cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.netwww.cbcponline.net/cbcpmonitor

Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace

Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008 Php 20.00

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President’s resignation or anyother direct reference to thepolitical firestorm, the bish-ops stressed the significanceof “internal conversionthrough communal andprayerful discernment.”

There has been greatclamor from civil societygroups, individuals and otherdifferent sectors urging CBCPto issue call for Arroyo’s res-ignation, which CBCP hascautiously avoided, after theNBN scam, in which manytop government officials areimplicated.

In her seven years in presi-dency, Arroyo has survivedfour attempted power grabsand three opposition im-peachment bids over allegedcorruption and vote rigging,which she has repeatedly de-nied.

Cardinal Vidal issued apastoral statement sometimeago appealing Catholics for“personal and communalconversion and collective ac-tion based on the Gospel val-ues and social teachings of theChurch.”

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Change / A6 Social / A6

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales talks to Sumilao farmers as he gives them blessing to do a “Jericho March” around Malacañang. The farmers want the President to makegood her promise made during their dialogue last December 17, 2007 to return the 144-hectare land in Sumilao, Bukidnon they have long been claiming.

Change must start fromwithin—Bishop Soc

A YOUNG Roman Catholic bishop said thatwhatever the political system is today is only areflection of the kind of people the country has.

Now if you are seeking a genuine politicalreform and an end to corruption in the govern-ment: start first from within yourself.

While he agrees that the “the President mustchange or be changed; so with senators and con-gressmen,” Balanga bishop Socrates Villegas

Call for Arroyo’s resignation isCall for Arroyo’s resignation isCall for Arroyo’s resignation isCall for Arroyo’s resignation isCall for Arroyo’s resignation ispeople’s job — Cardinal Vidalpeople’s job — Cardinal Vidalpeople’s job — Cardinal Vidalpeople’s job — Cardinal Vidalpeople’s job — Cardinal Vidal

Call / A6

Social action centersrush aid to disaster

victimsAS continuous rains affect thousands of residentsin Bicol and Eastern Visayas provinces, variousSocial Action Centers of the Catholic Churchhave begun to extend direct relief assistance todisaster victims.

CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Ac-tion, Justice and Peace Executive Secretary Sr.

The full understanding ofthe Biblical Apostolate

By Santosh Digal

CALLING for President Gloria Arroyo’s resignation is a pre-rogative of “a political decision and action,” and it is not thestand of the Catholic bishops, said Cebu Archbishop RicardoCardinal Vidal.

Southeast Asia Womentackle women’s issues

“Calling for the resigna-tion of is not our aim. I don’tknow why they are alwaysasking us to do that becausewe are bishops. The opposi-tion can do that. I am not inthe opposition, nor am I pro.I am here as a shepherd forthose who are here. I do notknow why they like us to dothat when we cannot do it. Itis a political decision and ac-tion,” Cardinal told mediaafter he celebrated SundayMass at the ArchdiocesanShrine of Our Lady ofGuadalupe in Cebu City lastMarch 2.

Cardinal Vidal reiteratedthe Catholic Bishops’ Confer-ence of the Philippines’(CBCP) position that bishopsare not calling for Arroyo’sresignation, instead theycalled to crusade for truth re-lentlessly and fight corrup-tion at all levels.

The CBCP stressed in itsFeb 26 statement calling for“circles of discernment” at thegrassroots level, in the par-ishes, and schools, amongothers. Avoiding calls for the

Mining, logging blamed for killer floodsWEATHER was the main target for blame in killerflashfloods that hit Eastern Samar, but a Catholicbishop is also pointing to environment destruc-tion as a contributing factor.

The island of Samar and adjacent areas have beenhit by days of heavy torrential rains causing land-slides and overflowing rivers.

The disaster that struck the poor province hasplaced many people in a disadvantaged conditionleaving more than P500M in infrastructure dam-age and P126M in agriculture loss.

The worst, at least 14 people were killed and dis-placed tens of thousands of families in the towns ofDolores, Taft, Gen. MacArthur, Jipapad Maslog andBorongan City.

Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez said he isgrateful ordinary citizens as well as governmentand non-government groups immediately re-sponded to initial relief operations.

But Varquez said the tragedy that they have“never experienced before” spurred them to “lookmore deeply into our circumstances.”

“These could indicate ominous conditions in the

future,” he said.The bishop claimed the flashfloods that caused

heavy landslides are apparently just the negativeresults triggered by reckless mining and loggingoperations.

At times, he said, everything they have lost isbeyond recovery.

“From what we see, it is without a doubt thatthese floods have also been exacerbated by manyof our depleted forests, damaged mountains andnatural landscapes due to irresponsible logging andmining,” he said.

Landslides anywhere in the country are oftenblamed by experts and environmentalists on log-ging and mining.

This is because forest cover helps maintain landstability—both by absorbing the rain that can causeit to slip, and by securing soil and vegetation to thebedrock with tree roots.

Varquez said the recent disaster should compelthe people to do their part in the urgent task tosave the environment.

“This means that we must decide for the restora-

tion, preservation and protection of our forests,mountains and what remains of our naturalwealth,” he said.

The bishop also called his flocks to help identifythe sources of damage and abuse of the environ-ment, “no matter how the truth may hurt.”

“By necessity we must point to loggers, miners(small-scale or large-scale) and irresponsible citi-zens among us who prefer personal profit to com-mon benefit,” he also said.

Varquez said it is the locals who suffer muchwhen commercial logging and mining “depletes”natural forest resources.

“It is the locals, therefore, who must find waysand means to conserve their natural resources fortheir common benefit and those of future genera-tions,” he added.

Borongan and nearby towns were isolated sinceFeb. 15 after a bridge in MacArthur collapsed dueto floodwater.

Various roads in the municipalities ofQuinapondan and Taft also remain impassable dueto flooding and landslides. (Roy Lagarde)

CEAP: Gov’t corruptioncannot be toleratedCORRUPTION in the government cannot to be tol-erated, said the Catholic Educational Associationof the Philippines (CEAP).

“We shall not tolerate corruption in our lives, inour government, in our nation,” said Fr. RoderickC. Salazar, SVD, CEAP national president.

In a statement titled, “Conscience Calls, ActionsPersonal and Communal: CEAP Position on Vari-ous Positions of the Day” he said, “the events ofour time call for speaking truth, seeking justice,setting things right.”

The CEAP is the biggest national association ofCatholic educational institutions in the country,with about 1,252 members, which include 29 uni-versities, 98 graduate schools, 236 colleges, 1,070high schools, 629 elementary and 591 pre-elemen-tary schools, instituted in 1941.

“We must pray, heed what our conscience tellsus, act with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of thePhilippines (CBCP) and all other men and womenof good will, seek to discover the educative mo-ment in the happenings of the day, fight corrup-tion in ourselves and others, work to set thingsright—as we see things, under the guidance of theHoly Spirit, following Jesus, seeking to dispel dark-ness by our light, melting hatred by our love,”Salazar said.

In its last National Convention, CEAP scoredunder the theme “Beyond Borders, Within Worlds:Catholic Schools and Corporate Social Responsi-bility.” It stressed that in the world of Catholic edu-cation, it needs to go beyond the borders that sepa-rate one school from another, one sector in societyfrom the next—”when the love of God urges us todo so.”

“Any particular moves flowing from our indi-vidual and communal reading of the times and ourresponse to what our conscience prompts” is needof the hour in the wake of NBN scam, he said.

The individual and communal call of conscienceshould be promoted by every CEAP memberschool which is ready to march to decry corrup-tion, the priest added.

The CEAP is commissioned to advance and pro-mote the teaching function of the Catholic Church.It contributes towards the attainment of the objec-tive, “the total development of the human person”through a Catholic orientation in accordance withthe norms of the Church, constituent with nationaldevelopment goals as expressed in the PhilippineConstitution.

The CEAP also promotes religious instruction asa key element of Catholic education, thereby con-tributing towards character formation and citizen-ship building. (CBCPNews)

Cardinal urgesfarmers to hang onA RANKING Roman Catholic prel-ate has asked the Sumilao farmers toremain strong in their faith as he as-sured continued support to theircause.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Car-dinal Rosales made the call after ameeting with the farmers at theArzobispado in Intramuros, March 4.

Rosales vowed that he will con-tinue to monitor developments in thecase of the Sumilao farmers until theyget 144-hectare property beingclaimed by the farmers.

He said the Church’s support on thecause of the poor farmers is anchoredon realities that the farmers were theaggrieved party in the contestedproperty.

Rosales also led the farmers inpraying so that they would finallyachieve justice, which the farmershave long been seeking.

Sumilao farmers are back again inManila to retrace their “walk for justice”to recover the land they claimed as theirsin Bukidnon province.

Twelve of the 55 farmers whomarched 1,700 kilometers last year re-turned to Manila last January 17.

But on March 1, more farmers arrived tothe capital bringing their numbers to 144to strengthen their cause and pressure thegovernment to accelerate their demand.

Elgine Merida, spokesman of SanMiguel Landless Farmers Association(SALFA), said the presence of 144 farm-ers marks the size of land they have beenasking.

She said it also represents the numberof days to demand an accounting ofMalacañang’s promise to return theirancestral land to them.

The Sumilao farmers are currentlytaking refuge at the Caritas Manila Cen-ter in Pandacan, Manila. (CBCPNews)

Davao archdiocese accepts2 new groups of CFC

FOLLOWING the divisionof the Couples for Christ

(CFC), ArchbishopFernando Capalla is-

sued a circular lettergiving his episco-

pal blessingand acceptanceof the two CFCgroups in thearchdiocese ofDavao.

ArchbishopCapalla in hisletter addressedto the parish

priests, diocesan agencies and the Archdiocesan Council of the LayApostolate and Integrated Movements (ACLAIM), officially an-nounced that he has decided to accept both CFC groups, namely:Couples for Christ-Global Mission Foundation Incorporated (CFC-GMFI) and Couples for Christ-Foundation for Family and Life(CFC-FFL) as recognized lay associations within the Metropoli-tan Archdiocese of Davao. Davao / A6

UGNAYANCouples for Christ Supplement

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A2 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorWorld News

$ 1.8 million ransom demandedfor release of Iraqi archbishop

Bishop recounts how Chavez supporters occupiedArchdiocese of Caracas chancery

Catholics to receive fournew saints in October

Padre Pio exhumed, bodyis ‘well preserved’

Mexican bishops call forconstitutional reform toguarantee religiousfreedom

Muslim leaders also call for the releaseof the bishop of Mosul

Pope repeats appeal for Iraqi prelate’s release

MADRID, Spain, March 3, 2008—TheMensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace)foundation is reporting that the captors ofArchbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul aredemanding $1.8 million in ransom money tofree the Iraqi prelate who was kidnapped lastFriday.

In comments to Italian Bishops’ news ser-vice Servizio Informazione Religiosa (SIR),Bishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk said that, “Thekidnappers have called more than once ask-ing for ransom.”

The president and founder of Mensajerosde la Paz, Father Angel Garcia, expressed hishope that the captors would relent and “forhumanitarian reasons release the Archbishopof Mosul, who is man of faith and not politicsand is also ill.”

He also said he called on the “governments,religious institutions and episcopal confer-ences of the world to follow the lead of PopeBenedict XVI and call for the immediate re-lease of Archbishop Rahho.”

According to the foundation, Father Garciais working to get the archbishop released, andin the coming days he will travel to Spain withfive sick Iraqi children who need treatment.

Father Garcia has spent time as well withthe families of the three young people killedduring the kidnapping of Archbishop Rahho,

MOSUL, Iraq, March 3, 2008—Negotiationsfor the release of the Chaldean bishop ofMosul who was seized last Friday as hecame out of Holy Spirit Church are at astandstill.

But more and more Muslim leaders areexpressing their solidarity towards theChristian community. For his part Msgr.Louis Sako, Chaldean archbishop ofKirkuk, appealed for an end to “the Iraqipeople’s tragedy.”

Sources in the Mosul diocese confirmedto AsiaNews that there have been no newcontacts with the prelate’s abductors. But“we believe Msgr. Paulos Faraj Rahho isstill alive even though we have no con-crete evidence to prove it,” the sourcessaid.

Nothing is known yet about the abduc-tors’ identity. When they seized the prel-

ate last Friday they killed three peoplewho were in a car with him, but more andmore people believe they are a criminalgang out for money. In fact a ransom forMonsignor Rahho’s release has been askedbut no deadline has been set.

