way
and keeping their hope vibrant. At
other times, he will simply be in
their midst with his unassuming
and merciful presence. At yet other
times, he will have to walk after
them, helping those who lag behind
and—above all—allowing the flock
to strike out on new paths” (E.G.
no. 31). Let us keep hope vibrant, be
truly unassuming and merciful and
open to new paths!
Needless to say, we go forth with
our people facing these challenges
ahead but always ever mindful of
the “grace of office” that the good
Lord will certainly shower us. While
we are challenged by Pope Francis
telling us that: “Pastoral ministry in
a missionary key seeks to abandon
the complacent attitude that says:
‘We have always done it this way.’ I
invite everyone to be bold and cre-
ative in this task of rethinking the
goals, structures, style and methods
of evangelization in their respective
communities” (E.G. no. 33). Let me
end with this simple and profound
reminder of Pope Francis in Evan-
gelii Gaudium: “The important thing
is to not walk alone, but to rely on
each other as brothers and sisters,
and especially under the leadership
of the bishops, in a wise and realistic
pastoral discernment” (E.G. no. 33).

Message on the Feast of the Completely implement

Presentation of the Lord, World Day
for Consecrated Life / Religious Life
Nuns from different religious congregations line up to take communion during Mass presided over by
Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia to celebrate the World Day of Consecrated Life at the Manila
Cathedral on Tuesday, February 2, 2018. ROY LAGARDE
DEAR Brothers and Sisters in
Consecrated Life,
I take joy in greeting all of you
Consecrated Persons here in the
Philippines, during our Year of the
Clergy and Consecrated Persons, on
the Feast of the Presentation of the
Lord, which is the World Day for
Consecrated Life established by St.
John Paul II in 1997. This year, this
day takes on a special meaning for
the Church here in the Philippines.
This is a year for the renewal of the
clergy and consecrated persons—as
renewed servant leaders for the
new evangelization. Let us not lose
sight of the fact that this year is in
preparation for 2021, the 500th
anniversary of Christianity in the
Philippines. We envision a renewed
and evangelizing Church.
I urge you particularly to be
renewed during this year, for your
sake, and not just for your own
sake, but for the sake of our Church
where you offer a shining example of
a life dedicated to following Christ
more closely by the vows of poverty,
not Charter Change
chastity and obedience. Becoming
missionary disciples of Christ by
following him is a unique way to
help us all to follow him, too. Renew
your values, mind-sets, behavior and
life-styles by following the example
of Christ, the Good Shepherd. Truly
become servant-leaders who care
most especially for the least, the lost
and the last.
Your consecrated life is for the
good of the whole Body of Christ. As
Pope Francis has said: “Consecrated
life is a gift to the Church, it is born of
the Church, it grows in the Church,
and it is entirely directed to the
Church.”
May this day for Consecrated
Persons lead us all to praise the Lord
and to thank him for the great gift
of consecrated life, which enriches
the Christian community. May it
promote knowledge of and esteem
for the consecrated life by the entire
People of God. May we be aware of
the work you do and the witness that
you give. May your joy in following
Christ fill the whole Church.
+ ROMULO G. VALLES, D.D.
Archbishop of Davao
President, Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines
February 2, 2018
the Constitution,
THE Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas perceives the current
proposal for Charter Change as a threat to our democratic
system and our aspirations as a free and progressive nation.
The present Constitution has been said to be the best in the
world with its provisions for social justice, human rights, local
autonomy, and it being pro-God, pro-people, pro-environment,
among others. Therefore, we have always been vigilant that any
Charter Change should not compromise our sovereignty and our
national patrimony.
In the past, attempts to change the Constitution have been
rejected by popular sentiment because it was very obvious, that
the object of the exercise is to extend the terms of those occupying
the highest position in government.
Today, the manner by which Charter Change is presented
to the Filipino people by the Administration, especially the
House of Representatives is with undue haste and without
much consultation and dialogue. It does not seem to answer the
important questions of:
1. Is there a real need to change the present constitution to
achieve the objectives as outlined by its proponents?
2. Is the Constituent Assembly with both Houses of Congress
the best way to have Charter Change, instead of a Constitutional
Convention wherein elected by our people which is more
representative and non-partisan?
We are disturbed that this exercise is being viewed by many as
something that we cannot freely argue about anymore, because
doing so will put the lives and well-being of those resisting this
initiative, at risk.
As lay Catholics, we are disturbed by the aggressive stance of
this administration to change a constitution that has not been
thoroughly understood and studied by 73% of the population,
according to a Pulse Asia survey.
We are disturbed that instead of implementing the excellent
provisions of the current Constitution, majority of our legislators
appear to be in a hurry to supercede these, with an agenda that
Completely / B7
B6 REFLECTIONS February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 CBCP Monitor

Can we create a society that accepts Jesus, the leprosy buster

everyone, including social outcasts? 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B (Mark 1:40-45)
February 11, 2018
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B (Mark 1:40-45)
February 11, 2018 By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
AS the first reading and the Gospel
today indicate, the leper had an ap-
pearance that easily distinguished
him from others, and gave him a
bad identity: his garment was rent,
his head bare, and his beard muffled
(Lev 13:45a). He was ostracized,
and unable to talk with others
who were unlike him. He had to
shout from a distance, “Unclean,
unclean!” (Lev 13:45b), as a warn-
men be saved from all forms of evil
(cf 2 Pet 3:9). It is not his desire
that anyone be lost; rather, it is
his plan that all form part of the
community of the saved, where
there is acceptance, togetherness,
wholeness and happiness. Which is
why Jesus was angry at the misery
(pain, loneliness, ostracism [Mark
1:42]) which accompanied the
disease, and took pity on the leper.
AIDS is the terror of so many people
these days. Those affected by it are
often avoided and condemned to
isolation. This rejection by society
makes the suffering of the AIDS
victims even bitter. And one can only
wish that such a terrible illness never
existed . . .
In the time of Jesus, leprosy was
one of the most dreaded misfor-
tunes that could befall a person; it
was the AIDS of those days! While
other types of patients were pitied
and attended to, lepers were avoided
by their own relatives. They were
forbidden to approach a healthy
person. If they ever tried to do so,
they were chased away with stones
. . . They had to live in caves and
ravines, away from ordinary hu-
man settlements, cut off from any
form of social life. (See today’s First
Reading.)
Leprosy meant hell already in this
life. A person in an advanced state of
leprosy was a terrible sight. People
turned away their sight from them
in horror.
Jesus did not follow the prevail-
ing attitude toward lepers. He
wanted everyone to have life, and
many ways, they are the alienated,
life to the full. (See Jn 10:10). He had
the unwanted in our contemporary
come in a special manner for the sick
world. We normally discriminate
and the outcast, and he remained
against, if not exclude, them from
faithful to his mission. Even when
the respectable society. We erect
the most outcast of all – the lepers
various walls to keep them out, in
– approached him, he did not back
much the same way that the Jews
off in horror. Not only did he wel-
put barriers between those within
come them, but even “stretched out
and those outside the respectable
his hand and touched them.” (See
Jewish society.
today’s Gospel.) The merciful love
But if the Gospel (Mark 1:40-45)
that Jesus felt for the man featured
in today’s Gospel was stronger
than the horror which the purulent
limbs most likely aroused in him
as a man. Jesus’ power, pity, and
love had their day. Thanks to them,
a man was cured. A man was saved.
And he and all the others gave praise
to God.
Leprosy is no longer so wide-
spread and dreaded in our time.
Modern medicine has done a lot to
curb and cure it. But another type
of leprosy—the spiritual leprosy
called sin—is still with us. It affects
not only a few but all humans. It
affects all of us. Its effects in us are
even more destructive than leprosy
or AIDS.
Surprisingly—and sadly so—many
seem unaware of its devastating
effects. Others simply deny the
existence of sin or call it by other
“sanitized” names. Pope Pius XII
lamented that one of the tragedies of
our times was the loss of the “sense
of sin.” But ignoring or denying it
does not prevent its spread or its
destructive effects. If anything, it
makes things worse . . . . Such is the
“strategy” of the devil!
Who will save us from such a
plague? No progress in science or
technology can offer the cure. Only
Jesus can. We, the spiritual lepers of
our time, have only one hope: JESUS.
The only cure is his merciful LOVE
and his GRACE. Our humble prayer
is the one of today’s Gospel: “Lord if
you will to do so, you can cure me!”
(Mk 1:40).

Called to live a life

ing for people not to approach him. He healed him of his leprosy. The has any lesson, it is that we are in-
Wretched and ritually unclean as consequence was of course more vited to accept such people to the
he was (Lev 13:46a), he could not than just the restoration of the sick Christian community where no one
participate in religious activities. man’s health. Even more important is excluded on the basis of money,

He lived as an expellee from the
normal community (Lev 13:46b;
Num 5:2). Of course, all these
stipulations served to protect the
community, and considering that
medicine was primitive, they were
justifiable. Still, these could not
hide the pain which the victims of
Hansen’s disease felt. Indeed, they
suffered not only physically, even
as their bodies rotted away. Even
more painful for them was their
being unwanted, their loneliness,
since, social outcasts as they were,
people avoided them. It is not an
exaggeration to say that many of
them would have felt themselves
worthless.
However, the experience of such
pain and suffering is contrary to
God’s will. Far from wanting that
they live in misery, he wills that
to Mark was the fact that he was
socially and religiously made whole
again. He returned to his family,
to his circle of friends, and was re-
stored to the normal religious com-
munity. People could now associate
with him, and he could participate
of the sacrifice in the Temple .
Of course, today, we have few lep-
ers, but we have a number of modern
counterparts whom our unkind soci-
ety normally rejects. We can think
of moral lepers: prostitutes, guest
relation officers, calls girls and crim-
inals. We also have physical lepers:
HIV and AIDS victims, tuberculars,
neurotics and psychotics. And to
some extent, we have social lep-
ers: dockworkers, squatter settlers,
barkers, hold-uppers and small-time
thieves (big-one ones, ironically, are
often honored in high places). In
of discipleship
morality, and gender: “There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave or free person, there is
not male and female; for you are all
one in Christ Jesus”(Gal 3:27), for
our vocation is to be one: “to pre- Ash Wednesday Year B (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18)
serve the unity of the spirit through February 14, 2018
the bond of peace: one body, one
Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
baptism; one God and Father of
all…” (Eph 4:3-6). So as Christians,
we have to make every effort that
all people, no matter the kind of
leprosy they have, should have a
place in our Christian community,
where humanity, justice and dignity
are restored, and where they will
be accepted, and treated as fellow
Christians. We have to make every
effort to support them, and uplift
them from misery through our love
and concern for them.