Iraqi police has set up a special task forceto investigate the clergyman’s disappear-ance. Their operations are centred inMosul’s al-Nour neighborhood where thekidnapping took place.

More voices are coming together in anappeal for the bishop’s release. The Euro-pean Union joined the Pope, the Bishops’Council of Nineveh and the Chaldean Na-tional Council in making an appeal. TheEU’s Slovenian presidency has called forthe prelate’s unconditional release, urgingIraqi authorities to do their utmost tosolve the case in a positive way.

Iraq’s Chaldean community has made itsown pained appeal. “From Iraq’s tragedyand the suffering of an entire people, wesay: Enough with the war! Enough withabductions! Enough with killing the inno-cent! Let us learn to live together in ourdiversity as our religions teach us. Despiteits suffering, Iraq’s Christian communityhas for a minute not lost hope and a desirefor dialogue to show that Christians andMuslims can be friends.”

Archbishop Sako told AsiaNews that “insuch moments the two communities areas one voice calling for Monsignor Faraj’srelease.”

In Mosul Sunni leaders have slammedthe abduction, whilst in Kirkuk a repre-sentative of the al-Sadr’s Shia movementhas raised a banner that says that “Suchactions are bad for Iraq.” (AsiaNews)

VATICAN CITY, March 2, 2008—Benedict XVI is appealing againfor the release of the Chaldeanarchbishop of Mosul, Iraq, kid-napped Friday.

After leading the midday An-gelus in St. Peter’s Square today,the Pope repeated his appeal forthe release of Archbishop PaulosFaraj Rahho. The prelate wastaken captive as he was leavingMosul’s Church of the Holy Spiritafter participating in the Way ofthe Cross.

Three men who accompaniedhim, including his driver, werekilled. Their funerals were heldSaturday.

The Holy Father affirmed he isfollowing this “dramatic event”with “profound sadness.” Hejoined with “the call of the patri-arch, Cardinal Emmanuel IIIDelly, and his co-workers, for thedear prelate¯who is also in verypoor health—to be released im-mediately.”

“I also elevate my prayer ofsupplication for the souls of thethree young people who werewith him and were killed at thetime of the kidnapping,” the Pon-tiff said. “I express, moreover, mycloseness to the entire Church inIraq and in particular to theChaldean Church, that have onceagain been dealt a serious blow,while I encourage all of the pas-tors and faithful to be strong andfirm in hope.

“May the efforts of those whocontrol the fate of the Iraqipeople be multiplied so that,thanks to the commitment andwisdom of all, this people mayagain find peace and security, andthe future to which it has a rightnot to be destroyed.”

Previously threatened

In statements made to the Mis-sionary International ServiceNews Agency, Monsignor Philip

Najim, apostolic visitor forChaldean Catholics in Europe,said that he was not “surprised”by the news of ArchbishopRahho’s kidnapping: “Indeed, Ican say that in a certain sense Iexpected it.”

“Only a few months ago somemen came up to him on the street,pointing a pistol at his chest,”Monsignor Najim said. “[Arch-bishop Rahho] himself told meabout it on his last visit to Rome.”

For his part, Cardinal Delly, inan interview with L’OsservatoreRomano, said that this kidnap-ping “will not prejudice the goodrelations between Christians andMuslims.”

“Our friendship exists for cen-turies and it will continue,” headded. “Those who kidnap do nothave any religion of reference,”but only “a clear message: createconfusion in the country.”

“The situation in Iraq, espe-cially in Baghdad, Kirkuk and

Mosul,” the cardinal continued,“is not at all tranquil. There is alot of tension among the people:Iraqis fear Iraqis. It is not a con-frontation between Christiansand Muslims. Certainly, Chris-tians experience a difficult situa-tion because we are a minority,but this should not cause us fear.”

“For the moment,” theChaldean patriarch said, “wehave no news and no claims ofresponsibility from the captors.We only have a lot of fear, thepeople leave and go elsewhere.Prayer is our only consolation.”

In January there was a series ofattacks aimed at churches andconvents in Kirkuk, Baghdad andin Mosul itself, which woundedfour people and seriously dam-aged buildings.

Father Ragheed Ganni, a priestof the patriarchate of Babylon,and three subdeacons were killedoutside Mosul’s Church of theHoly Spirit last June 3. (Zenit)

respect for the rights of others.”Bishop Aguiar emphasized that

religious freedom is the greatestpillar for ensuring the secularState, which is not supposed to just“tolerate” the religious beliefs ofits citizens, but rather defend,guarantee and promote them, be-cause it recognizes that faith in asupreme being strengthens theethical and moral conduct of citi-zens.”

He also explained that the con-cept of the secular state is one ofrespect and freedom for any reli-gion and its members to contrib-ute to society. On the other hand,secularism discriminates andmarginalizes those with religiousconvictions and constitutes “a sortof creed that is imposed on oth-ers, nullifying in practice the realhuman right to freedom of belief.”

According to Bishop Aguiar, theconcept of “freedom of worship”is very limited and outdated. “It’sfrom the 19th century, and there-fore we need to update it andchange the concept as other coun-tries have done,” he added.

The bishop stressed that whilethe Church is patient and will“wait for the opportune mo-ment,” “we will continue insist-ing as long as we have not ob-tained what we are seeking: reli-gious freedom.” (CNA)

MEXICO CITY, March 3, 2008—The president of the Bishops’Conference of Mexico, BishopCarlos Aguiar Retes, said theMexican bishops have formallycalled for the reform of article 24of the constitution to replace thephrase “freedom of worship andbeliefs” with the basic concept of“religious freedom.”

During the presentation of thebook, “15 Years of Relations Be-tween The Holy See and Mexico,”at the conference’s headquarters,Bishop Aguiar said the request isintended to obtain guarantees ofa fundamental right, that of reli-gious freedom, which right nowis ambiguously interpreted, oftenagainst the Church, because of theimprecise phrasing in the consti-tution.

“We are not saying that abishop is going to be president ofthe country in the 21st century.What we are seeking is that theState continues to be secular, butthat we move forward,” BishopAguiar said.

For the Catholic Church, he ex-plained, the concept of religiousfreedom means freedom for allMexicans, including the clergy, to“live their faith in public and pri-vate, individually or collectively,in every activity and sector, with-out any other limit besides that of

The Italian bishop commentedon the state of Padre Pio’s bodyby saying, “If Fr. Pio allows me tosay, it is as if he was manicured.”

The Bishop also said that be-sides the upper skull, whichshows some signs of the processof mummification, the rest of hisremains are in surprisingly goodcondition, including his joints –which are all attached, and hisfeet.

D’Ambrosio confirmed thatneither his feet nor hands showedany trace of the stigmata, since “aswe know, they disappeared at themoment of his death.” (CNA)

ROME, March 3,2008—In the mostdiscrete manner pos-sible, the body of St.Padre Pio was ex-humed at 12:30 a.m.Monday morning bya group of medicalexperts, whileChurch representa-tives observed.

Padre Pio was bur-ied September 27,1968 at the SanGiovanni Rotondo shrine, justfour days after he died.

“The body is well preserved”said Bishop DomenicoD’Ambrosio of San GiovanniRotondo-Manfredonia-Vieste,who observed the removal of thesaint’s remains.

“From the very beginning (ofthe exhumation) you could clearlysee his beard. The upper part ofhis skull is visible, but his chin isperfect and the rest of the body iswell preserved. You can clearlysee his knees, his hands, his mit-tens and his fingernails,” BishopD’Ambrosio recalled.

CARACAS, Venezuela, February28, 2008—In statements to theCatholic News Agency, AuxiliaryBishop Jesus Gonzalez de Zarateof Caracas recounted how a groupof young people led by a well-known Chavez activist, occupied

door, blocking the entrance, andat one point they tried to discon-nect the telephone system, insist-ing that their ‘peaceful’ occupationwas intended to publicly presenta statement of their positions ondifferent issues facing the coun-try, including some related to theChurch,” Bishop Gonzalez said.

The group of activists said theyplanned to occupy the chanceryfor two hours. “I began to talkwith them to try to get them todrop that idea,” the bishop con-tinued, saying he offered them thechance to discuss their griev-ances. They refused to talk withhim and instead continued to oc-cupy the chancery until the me-dia showed up and they were ableto voice their positions. After-

the archdiocesanchancery on Wednes-day in order to getthe attention of themedia and demandthat the TV stationGlobovision be shutdown.

According to thebishop, “shortly be-fore 9am, a group ofyoung people whoidentified them-selves as students

stormed into the chancery andwent into all of the offices, say-ing they were going to peacefullyoccupy the chancery and warn-ing employees to leave.”

The activists gathered togetherall of the employees “near the

wards, they left the building.“Even though I invited them

to talk, to discuss, to exchangeopinions about matters of theChurch, they were not receptive.What they wanted was to do it inpublic. They used the windowsof the second floor of the chan-cery to shout slogans and showsigns displaying their positions,”the bishop added.

Bishop Gonzalez stressed thatviolence is not the way to over-come the “climate of tension” thathas enveloped the country. Hecalled on everyone to understand“the need to exhaust all means ofdialogue,” and he reiterated thecall for national reconciliationrepeatedly made by the bishops’conference. (CNA)

America to establish a convent toteach and care for children in Ec-uador, and later performed heal-ing miracles in Colombia whereshe died at the age of 76.

The third Blessed is AnnaMuttathupandathu born in Kerala,southern India, in 1910. She was aprofessed sister of the Congrega-tion of Poor Clares of the ThirdOrder of St. Francis. Also knownas Alfonsa of the Immaculate Con-ception, she died in 1946 and willbecome India’s first female saint.

Blessed Narcisa was born onOctober 29, 1832 in the city ofNobol, Ecuador. Her parents werefarmers and devout Christians.During her youth she was a seam-stress and showed a great love forprayer.

She dedicated her early life tothe service of her family, caring forthe home and creating an atmo-sphere of charity, joy, and peacebetween her eight brothers and sis-ters. After the death of her mother,she also devoted herself to the edu-cation of her younger siblings.

Later she went to Guayaquilwhere she devoted herself to car-ing for abandoned children andyoung people. She lived in Cuencaand later moved to Lima, Peru,where she was renowned for herqualities as a catechist of childrenand young people, until her deathon December 8, 1869. (CNA)

VATICAN CITY, March 3, 2008—On Saturday, Benedict XVI de-clared that four people will be rec-ognized as saints in a ceremony tobe held on Sunday October 12. Theblesseds who will be canonized are:Gaetano Errico, Maria BernardaButler (nee Verena), Alfonsa of theImmaculate Conception (nee AnnaMuttathupandathu), and Narcisa deJesus Martillo Moran.

Gaetano Errico was an Italianteacher, born in 1791, who showedimmense dedication to his stu-dents. He not only educated hisstudents but formed them spiritu-ally with Christian doctrine andmoral values.

He experienced a life-changingevent in 1818 while praying at aretreat. St. Alphonsus Liguori ap-peared to him in a vision and toldhim that God wanted him to founda new religious congregation andto build a church in Secondiglianoin honor of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Fr. Errico died in 1860 at the ageof 69.

Maria Bernarda Butler will bethe first modern Swiss woman tobe canonized.

Born in 1848 in Auw, easternSwitzerland, Maria entered the Ca-puchin Maria-Hilf convent at theage of 19. She was named themother superior only four yearslater.

She later traveled to South

who is also his personal friend. In March of2005, the archbishop visited Spain at FatherGarcia’s invitation to call for peace and rec-

onciliation in Iraq. During his visit he wastreated for heart difficulties he had been ex-periencing. (CNA)

Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho

St. Padre Pio

Bishop Jesus Gonzalez de Zarate

A3CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorVol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008 News Features

Holy See urges rewarding women’s roles in homes,says education lies at heart of empowerment

Southeast Asia Womentackle women’s issues

Dominican Nunsbuild lepers’ futurethrough education

Zambo residents launch signaturecampaign to protect watersheds

OFW chaplain:As migrationrises, brokenfamilies surge

THE Holy See is calling for “cou-rageous policies” to reward thework of women within the home.

Archbishop CelestinoMigliore, permanent observer ofthe Holy See to the United Na-tions, made this suggestion todayto the U.N. Commission on theStatus of Women.

The issue under discussion wasfollow-up to the 4th World Con-ference on Women, and U.N. ini-tiatives on gender equality andthe empowerment of women,including financing measuresleading to those goals.