Jesus as the righteous one who undid the fall of Adam

1st Sunday of Lent B (Mark 1:12-15)
February 18, 2018
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD

THAT the forces of wickedness
seem to prevail is an impression
we get from observation of what is
happening in our midst. Corruption,
for example, is endemic in our
country. Not a single branch of the
government is free of it, not even the
uppermost rung. But the problem
of corruption in the country is
not simply that it has seeped into
the psyche of many people in the
government; the bigger problem is
that it has become institutionalized.
This institutionalization of
corruption, from the point of view
of faith, shows how the power of
sin works. Whereas the sin of the
fall affected Adam, it continues
to affect not only individuals but
also institutions. Indeed, sin has
become institutionalized that even
if a new comer in a government
office begins with good intention
and good behavior, he ultimately
becomes like the rest—a basket of
bad eggs. Because of the power of
sin, every day there is a reenactment
of the experience of Adam—we
succumb to temptations. The effect
of this seeming triumph of evil is
that wicked acts seem to go on with
impunity, and doing good seems to
go without reward. This observation
is reflected in the Scripture itself: “It
is vain to serve God, and what do we
profit by keeping his command, and
going about in penitential dress in
awe of the Lord of hosts? Rather
must we call the proud blessed; for
indeed evildoers prosper, and even
tempt God with impunity?” (Mal
3:14-15).
Today’s Gospel (Mark 1:12-15),
however, asserts that God has begun
to bring to an end the triumph of the
forces of wickedness. It began with
the Spirit sending Jesus out toward
the desert (Mark 1:12). That the
Spirit seizes someone and drives
him to a certain place is common in
the Scriptures (1 Kgs 18:12; Ezek 8:3;
Acts 8:39). In Mark, the evangelist
portrays God sending Jesus into the
battle with Satan. This harks back to
the battle which began in paradise.
During the battle with the Serpent,
Adam was defeated. He believed in
what the Serpent said about God’s
command of not eating the tree of
knowledge of good and evil (Gen
3:6). Because he succumbed, the
result was devastating: man, whom
Adam represented, was not only at
enmity with his fellowmen (Gen 2:8-
16), but also with the environment
(Gen 3:14-15).
Unlike Adam, however, Jesus
was victorious in the battle with
Satan in the desert. He was the
righteous man who triumphed over
the forces of evil. As a consequence,
he was not harmed by the animals
in the desert (Mark 1:13b), and
was protected by the angels (Ps
91:11-13). As the Testament of
Nepthali says, “The devil shall flee
from you, and the wild beasts shall
flee from you, and the angels shall
cleave to you” (TestNaph 8:4). It
appears therefore that, in Mark,
the evangelist presents Jesus as the
righteous man who undid the fall
of Adam.
Because in Jesus the power of
goodness has begun its triumph
over the forces of wickedness, we
are assured that the peace of God
will achieve its victory on earth. In
fact, early in his preaching, Jesus
claimed that the Kingdom of God
was making an advance (Mark
1:15). Today, we continue to claim
territory on behalf of the Kingdom
of God, because we have the power
given us by Jesus. That power
was given to us in baptism. In the
second reading, which advises the
early Christians to suffer nobly in
imitation of Jesus, Peter preserved
for us a creedal formula: “he was put
to death insofar as fleshly existence
goes, but was given life in the realm
of the spirit. It was in the spirit also
that he went to preach to the spirits
in prison… He went to heaven and
LENT should not be a season of some extent dis-oriented, we have to
is at God’s right hand, with angelic
sterile mourning over an irredeem- re-orient it by redirecting it to God,
rulers and powers subjected to
able past characterized by sin and without uncertainties and without
him”(1 Pet 3:18.22). According to
failure. Rather, it should be a time delays. We are expected to turn
this confession of baptismal faith,
for honest self-evaluation and dis- away from the dark paths of spiri-
the death of Christ, which we share
cernment, a time for prayer, and a tual death or ailment, and to start
in baptism, produces life.
time for action. walking the highway of a virtuous
That is to say, when we are
This Lent will necessarily include life. In short, a life of vibrant and
baptized, we participate in the
a reflection on the futility of an aim- fruitful DISCIPLESHIP.
paschal mystery: we share in his
less life and of a life of sin. It will Lent, therefore, is a call to both
suffering, we continue to battle with
also include a sincere meditation on repentance and commitment. Prob-
the forces of evil, but because Christ
the sufferings which Jesus endured ably, for most of us, our “conver-
triumphed over death, and in fact
because of the sins of mankind, sion” will be just a matter of calling
angels, authorities and powers are
which include our sins. But our basic a halt to a life of lukewarmness,
subject to him, we are assured that
orientation must be a positive one: half-heartedness, or indifference
in being one with his new life, we
a yearning for a fuller life of faith, to religious and moral values. But
will also be victorious against the
hope, and love, expressed in dif- it will not be enough to focus our
forces of wickedness. The new life
ferent forms of service to God and attention on these shortcomings
that began in the resurrection will
neighbor. and seek to eliminate them from
have such an effect that, ultimately,
If we find out that our life is to our life. We are also expected to
we will see the Kingdom of God Called / B7
established among us.
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3
Fighting poverty through fair trade
By Fr. Shay Cullen
PEPITO Alvarez, 57 and with his
wife Conchita are among one of
the thousands of small mountain
subsistence farmers who have lived
just below the poverty line all their
lives. He and his villagers in the
Zambales mountain range just keep
their family above the poverty line.
When there is a mango harvest, they
do much better with the Fair-Trade
price they get from Preda Fair Trade
project for their mangoes. But there
has been no big mango harvest for
two years. Is it because of a natural
cycle or is it because of climate
change and the untimely rains that
wash away the mango blossoms?
“Bahala na,” says Pepito. “That’s
the way of nature, we accept it.”
They do accept reality, harsh and
unkind as it is, and they work harder
planting vegetables and camote, the
sweet potato that is their survival
crop. But poverty is the way of life
that they have endured all their
lives. They live day-to-day without
running water or electricity and
hardly heard of the internet. The
only technology they know is an old
model cell phone shared by many
in the village and they hike down
the mountain to an electric point to
recharge it.
They are members of the
i n d i g e n o u s p e o p l e kn o w n a s
Aeta. They are wise, experienced
survivors of some thirty thousand
years perhaps and they live in small
bamboo houses with grass or nipa
roofs. These are not strong dwellings
in a typhoon. Once hunters and
gatherers but with the loss of the
rain forests to the mining and
logging corporations, they became
subsistence farmers.
Presently the Preda Fair Trade
project is providing them with all
the cement, hollow blocks and steel
bars needed for making several
community toilets. Labor is paid
also in some village projects when
Catholic / B2
a crime: Parents or those who
substitute for parents are to be
punished with a censure or another
just penalty if they hand their
children over to be baptized or
educated in a non-Catholic religion
(c.1366).
c) Right-duty to foster Catholic
schools: Among educational
means the Christian faithful should
greatly value schools, which are
of principal assistance to parents
in fulfilling their educational task
(c.796, §1). The Code goes further
stating that: The Christian faithful
are to foster Catholic schools by
supporting their establishment and
their maintenance in proportion to
their resources (c.800, §2).
2) Freedom of parents to
select schools: It is necessary
that parents enjoy true freedom
in selecting schools; the Christian
faithful must therefore be concerned
that civil society acknowledge
this freedom for parents and also
safeguard it with its resources in
accord with distributive justice
(c.797). The State has the duty to give
juridic protection for the effective
exercise of this right—e.g., providing
the sufficient financial assistance
to private schools (Catholic or
otherwise) to make it economically
feasible for all families to send their
children to those schools that they
reasonably choose, so that private
schools do not become too expensive
due to lack of state support for the
cost of education.
3) Right-duty of the Church
to safeguard the parental right
to give their children a Catholic
Called / B6
commit ourselves to doing good as
much as we can, and with joy-filled
enthusiasm.
Lent has a dynamic character, an
upward orientation. Therefore, it is
a call to change for the better, but
also to aim high and soar higher. It
is like an invitation to join a pilgrim-
age to the sacred shrine of God’s
intimacy. It is like an Exodus: our
personal “rising” from the marshes
of mediocrity and the lack of spiri-
tual alertness, and to march forward
toward the promised land of the
freedom of God’s children.
they are too poor to stop working
in their mountainside farms. The
community project providing toilets
and wells is on-going in 8 villages.
It has so far provided eight toilets
and five hand pumps and steel pipes
for making a well to pump clean
drinking water. The community
will avoid cholera and diseases from
dirty contaminated water. These
projects are in addition to the fair
earnings when the farmers get high
prices for their pico mango harvest.
These are processed and turned into
organic mango puree for making
many products when exported to
Germany.
In recent years, they have achieved
through the farmers association
organic status. They are certified
by the prestigious certification
organization Naturland of Germany.
It is the first certified organic mango
product in the Philippines. The
earnings from sales help the farmers
and also support the children who
were sexually abused and exploited
by the local and foreign pedophiles
and their mafia supporters.
The Aeta farmers are resilient in
the face of hardship and poverty.
However, in recent years, economic
growth has helped as many as 3.7
million Filipinos get out of extreme
poverty. There are still 5.1 million
Filipinos in extreme poverty and
many more below the poverty line.
That’s unacceptable. Any kind of
poverty in this wealthy country is
unacceptable. But the wealth is
not shared with the millions still in
dire poverty in rural villages and in
teeming urban slums.
There was a time when Pepito
and Conchita and the villagers
allowed the mango fruits to fall to
the ground and be eaten by pigs
and the children. “When I went to
the town and offered my mangoes
to the local traders, they only paid
me four pesos a kilo,” he said. “We
cannot live on that so we did not
harvest the mangos. But when the
Preda Fair Trade offered us a much
education: If schools imparting
an education imbued with the
Christian spirit are not available,
the diocesan bishop is to see to it
that they are established (c.802, §1).
b. Canonical regulation of
Catholic Schools
1) General regulatory
competence of local Ordinary:
The diocesan bishop is competent
to issue prescriptions dealing with
the general regulation of Catholic
schools; such prescriptions are
also operative for those schools
which are directed by religious,
with due regard for their autonomy
regarding the internal management
of their schools (c.806, §1 in fine).
2) Oversight function of the
Local Ordinary: The diocesan
bishop has the right of vigilance
over and visitation of the Catholic
schools located in his territory,
even those schools which have been
established or are being directed
by members of religious institutes
(c.806, §1). The Code stipulates the
extent of this oversight function to
include the following:
a) Academic standards: The
directors of Catholic schools,
under the vigilance of the local
ordinary, are to see to it that the
instruction given in them is at least
as academically distinguished as
that given in the other schools of the
region (c.806, §2).
b) Appointment and tenure
of religion teachers: For his
own diocese the local Ordinary
has the right to name or approve
teachers of religion and likewise to
remove or to demand that they be
Such an Exodus/Pilgrimage will
necessarily entail a “break away.”
It will demand self-denial, not for
its own sake, but for the sake of the
greater good: the holiness which we
intend to attain.
God does not so much delight in
our sorrow, not even in our tears
over our past sins, Rather, He
delights in our regained correct
disposition and consequent actions.
He delights in the efforts we make to
remain faithful to our commitment
to Him, and in our refusal to revert
to the sinful situation of the past.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PREDA FAIR TRADE
higher fair price and a bonus of two
pesos a kilo, we now harvest every
single mango fruit.”
The distance and imbalance
between rich and poor has continued
and increased in 2017. There were
14 Filipino billionaires (in US
dollars) according to Forbes list.
This follows the trend in the growth
of wealth among the world’s richest
people. The recent report from
Oxfam had the headline “Richest 1
percent bagged 82 percent of wealth
created last year—the poorest half
removed if it is required for reasons
of religion or morals (c.805). He
should be concerned that those who
are assigned as religion teachers in
schools, even in non-Catholic ones,
be outstanding for their correct
doctrine, their witness of Christian
living and their pedagogical skill
(c.804, §2).
c. Vigilance over Catholic
education in non-Catholic
schools
In public schools and those private
schools under the free initiative of
the faithful, the oversight function
of the ecclesiastical authority is
reduced to a desideratum in the
Code: The local Ordinary should
be concerned that those who are
assigned as religion teachers...
be outstanding for their correct
doctrine, their witness of Christian
living and their pedagogical skill
(c.804, §2). Among the possible
concretizations of this desire could
be:
1) Ecclesiastical certificate
of aptitude for religious
instruction - which the competent
ecclesiastical authority could
expedite for those who meet the
requirements of c.804, §2.
2) Diploma for religion
teachers- which could be acquired
by taking an ecclesiastically approved
course in basic Christian doctrine
in an ecclesiastically approved
educational institution.
3) Church-State agreements--
either at a local level or national level
(through concordat between the
State and the Holy See)--regulating
this matter. [To be continued.]
Such are demands of a life of dis-
cipleship – a life characterized by
the constant effort to follow in the
footsteps of the Divine Master.
Having this in mind, we shall
proceed in our Lenten pilgrim-
age, moving resolutely toward
Easter, our final goal and greatest
aspiration. If we are faithful to
such an ideal, we shall be given
the grace of experiencing, already
now, a foretaste of our “personal
Easter” – a joyous reflection
and fruit of the Resurrection of
Christ.
of humanity got nothing.” The
report explained that as many as
3.7 billion people saw no increase
in their wealth. The rich got it
they say. In the report, Winnie
Byanyima, Executive Director of
Oxfam International, said: “The
billionaire boom is not a sign of a
thriving economy but a symptom
of a failing economic system. The
people who make our clothes,
assemble our phones and grow our
food are being exploited to ensure
a steady supply of cheap goods and
Kiss / B2
Missal states: ‘Then, if appropriate,
the Deacon or the Priest, adds: “Let
us offer each other the sign of peace”‘
(emphasis added).
“b) On the basis of these
observations, it may be advisable
that, on the occasion of the
publication of the translation of the
third typical edition of the Roman
Missal in their own country, or
when new editions of the same
Missal are undertaken in the future,
Conferences of Bishops should
consider whether it might not be
fitting to change the manner of giving
peace which had been established
earlier. For example, following these
years of experience, in those places
where familiar and profane gestures
of greeting were previously chosen,
they could be replaced with other
more appropriate gestures.
“c) In any case, it will be necessary,
at the time of the exchange of peace,
to definitively avoid abuses such as:
– the introduction of a ‘song for
peace,’ which is non-existent in the
Roman Rite.
– the movement of the faithful
from their places to exchange the
sign of peace amongst themselves.
– the departure of the priest from
the altar in order to give the sign of
peace to some of the faithful.
– that in certain circumstances,
such as at the Solemnity of Easter
or of Christmas, or during ritual
celebrations such as Baptism,
First Communion, Confirmation,
Matrimony, Sacred Ordinations,
Religious Professions, and
Funerals, the exchange of peace
being the occasion for expressing
Completely / B5
will disregard the hard-earned gains
of the Filipino, such as social justice,
human rights and democracy.
We are therefore calling on all
people of goodwill, all our brothers
and sisters in Christ, to relentlessly
search for the truth. It is our duty
to let the people know what is
happening, help them form their
conscience, seek the truth and do
what is right.
We enjoin our government
leaders, educators and civic society
to take the lead in providing the
much needed voters’ education
first, so that the results of any
SOCIAL CONCERNS B7
swell the profits of corporations and
billionaire investors.”
Pepito and Conchita are among
them. The Fair Trade project that
is paying a higher price for their
mangos is a big help but not enough.
If the climate will allow them to have
a harvest, it will help them improve
their lives but they need much more.
Government intervention is needed
and a small share of the national
wealth in an expanding growing
economy that ought to be for all, not
just the few.
congratulations, best wishes or
condolences among those present.
“7. The intimate relationship
between the lex orandi and the lex
credendi must obviously be
extended to the lex vivendi. Today,
a serious obligation for Catholics in
building a more just and peaceful
world is accompanied by a deeper
understanding of the Christian
meaning of peace and this depends
largely on the seriousness with
which our particular Churches
welcome and invoke the gift of
peace and express it in the liturgical
celebration. Productive steps
forward on this matter must be
insisted upon and urged because
the quality of our Eucharistic
participation depends upon it,
as well as the efficacy of our
being joined with those who are
ambassadors and builders of peace,
as expressed in the Beatitudes.
“8. In conclusion, the Bishops
and, under their guidance, the
priests are urged, therefore, to
give careful consideration to these
observations and to deepen the
spiritual significance of the rite of
peace in the celebration of the Holy
Mass, in their spiritual and liturgical
formation and in appropriate
catechesis for the faithful. Christ
is our peace, that divine peace,
announced by the prophets and by
the angels, and which he brought to
the world by means of his paschal
mystery. This peace of the Risen
Lord is invoked, preached and
spread in the celebration, even by
means of a human gesture lifted up
to the realm of the sacred.”
plebiscite for this would truly reflect
the sentiments of an informed and
responsible citizenry.
On our end, LAIKO recognizes its
responsibility to initiate education
on the current Constitution and
to expose the dangers of a hasty
decision to change it.
For the Sangguniang Laiko ng
Pilipinas Board of Directors,
MA. JULIETA F. WASAN
President
27 January 2018
B8 ENTERTAINMENT February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 3 CBCP Monitor