“The last decade has seen greaterinvolvement of women in all as-pects of decision making, espe-

cially in economic development,”Archbishop Migliore noted.

The prelate particularly fo-cused on the need for equal ac-cess to education at all levels, say-ing this “lies at the heart of theefforts to empower women.”

He noted the work of theChurch in this regard, explainingthat “Catholic institutions oflearning continue to have enroll-ments which are predominantlyfemale and work to empowerwomen within society.”

More than teaching

Still, Archbishop Migliore af-firmed, the empowerment of

women through education “can-not work in isolation.”

“Disenfranchisement ofwomen and discriminatory prac-tices must be addressed andeliminated,” he said. “Womenmust be guaranteed equality ofopportunity, equal pay for equalwork, fairness in career advance-ment, equal access to health careand legal structures and equalityin property and family rights.

“Policies and initiatives whichfoster women’s ability to partici-pate fully in the workplace haveresulted in an ever increasing pres-ence of women in the formal worksector. However, this reality hascreated new challenges for

women, such as exploitation insweatshops and trafficking ofwomen and girls for economicand sexual purposes. Thus, the in-creasing number of women work-ing outside the home challengesgovernments to enact laws, imple-ment programs and enforce mea-sures to protect women from un-scrupulous predators, subhumanworking conditions and dehu-manizing work.”

Unrecognized

The archbishop also gave at-tention to the contribution ofwomen in households and fami-lies, in their role as wives and

mothers, something that “oftengoes unrecognized andunrewarded.”

“Women face the challenge ofsimultaneously raising childrenand trying to achieve economicsecurity,” he acknowledged.

Archbishop Migliore thencalled for “greater resources” and“more courageous policies” toreward the socio-economic con-tribution of women within thehome.

“Rewarding it in some way par-ticularly helps poor women andthose who are less able to enterthe labor market,” he said. “Itwould also be a concrete way toenable women to benefit from

public expenditure from whichoftentimes and in many places theydo not get their fair share or areeven excluded. Obviously, menmust assume their responsibilitywithin the home and family.”

“Finally,” the archbishop con-cluded, “governments, civil so-ciety and faith-based organiza-tions would do well to work to-gether to find creative ways ofpromoting full access of womento development programs andfinancing schemes. Initiativessuch as microfinance programsfor women demonstrate that hu-man ingenuity has the ability tocreate new and innovative solu-tions in this area.” (Zenit)

THE Office of the Laity of the the Federationof Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) orga-nized the 2nd Southeast Asia Meeting onWomen (SEAMOW 2) at Johor, Malaysia fromJanuary 27-February 1 to discuss issues andconcerns facing women in the 21st century.

Thirty-one women, three bishops and onepriest representing Indonesia, Philippines,Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Mongoliaparticipated in the 4-day gathering, and de-liberated on the theme “Challenges toWomen in the Family in the 21st Century.”

Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista, Bishop ofBoac, Dr. Zenaida Rotea, executive secretaryof the Office on Women of the Catholic Bish-ops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP),and Fenny Tatad, CBCP Office on Women,represented the country.

Delegates discussed the prevailing condi-tions in their respective countries concern-ing poverty, migration, violence againstwomen, and other issues affecting womenand family.

Rotea noted that the problems of all par-ticipating countries are rooted in poverty.

“The way I see it, population is not an is-sue as much as poverty, violence againstwomen and the effects of migration in thefamily,” said Rotea.

“Patriarchy is still present but of varyingdegrees, less in the Philippines than in [coun-tries where Islam is practiced], where womenare affected by laws that govern them,” sheadded.

The participants presented some plans ofaction to address the problems facing women

today.They recommended that women should

recognize their worth and acquire a spiritu-ality that upholds their potential as personsto enable them to respond to challenges inthe 21st century.

Likewise, it was also proposed that bothmen and women equally share responsibil-ity within the family; formation programsshould be given to young boys and girls;advocacies should be pursued to protect thedignity of women; empowerment of womenthrough spiritual formation, education andskills training; pre-marriage courses that en-hance relationship, shared responsibility anddecision-making; and a means to addresswomen’s issues at the diocesan and parishlevels. (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)

Boac Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista (standing, 5th from left), Fenny Tatad (standing, 6th from right), and Dr. Zenaida Rotea (standing, extreme right) represented the Philippines atthe 2nd South East Asia Meeting on Women (SEAMOW 2) in Johor, Malaysia from January 27-February 1, 2008.

equip them with skills andknowledge to make them pro-ductive and self reliant. Youngpeople soon realized the value ofeducation, Sr. Yaya, toldCBCPNews.

“The mission of uplifting thelife of the poor lepers is througheducation,” said Sr. Yaya, who isalso Co-director of Asia-PacificFormation Center of their con-gregation.

In 1955, the Hansenites real-ized the value of education. Acomplete collegiate course lead-ing to the degree of Bachelor ofScience in Education Major inEnglish was offered by the insti-tution which was renamed HRC.There were 32 men and 11 womenamong the first batch of collegestudents.

In 1976, when the families ofHansenites were allowed to livewith them, the administratorsrecognized the need for basiceducation for the patient’s chil-dren, a complete elementarycourse was offered.

Throughout the years, theschool administrators with theable support of its committed fac-ulty and non-academic personnelhave managed to maintain qual-ity of education geared towardsthe total development of its stu-dents in the physical, intellectual,moral and spiritual aspects.

At present there are 791 stu-dents from pre-school to college,majority (85 %) of whom are chil-dren of Hansens and/orHansenites. The rest 15% are poorbut deserving students who comefrom neighboring villages.

This apostolate is being sus-tained by the collaborative ef-forts of the Dominican Sisters ofOur Lady of Remedies and theDominican Family in the Philip-pines. (Santosh Digal)

ROSARIO was a teenager whenshe was afflicted with leprosy.She was abandoned by her par-ents and relatives. She was hope-less and her life was miserablethat she wanted to end her life.

But thanks to late Fr. AnthonyLeo Hofstee, O.P., a retiredAmerican air force chaplain be-longing to the Holy Name Prov-ince, Western Dominicans, USA.He gave the child a ray of hopeand reason to live by educatingher. After her completing gradu-ate school, she became the deanof the Holy Rosary College(HRC) Fr Hofstee founded inTala, Caloocan City.

Rosario is one of such studentswho have benefited from theeducation ministry being carriedon by the Dominican Sisters ofOur Lady of Remedies who con-tinue the legacy of Fr. Hotstee.

The priest founded the congre-gation in 1965.

“We are building the future ofFilipino lepers and their childrenthrough education, after the deathof Fr. Hofstee,” said Sr. Rosita M.Yaya, Directress of the HRC.

Fr. Hofstee came to the Philip-pines to minister to the Hansenpatients confined at the CentralLuzon Sanitarium in Tala. In thecourse of his work with the pa-tients, he saw the problems of theHansenites.

Leprosy patients were de-prived of education. So, Fr.Hofstee responded to their needsby establishing the Holy RosaryVocational School with an initialenrolment of 53 Hansenite stu-dents in July 1951. Classes wereheld at the Rehabilitation Centerof the Leprosarium.

Its main goal is to provide freevocational education for theyoung boys and girls who arevictims of Hansen disease and to

A SIGNATURE campaign to protect theAyala watersheds in Zamboanga City hasawakened a growing interest and vigilanceamong residents to safeguard the watershedsof Ayala and Manicahan in Zamboanga.

Concerned residents and other sectors areopposing the application of a mining com-pany to do mineral exploration in the areasof Baluno, La Paz and Ayala which are withinthe protected watershed area.

Reports of the presence of the mining com-pany in the area has surprised and concernedresidents.

A letter of protest has been sent to OICRegional Director Jessica Lucero of the Bu-reau of Mines and GeoSciences IX. A mani-festo was attached to the letter of opposi-tion inviting residents to be aware of theencroachment of the mining company on theprotected areas.

Monsignor David Alonzo, Parish Priest ofSan Jose, Fr. Adriano Ruiz, Archdiocesan So-cial Action Director and head of Justice, Peaceand Integrity of Creation Desk, and DENRForestry Specialist Ben Acana shed light onthe issue in an interview aired on local televi-sion. Ben Acana presented a document duringthe interview showing the agreement signedby the City of Zamboanga and DENR to co-manage the Ayala and Manicahan Watershedswith the aim of preserving the areas.

Other groups like Movement for BetterZamboanga, the Social Action arm of Ateneode Zamboanga (SACSI) and the Community

Development students of WMSU haveshown their solidarity and have made com-mitments to do advocacy activities.

According to a joint press release of theCity Information Office, the DENR and thePhilippine EcoGov Project, the ManagementCouncil has designated a technical workinggroup (TWG) from the City Planning andDevelopment Office, the City Engineer’s Of-fice, the City Environment and Natural Re-sources Office, the DENR-CENRO East andWest Offices, the DENR Regional Office For-est Management Office, and the WesternMindanao State University’s College of For-estry.

They were designated to prepare a Wa-tershed Management and Development Plan(WMDP) for approval of the SangguniangPanglungsod within six months after thesigning of the Co-Management Agreementwith appropriate support and technical as-sistance of the EcoGov Project covered byan earlier Agreement dated November 15,2005 to include the following components:1) Protection and management of the re-maining forest cover while aiming to in-crease vegetative cover through plantations,reforestation, agro-forestry and assistednatural regeneration for the benefit of thepresent and future generations; 2) Promo-tion, monitoring and enforcement of envi-ronmentally-sound and sustainable uplandagriculture practices and development insuitable areas; 3) Inventory and management

of forest occupants and their correspondingclaims and other stakeholders within thewatershed areas; 4) Provisions for incen-tives, penalties, support systems and otherself-regulating mechanisms to encourage‘day to day’ users (e.g. upland farmers andsettlers) to become responsible stewards ofthe forestland and other natural resourcespresently existing and to exist thereafter inthe area; 5) Generate income for the LGU tohelp sustain the costs of area managementthrough local taxation, appropriate environ-mental fees and other income-generatingprojects to include joint venture agreementsfor forest-based enterprises and businesses,i.e. ecotourism, tree plantations, etc); 6) Pro-motion of various alternative livelihoodconsistent with sustainable forest manage-ment.

The technical working group is headed byMs. Ofelia Despalo of the City Planning Of-fice with members Foresters PilaritoMontebon, Expedito Villaflores, RomelCandido, Dennis Catalan, Ben Acana, DeanDino Sabellina, Juliet Bayawa, DennisMallari, Alex Torralba, Roberto Legarde,Roger Flores, Engr. Marino de Guzman,among others.

Zamboanga City is one of the over 90 lo-cal government units granted with techni-cal assistance by the Philippine Environmen-tal Governance Project of the United StatesAgency for International Development(USAID). (Silsilah Dialogue Movement)

This poses a greater chal-lenge for him to guide and helpthem spiritually and pasto-rally.

Being away from their fami-lies and loved ones, and pres-sure of work in a foreign landalso contribute to their distress,the priest said.

Fr. Jaron said OFWs shouldnot stay longer than three tofive years as migrant workers,and should return to the home-land and invest wisely theirearnings. This would reducethe growing number of brokenfamilies due to migration.

More then 46,000 FilipinosOFWs are working in Korea.

He regularly conducts Biblestudy classes, formationtrainings, personality growthseminars, counseling pro-grams, and other skill enhance-ment workshops for Filipinoworking abroad. (CBCPNews)

DUE to growing migration, thenumber of broken Filipinofamilies is on the rise, says aFilipino OFW chaplain based inSeoul, Korea.

Speaking to CBCPNews, FrGlenn Ginanni Jaron of theMission Society of the Philip-pines (MSP) said providingpastoral needs to OFWs in Ko-rea is a challenging task.

He has been a spiritual guide,councilor, and a kind of liaisonofficer for OFWs in order tohelp address various issues andproblems including marriagerelated matters that affect Fili-pino migrants in Korea.

Fr. Jaron, who has been achaplain for nine years, said heobserved that many OFWs arestaying as live-in partners inKorea. Some of those who areco-habiting as OFWs are mar-ried and have families in thePhilippines.

A4 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP Monitor

‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’GRAFT and corruption—in the plainest of language,stealing from the public through the misuse ofinfluence or position—has become, to our shame asa people, an ordinary fixture of our nation’s publiclife.