Buhay San Miguel Brothers Matias

Maze Runner: The Death Cure Lolo Kiko Bladimer Usi

Buhay Parokya FIND 3 MISSING THINGS:

1. ST. JOHN PAUL II
2. JOHN THE BAPTIST
3. HOLY SPIRIT

DIRECTOR: Wes Ball LEAD CAST: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya

Scoldelario, Ki Hong Lee, Will Poulter, Ami, Ameen, Thomas Brodie-
Sangster, Blake Cooper, Jacob Latimore, Dexter Darden, Rosa
Salazar, Patricia Clarkson & Giancarlo Esposito SCREENWRITER:
T.S. Nowlin PRODUCER: Wyck Godfrey EDITOR: Dan Zimmerman
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: John Paesano GENRE: Action/Sci-Fi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gyula Pados DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century
Fox LOCATION: South Africa RUNNING TIME: 152 minutes
Technical assessment: Moral assessment:
CINEMA rating: V14
Staging a daring train machine guns and foot patrol.
rescue operation, Thomas Acting and characterization
(Dylan O’Brien) and are adequate, with the
companions Newt (Thomas exception of Scodelario’s
Brodie-Sangster), Frypan somewhat robotic Teresa.
(Dexter Darden), Brenda Janson (Guillen, Game
(Rosa Salazar), and Jorge of Thrones’ Little Finger)
(Giancarlo Esposito), brave should have been given
death to free young people more screen time to show
from becoming guinea pigs bigger and meaner fangs
in the organization WCKD’s as the villain. Throughout
experiments to find a cure the dystopian milieu, the
against the Flare virus. They characters project flashes
discover, however, that their of vulnerability, justifying
fellow “Glader” Minho (Ki the plot’s twists and turns.
Hong Lee) is not among those However, (spoiler alert!) the
they have rescued. Feeling too frequent resorting to deus
certain that Minho has been ex machina as a salvation
taken by WCKD—led by Ava device diminishes the story’s
Paige (Patricia Clarkson) credibility and realism.
and her sinister right hand Maze Runner: The Death
Janson (Aiden Guillen)— Cure’s redeeming factor is
Thomas decides to leave the innate goodness of the
their base camp and go on young people in the story.
his own to search for Minho. The greater good is the glue
Newt and Frypan join him; that binds all those young
soon they encounter Gally people together in spite of
(Will Poulter) whom they had past offenses and misgivings.
thought to be dead, but who Friendship, forgiveness,
helps them enter the Last loyalty to ideals, repentance,
City. Gally tells Thomas’ that and courage in the face of
his love interest Teresa (Kaya danger are values highlighted
Scodelario) is now one of the in the film. Aristotle once
WCKD scientists; captured, wrote, “He is courageous who
Teresa reveals to them that endures and fears the right
Minho is indeed being used in thing, for the right motive,
WCKD’s experimental search in the right way and at the
for the “death cure.” right times.” It is the kind of
Based on James Dashner’s courage that the characters
novel The Death Cure the displayed here, and the script
movie—the conclusion of is clear enough about how evil
the Maze Runner trilogy— deeds are dealt with in due
features heart pumping time. The ending implies that
chase scenes that almost it is these young people who
never stop—whether the will populate the earth anew,
chaser is a giant beetle, the inspiring one to hope they
zombified characters called will create “a new heaven and Parehong nagdududa na masaya ang mga asawa mga detalye ng mga ginagawa ay buo ang loob at isipan
Cranks, or the enemy’s flying a new earth. sa pagkalalaki ng kani- nilang bakla samantala ng mga asawa nilang bakla na sa pagpasok dito. Kung

Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes

kanilang mga mister ang
dalawang Mrs. Reyes na
sina Lianne (Judy Ann
Santos) at Cindy (Angelica
Panganiban). Sa kanilang di
inaasahang pagtatagpo ay
makukumpirma nila na bakla
nga ang asawa ni Lianne na
si Gary (Joross Gamboa) at
asawa ni Cindy na si Felix (
JC De Vera). Matutuklasan
din nila ang mas masaklap
na katotohanan na
magkarelasyon ang mga bakla
nilang asawa. Sa tuluyang
pag-iwan ng dalawang Mr.
Reyes sa kani-kaniyang
pamilya ay magsasanib
pwersa sina Lianne at
Cindy at uupa ng private
invetigator upang malaman
DIRECTOR: JUN ROBLES LANA LEAD CAST: JUDY ANN SAN- ang mga plano at ginagawang
TOS. ANGELICA PANGANIBAN. JOROSS GAMBOA, JC DE VERA magkasama ng mga asawa
DIRECTOR: JUN ROBLES LANA SCREENWRITER: ELMER nilang bakla pati ang balak na
GATCHALIAN PRODUCER: CHARO SANTOS-CONCIO pagpapakasal ng dalawa sa
GENRE: COMEDY DRAMA DISTRIBUTOR: STAR CINEMA Taiwan. Magkahalong sakit
LOCATION: PHILIPPINES RUNNING TIME: 120 Minutes at galit ang nararamdaman
Technical assessment: Moral assessment: ng dalawang Mrs. Reyes
CINEMA rating: V14 lalo na kapag nakikita nila
sila ay miserable. Gagawa
sila ng mga paraan para
magkahiwalay ang dalawa
katulad ng pakikisabwatan
sa isang macho dancer,
pagbubuking sa biyenan at
pagpo-post ng open letter na
magba-viral sa social media.
Kumplikadong kwento na
binigyan ng mahusay na
trato ang Ang Dalawang Mrs.
Reyes. Mabigat ang tema
pero naihatid ng magaan.
Magaling ang direktor at ang
mga artistang ngsiganap lalo
na sina Santos at Panganiban.
Bagamat maraming
eksenang nagpatawa sa mga
manonood, epektibo din
nahugot ng pelikula ang iba’t
ibang reaksyon at damdamin
ng mga manonood katulad ng
galit, paninisi, awa, unawa at
simpatiya. Nakakalibang at
nakaka-relate pakinggan ang
mga diyalogo. Kuhang-kuha
naman ng kamera ang mga
emosyon ng mga karakter ng
dalawang Mrs. Reyes pati ang
magkalaguyo. Maganda rin
ang mga kuha ng kamera
sa isang festival sa Taiwan.
Sa kabuuan ay maayos ang
mga teknikal na aspeto at
nakakaaliw panoorin ang
pelikula.
May kasabihan na sa
pagiging totoo sa sarili at
pagkatao nagiging malaya
ang isang tao. Subalit may
kaakibat na responsilidad
ang pagiging malaya. Ito
ang hindi isinaalang-alang
ng mga karakter na bakla sa
pelikula. Sa halip ay ginamit
ang pagpapakasal upang
subukang makapagtago sila
sa katotohanan. Sa kulturang
Pilipino na malaki ang
pagpapahalaga sa kasal at
bilang bansang Kristiyano
na sagrado ang turing dito,
Ang Dalawang Mrs Reyes ay
salungat sa pagpapahalagang
ito. Ang pag-aasawa ay
isang panghabambuhay
na pagtatalaga ng sarili sa
isang relasyon kaya dapat
may isyu sa pagkatao, hindi
dapat magpakasal ang
isang tao dahil siguradong
madadamay ang iba. Sa
pelikulang ito biktima ang
mga babae na nagmistulang
desperado at miserable
samantalang nagpapakasaya
ang mga dahilan ng pagka-
miserable nila. Sa gitna ng
kumplikadong sitwasyon ay
unti-unting nagkaroon ng
pagtanggap, pang-unawa at
pagpaparaya sa parte ng mga
biktimang babae. Maselan
at seryoso ang kabuuang
tema na tinalakay sa pelikula
katulad ng adultery, deceit,
investigative scheme, at
same sex marriage. Pawang
may mga negatibong epekto
ang mga nabanggit na tema
sa pamilya at sa lipunan.
Nakababahala na tinalakay
ang mga ito sa tratong
nakaaaliw at maaring isipin
ng mga taong may murang
isipan na katanggap-tanggap
ang mga ito.

CBCP Monitor. Vol. 22 No. 03
CFC LEADERS:
REKINDLED AND CHARGED
By CFC Global Comm
JANUARY is always a special month for
Couples for Christ top leaders. Aside from
the fact that the community is coming
from a much needed break during the
Christmas season, the first weeks of Janu-
ary is the time when CFC leaders come
together to receive directions for the new
year that is beginning. It is a time for
seeking inspiration from God's message,
usually revolving around the theme for
the year that had earlier been discerned
by the International Council.
Thus, in keeping with tradition, CFC leaders
from the Metro Manila, Philippine and Inter-
national Missions gathered for the Rekindle
Conference at the SM MOA Arena on January
13, 2018, during which time the directions and
inspiration for the year were given, and then
motored to Baguio City the following weekend
for the annual retreat, this year called the Solemn
Charge Weekend Retreat.
On both weekends, the leaders received pow-
erful messages and mandates from the Lord
through the sessions.
Rekindle Conference
The SM MOA Arena in Pasay City was packed
with 13,000 CFC leaders from Manila, the prov-
inces and from the USA, Canada, Australia, the
Middle East, South America, and Europe, all
eager to listen to the directives from the Inter-
national Council.
His Excellency Jose Palma, DD, Archbishop
of Cebu, was the main celebrant during the
afternoon Mass, concelebrated by Msgr. Allen
Aganon, Fr. Joel Jason, Fr. Carlos Macatangga,
Msgr. Von Dito Parilando, Fr. Marco Coloma, Fr.
Ruber Martinez, Fr. Bruno, Msgr. Jay Bandojo,
Fr. Cosman Siantury, OSC, Fr. Yusef Setiawan
and Fr. Ed Abaño.
There were two talks during this confer-
ence—“Rekindle the Gift” delivered by Mi-
chael Ariola, CFC President and “Fulfill Your
Ministry” given by CFC Chairman Ermelo
Villaroman, Jr. The year’s theme—Rekindle
the Gift. Fulfill Your Ministry—is anchored
on 2 Timothy 1:6 and 4:1-5 which state:
"For this reason I remind you to rekindle
the gift of God that is within you through the
laying on of my hands."
'Solemn Charge. I charge you in the presence
of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the
living and the dead, and by his appearing and his
kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent
whether it is convenient or inconvenient; con-
vince, reprimand, encourage through all patience
and teaching. For the time will come when people
will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following
their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will
accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the
truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be
self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with
hardship; perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.
Ariola spoke of the gift of Light, Jesus Him-
self who is the light of the world, and proposed
ways by which each CFC member should act in
response to this gift from God.
Ariola explained that the Father offered
His only Son as a gift to mankind. However,
the offer came with the freedom to accept the
gift or refuse it. For CFC, the gift was offered
and was accepted when each member, during
the Baptism of the Spirit, accepted Jesus as his
personal Lord and Savior.
But for the gift to indeed bring transforma-
tion to the receiver, each person must let go of
vanities, pride and personal plans and allow the
grace of God to work in his life, to in turn be the
bearer of the gift.
Spirituality of the heart
Ugnayan
THE NEWS SUPPLEMENT OF COUPLES FOR CHRIST
February 5 - 18, 2018 C1
Homily of His Excellency
Archbishop Jose Palma
TODAY’S gospel reading reminds us of the
calling of Levi and the calling of Matthew.
This is a reminder that before the Lord calls
us, we have nothing to boast (about).
Like Levi and Matthew, we are all im-
perfect human beings. And yet, the joyful,
consoling and wonderful truth is - God
loves us. How beautiful it is to know that
we are imperfect human beings and yet we
are loved. No wonder our Holy Father has
chosen as his motto: “Miserando atque eli-
gendo” - “Miserable sinner and yet chosen.”
My dear brothers and sisters, the first
wonderful truth I share with you this day
is that all good things come from the Lord.
Many times, we believe we don’t deserve
(the gifts), but God in His goodness has
given the gifts to us, out of pure love, out
of pure goodness. Good things are therefore
gifts from the Lord and if you think of that,
then you will have a better understanding
of your theme, to “Rekindle the Gifts” that
you have received.
Twenty years ago, exactly on this day, I
was ordained bishop in Iloilo. So you may
wonder why I am here, and not in my dio-
cese where some feast in celebration of my
sacerdotal anniversary has been prepared.
Because I owe a lot to Couples for Christ!
All good things are gifts from the Lord
and therefore today, I’d like to invite you to
recognize the many good things you have
received because that is the basis for your
“Rekindling of the gifts”.
My dear friends, recognize the gifts. I
say this again because we are now pre-
paring for a grand celebration in 2021
of the gift we received almost 500 years
ago -the coming of Christianity to our
country. And so we thank the Lord for
the gift of faith. We thank the Lord for
the gift of Mama Mary. There are many,
many more blessings we need to thank
the Lord for.
Today as we reflect on the theme, we
are reminded by Peter, “Put your gifts at
the service of one another.”
I know that’s what you’ve been doing
through the years. You have different
gifts that you put for the service of the
community, whether you’re teaching,
forming leaders, serving the church,
building houses, and many, many more.
In today’s Mass, we are asked once
more to know our gifts and to continue
putting those gifts in the service of one
another. HOMILY, p4
Photo credits: Arthur de Rio, Joey Tomas, Jerry Tanigue, Allen Manimog, Ian Talisic, Andrelene Veloso
“All of us in CFC are bearers of that gift, of that
Light,” Ariola exhorted. “And we have a mission to
CFC Evangelization and Missions
fulfill. But somehow, the intensity of that light has
diminished. And so we ask, What is the communal meeting for 2018 held
gift which God gave Couples for Christ that needs
to be rekindled?”
Ariola continued, “God does not mince words
when He calls us to REKINDLE THE GIFT. How
do we respond? We look to 2018 and ask God
for the grace to be able to prioritize and balance
our time with God, family, work and our role as
evangelizers in building the church of the home
and of the poor.”
He enumerated three areas in CFC’s jour-
ney of faith that will enable every leader and
member to help rekindle the gift: personal
conversion, family transformation and leaving
a legacy to witness. CFC LEADERS, p3
LEADERS from the different ed the leaders to always feel Office Head George Campos
areas where CFC is present ‘blessed but not boastful’. (on the roles of CRO); and Fam-
THE MISSION Core of Metro Manila convened gathered to discuss updates Msgr. Allen Aganon, CFC ily Ministries Director Law-
on the third Tuesday of January, the 16th, to once and directions for 2018 at the Spiritual Director, concele- rence Quintero (on the 25th
again listen to valuable insights relating to the Evangelizations and Missions brated the Mass with guest year celebration activities of
community’s spiritual journey. meeting held on January 14, priests from the international the Family Ministries). Small
On this particular teaching night, IC member 2018 at the Unilab Bayanihan missions. Relating to the gospel break out groups for dialogue
and Pastoral Formation Office Director Rouquel Center, Pasig City. of that day which was about and consultation ensued to ad-
Ponte related and tied together the Rekindle Deng Lara, CFC Rizal Provin- following Jesus, Msgr. Aganon dress the concerns and answer
Conference of the previous weekend and the cial Area Head, led the open- affirmed that being a disciple the queries of the leaders from
Solemn Charge Weekend Retreat scheduled on ing worship. Afterwards, CFC and being a missionary are the different areas.
January 19 to 21, 2018. Ponte directed the CFC Chairman Melo Villaroman Jr. basic gifts that the community After the fruitful sessions,
Mission Core towards one’s identity and the welcomed the participants and has received from God. Pastoral Formation Office
spirituality of one’s heart. then gave the floor to Arnel Board of Elders member Director Rouquel Ponte led
Ponte began his talk with the story of St. John Santos who expounded on the Bong Arjonillo led the after- the empowering worship
the Baptist who asked Jesus, “Who are you? CFC International Statutes. noon worship, followed by which also served as an en-
Are you the Messiah? Are you the one who was Echoing the talk of Villaro- various updates and presenta- thusiastic reminder for the
prophesized? Are you the one who’s going to set man at the Rekindle Confer- tions from IC member James missionaries to continue to
us free?” These questions play an important part ence held the previous day, Solano (on CFC Chapters); IC persevere in the calling they
in realizing one’s purpose, meaning, direction, and Evangelization and Missions member Lito Tayag (on CFC have received from the Lord.
even one’s own identity. Director Arnel Santos remind- Finance); Church Relations (Yvonne Grace Dolorosa)
SPIRITUALITY p2
C2 February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 03 CBCP Monitor