Such stealing, in and out of government, is, to besure, nothing new. But we are dismayed that it hasbecome so widespread and has largely goneunpunished. In fact, many who steal seem to nolonger care to hide the illicit fruits of their stealing.What makes us even more sad is this: acts of graftand corruption or toleration and connivance withthem are no longer ordinarily viewed as sin, but oftenconsidered as acts of cleverness (when uncaught) ormistakes (when caught). But they are no longerconsidered as sin or offenses against the Lord whohas commanded us not to steal, sees everything wedo, and is revolted by these acts of graft andcorruption. This sin is today especially hateful beforeGod because it steals money from the already poor.Stealing from public funds is so much food pluckedfrom the mouths of the starving, so many morechains binding us, plunging us deeper into theenslaving spiral of poverty from which we are beggingto extricate with outside help. Under the presentcircumstances, it becomes a sin of the blackest hue,a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance. (James5:4).

Sins of graft and corruption cannot be condemnedenough. For they destroy or obscure the image ofGod in those who perpetrate them, and harm thedignity of the children of God in those who are theirvictims. Acts of graft and corruption can be death-dealing and are always oppressive of God’s children.For the way to life is in keeping the commandment,among which is “Thou shalt not steal,” and in lovingour neighbor as ourselves (Mt 19:16-19).

Those who act otherwise endanger their eternalsalvation, and expose themselves “to death, the wagesof sin” (Rm 6:23), even as they deprive others of theopportunity for a more abundant life. Hence, we,your bishops who have received from Christ themandate to teach all men to carry out everything thatthe Lord has commanded (Mt 28:20), condemn graftand corruption in our society as a life-destroyingplague.

-”Thou Shalt Not Steal”, a CBCP Pastoral Letter, 1989

God’s Call to Mission in PoliticsANY serious believer in God cannot allow the stateof our national politics to persist. And in fact thereis a duty for the Christian Catholic to transformpolitics by the Gospel. The Church, God’s people,must evangelize politics. God’s call to the Church isto preach the integral Gospel, the Gospel with all itssocial dimensions. The Gospel must influence everyphase of life, every stratum of society, and “restoreall things under Christ” (Eph. 1:10).

Strangely, there are not a few people, even withinthe Church, who do not believe that to renew politicsis part of the Church’s mission. When Churchofficials praise government policies, governmentofficials welcome such support warmly and are onlytoo happy. But when Church officials criticize anddenounce government policies, the same peopleimmediately cry out: “Violation of the separation ofChurch and State! Church meddling in politics! Letthe Church stick to religion!”

They cite the words of Christ: “Render to Caesar thethings that are Caesar’s, and to God the things thatare God’s” (Mt. 22:21). They say that the Churchshould have nothing to do with politics becauseChrist said to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of thisearth!” (Jn. 18:36). They therefore conclude thatthe Church should not say anything about politics andpoliticians.

How wrongly they interpret Scriptures and thedoctrine of separation of Church and State! Quiteunjustly they selectively level this charge ofinterference in politics against the Catholic Church,even while some other sects may be loudly interveningin the political process especially during elections.

-CBCP Pastoral Exhortation on Philippine Politics, 1997

DURING the general assembly of the CatholicBishops’ Conference of the Philippines lastmonth, we reported that Phase One of the Na-tional Rural Congress is ongoing. During thefirst quarter of this year, local-level consulta-tions on the role of Basic Ecclesial Communi-ties in rural development are being conductedin about 80 dioceses. These are being coordi-nated by the National Secretariat for SocialAction (NASSA), the Episcopal Commission forIndigenous People (ECID), and the BEC Deskof CBCP.

At the same time, another secretariat repre-senting the Philippine–Misereor Partnership(PMP), the Association of Major Religious Su-perior, (AMRSP), and the Rural Poor Solidarity(RPS) are holding consultations in 14 sub-re-gions of the country on rural issues. Includedin these consultations are representatives fromthe basic rural sectors of small farmers, indig-enous people, small fishermen, etc. as well asnon-government organizations and social ac-tion centers. These consultations have beenscheduled in the five sub-regions of Mindanao(ZAMBASULI, KIDMACO, DOPIM,CABUSTAM, and DADITAMA); CentralVisayas, Samar, Eastern Visayas, Panay-Romblon, and Negros; Southern Tagalog,Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, and Bicol.

As foreseen, there is more diversity of viewsbeing presented in these subregional consulta-tions. To enable all views to be adequately ex-pressed, the NRC Central Committee is ask-ing each organization to submit written state-ments during or after the consultations. This willalso facilitate the consolidation of these vari-ous perspectives—e.g., on the causes of ruralpoverty, the implementation of the Compre-hensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) the

Indigenous People’s Rights’ Act (IPRA), etc., andcalls for action.

The NRC Central Committee and Secretari-ats have also issued three guidelines as a frame-work for the conduct of the NRC process. Firstwe subscribe to the moral principles enunciatedin the Social Teaching of the Church in judging thesituation. Thus, we are mindful of the dignity ofthe rural poor, the common good, protection ofthe environment, and the demands of social jus-tice in terms of labor and property rights.

Secondly, we abide by the Philippines Consti-tution, particularly its social justice provisions.These enunciate the spirit of social legislationthat enhances the rights of all basic sectors totheir human dignity, reduce social and eco-nomic inequalities, and diffuse wealth and po-litical power.

Thirdly, we adhere to non-violent and demo-cratic means in our engagement with govern-ment and the various sectors of society. Wecondemn the extra-judicial killings of peasantleaders in particular, and we join the call fortransparency, accountability and good gover-nance in the conduct of public affairs.

The month of April will be set aside for theconsolidation of the reports coming from thediocesan and sub-regional consultations. Re-search centers like the Asian Social Institute(ASI) and the School of Labor and IndustrialRelations (SOLAIR) of the University of thePhilippines have signified their readiness tohelp synthesize the subregional proceedings.

Phase Two of the NRC process will take placein island–wide or regional congresses, involv-ing representatives from the BECs, peasant sec-tors, NGOs and social action centers. In theirregional meetings last January, the bishops ex-pressed their readiness to help organize these

Update on the NationalRural Congress

EDITORIAL

Opinion

Pinky Barrientos, FSPAssociate Editor

Melo M. AcuñaManaging Editor

Dennis B. DayaoOn-Line Editor

Roy Q. LagardeNews Editor

The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCPCommunications Development Foundation, Inc., witheditorial and business offices at 470 Gen. Luna St.,Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO.Editorial: (063) 404-2182. Business: (063)404-1612.Email: cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.netWebsite: www.cbcpworld.net/cbcpmonitor

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CBCP MonitorProtagonis t o f Truth , Promoter o f Peace

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Pedro C. QuitorioEditor-in-Chief

Amoris Officium—Myexperience

I WISH to share with you my intervention, asConsultor of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum,during its XXVII Plenary Assembly held at theVatican last February 28 to March 1, 2008:

I have to express the exuberance of my heartat being here—being part of the COR UNUMfamily. Since October of last year I have beenthanking God for this singular grace. And I thankGod too for our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVIand His Eminence Cardinal Paul Cordes. I askthe Lord to always be with them, and with all ofyou, all of us in this amoris officium that is CORUNUM.

With regard to my own experience of engage-ment in favor of the needy, may I cite twoapostolates:

The Parish Pastoral Council for ResponsibleVoting (PPCRV)—a nationwide lay movementusing the infrastructure of the Church (the Par-ish Pastoral Council) which was organized im-mediately after the Second Plenary Council ofthe Philippines convoked by our Episcopal Con-ference in 1991, and considered as its first fruit.In that Council, it was stated that “in the Philip-pines given the perception that politics has be-come an obstacle to integral human develop-ment, the urgent necessity is for the lay faithfulto participate more actively in political affairs.”PPCRV has a two-fold mission: a) voters’ educa-tion focused on the formation of conscience; b)responsible voting focused on good governanceaimed at getting persons of singular integrityand competence elected to public office, as wellas monitoring the conduct of elections so thatthese be experienced as clean, honest, accurate,meaningful and peaceful.

Its overarching truth is: love for God and lovefor Country (which in essence is love for neigh-bor) are inseparable. Communal action on be-half of good governance based on human andChristian values is a constitutive part of pro-claiming Christ – God with us, God who is love.

It also becomes what Deus Caritas Est refers to asthe Church’s organized practice of love… anordered service to the community. This laymovement has participated in 17 national andlocal elections to date and gathers, for every elec-toral exercise, from 350,000 to 500,000 volun-teers, serving from 2 to 4 months before, duringand after elections in 3000 parishes nationwide,pro bono, with Christ as the only prize of theirengagement, and moved by the hope that socialtransformation will occasion for our people full-ness of life.

Direct organized engagement in the life of poorsquatter families which began in my season asservant-leader of the Council of the Philippinesin 1986. We initiated relationship with some 30poor homeless families in a squatter colony inthe heart of the city of Manila. This relationship,mutually nurtured through the years, enabledan actual, on the spot immersion on what com-passion means: entering into the suffering andpain of the other, offering presence as the sym-bol of solidarity which must translate into con-crete action that helps remove the pain and suf-fering of the other. This organized service oflove is as St. Augustine says: Sit hoc officium pasceredominicum gregem (Let this be the task of love tofeed the flock of the Lord)—a task of love thattransforms both the recipient and the doer. In-volvement in this direct work for the poor ispurely on a volunteer basis. From experiencethe pay we receive surpasses any monetary re-muneration: encountering Christ—O, how of-ten this has happened—in the poor we serve,and in some palpable moments of joy and hope,pain and anguish when Jesus comes alive in ourmidst… and we go back again and again to thesefaith events to help us keep on hoping and lov-ing and believing.

Some practical obstacles encountered are: lackof resources, both human and financial—volun-teers have also to make a living so that

sustainability of total long-lasting engagementbecomes difficult; working with and for the poorneeds continuous funding; lack of a dedicatedcurriculum specifically focused on formation ofthe heart that provides spaces for intimacy withthe Lord and familiarity with the story of Jesus,as well as a grounding on the spirituality forministry; a growing environment that distancescharitable activities from God, treating these aspurely human interventions or social out-reaches; economic condition of volunteers them-selves which put to test, often severely, theirmotivation and commitment; the low prioritythe Church herself gives to ongoing formationof volunteers, even paid workers of charitableprograms/projects/agencies; too many agen-cies/organizations/associations that work forpoverty alleviation or for justice and peacecauses, whose activities and programs are oftenuncoordinated, with coverage usually concen-trated in highly urbanized areas, and as suchcompete against one another for the needed lo-gistics; hostile government agencies that viewwork for the poor as fronts for left-leaning ide-ologies; unfavorable peace and order situation,including unstable political climate

Some essential similarities and differencesbetween employed and volunteer collaborators:for the employed, service is done in freedombut done for pay; for the volunteer, service isdone freely, but not for pay; for the employed,service is an employment; for the volunteer, ser-vice is a ministry; for the employed, service is ajob; for the volunteer, service is a vocation.

Being involved in charitable activities or anyform of organized charity can be full of fearfulcrises and conflicts. But it can also gift us withwonderful opportunities to become communi-ties of believers sharing time, talent and trea-sure in solving problems and coping with dif-ferences, and realizing in amazement and utterhappiness that always IT IS THE LORD!

congresses. The Western Visayas region willhold its congress on May 20-21 in Jaro, whileCentral and Eastern Visayas will have theirson May 21-22 in Cebu. The Mindanao bishopshave agreed to hold their congress on June 18-20 in Cagayan de Oro. Luzon North and LuzonSouth regions will still have to determine thedates and venues for their congresses.

Instead of one national congress, the regionalcongresses have been agreed upon to enablemore active and widespread participation bylanguage groups, as well as to minimize trans-portation costs for delegates. The deliberationand action planning could also zero in on lo-calized issues. These would then be the sub-stantive part of the NRC process.

Phase Three of the NRC process will com-prise the reporting of the five regional con-gresses to the general assembly of bishops. Thiswill take place on July 7-8, after the regular bi-annual CBCP meeting. The two-day gatheringof bishops and an equal number of delegateswill be the culminating activity of NRC, as wellas the commencement of the action plans forthe post-NRC period.

But even as the NRC process unfolds, smallfarmer organizations and NGOs, with the helpof several bishops, have already been engaginggovernment agencies in pending rural issues—notably, the need to extend the agrarian reformprogram beyond June 2008, and the resolutionof urgent land issues involving farmer-benefi-ciaries in Sumilao, Canlubang, etc.

A second bishops-legislators’ caucus is be-ing organized on February 27, and a summitwith government agencies on rural povertyissues is being planned in April. The see-judge-act approach may actually be taking place al-ready in a spiraling and reinforcing direction.

Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, DD

Pastoral Companion

Ambassador Henrietta T. de Villa

Faith and Fire

A5CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorVol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

Knowing our BlessedMother

PUEBLO Amante de Maria, that is how we have described our-selves to be, a people in love with Mary.

If there is something so characteristic of Catholicism, it isour deep love and devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Mary.And for us Filipinos, our love for her has so permeated ourbeing that Marian devotion has been very apparent in the EDSARevolution of 1986. Wednesday Masses teeming with our faith-ful invoking Our Lady’s help as our Mother of Perpetual Help.And any Marian Shrine in the country will most certainly befrequented by the people. And we even have our own MarianApparition in Lipa Carmel for which we are humbly workingfor the Church’s official recognition.

Yet, on the other hand, Marian devotion may be so extensivebut may not be necessarily deep and authentic even. Let mequote St. Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort: Jesus, our Savior,true God and true man must be the ultimate end of all our otherdevotions; otherwise they would be false and misleading…If then weare establishing sound devotion to Our Blessed Mother, it is only inorder to establish devotion to Our Lord more perfectly, by providing asmooth but certain way of reaching Jesus Christ (True Devotion toMary, nos. 61-62).

With this column dedicated to Our Lady, my only dream isfor all of us—devotees of Our Lady—will grow together in ourlove for Her; that our devotion be rooted deeper in SacredScripture, anchored firmly on the Magisterium, consistent withthe Church’s Liturgy, and lived truly in our lives.

With the maiden series of this column, let us come to knowMary…

The Catechism of the Catholic Church places Mary in thecontext of the Credo, in that part that says: Et incarnatus est deSpiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, conceived by the power of theHoly Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary.

Hence, Mary is placed, as God has placed Her to be, in rela-tion to Christ, Her Son. In fact all the Marian privileges—Im-maculate Conception, Perpetual Virginity, Assumption—arerooted in Her being the Mother of Christ. We rightfully speakof the inseparable union of Christ and Mary. That Mary Her-self was redeemed by Christ but whose redemption was ap-plied, retroactively, at the moment of Her conception. Soundstoo technical? To put it more simply, Our Blessed Mother wouldnot have been so blessed if she were not chosen to be the Motherof Christ. And Her being the Mother of the Redeemer madeHer the first to be redeemed by Christ.

Who is Mary? Sacred Scripture describes her very briefly: avirgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house ofDavid; and the virgin’s name was Mary (Luke 1, 27). The anteriorverse adds that this young woman is from Nazareth.

Tradition tells us something more about the parents of OurLady. We get the oldest story from a document called the Gos-pel of James (an apocryphal Gospel—which means not acceptedto be part of the Bible—written around 150 AD). The legendtold in this document says that after years of childlessness, anangel appeared to tell Anne and Joachim that they would havea child. Anne promised to dedicate this child to God (much thesame way that Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah—Anne—in 1 Kings).

When was she born? Sacred Scripture does not give anyindication. It is probable, she was born 14-16 years before thebirth of Our Lord (cf. Fr. Gabriele Pellettieri’s book, Who isMary? A Short Catechism on the Blessed Virgin Mary, p. 9).

How about the date of September 8, the Feast of the Nativityof Mary? Fr. Francis X. Weiser, SJ offers an explanation in hisbook, The Holyday Book:

There is no historical evidence to indicate why the Nativity of Maryshould fall precisely on September 8. As usual in such cases, legendsof a later period supply the missing motivation by miraculous events.There is a lovely medieval legend giving the reason for the date: Thefeast was made September 8 because in the fifth century a pious farmerat Angers in France one night had a vision of angels singing in Heaven.When he inquired for the reason he was told that they were rejoicingbecause the Blessed Virgin was born that night. It happened to beSeptember 8. So the good farmer went to the Bishop, Saint Maurilius(430), who, after convincing himself of the farmer’s sincerity, estab-lished a feast in honor of the birth of Mary to be celebrated annually onthat day. Actually, of course, the festival did not originate in Francebut came from the Middle East. The real reason for the date is un-known. It is not improbable, though, that a genuine ancient traditionof the Church in Jerusalem provided the date, especially since the feastoriginated in Palestine; and all the Eastern Churches have celebratedMary’s nativity either on September 8 or 9 from the earliest times. TheSyrians observe on this day also the solemn memory of the parents ofMary, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne.

What is important is not the actual date of Our Lady’s birthbut the actual salvific event that She was born since Her birthushered the eventual coming of the Savior.

We’ll have more in our next column. In the meantime, let usnot forget to turn to Our Lady especially during this time of yetanother political turmoil in our country. To Her ImmaculateHeart, let us constantly entrust and consecrate ourselves andour country. Ave Maria! Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Opinion

Support for a cost

IT has to be not simply conceded but accord-ingly admitted that the present Malacañangoccupant still has a good number of follow-ers and supporters. By and large, they comefrom the House of Representatives and theLocal Government officials—not to mentionthose simple people who are beneficiariesof her beneficial attention. This reality shouldnot be automatically disdained much lesscondemned. Reason: It is a political realitythat beneficiaries cannot but be grateful totheir benefactor such as precisely in terms ofbeing counted among the latter’s loyal fol-lowers and avid supporters.

Such reality has a special relevance to theFilipino culture of the famous or infamousnorm of “Utang ng Loob”—for the right orwrong reasons, in the area of reality and sin-cerity or in the realm of falsity and hypoc-risy. With the ever growing disapproval rat-ing of the ruling administration on accountof its already known and still unrevealed fla-grant graft and corrupt practices, it has be-come more and more trying and exasperat-ing to count on its honesty and integrity. And

this precisely brings to fore the living real-ity that the loyalty to and support for theincumbent holder of the highest office in theland, are in fact for a big cost—definitely notfor a cause.

This explains rather well the followingsocio-political phenomenon. One, the incum-bent national leader needs and seeks moreand more funds to buy or pay for its continu-ing affirmation and defense by a good num-ber of local and national officials in the coun-try. Two, the same otherwise noble and hon-orable key public official in fact exploits themany poor people in the country to count ontheir gratitude and adulation by giving themgroceries, certificates of one kind or another,and other forms of largesse. Three, exactlythe same discredited and despised adminis-tration head drops anyone and everyonewho is no longer subservient or useful.

Time may be shortly coming when the sadand ominous shout of “Abandon ship!”might be heard, loud and clear. At times, thecry for such a terminal move may not beeven made, but simply done and openly wit-

ONE of the neglected sectors of society, theunborn children, finally was recognizedthree years ago when Pres. Gloria M. Arroyodeclared March 25 each year as the “Day ofthe Unborn in the Philippines”. This wasthrough Proclamation 586, signed last March24, 2004.

March 25 is the Feast of the Annunciation,also recognized by the Catholic Church asthe day of the Incarnation or Conception ofJesus in the womb of Mary when she saidher “Yes” to the Angel Gabriel. This year,however, the Church has postponed the Feastof the Annunciation to March 31 becauseMarch 25 falls within Easter Week, whichtakes priority in our liturgical calendar. Pro-life groups are now busy preparing to cel-ebrate the Day of the Unborn on March 31.

Here is how the Proclamation is worded—based of course on the drafts submitted bypro-life advocates who submitted it for thePresident’s signature in 2004:

“Whereas, pregnancy is a physiologic pro-cess that has certain risks because not all preg-nancies lead to the birth of a live and healthychild,

Whereas, almost three percent (3%) of to-tal fetal deaths have been registered due tothe effect of maternal health and nutritionand socio-behavioral factors on the eventualoutcome of pregnancy;

Whereas, to prevent and effectively man-age complications of pregnancy and child-birth, it is necessary that quality and timely

National Day of theUnborn

interventions before, during and after preg-nancy be developed through comprehensivehealth services;

Whereas, in many countries, the “Day ofthe Unborn” is being observed on March 25,Feast of the Annunciation, in favor of lifeand human dignity;

Whereas the “Day of the Unborn” willpromote a culture of life and defense of lifefrom the moment of conception;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIAMACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of theRepublic of the Philippines, by virtue of thepowers vested in me by law, do hereby de-clare March 25 of every year as the “Day ofthe Unborn”. Signed by both Executive Sec-retary Alberto Romulo and President GloriaM. Arroyo.

How can parishes and concerned groupsjoin the celebration? Here are some ideas:Organize a Mass for the Unborn Babies eitheron Sunday March 30 or on Monday, March 31.Announce this a few days or weeks before theevent so more people will be aware. Inviteespecially the pregnant and breastfeedingwomen for a special blessing. To make it evenextra special, solicit maternal or baby prod-ucts (no infant formula, please) to be given tothe mothers, or invite them for simple break-fast after the Mass. We have done this manytimes and the mothers are thrilled that theyhave been recognized. This is one way of dis-pelling the growing anti-natal, contraceptivementality in society today.

IT was on the same day the interfaith rallywas being held in Makati last February 29,when member organizations of SangguniangLaiko ng Pilipinas met with their NationalDirector, Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes. Despitethe traffic congestion, the Presidents of themember organizations and/or their del-egates braved the discomfort of motoring toIntramuros to hear direct from the Chairmanof the Episcopal Commission on the LayApostolate what is the stand of the organizedlaity within CBCP-LAIKO regarding “com-munal action”. By meeting with Bishop Reyesat 11:30 AM to 4 PM, LAIKO members weresure that “communal action” will be clari-fied..

The two pastoral statements of January 27,“Reform Yourselves and Believe in the Gospel”and of February 26, “Seeking the Truth, Restor-ing Integrity” were read word for word at thestart of the meeting. The direction of BishopReyes was straightforward. “As member layorganizations of the Sangguniang Laiko ngPilipinas (defined as a public association byCanon Law), you are expected to follow theCBCP’s pastoral statement which is to pray,discern, reflect and act in seeking for the truth.However, in your personal capacity as a layperson you may choose to join the rally toconvince the President to resign.” Politicalaction is the laity’s role.

This was followed by an Open Forum. TheDiocesan Council of the Laity of Novaliches,presented her “Call to Action” programwhich started on Feb. 21 and will end onMarch 15. A consultation process on Commun-ion and Corruption using the SEE, JUDGE, ACTmethodology complied with the CBCP’s callto pray, reflect, discern and act. A session onthe state of corruption in the Philippines con-ducted by EHEM–PLO was the SEE or OB-SERVE portion of the program. All membersof the parish pastoral councils of the 9 vicari-ates of the Diocese of Novaliches are sched-uled to attend the 2-hour session at differentdates in their own parish. The final commu-nal action will be decided and announced af-ter the concluding Lenten Recollection to beheld on March 15.

We congratulate, Ms. Estelita A.Macalaguim, President of the Diocesan Coun-

A national campaign againstcorruption, the communal action ofSangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas

cil of the Laity of Novaliches, also LAIKO’sVice-President for Manila to be the first oneto answer the call of the Pastoral Statementof CBCP.

When my turn came, I presented LAIKO’s4-year work on the Advocacy for Good Gov-ernance and recommended to Bishop G.Reyes to adopt this nationwide in answer tothe call of the pastoral statements of Febru-ary 26 which we quote below:

“For the long term we reiterate our call for‘circles of discernment’ at the grassroots level,in our parishes, Basic Ecclesial Communities,recognized lay organizations and move-ments, religious institutions, schools, semi-naries and universities. It is through internalconversion into the maturity of Christthrough communal and prayerful discern-ment and action that the roots of corruptionare discovered and destroyed. We believethat such communal action will perpetuateat the grassroots level the spirit of PeoplePower... We instruct our CBCP Commissionsto take active role including networking forthis purpose.

Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, in his re-cent column at the CBCP Monitor, “Discov-ering a New Brand of People Power” gavethis concluding remark:

“We must pray. Yes. There is a suggestedPrayer of the Faithful for the nation in cri-sis. But we must also sacrifice for the highestnational common good, inspired by ‘politi-cal charity’ for the country, honesty and jus-tice, guided by the truth, like participatingin a National Campaign Against Corruptionin Government.

This call to fight graft and corruption waspreceded by CBCP’s pastoral letter of July2003 entitled “Let Integrity Flow Like aStream”. We quote:

“We recognize the important steps thatgovernment has been taking in recentmonths. We challenge new groups to orga-nize themselves and address this problem (ofcorruption) in their respective sectors andlocalities. In particular we urge all our Catho-lic Institutions, schools, parishes, religiousorganizations and movements and BasicEcclesial Communities to emphasize valueformation, especially in the family, and to

throw themselves vigorously in this cam-paign.”