WHEN YOU DO THESE THINGS, SHOULD I BE SILENT?

IN THE bitter U.S. political campaign
of 1884, Grover Cleveland was at-
tacked and slandered as an immoral
man. Having suffered himself so
deeply through slander, the great
American writer and preacher, Henry
Ward Beecher, resolved to defend
Grover Cleveland with all his ability.
Thus on 22 October 1884 at Brooklyn
Rink he eloquently declared: “When
the gloomy night of my own suffer-
ing I sounded every depth of sorrow,
I vowed that if God would bring the
daystar of hope, I would never suffer
brother, friend, or neighbor to go
unfriended should a like serpent seek
to crush him. This oath I will regard
now because I know the bitterness of
venomous lies. I will stand against in-
famous lies that seek to sting to death
an upright man and magistrate.”
The psalmist expresses nearly the
same sentiment: “To the wicked God
says: “Why do you recite my com-
mandments and profess my covenant
with your lips? You hate discipline;
you cast my words behind you! When
you see thieves, you befriend them;
with adulterers you throw in your
lot. You give your mouth free rein
for evil; you harness your tongue to
deceit. You sit maligning your own
kin, slandering the child of your own
mother. When you do these things
should I be silent? Or do you think
that I am like you? I accuse you, I
PSALM 50:21
lay the charge before you.” (Psalm
50:16-21)
God hates slander (Proverbs 6:16-
19). Slander is a restless evil. That is
why St. Paul considers it as a behavior
of those who hate God (Romans 1:30)
and why St. James calls it demonic
behavior (James 3:15-16).
Slander occurs whenever someone
says something untrue about someone
else that results, intentionally or unin-
tentionally, in damaging that someone
else’s reputation. As such, slander is a
sin against justice and truth. And when
it occurs, particularly in a religious
community, it becomes a divisive,
discouraging, and confusing element
that often affects numerous people.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
(No. 2487) teaches: “Every offense com-
mitted against justice and truth entails
the duty of reparation, even if its author
has been forgiven. When it is impossible
publicly to make reparation for a wrong,
it must be made secretly. If someone who
has suffered harm cannot be directly
compensated, he must be given moral
satisfaction in the name of charity. The
duty of reparation also concerns offenses
against another’s reputation. This repa-
ration, moral and sometimes material,
must be evaluated in terms of the dam-
age inflicted. It obliges in conscience.”
The book The Catechism Explained:
An Exhaustive Explanation of the
Catholic Religion edited by Fr. Rich-
ard Clarke, S.J., explains clearly the
Church’s teaching on slander: “He who
has injured his neighbor’s reputation
is strictly bound to restore his good
name; either by apologizing, if this of-
fense was committed in private, or by
publicly retracting his words, if they
were spoken before others. Those who
do not endeavor to repair the harm they
have done by slandering their neighbor,
cannot obtain pardon from God, nor
absolution from the priest.”
In his book Introduction to a Devout
Life, St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the
Church, writes: “Slander is a kind of
murder; for we all have three lives—a
spiritual life, which depends upon the
Grace of God; a bodily life, depending
on the soul; and a civil life, consisting
in a good reputation. Sin deprives us
of the first, death of the second, and
slander of the third. But the slanderer
commits three several murders with
his idle tongue: he destroys his own
soul and that of him who hearkens, as
well as causing civil death to the object
of his slander; for, as St. Bernard says,
the Devil has possession both of the
slanderer and of those who listen to
him, of the tongue of the one, the ear of
the other. And David says of slanderers,
‘They have sharpened their tongues like
a serpent; adders' poison is under their
lips.’ Aristotle says that, like the forked,
two-edged tongue of the serpent, so is
that of the slanderer, who at one dart
pricks and poisons the ear of those who
hear him, and the reputation of him
who is slandered.”
St. Francis de Sales further explains
very clearly: “He who unjustly takes
away his neighbor's good name is
guilty of sin, and is bound to make
reparation, according to the nature
of his evil speaking; since no man
can enter into Heaven cumbered
with stolen goods, and of all worldly
possessions the most precious is a
good name.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
is very clear about the absolute need for
reparation in order for the sin of slander
to be forgiven and that “those who do not
endeavor to repair the harm they have
done… cannot obtain pardon from God
nor absolution from the priest.”
As summarized in the Catholic En-
cyclopedia, the only adequate way for
the sin of slander to be forgiven is “to
retract his false statement,” “to declare
that he has made a mistake,” and “to
unequivocally take back his untruth
even at the expense of exhibiting
himself a liar.”
Not being able to obtain pardon from
God or absolution from the priest, the
slanderer, as St. Francis de Sales clearly
states, “cannot enter into heaven” un-
less he/she restores the good name and
honor that he/she has “stolen” by com-
mitting the sin of slander. The slanderer
is “strictly bound to restore” the good
name of the person slandered by “pub-
licly retracting his words.” All these are
necessary because, as Pope Francis says
in his April 2013 homily, “there is no
doubt whenever there is slander, there
is Satan, Satan himself.”
A good name defines a person’s
character. It is the most valuable thing
about a person’s identity. A good name
determines who we are in the judg-
ment of others. Accordingly, a good
reputation is an extremely precious
asset. Thus, if we damage a person’s
reputation unjustly, we steal that
person’s good name. And this causes
very real and often long lasting injury
to people because it is very difficult to
restore a devalued name. We cannot
fully know what love, joy, comfort,
and opportunities we take away from
people by slandering them.
But God knows fully. That is why
God abhors slander. And God will
hold us totally accountable for every
slander we commit. There is therefore
great need for us to “put away all
malice and all deceit and hypocrisy
and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1).
This is why, having suffered the bit-
terness of venomous lies like Henry
Beecher, we courageously “stand
against infamous lies that seek to
sting to death any upright man.” And
this is why, like the psalmist, we ask,
“when you do these things, should we
be silent?”