“As we bishops commit ourselves to thiscause, we assign NASSA, our social actionarm, and the Council of the Laity of the Phil-ippines to lead in implementing Church ini-tiatives against graft and corruption.”

Soon after that, Bishop G. Reyes was in-vited by Government Procurement PolicyBoard in the person of Mr. Martin Syquia tosupport the new procurement law, R.A. 9184,by sending Observers from CBCP for train-ing. Five Laiko members of the Board weresent and that was the start of the Laiko’s Ad-vocacy for Good Governance. A committeewas organized and in no time it establishedthis rationale—that graft and corruption maybe curtailed by Good Governance. For hands-on work to support the CBCP pronounce-ments the committee identified the improve-ment areas toward achieving good gover-nance where LAIKO volunteers are to betrained:

As Observers in the Bids and Awards Com-mittees for Government Procurement in: a)Infrastructure, b) Goods and services, c)Consultancy services; As monitoring groupsfor project implementation, that is, whetherthe agreed contract is followed; As watch-dogs for the delivery of goods and services;As vigilant whistleblowers for violations inthe Payment of Taxes, as well as in the issu-ance of Business Permits and Licenses; Asgroups to give inputs to delegates to the Con-stitutional Convention to establish Reformsin the Government System including the in-stitutions of Commission on Audit, CivilService Commission and COMELEC

LAIKO, through GPPB and ProcurementWatch, Inc. is linked with all non-governmentorganizations presently involved in the ad-vocacy for good governance. The specific areaof our involvement today is in the trainingof lay leaders who can select their specificadvocacy from the list outlined above.

While LAIKO started ten years ago in thetraining of Lay Leaders to include values for-mation and the social doctrines of the Church,only a few dioceses accepted the invitationto train their lay leaders. This time, we againoffer our services to the dioceses to train their

Women who suffer loss of their baby alsoneed to be recognized—those who had mis-carriages, abortion, or still-born babies. Theday can be an occasion for their healing andreconciliation, not condemnation. Do remem-ber that the baby is not the only victim in anabortion. Women are hurt, often for life, if nointervention is offered to them. And lately,research has shown that the fathers of abortedbabies also suffer much emotional, moral andspiritual trauma, living a life of frustration,violence, and addictions. Unknown to many,brothers and sisters of aborted babies sufferfrom existential angst—deep-seated questionson should I not have been born like my abortedor contracepted sibling?

You can also hold a Pro-life OrientationForum or Seminar—for the youth, for thecouples in the depressed communities, or formembers of parish organizations.

Lastly you can set up a photo exhibit onFetal Development outside the parish door-ways. Lovely full-color posters are availablefrom the Pro-life office—for sale and for bor-rowing. You can also call up the office forcopies of the Prayers for the Unborn and forSafe and Healthy Programs for Healing andReconciliation of Post-aborted Women, Menand Children. Volunteer speakers will behappy to go to your place to give the Pro-lifeSeminar or Forum.

Pro-life office Tel: 911-2911, 422-8877, Tel/fax 421-7147; life@prolife.org.ph,www.prolife.org.ph 0919-233-7783.

Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS

Love Life

Oscar V. Cruz, DD

Views and Points

nessed. This has no deliberate reference tothe cruel phenomenon that rats instinctivelyabandon a sinking ship. Instead, it is merelystating that support for a cost—for the rightprice—only remains when the due paymentskeep coming in due time. Otherwise, theprops and buttresses for the payer go crum-bling down. On the other hand, support for acause is selfless, firm and lasting—even with-out any payment of any kind.

The on-going SUPPORT FOR A COST infavor of the Malacañang occupant is wellunderstandable—given the following prettylong scandal and corruption list: PhilippineCommunications Clearing House. APC Wire-less Interface Network. JocJoc Bolante. Gen.Garcia. Jose Pidal. D.M. Boulevard. Fiatco.North and South Railways. DepEd Textbooks,DND Helicopters. BOC XRay Machines.Comelec Megapacific Computers. HelloGarci. NBN ZTE. The “commissions” madewere much. The continuous cover-up pay-ments given are enormous. The desired loy-alty and coveted support are indeed verycostly.

Jose B. Lugay

Laiko Lampstand

Fr. Melvin P. Castro

Speaking of Mary

Laiko / A6

lay leaders for LAIKO’S program for communal action in the area ofprevention of graft and corruption.

LAIKO-trained Volunteer Observers had been attending the Bidsand Awards Committees of Government Institutions since 2004 andin certain cases, successfully prevented the loss of millions of pesosby reporting the over calculation of the bidding amount or the Ap-proved Budget for the Contract (ABC) which the new law required tobe published. The procurement law however, does not include theprojects using Official Development Assistance (ODA) from foreigncountries. This is the case of the NBN-ZTE corruption case exposedby Chairman Romulo Neri and Jun Lozada.

LAIKO Observers which now total about 80 trained volunteersnationwide are monitoring the bidding process of the following in-stitutions in Metro Manila (We await the go-signal to extend ourwork to the provinces. We already offered our services to the Dio-cese of San Fernando, Pampanga): Office of the President; Bureau ofTreasury; Department of Budget and Management; Manila Interna-tional Airport; Social Security System; Central Bank Security Com-plex; Development Academy of the Philippines; Duty Free Philip-pines; TESDA; Light Rail Transit Authority; National Commissionon Indigenous People; Insurance Commission; Department ofFinance – Privatization and Management Office; National StatisticsOffice; National Commission on Culture and Arts; Philippine PortsAuthority: a) Central Office, b) Port District of Southern Luzon, c)Port District of Northern Luzon, d) Port District of Batangas; LandTransportation Office; Department of Health.

With a well-trained Observer we prove that our objective of theprevention of corruption rather than catching the thief works. A goodexample is the case of the Social Security System Bids and AwardsCommittee. The BAC Chairman saw the benefit of the presence of awell-trained observer. By his relevant questioning of details of thetechnical aspects of the project during the pre-procurement confer-

A6 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorLocal News

Laiko / A5

“People Power” revolts that un-seated two presidents.

The cardinal’s radio broad-casts in support of the mutineerssparked the now legendary re-volt that drove the dictatorFerdinand Marcos into exile andswept Cory Aquino to presi-dency in 1986.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also rose to the presi-dency in the second and peace-ful mass protests that ousted Jo-seph Estrada in 2001.

Villegas issued the call Sun-day in his message for the 22ndanniversary of the first “PeoplePower” which will be markedby the government on Monday.

He said the “heaviest cross”weighing heavily on the shoul-ders of many people is corrup-

said something very importantmust be done also.

He said the country does notjust need a new breed of leadersbut also enlightened people,thus change must start fromwithin every Filipino.

“Each and everyone must bethe reformed Filipino that wewant our public officials to be-come. We must change our-selves so that society and gov-ernment will change,” he said.

“We must not demand repen-tance and reform from our lead-ers if we are not even willing torepent of our personal sins asdishonest and uncaring ordi-nary citizens.”

Villegas had been a long-timeprotégé of the late Jaime Cardi-nal Sin, a driving force behind

Change / A1

ence, the people who determinethe budget for the contract can bepersuaded to review their calcu-lations. Soon after that, it caughtus by surprise when the BACVice-Chairman inquired ifCBCP-LAIKO could conduct aholy retreat for the members ofthe Bids and Awards Committeeincluding the Technical WorkingGroup.

This was a request where thecommittee lost no time in design-ing the module. The retreat washeld in Tagaytay, CBCP-NASSA-BEC Retreat House last October22 –23, 2007. The resource per-sons were Bishop G. Reyes on TheMoral Responsibility of Public Ser-vants; Atty. Mia Zafra on Stew-ardship; Dr. Bella Dumas on To-wards Building a Culture of Disciple-ship and Servant Leadership; Engr.Jose B. Lugay on The Role of theLaity and Advocacy for Good Gover-nance while Mr. Ed Tirona and Mr.

Ric Rivera shared their experi-ences in their work as Observers,Atty. Hilario Favila of the Officeof the Ombudsman lectured onthe Responsibility of Observers indealing with Feedback and Complaint.Confession and celebration of theHoly Eucharist by Rev. Fr. R.Dumas concluded the retreat.We have a standing invitation tohold a retreat for the Departmentof Health Bids and Awards Com-mittee.

CBCP, the Episcopal Commis-sion on the Lay Apostolate in par-ticular gave the mandate toLAIKO as early as 2004 to servein the fight against graft and cor-ruption. We are open to any Dio-cese or Lay Organization to trainyour leaders in this communalaction. Contact LAIKO throughJoseph Jesalva, landline 527 5388.527-3124 or mobile phone 0921-9945-100 or email:laiko_phils@yahoo.com.ph

Davao / A1

The acceptance of the arch-bishop came after a careful studyby the Administrative Council ofthe history of the division of theCouples for Christ into twogroups.

“This episcopal recognitionentitles the said groups to bemembers of the ACLAIM and toparticipate in the implementa-tion of the Vision-Mission-Goalsof our Local Church especially inour diverse pastoral programs

for the laity under our episcopalguidance or through our officialrepresentatives,” read the letter.

The archbishop also asked therespective leaders (national andlocal) of the CFC-GMFI and CFC-FFL to include in their formationprogram the correct study and un-derstanding of ecclesiology or thenature of the Church for assuranceof unity and better collaborationwith the local clergy and bishops.(Mark S Ventura)

tion in public life.Saying that it has reached scan-

dalous proportions and mindboggling figures, he stressed,that government corruption hasdeprived the poor in the coun-tryside of the basic services dueto them.

The young prelate also be-moaned the growing public cyni-cism amid serious issues hound-ing the current administration.

“The worst among thescourges that our nation suffersfrom right now is the culture ofindifference. Many of us want toresign as Filipinos,” the bishopsaid.

The revolts, he said, were justlike “shots of opium” that givemany people “temporary highand nothing more.”

Villegas said many peoplehave grown tired of rallies tochange public officials “becausethe changes have simply beenfrom one corrupt official to an-other.”

But Villegas said that corrup-tion is not only a crime of gov-ernment officials, adding that“we who are below are all guiltyas well.”

“The Edsa spirit is not justabout political change. It is pri-marily about a change of heartand soul,” he also said.

“Let us not invoke the Edsaspirit for political change if weare not even open to moral andspiritual reform individually.The change we seek must comefrom within,” he added. (RoyLagarde)

CHRISTIAN leaders, as well as the Ulamaand the civil society in Marawi City ex-pressed opposition to any military or com-bat exercises but they welcome and supportsocio-economic assistance as a commitmentfor peace, harmony and development.

In a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) entered into by and between the Pro-vincial Government of Lanao del Sur, theLeague of Municipalities of the Philippines,103 Brigade of the 1st Division of the Philip-pine Army, the Philippine National Policeand the different non-government organiza-tions, it was agreed that all members of theUS force participating in the said activityshall be composed only of forty seven per-sonnel inclusive of doctors, nurses, medical

staffs, engineers and utility workers.The MOU also contained provisions that

movements of US forces concerned shall be lim-ited only from their billeting areas in KampoRanao, Marawi City or Ayala Resort Hotel,MSU to MEDCAP and ENCAP sites based onthe approved schedule of activities and theyshall at all times be escorted by contingents ofboth army and police representatives.

The parties to the MOU also agreed thatany movement of US forces concerned toplaces other than those stated in the approvedschedule of activities shall be made only af-ter prior consultations and/or permissionfrom the provincial government through themonitoring committee.

Meanwhile, in support to the Covenant for

Peace signed by the convenors of theBishop-Ulama Conference, ArmedForces of the Philippines, PhilippineNational Police Forum (BUC-AFP-PNP), the Ulama sector, Christian sec-tor, professional sector, 103rd Brigade,Kampo Ranao, Marawi City, PNP,Lanao del Sur, the Royal Houses ofRanao, the civil society, the league ofmunicipalities of the Philippines–Lanao del Sur Chapter, the MindanaoState University System and the pro-vincial government of Lanao del Surcommitted to promote justice andpeace based on the universally acceptedprinciple of justice, equity and peace.

In relation to the Balikatan exer-cises, the groups also declared theirunited and unwavering stand to op-pose any military destruction. Yet,they support peace and developmentefforts to counter terroristic acts.