SPIRITUALITY, p1

CFC-OSM COLLABORATES WITH
PNP CALABARZON
COUPLES for Christ’s Order
of Saint Michael (CFC-OSM),
forged a partnership with the
PNP Police Regional Office
for Region 4a (PRO4a-CALA-
BARZON) in support of their
initiative on the Internal
Cleansing Program (ICP).
After a series of meetings,
and after agreement of both
sides, a joint orientation pro-
gram was held last December
2017. The orientation was
hosted by the PNP-PRO4a
in their headquarters. Forty
participants from various
chapters of CFC Laguna Prov-
ince and 20 participants from
Metro Manila CFC chapters
attended the orientation,
together with the leadership
of the CFC-OSM Core.
The program started with a
joint keynote address, with Col
Arturo Alabanza PAF (Ret),
CFC-OSM Program Head,
providing the overview for
the CFC-OSM, followed by P/
Supt Elmer B. Sillador PNP,
PRO4a’s chief for Regional
Police Community Relations
Division (RPCRD) who provid-
ed the overview of the Internal
Cleansing Program (ICP) to be
piloted at the regional office.
Pastor Adiel De Torres
ThD, the Project Manager for
PNP-PRO4a Squad Manage-
ment Team, discussed “My
Brother’s Keeper”, the pro-
gram conceptualized by P/
CSupt Ma. O. Rañada Aplasca,
incumbent PNP Regional
Director, to reinforce the ICP.
Pastor Adiel provided the
overview of the associated im-
plementation plan (ImPlan)
for the said program which
is embodied in ImPlan 149:
Squad Time Enhancement
Program (STEP) of the “My
Brother’s Keeper” initiative.
This initiative is composed
of a group of seven personnel,
one of whom acts as the Val-
ues Coach, another acting as a
Squad Leader and the remain-
ing five personnel as Squad
Members. The said grouping
had been established since late
2017 at the regional office with
the vision of implementing it
to all the different police offices
under its jurisdiction.
P/CSupt Aplasca has already
issued a directive making
every Tuesday, 11:30 - 12:30
AM, as “Squadding Time”
for the entire police force
at the PRO4a headquarters.
Being an inter-faith activity
which pretty much tackles
the character enhancement
of a person, CFC-OSM can
perfectly complement the
said program and thus, they
were requested to provide as-
sistance to cover the Values
Coach for every group.
Volunteers from the CFC
Chapter within the vicinity
of the PRO4a were quick to
answer the call to serve as
Values Coaches, and will join
the other volunteers from the
different religious denomina-
tions as well. Last January,
“My Brother’s Keeper” was
extended outside the PRO4a
regional headquarters and
implemented at the Sta. Rosa
City Police Headquarters.
By February, the directive
would have been released
by the regional director for
implementation all over
the areas of operation of
PRO4a CALABARZON.
Despite the very full plate of
CFC-OSM, the program plans
to do more Spearheads training
to assist the Values Coaches all
over CALABARZON.
According to CFC OSM,
this is a small price to pay,
considering the opportunity
to share God’s love to the men
and women in the uniformed
services, particularly in the
police force, and in shaping
them to become responsible
law enforcers of the country.
(LTC Roland J. Ong INF (GSC)
PA (Res))
Defining spirituality
Ponte described spirituality as the attention to
the life of the spirit in the people and to contem-
plating the unspeakable beauty of the Lord. He
also emphasized that it is important that one’s
identity be based on the calling that the Lord has
given in baptism, because that is something that
cannot be taken away from anyone.
Referring to leaders in Couples for Christ,
Ponte said that the role of every person or one’s
service can change and may even be taken
away, but he reminded the congregation about
one truth that is constant: “Our being sons and
daughters of God will remain because God con-
tinues to love us.”
Spirituality therefore, looks at life by seeking
to experience and understand the movements of
one’s own heart and the heart of Jesus.
In order to elaborate the spirituality of one’s
heart, Ponte explained and shared the three steps
to truth according to St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
1. discovering the truth about oneself,
which begins with the virtue of humility;
2. moving through compassion, which
St. Bernard describes as the lens
through which one discovers the
truth about others;
3. resting in the silence of attentive word-
less prayer, where one opens oneself to
God's truth.
Ponte continued, “St. Bernard alludes to an
expanded heart, a heart that has given itself to
the love of God. It is an overflowing heart because
God’s love, by its very nature, gives itself away. It’s
not seeking for one’s own benefit but its intent
is to always give it away.”
Formation in Our Journey of Faith
Formation in one’s journey of faith begins with
grace, centers on conversion and transformation,
and eventually, leads to holiness. Part of the chal-
lenge of formation is learning to be patient with
the process.
Ponte revealed, “Beginning with God’s grace
which we receive in our baptism, and in our
renewal movement, CFC, we realize that grace
of being loved by the Lord, and the beautiful
experience. Because of this grace and one’s open-
ness to allow grace to work, then conversion and
transformation happen.”
This ongoing conversion is an essential element
in spirituality. It is important to recognize that this
kind of holiness is really a quest, an aim and a goal
in our day to day life, moving towards the future.
Ponte further shared how CFC can be trans-
formed in relation to the CFC core values:
Pro-God, Pro-Family and Pro-Poor. CFC
Chairman Melo Villaroman Jr., translated
these values thus:
C -hrist our purpose, mover and center
H -ome (Family as our special gift and calling)
R -espect for life
I -nternational (our calling is global)
S -alvation (serving the poor)
T - ransformation to holiness is a journey, not
a one-time experience
“When you put all of these together, it is a
beautiful way of illustrating what CFC is all
about.” Ponte underscored.
The Movements of the Heart
Ponte pointed out four points that allow a
person to grow in spirituality:
• Encounters with God or God-experience,
where one experiences scriptures, sacra-
ments, prayer and meditation through
other people.
• Deepening our intimacy and friendship
with God - a reminder that God’s love is
unconditional and we are loved because God
chose to love us.
• Conversion and transformation through
accepting God’s love
• Transformation that impacts our re-
lationships
“We only grow by taking up our cross and
following the Lord because this is the way to
discipleship,” Ponte reiterates.
He reminded CFC that life is a series of long
‘letting go’ events and what is important is to be
prepared, to wait until the Lord comes to trans-
form every person’s life. “For transformation to
happen and for us to be instruments of salvation
and transformation, we need to deepen our rela-
tionship with the Lord,” he said.
At the end of his talk, Ponte reminded ev-
eryone of this year’s CFC Theme: Rekindle the
Gift… Fulfill Your Ministry. “Rekindle the gift
God offered, accept it, open it, use it and share it.
Fulfill your ministry by shining bright the light
of Christ, to transform and grow in holiness,”
Ponte recapped.
He ended his talk with a quote from Evan-
gelii Gaudium: “…all of us are called to mature
in our work as evangelizers, We want to have
a better training (formation), a deepening
love (a heart of God and God’s people), and a
clearer witness to the Gospel (a life of holiness).
(Andrelene Veloso)

The News Supplement

of Couples for Christ

Michael C. Ariola
IC Oversight
Zenaida A. Gimenez Alma M. Alvarez Andrelene D. Veloso
Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor Editorial Assistant

Yvonne Grace J. Dolorosa Deomar P. Oliveria Evangeline C. Mecedilla

Staff Writer Layout Artist Circulation Staff

The Ugnayan News Supplement is published by the Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc., with editorial offices at 156 20th
Avenue, 1109 Cubao, Quezon City. Editorial trunk line: (+63 2) 709-4868 local 31 Direct line : (+63 2) 709-4856 The CFC Migrants Program, in its advocacy to uphold the family, not only includes spouses, but now also invites parents and
www.couplesforchristglobal.org globalcommunications@couplesforchristglobal.org siblings in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS), as practiced by manpower providers like JM International, Inc.
CBCP Monitor February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 03 C3