The signatories of the statementwere Bishop Edwin Dela Peña, MSP,prelate of Marawi; Alim Lucman T.Alawi, Ulama League of the Philip-pines Region III chairman; Lanao del

Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong; MarawiCity Mayor Fahad Salic, MSUS President Dr.Macapado A. Muslim, 103rd Brigade Com-mander BGen. Raynard Ronnie Y. Javier,Alim Ameroden S. Saranggani, chairman ofthe Ranao Advocates for Justice and Peace,PNP Lanao del Sur Provincial Director PS SuptPaniares Adap and Taraka Municipal MayorAmenodin M. Sumagayan.

The signatories shall automatically be in-stitutionalized into a council. They shall cre-ate and designate members to a secretariatwhich shall meet regularly at least once amonth to discuss issues, plan and formulateprograms on justice and peace in the prov-ince of Lanao del Sur and Islamic City ofMarawi. (Mark S Ventura)

But wants EO 464 scrapped

The Catholic bishops’ hierar-chy has called on President GloriaArroyo to dismantle ExecutiveOrder 464 and allow her officialsto attend any probe and tell thetruth.

The Catholic Bishops’ Confer-ence of the Philippines issued thestatement Tuesday night after awhole day consultative meetingin a bid to discuss current politi-cal issues.

In a 2-page pastoral statement,the bishops are convinced thatletting her officials testify in in-vestigations could somehow helpbring back credibility to her ad-ministration.

The CBCP said Arroyo shouldtake the move immediately es-pecially now that questions aboutthe moral ascendancy are being

Call / A1

Christian leaders, Ulamaoppose combat exercises, but...

Moral integrity of Arroyo gov’t haseroded - Methodist bishop

moral ascendancy are beingraised” against her administration.

Arroyo critics tagged the EO464 as a notorious gag, which thegovernment has clamped on themouths of executive officers whoare in a position to reveal in-criminating truth.

“At present this was really thereflection made by the bishopsand I’m glad that there was amajority of the bishops that cameand answer that call for a specialmeeting,” he said.

But “everything is open in thatwe have to judge the situationaccording to its own merits at theproper time,” said Ledesma, aformer CBCP vice-president.

The prelate also clarified thatcalling for Arroyo’s resignationis a “political call,” and the bish-ops themselves are aware thatthey cannot make political op-tions for the public to follow.

“What we can stress is themoral aspect and that’s why wewere stressing the pursuit of truthto fight corruption at all levels,”he said.

Ledesma likewise added thatthe CBCP will closely monitorand will keep asking the govern-ment for “concrete compliance”with their recommendations.

“We will certainly be expect-ing that and in fact in earlierstatements we were asking for aclosure of many of these highprofile cases of alleged graft andcorruption,” he said. (RoyLagarde)

raised against the government.Various groups described the

EO 464 as a notorious gag, whichArroyo has clamped on themouths of executive officers whoare in a position to reveal in-criminating truth.

“We strongly recommend theabolition of EO 464 so that thosewho might have knowledge ofany corruption in branches ofgovernment may be free to tes-tify before the appropriate inves-tigating bodies,” the bishops said.

The prelates urged Arroyo tolet her subordinates to reveal anycorrupt acts, particularly aboutthe ZTE-NBN mess, without be-ing obstructed in their testimony,“no matter who is involved.”

The bishops noticed that, when-ever government officials arecalled to testify in any probe,rarely do such officers claim the

Rosanne Malillin, SPC, said 365barangays out of the total 597barangays in the Diocese ofBorongan, have been affected byfloods. And there are over 33,000families or 165,930 individualsaffected by the heavy rains.

To date already eleven casual-ties have been reported. The So-cial Action Center of the Dioceseof Borongan reported that reliefgoods have been concentrated inthe towns of Maslog, Dolores,Can-Avid, Borongan,Balangkayan and Quinapondan.

A hundred sacks of rice have al-ready been sent to the affected ar-eas with the assistance of the local

Social / A1

NFA and various local govern-ment units. Alay Kapwa funds ofthe CBCP have also been utilized.

Ten parishes from the Prelatureof Libmanan’s nine towns havebeen affected since February 18.Over 10,000 families have beenaffected. Farms have been sub-merged in water for a number ofdays. The Prelature’s Social Ac-tion Center concentrated its re-lief efforts in the towns ofLibmanan, Minalabac andMilaor.

Fifty sacks of rice have alreadybeen released. Some parishesconducted their own relief opera-tions. (Melo M. Acuña)

lame excuse of executive privilege.The law, the CBCP said, re-

mains the biggest obstacle to thediscovery of truth, which mustbe pursued.

Some Church leaders believethat the total abandonment of EO464 can be the kick off of nursingsomehow her ailing presidency.

Saying that the country is fac-ing a “crisis of truth and the per-vading cancer of corruption,” theprelates also urged Arroyo andother government agencies tolead in fighting corruption.

“We condemn the continuingculture of corruption from the topto the bottom of our social andpolitical ladder,” the statementread.

The CBCP likewise appealed tosenators and the Ombudsman touse their distinct and differentpowers of inquiry into alleged

corruption cases “not for theirown interests but for the commongood.”

They also asked the media tobe a positive resource of seekingthe truth and combating corrup-tion by “objective reporting with-out bias and partiality.”

For the long term, the prelatesrenewed its call for “circles ofdiscernment” at the grassrootslevel, recognized lay organiza-tions, religious institutions andin the academe.

Such “communal action” at thegrassroots level, the statementadded, will perpetuate peoplepower so brilliantly demon-strated to the world at EDSA 1.

“It is people power ... at thegrassroots will find out the cul-ture of truth and integrity we sodeeply seek and build,” it said.(with reports from Roy Lagarde)

CBCP position may stillchange - Archbishop

A PRELATE said the Catholicbishops’ hierarchy position onthe current socio-political crisismight still change if the situationcalls for it.

Cagayan de Oro ArchbishopAntonio Ledesma said the bish-ops could still issue anotherstatement anew if alleged ram-pant corruption in the govern-ment will not be rightly ad-dressed.

Ledesma made the statementamid attacks from various groupswho were expecting the CatholicBishops’ Conference of the Phil-ippines to finally call for Presi-dent Arroyo’s resignation.

The CBCP held an “emer-gency” consultative meeting yes-terday in the wake of allegedanomalies in the national broad-band network governmentproject with China’s ZTE Corp.

In the recent pastoral state-ment, the CBCP merely urged theArroyo government to take thelead in combating corruption.

After the meeting that manyhad hoped would inject fresh en-ergy into efforts to topple Arroyoon allegations of corruption, theCBCP merely urged Arroyo tolead in fighting corruption.

The bishops also called on Ar-royo to revoke Executive Order464 and allow her officials to at-tend any investigations and tellthe truth.

The CBCP said the Presidentshould act immediately especiallynow that “questions about the

DUE to graft and corruption, the Arroyo ad-ministration is losing its credibility to gov-ern as integrity of political leaders, and gov-ernment officials is eroding, said BishopSolito K. Toquero of the United MethodistChurch, Manila Episcopal Area.

“The loss of respect for authority in almostall sectors of our society in politics, businessor religion is very much prevalent these daysnot only in the Philippines but also in manyother nations,” Toquero said in a statement.

The government is under pressure due toZTE-NBN scam allegedly involving formerCommission on Elections Chair, BenjaminAbalos and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.Both have denied the allegations.

“What has happened to our leaders and tothe “only Christian country in Asia? Why canwe not eliminate graft and corruption in gov-ernment? Whatever regime is in power, theoctopus of graft and corruption, strangling

and gripping tightly our people, agencies andinstitutions continue to choke us; our leadersseem powerless to extricate us from thisstranglehold. Are we not a Christian coun-try? Is this not an oxymoron, a corrupt “Chris-tian” country, allegedly the most corrupt inAsia?” he asked.

Young people have lost respect for thecountry’s leaders because of corruption whichhas inched its way into the socio-economic,political and religious fabric of society; ev-eryone is adversely affected, Toquero added.

So, “new brand of leaders who will lead usin fighting against corruption in all sectorsof our society, both in government and non-government agencies and institutions shouldemerge with transparency and righteousnessin all transactions. These new leaders willmake it their priority to uplift the poor andneedy with honesty and truthfulness,” theprelate said. (Santosh Digal) United Methodist Bishop Solito K. Toquero

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A7CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorVol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008 Features

China considersChina considersChina considersChina considersChina considersabandoning itsabandoning itsabandoning itsabandoning itsabandoning itsone-child policyone-child policyone-child policyone-child policyone-child policy

First CatholicChurch in Arabiccountry to bededicated to Mary

Pope and students pray together via satellite,Benedict XVI asks youth to be builders of unity

BEIJING, China, March 2, 2008—China is con-sidering the elimination of its controversialone-child policy in response to an agingpopulation and a gender imbalance createdby sex-selective abortion, Reuters reports.

The present policy usually limits familiesto one child, or two children if they live inthe countryside.

“We want incrementally to have thischange,” Vice Minister of the National Popu-lation and Family Planning CommissionZhao Baige told reporters in a Beijing talkabout possible changes to the policy.

“I cannot answer at what time or how, butthis has become a big issue among decisionmakers,” Zhao added. “The attitude is to dothe studies, to consider it responsibly and toset it up systematically.”

China is the world’s most populous coun-try. Its average fertility rate has dropped from5.8 children per woman in the 1970s to 1.8children per woman today, below the re-placement rate of 2.1.

The Chinese government says its policieshave prevented several hundred millionbirths. However, experts have warned that itsageing population could cause severe social

problems as the elderly come to outnumberthe working population. The policy has alsocaused gender disparity from the selectiveabortion of girls, as male children are pre-ferred for traditional and economic reasons.

The gender ratio in China is still close to120 boys for every 100 girls.

Increased mobility of the nation’s about150 million migrant workers has weakenedenforcement of the one-child policy. Wealthycitizens are also willing to pay the fines im-posed by the policy when they have morechildren, though officials have pledged toincrease fines on wealthy lawbreakers.

Enforcement of the policy has at times beendraconian. According to human rightsgroups and the U.S. government, family plan-ning officials have sometimes used forcedabortion, coercive sterilization, and otherabuses to ensure compliance with the policy.

Reggie Littlejohn, an American attorneywho advises the Brussels-based non-govern-mental organization, Human Rights With-out Frontiers, spoke with Cybercast NewsService on Thursday, voicing her skepticismabout the announcement.

“Right now, the one-child policy is often

implemented by forced abortion and forcedsterilization,” she said. “Even if some couplesin the future are allowed to have more thanone child under the new policy, will the gov-ernment still enforce that higher birth limitthrough coerced abortion and sterilization?”

“The timing of this announcement is noaccident,” she said, noting theannouncement’s proximity to the BeijingOlympic Games and recent concerns aboutChina’s involvement in Darfur.

“For me, the real question is not, ‘Will theChinese government abolish the one-childpolicy,’” Littlejohn said. “The real questionis, ‘Will the Chinese government abolish itscoercive birth-control practices?”

The Bush administration withholds fund-ing from the United Nations Population Fundbecause of its association with Chinese popu-lation control programs. According toCybercast News Service, U.S. law prohibitsfunding for any agency that “supports or par-ticipates in the management of a program ofcoercive abortion or involuntary steriliza-tion.”

China’s population could grow to 1.5 bil-lion by 2033. (CNA)

The church was built on landdonated by Emir Amir Hamadbin Khalifa Al Thani, who in re-cent years has become a sup-porter of inter-religious dia-logue, despite keeping Islamiclaw in place which forbids Mus-lims to convert to other reli-gions.

Qatar, which has 800,000 in-habitants, established diplo-matic relations with the HolySee in 2003. The pastor of thenew parish will be a priest fromthe Philippines, FatherTomasito Veneracion. (CNA)

DOHA, Qatar, February 29,2008—The first Catholic Churchin an Arab Muslim emirate willbe dedicated to the Blessed Vir-gin Mary, during a ceremonythat will be celebrated by Car-dinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of theCongregation for the Evangeli-zation of Peoples.

On March 14, Cardinal Diaswill officiate at the ceremony inDoha, the capital of Qatar. TheApostolic Vicar of Arabia, Arch-bishop Paul Hinder, will jointhe cardinal for the dedicationof the new church.

VATICAN CITY, March 3,2008¯Benedict XVI prayed therosary with university studentsfrom 10 European and Americancities and then entrusted them theduty of being builders of peaceand unity.