ANCOP USA Meets with VP’s Angat Buhay ANCOP USA goes on mission to
Talibon Diocese
ACTING on the request of Arch-
bishop Bernardito Auza, D.D,
Permanent Observer of the Holy
See to the United Nations, AN-
COP-USA Executive Director
Roger Santos assembled a team of
CFC doctors, dentists and nurses
from the United States to con-
duct a medical-dental mission in
the Diocese of Talibon in Bohol.
The municipality of Talibon,
OFFICIALS of CFC ANCOP USA, led by Roger poor families around the Philippines, in the areas where Archbishop Auza was
Santos, met with the staff of Vice President Leni of food and nutrition, livelihood opportunities, patients or a grand total of 2,721 patients.
born and raised, is where the Most Holy Trinity The mission ended with a fellowship night
Robredo to discuss the VP’s Angat Buhay initia- classroom construction and teacher training, water Cathedral Parish, the seat of the diocese, is located.
tive. The meeting, held on February 5, 2018 at pumps and clean water systems. sponsored by the LGU and CFC Bohol as a sign
The 39-member team, led by Elizabeth Macaraeg, of their gratitude to the dedicated volunteers.
the VP’s office in Quezon City, discussed possible During the meeting, the team from ANCOP USA arrived on January 31, 2018. Their first order of
areas of collaboration in addressing the needs of also turned over boxes of medicine for an infirmary CSP scholars and Cornerstone tutees sponsored
business was a Holy Mass presided by Most Rev. by ANCOP USA/ Canada performed different
poor communities. in Calabanga, Camarines Sur, following its inaugu- Daniel Patrick Parcon, D.D., Bishop of Talibon.
Angat Buhay, a pro-poor program, was launched ration recently. Santos likewise proposed to the VP’s intermission numbers for the volunteers.
On the first day, February 1, a short program The LGU gave each volunteer a certificate
by the Office of Vice President Robredo in 2016 and office the donation of hospital equipment for the preceded the start of the actual mission. Talibon
parallels ANCOP's poverty alleviation initiatives. community health center later this year. ANCOP of appreciation for their love and service to
Mayor Restituto Artiaga, SB member Junith the people of Talibon. Leftover medicines
According to Johnahkirza Aglupus, Program USA hopes to conduct medical/ surgical and dental Loma (chairperson, committee on health), Di-
Officer of Angat Buhay, after one year of imple- missions in the municipality in the near future. and supplies were turned over to Dr. Mike
onisio Neil Balite (CFC ANCOP-Bohol head), Jayoma, CFC Talibon cluster head, and Hospi-
mentation, the program has helped over 83,700 (ANCOP USA Communications) Lorenzo Flores (CFC - Bohol Governance Team tal Administrator of the Pres. Garcia Memorial
member and event head), and Macaraeg wel-
ANCOP TALA UNVEILS
Provincial Hospital.
comed the team and the beneficiaries. The mission team expressed its gratitude to
On the first day alone, the volunteer doctors CFC in Talibon, as well as CFC Bohol for making
SEN. ENVERGA MARKER and nurses attended to a total of 1,018 patients
(Medical - 898; Dental - 120).
On Day 2 (February 2nd), people from the
the mission memorable, enabling them to help
uplift the lives of those in need through brotherly
love and care.
ON JANUARY 22, 2018, the nearby towns, hearing about the mission of the The medical-dental mission was made possible
Philippine Canadian Charitable day before, started to come early, just after the through the support of Bishop Daniel Patrick
Foundation (PCCF) team, repre- team had said their morning prayers. Many of Y. Parcon, DD, of the Diocese of Talibon, Rep.
sented by its President Romy the patients were senior citizens from far and Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado, Atty. Dionisio
Rafael and Rosemer Enverga, nearby barangays. Dajalos Balite, PhD, Mayor Auxtero and Vice
Executive Vice President, and The total medical patients attended to on Day 2 mayor Cleto Garcia of LGU Talibon, Dr. Mike
widow of Senator Tobias En- were 520 adults and 224 children for a total of 744 Jayoma of CPGPMH, and the Buhing Inambitay
verga Jr, came all the way from patients. The dental mission treated 289 patients og Tinabangay Foundation, Inc.
Canada for the unveiling of carried over the previous day and an additional 46 Last year, ANCOP - USA also sponsored a
the marker of the Sen. Tobias patients, for a total of 335 patients. Total patients surgical-medical-dental mission for three days
Enverga Jr. multi-purpose hall served for the second day was 1,079. in the Diocese of Tagbilaran, also in Bohol, par-
(MPH). Sen. Enverga, a Filipino- All in all, the two-day mission benefitted a ticularly in the municipalities of Maribojoc, Loay
Canadian, was a staunch sup- total of 2,266 medical patients and 455 dental and Panglao and Tagbilaran City. (Neil Balite)
porter of ANCOP Canada. COP Tala Community for five Teen Philippines Canada 2017),
In her emotional message to consecutive years. Together Raeshan Saeed (PCCF Miss Phil-
the home partners, Mrs. Enverga with ANCOP, and other ANCOP ippines Canada 2017), and Laila
mentioned the kindness of the
late senator and how he champi-
partners like Fr. Paul Foulon, the
Holy Rosary Parish, and the Dr.
Elcano (PCCF Mrs. Philippines
Canada 2017).
Tele-Edukasyon launched, pilots in Quezon
oned work with poor, especially Jose N. Reyes Memorial Hos- Ricky Cuenca, ANCOP Can- ANCOP USA Executive Di-
in the Philippines, through pital, the institution has been ada President and member of rector Roger Santos and Fr.
his untiring support for the trying to battle the social stigma the CFC International Council, Martin Mroz of the Payatas
programs of CFC ANCOP. Mrs. brought about by leprosy. said, “This is a great day for us Orione Foundation recently
Enverga pledged to continue the Aside from Rafael and Enver- to honor and glorify the Lord. signed the Memorandum of
work by providing more houses ga, the PCCF entourage included And this is a great day for us to Agreement for the ANCOP
for the families in need. the winners of the PCCF beauty give back to the community.” Tele-Edukasyon Tutoring
PCCF, which funded the near- pageant - Marian Barcase (PCCF PCCF pledged to build 15 more Program. The program was
ly-completed multi-purpose Little Miss Philippines Canada houses by the end of this year. (Di- launched during the inau-
hall, has been visiting the AN- 2017), Jenna Ramos (PCCF Miss ana Mendoza & Romy Medina) guration and blessing of the
newly-renovated St. Rafael
DON BOSCO TVET, ANCOP SIGN MOA Parish, Dalahican, Lucban,
Quezon on February 4, 2018.
According to Santos, the
reduction in the country. ANCOP Tele-edukasyon tu-
Through the TVET Center, the students’ skills and toring program is one way to
capabilities will be honed through proper training help the CFC-ANCOP schol-
and hands-on practice, giving the students excellent lessons with accompanying Vice President Leni Ro-
ars who are in the elemen- videos,” Santos said. bredo was not able to at-
skill sets that will make them readily employable tary, secondary and collegiate
in a shorter amount of time. CFC ANCOP hope to He added, “The students tend the event, but sent a
levels. This program aims to can also post their questions video message for the schol-
establish wider networks among institutions with provide academic support
TVET programs in order to create opportunities in related to their assignments ars and sponsors of ANCOP
through tutoring/coaching and get help through the USA in Dalahican. The Vice
aligning towards that direction. and reinforcing concepts
Some of the courses offered in Don Bosco TVET teacher or tutor volunteer as- President encouraged all the
and subject matter learned signed for that subject area.” stakeholders of the Tele-Edu-
are Office System Management, Hotel and Restau- in schools.
rant Management, Automotive Service, Electrical The ANCOP Tele-edu- kasyon Program— benefac-
“The students will be able kasyon tutoring program tors , implementors, as well
Installations and Maintenance, and Refrigeration to access an on-line address
CFC ANCOP, fully embracing programs that will and Aircon Repairs and Maintenance. is manned by volunteer as the scholars—to continue
that would link them to the teachers/educators from the work of empowering the
support the development of skilled individuals, One of the ANCOP scholars from Don Bosco ANCOP TELE-EDUKASYON
partnered with the Don Bosco Technical and Vo- TVET, John Henrich Malazarte, expressed his CFC-Maryland who are youth through quality educa-
website. From this, the stu- certified and are expert in tion and values formation.
cational Education and Training (TVET) Center gratitude to both organizations for helping him dents can proceed to the
to cater to scholars who will take up technical and and promised to do his best in studying. Later on, their respective subject areas. After the launch, ANCOP
various subject areas that Initially, the subject area/ USA distributed gift packs
vocational courses. Malazarte intends to pay it forward by sponsoring they need help and receive
Don Bosco TVET rector, Rev. Fr. Gaudencio a scholar as well. contents are Math, English, to their scholars in the area.
on-line modular or topical Science, and History. (A. Alvarez)
Carandang Jr., SDB, CFC ANCOP President Rudy Fr. Carandang extended his gratitude to ANCOP
Gaspillo and ANCOP Education Program Head Canada for the sponsorship, highlighting that the
Efren Tompong forged the partnership via the sign- support in education can change the lives of poor CFC LEADERS, p1
ing of the Memorandum of Agreement on January families after the scholars have graduated and
26, 2018 at the Don Bosco TVET Center in Tondo, become employed. Ariola challenged CFC, “Let us examine our for reflection and for renewing commitment to
Manila. ANCOP Canada President Ricardo Cuenca Aside from the existing program, CFC ANCOP hearts and ask God to enable us to wisely use the the mission.
and wife Irma also graced the event. is looking at catering to the education of parents gifts He has bestowed upon each and every one.” Tribu de Cristo, a boho-themed fellowship,
The MOA embodies the commitment of ANCOP through TechVoc education. The project, named followed. After the party, it was time for quiet re-
Canada to increase the number of scholars to 50 TVETP (Technical and Vocational Education Shine bright! flection the following day, Saturday. But first, as
from the 16 existing scholars in the center. Training for Parents) will be offered to the parents While Ariola’s talk was inspirational, Villaro- is usual with all CFC conferences, the day would
CFC ANCOP sees the TVET Center as a tool for of ANCOP scholars, whether CFC or non-CFC mem- man’s talk was directional as he spoke of the great not begin without the recitation of the Holy
productivity enhancement, and ultimately poverty bers, aged 40 years old and below. (Diana Mendoza) responsibility that rests on each leader’s shoulders Rosary and the celebration of the Eucharist. The
as a modern-day apostle. He urged everyone to keep Saturday Mass, as well as the Mass on Sunday, was
the light alive by preparing the next generation of celebrated by Bishop Wenceslao Padilla of Mon-
Vickar Family visits leaders and to indeed charge forth to be a light to
all nations.
golia, together with the priests from Mongolia,
Indonesia, Ecuador and Peru who had gone up
ANCOP site in Bulacan Citing St. Paul, Villaroman reminded the
congregation “to stir into flame the gift of God
to Baguio with the CFC delegates.
The weekend featured five talks, four on Sat-
that is in us.” urday and one on Sunday, all of them given by
He said, “All of us may be falling short of God’s members of the International Council.
bright glory, but something is at work in us that The message of the first talk, given by Ricky
is much greater than our weaknesses, our blind Cuenca (“The Gift Within Us”), revolved around
spots, our guilt, our regrets!” the gift given to each member through the
The fire within each person is the fire that Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism, which
transforms even the toughest, the fire that over- opened up for each one the door to spiritual
comes suffering and persecution, the unchanging life. Cuenca exhorted everyone not to let the
fire that will shine the light of Christ brightly. gift remain within but to give the gift to others.
How then, can one rekindle this fire? He also reminded the delegates that CFC’s re-
Villaroman exhorted, “We must honor God’s sponse to the gift is gratitude for the gift-giver,
vision for us, stand firm in our values, do what God Himself.
the Lord asks of us, and express love and kindness The second session, “Called and Chosen”, was
in all our personal encounters.” given by James Solano, who explained that a
Christian’s first calling is intimacy with Christ.
Solemn Charge Weekend This intimacy opens each person to the gifts
Recharged from the Leaders Conference, the available to him, and enables him to strive not
Metro Manila Mission Core, joined by delegates only for personal holiness, but to build up the
from the provinces and abroad, motored to body of Christ, the Church, and community.
ANCOP donors Larry Vickar Before proceeding to the site, their excitement as to what the Baguio City for the Solemn Charge Weekend Solano explained that being called and chosen
and his wife Tova, together with the Vickars paid a courtesy call outcome of the project would be. Retreat. The retreat was held at the CAP Conven- means each CFC member has the mandate to
their family, recently visited on Mayor Ferddie Estrella at After the site visit, the Vickar tion Center in Camp John Hay. keep the fire in his heart burning and to mentor
the rising ANCOP Site in Bgy. his office. The mayor thanked family visited a nearby orphan- The Friday activity began with the celebration the next generation so that the mandate remains
Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan and met the family and CFC ANCOP age, the Bethlehem House of of the Holy Eucharist, presided by Rev. Fr. Bene- fresh. Solano used the example of the mentor-
with some of the home partners for helping build homes for Bread Orphanage. They inter- dict Jason P. Lopez from the Diocese of Baguio, mentee relationship between the apostle Paul
in the community. The said site the poor families of Baliuag. acted with the children, shared and concelebrated by Fr. Ronald Magbanua, and the young Timothy.
will house 145 families and He said, “I believe that this is gifts and had fellowship with CICM, from Mongolia, Fr. Marco Coloma from “Regardless of age, we have to set a good ex-
will be named the Larry Tova the continuing work of Jesus the people supporting and Ecuador and Fr. Rober Martinez of Peru. Fr. Lo- ample and witness to our members. Let us be
Vickar CFC ANCOP Winnipeg through CFC ANCOP”. working for the said orphanage. pez’s homily was a fitting reminder that the next salt and light to them,” he emphasized. Solano
Starville IV. The family could not hide (Diana Mendoza) two days would indeed be a holy retreat, a time likewise reminded CFC LEADERS, p4
C4 February 5 - 18, 2018 Vol. 22 No. 03 CBCP Monitor

YFC Oceania Sets Sail for a Great Adventure

TWENTY-FOUR young people from
Oceania, members of Youth for Christ,
came to the Philippines to experience
the Oceania Great Adventure Tour (OC-
GAT) 2018. The two-week Jesus Experi-
ence ran from January 5–19, 2018 and
saw the GAT-ters immersing themselves
in ANCOP areas in Manila, Albay, and
Iloilo. During their immersion, they
underwent training from, and bonded
in fellowship with, the CFC community
and YFC ministry in the areas.
OCGAT heads Ira Juntereal and Mac
Quinto did the orientation and setting of
expectations at the CFC Global Mission
Center in Cubao, Philippines together
with YFC leaders Abi Halal, Alvin Gen-
ese, Dar Manalo and Jep Calumag.
After their GMC orientation, the
team organized a fellowship night at
the Pastoral Center of Pinaglabanan
Church, with performances by YFC
Central A Band and Chorale.
The great adventure tour continued
with a week-long ANCOP immersion
in the province of Albay, made all the
more memorable because of the ten-
hour bus ride which strengthened the
group’s bond and geared them up for
a week of sharing and experiencing
Christ in the ANCOP Taysan Com-
munity. Each GAT-ter was hosted by
a family with whom they lived for the
entire week, soaking up local culture.
The young people experienced pump-
ing water from the deep well (poso) for
their bath water, washing their own
clothes, washing dishes, cleaning the
house, eating with their bare hands,
and embracing the simple lifestyle,
with Mt. Mayon providing a majestic
and glorious backdrop to their day-
to-day life.
The whole week also saw the youth
conducting a Kid’s Assembly at the
ANCOP Community, attending the
Mission with the Poor Weekend Re-
treat, getting engaged in various team
building activities, prayer sessions,
and getting to know His Excellency
Bishop Bong Baylon of Albay. The
delegates also did a G-Project immer-
sion through a tree planting activity at
Sto. Domingo, seven kilometers from
the foot of Mayon.
The Manila leg of the tour included
meeting the YFC Fulltime workers
and Metro Manila YFC Leaders and
Couple Coordinators, experiencing
other YFC advocacy immersions, and
attending the CFC Leaders Conference
at the Mall of Asia Arena where the
team witnessed first-hand the bigger
mission they belong to.
The GAT-ters, still bearing the new
fire in their hearts, flew to Iloilo on the
last leg of their tour, where they shared
the love of Christ with the elderly at
Asilo de Molo. It was a heartwarming
afternoon, with young people serenad-
ing the lolas and lolos and listening to
their stories.
It was not all work for the team as
they also saw the grand beauty of the
Gigantes Islands and other famous
tourist spots in Iloilo.
As a fitting end to their tour, upon
their return to Manila, the GAT-ters
were treated to a surprise farewell kid-
die party at Jollibee.
With the theme Novus Ignis, a Latin
term that means “New Fire”, the 24
delegates of the YFC Oceania Great
Adventure Tour 2018 experienced a
rekindling of the fire in their hearts,
making them grow further in their
spiritual life and giving them renewed
vigor for the mission ahead. (Text by
Sarah Abigail Halal; photos by Ken-
neth Santos)

New Mission Appointments

IN A memo issued last January 18, 2018, the CFC
International Council announced the following
appointments, effective February 1, 2018:
Philippine Missions:
Regional Head:
• Bong Bautista - Western Mindanao
• Caloy Subang - Southeastern Mindanao
• Noel Dacalos - North Central Mindanao
• Pempe Deguilmo - South Central Mindanao
• Hector Simplicio - CFC Northeastern Min-
danao
Provincial Area Head:
• Bobby Mercado - Camiguin
• Jun Waga - Davao
International Missions:
Regional Coordinator:
• Steve Maningat - South Asia
Country Coordinator:
• Alan Baiño - Australia
• Rhodie Nidea - Austria
• Dodong Banaynal - Bahrain
• Heiko Junge - Germany
• Cesar Cardenas - India
• Danny Simangan - New Zealand
• Raffy Ballesteros - Thailand
• Eric Bostre - Vietnam

On 26 January 2018, CFC Greece leaders met with the New Papal Nuncio to Greece, His Excellency Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai,
who is also currently Vatican Secretary of Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The CFC leaders informed the nuncio
about CFC Greece activities and mission work. During the meeting, the nuncio accepted CFC Greece’s invitation to celebrate the
Alan Baiño Bobby Mercado Bong Baustista Caloy Subang
Thanksgiving Mass Celebration of the community on February 25, 2018.
CFC LEADERS, p3
everyone to rediscover the fire of passion and underwent many hardships but endured every
not let the passion cool down. suffering, confident that God will give him the
Passion was the highlight of Session 3 titled strength to go on.
“Proclaim the Word” delivered by Reggie Rago- Yamamoto encouraged everyone: “The pain
jos. He emphasized that evangelization is passion and suffering might be difficult to comprehend,
but this passion must be proclaimed to the whole much less accept, but in the end, with God’s grace,
Cesar Cardenas Danny Simangan Dodong Banaynal Eric Bostre world. “In order to continue to proclaim amidst that sacrifice will be meaningful to each one of us
the challenges, one should be witnesses by being a and becomes bearable because we are beginning
good Christian, by witnessing through action, not to understand. And when we understand, we
simply words, and not just within community know that we are not far from the face of Christ.”
but even outside it.” The session ended with a pray over ceremony
Ragojos underlined that no matter how dif- of the ‘Timothy Generation’ or the next genera-
ficult the mission becomes, one should continue tion of CFC leaders, symbolizing the preparation
to serve, whether convenient or inconvenient, of the front liners in the battlefield.
and rekindle three things: In the last session on Sunday morning, Arnel
Santos reminded, “The journey continues—new-
Hector Simplicio Heiko Junge Jun Waga Noel Dacalos • Rekindle the love for God. “We should ness itself must be renewed. May it be in our lives
rekindle our love for God, so that we can as an individual, in our families or in the Church.”
share His love to others,” Ragojos empha- He called the next generation of CFC the
sized. ‘Timothys’ and exhorted them that “The call is to
• Rekindle the 'What'. CFC proclaims journey some more. Let us pray to the Lord that
the beauty of faith through community. his journey may happen in every minute of our
Ragojos said, “The beauty of our commu- lives. The empowerment that we need is written
nity comes from our household where we in 1 Peter 4:10: ‘As each one has received a gift,
love and care for one another. CFC is not use it to serve one another as good stewards of
Pempe Deguilmo Raffy Ballesteros Bong Nidea Steve Maningat a fading community, but the community God’s given gifts.’”
becomes more beautiful through time.” The session ended with the Solemn Charge
• Rekindle the 'How'. “We proclaim with rites, with Santos reciting the Solemn Charge
joy—this is our ‘how’,” Ragojos explained. for the Mission Core, citing the annual themes
SCHEDULE OF CFC EVENTS FOR 2018 He added, “Christian joy is not simply a
pursuit of an emotional satisfaction, but it
is a profound joy born out of serving others.”
as clear directives from the Lord to CFC.
Responding to the solemn charge, the Metro
Manila Sector Heads led the assembly in
proclaiming the new Mission Core Covenant,
The next session—Put Up with Hardships— taking to heart “this deeper commitment to
given by Joe Yamamoto, expounded on the dif- CFC’s vision and mission, dedicating myself
ficulties every missionary must face in trying to to the Lord, to my family and my life and
proclaim the Word to all, including distractions service in CFC.”
coming from community leaders themselves. Almost to a man, the delegates expressed their
Yamamoto cautioned: “Do not be distracted thanks to the speakers for the powerful messages,
by the imperfections of your leaders. Focus on commenting that these sessions were among the
Christ and you will never fail.” best they had ever experienced. Everyone drove
The session, actually a refresher on leadership, back down to Manila exhilarated and indeed
provided a few pointers for leaders, all of them refreshed and renewed by the solemn charge
culled from the example of the apostle Paul who they had received.
HOMILY, p1
My dear friends, this year’s of Sienna said, “Be who God The Lord will rekindle the
theme in preparation for 2021 - meant you to be and you will gifts that we have received so
the year of priests and religious set the world on fire.” that even in our little ways, we
persons - means that all the We ask ourselves, “What does can use the gifts for the service
servant-leaders, including all of God want me to be?” When we of God and the Church.
you in Couples for Christ, must know, when we recognize what This year and for the years
put your gifts at the service of God’s desire is for us, then we to come, Couples for Christ will
one another. We are leaders, strive to live up to that desire. continue to rekindle the gifts.
but we are servant-leaders. One of the great lessons I May you truly become God’s big
“Rekindle the gift.” How learned when we hosted the family that will spread through-
beautiful these words are! The International Eucharistic Con- out the world to proclaim that
fire is already there (in you) gress has to do with our receiv- even if we are imperfect human
because of the laying of hands ing communion. When the beings, the love of God and the
and because of your com- minister says “the Body of mercy of God are so great. He
mitment, and because of the Christ” and because we know calls all of us to holiness. He
sacraments you have received that this little bread is the body calls all of us to mission. He
through the years. of Christ, we say “Amen.” When calls all of us to spread His mes-
As the great St. Augustine we say “Amen”, we are also say- sage of love.
reminds us, “You touch me ing, “Yes, this is the body of Praise God for this gathering!
and I am set on fire.” It is when Christ, but yes, we are also the May the Lord indeed rekindle
the Lord touches us that we body of Christ because we will the gifts that we have received
understand what St. Catherine become what we receive.” for His glory!