The Pope thus participated inthe 6th European Day for Univer-sities, held Saturday in Paul VIHall and linked via satellite toNaples, Italy; Bucharest, Roma-nia; Toledo, Spain; Avignon,France; Minsk, Belarus; Washing-ton D.C.; Mexico City; Havana,Cuba; Aparecida, Brazil; and Loja,Ecuador.

The initiative is promoted bythe Council of European Episco-pal Conferences and the vicari-ate of Rome’s office for pastoralcare in universities.

The theme was “Europe andthe Americas Together to Build aCivilization of Love” and some40,000 university students partici-pated.

After a prayer vigil held for theyouth, the Holy Father arrivedto pray the rosary. He then ex-tended greetings in various lan-guages, both to the young peoplepresent in Paul VI Hall and tothose following events from theEuropean and American cities.

“Christianity,” he said, “is aprofound and powerful link be-tween the so-called old continentand what has been called the‘New World.’”

Cultural foundations

Benedict XVI affirmed “thefundamental position that HolyScripture and Christian liturgy

occupy in the culture and art ofEuropean and Americanpeoples.”

“Unfortunately,” he added,“so-called western civilizationhas also partly betrayed its Gos-pel inspiration. What is needed,then, is an honest and sincere re-flection, an examination of con-science. It is necessary to discernbetween what serves to build the‘civilization of love’ according tothe design that God revealed inJesus Christ, and what runscounter to it.”

“God calls you to cooperate,alongside your peers all over theworld, so that the lifeblood of the

Gospel may renew the civiliza-tion of these two continents andof humanity entire,” the HolyFather stated. “The great Euro-pean and American cities are be-coming more and more cosmo-politan, but they often lack thislifeblood, which is capable ofensuring that differences do notbecome the cause of division andconflict but of mutual enrich-ment.”

The Pope said the civilizationof love would be characterizedby “a respectful and peaceful co-existence that finds joy in its dif-ferences in the name of a sharedvision which Blessed Pope John

XXIII founded on the four col-umns of love, truth, freedom andjustice.”

He added: “This, dear friends,is the duty I consign to you to-day: Be disciples of and witnessesto the Gospel, because the Gos-pel is the good seed of the King-dom of God, in other words thecivilization of love! Be buildersof peace and of unity!”

The Holy Father concluded hisremarks by identifying one “signof this Catholic unity” in the ini-tiative of giving each of the stu-dents present a CD copy of hisencyclical “Spe Salvi” in five lan-guages. (Zenit).

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Brazilian bishops requestresearch with embryos bedeclared unconstitutional

Catholic hospital to allowtransgender surgery afterbeing sued

ing to science, to be an adult. Itis a seed that is going to de-velop,” the bishop said.

The announcement by theNCBB comes as former Attor-ney General Claudio Fontelesfiled his own brief challengingthe law’s constitutionality andwarning that the use of em-bryos “damages the inviolabil-ity of the right to life” guaran-teed by the Brazilian constitu-tion.

However, in a move to pres-sure the court, the Brazilian ver-sion of “Catholics for a FreeChoice” commissioned a pollwhich alleges that 75% of Bra-zilians support research withhuman embryos. (CNA)

BRASILIA, Brazil, March 4,2008—The National Conferenceof Bishops of Brazil has an-nounced it will ask the country’sSupreme Court to declare partof a new law that allows researchwith human embryos to be un-constitutional.

The president of the Bishops’Committee on Life and theFamily, Bishop OrlandoBrandes, noted that embryonicstem cells are not necessary forresearch, as adult stem cellshave been already proven to bean effective alternative.

“The embryo is a human be-ing, an individual who has theright to be born and has all ofthe necessary elements, accord-

News reported that the hospi-tal had issued a written state-ment to CBS 5 that said, “Weregret any confusion that mayhave come from this situation.We want this patient and herphysician to know that they arewelcome at Seton Medical Cen-ter.”

The hospital still said thatCatholic teaching prohibits theaccommodation of sex-changeoperations.

The CBS 5 News station char-acterized the statement as a“veiled apology.” It said,“transgender CharleneHastings has claimed moral vic-tory against Catholics.”

According to the CaliforniaCatholic Daily, Hasting’s attor-ney, Chris Dolan, said that alawsuit seeking monetary dam-ages would proceed.

“Like any good religious ex-perience, first you need enlight-enment and then you needatonement,” said Dolan. “Andwhat we have here perhaps is aglimpse of enlightenment. Hasit changed their heart? I don’tthink so. Will it change theirpractice?”

Hastings will not undergosurgery at Seton, saying hewould not be comfortable be-cause he would feel the hospi-tal would be “doing it underduress.” (CNA)

DALY CITY, CA, March 4,2008—A Catholic hospital thatrefused to allow its facilities tobe used for breast implant sur-gery on a man that had under-gone a sex-change operationwill now allow the procedure,the California Catholic Dailyreports.

In 2006 a doctor told CharleneHastings, 57, that Seton Medi-cal Center in Daly City wouldnot allow him to performbreast-enhancement surgery ona transsexual. Hastings claimedthat upon further inquiry a sur-gical coordinator at the hospi-tal said to him, “It’s not God’swill” and “God made you aman.”

A 2006 memo sent by SetonMedical Center to physicianssaid, “transgender proceduresor procedures that are part ofthe transgendering process maynot be performed at Seton, asSeton is a Catholic Hospital.”

Hastings filed suit against thehospital in San Francisco Supe-rior Court in December. The suitalleged that Seton violated statelaw, which allows religiously-based hospitals to refuse to per-form abortions but makes no ex-emption for denying electivesurgery for transgender opera-tions.

On February 27 the San Fran-cisco television station CBS 5

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A8 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorPeople, Facts & Places

Manila archdioceseManila archdioceseManila archdioceseManila archdioceseManila archdioceseholds Bible lectures toholds Bible lectures toholds Bible lectures toholds Bible lectures toholds Bible lectures tocelebrate Pauline yearcelebrate Pauline yearcelebrate Pauline yearcelebrate Pauline yearcelebrate Pauline year

that leads them to find jobs insome small companies or shops,the priest added.

The parish also runs E-Com-puter Center for young peopleaged 15-24 since 2006. APEC ITgave 30 new PCs to the Center.At present the Center has 50 PCs.

Since 1997, the parish computercenter has been teaching youngpeople to gain computer literacy.

The program has attractedhundreds of young people forwhom computer is life, Fr.Beltran said.

Some time ago, the parish do-nated about 100 old PCs to Mus-lim and Christian students inMindanao. (CBCPNews)

Outstanding women inmedia cited

MAPSA’S outstandingschool administratorshonored

Varsitarian to kickoff pro-life film fest

‘Family RosaryCrusade’ bags UST-TV Students’Choice Award

THE Biblical Apostolate of the Archdio-cese of Manila is holding a series of Bibli-cal lectures in celebration of the PaulineJubilee Year.

The 12-part lecture series on the lettersand writings of St. Paul and other New Tes-tament books (except the Gospels) aregiven every Tuesday and Thursday at theLayforce Center at San Carlos Seminaryin Makati City.

Classes started on February 26 and willgo on until April 17.

Two respected biblical scholars, Fr. GilAlinsangan, SSP and Sr. Bernardita Dianzon,FSP, will expound on the Pauline writings.

The lecture series is part of the regularbible programs of the biblical apostolateof the archdiocese of Manila.

Aside from the ongoing bible classes con-ducted at the Layforce Center, which earnsstudents a Certificate on Biblical Studies, abasic bible seminar is also done quarterlyby the vicariates of the archdiocese.

The archdiocese likewise co-hosts theCatholic Bible School on the Air, a biblical

program aired over Radio Veritas every Sun-day evening, from 8-9:30 pm. (CBCPNews)

Life, Jim Libiran’s Tribu, JadeCatro’s Endo, Ned Trespeces’Trabaho, Joey Velasco’s Kambasng Lipunan and a documentaryfrom UST Nursing students.

The film roster also includesinternational films such as LloydKramer’s Five People You Meetin Heaven, Vincent Ward’s WhatDreams May Come, and MimiLeder’s Pay it Forward.

Directors Jim Libiran, BrillanteMendoza and Manolito Sulit willgrace the event as PhilippineDaily Inquirer’s entertainmentcolumnist Nestor Torre will de-liver the keynote speech on thefest’s maiden day.

Now on its second year, theCinevita Film Festival is a non-profit and educational endeavorof the Varsitarian together withthe UST Institute of Religion, USTJournalism Society, UST LiterarySociety, and ConciliumPhilososphiae. (Kris Bayos)

TRUE to its pro-life advocacy, TheVarsitarian, the 80-year-old stu-dent publication of the Univer-sity of Santo Tomas, will host theCinevita 2008 Film Festival fromMarch 5 to 7 at the UST ThomasAquinas Research Center.

Themed “Celebrating Life,Truth, and Faith,” the three-dayfilm festival will showcase inde-pendent films, documentaries, andshorts movies produced by ama-teur to distinguished Filipino di-rectors as it centralizes on the aimto uphold cinema as a tool formeaningful expressions of life.

Although all documentariesand local films are open to thepublic, foreign full-length filmsare exclusive to lecturers, filmcritics, and students due to pub-lic viewing rights restrictions.

Included in the roster of thefeatured films this year areBrillante Mendoza’s Foster Childand Tirador, Katsi Flores’ Still

Another awardee, the Women’sFeature Service (WFS) representedby its Executive Director OliveTripon, was cited for championingthe cause of women in reportingand featuring gender-related is-sues like women’s rights, violenceagainst women, reproductivehealth and women’s spirituality.WFS is the first and the onlywomen-oriented news agency inthe country.

The Hildegard Awards, now onits second year, was conceptual-ized by St. Scholastica College’sDepartment of Mass Communica-tion as a tribute to women whohave contributed much in the fieldof media and communicationthrough their “pioneering workand cause-oriented advocacies.”The award was named after 16thcentury St. Hildegard Bingen, aGerman Benedictine nun.

Last year’s awardees includeProfessor Nora Quebral, a pioneerof Development Communicationin the Philippines; Felicisima “TitaFeny” delos Angeles Bautista, ex-ecutive producer of Batibot;Genoveva “Lola Bebang” Matute,a pioneering radio scriptwriter;and QTV Channel 11, cited for itswomen-centered programming.(Pinky Barrientos, FSP)

THREE distinguished women inthe field of media and a women-oriented news agency received theSt. Hildegard Awards for Out-standing Women in Media andCommunication, in a simple cer-emony held at St. Cecilia’s Hall ofSt. Scholastica College, Manila.

The awardees were cited fortheir exceptional involvement inthe field of media and communi-cation, and in various cause-ori-ented advocacies.

Rosa Rosal, an icon in the mediaindustry, was awarded for her partin pioneering public service pro-grams on television throughDamayan and Kapwa Ko, MahalKo, and lifelong commitment inthe Philippine Red Cross. Rosalwho says retirement is not for her,had started as a volunteer of PRCin 1950 and continues to be at itsservice until now.

Professor Florangel Braid, apracticing journalist, educator andcommunication specialist; wascited for her contribution in thefield of communication education.

Emily Abrera, president ofMcCann Erickson Philippines wasnamed for her various advocacieswhich reflected in the choice andcontent of advertisements her com-pany produced.

Smokey mountain parishhelps women find jobsthrough e-learningA PARISH near Smokey Moun-tain, Manila’s erstwhile garbagedump site, helps women to findemployment through e-learning.

Women from Risen Christ Par-ish are given basic computer lit-eracy program. After they gradu-ate they try to find computerbased jobs in different parts of thecountry, Fr. Benigno Beltran,SVD, parish priest, toldCBCPNews.

This computer program helpshundreds of women irrespective ofcreed or social strata, the priest said.

One of the benefits that womenhave gained out of it is they learnhow to do accounting and audit-ing with help of computers, and

“FAMILY Rosary Crusade”bagged the best 4th University ofSanto Tomas-television (USTv)Students-Judges’ Choice Awardsfor best Catholic program.

Carrying the theme, “Educationin Integrity: Channeling Honestyand the Truth through the TV,”the awards, organized by the Of-fice of the UST Secretary Generaland student leaders of UST, cov-ered television programs airedJuly and December 2007.

UST Rector, Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, OP handed out the awardsat a glittering ceremony held atthe UST Medicine Auditorium inManila last February 20.

Criteria included originalityand craftsmanship (40%), and

promotion of Christian valuesand the “Thomasian vision oftruth in Charity” (60%).

Voters in the award were the35,000-strong student body of thePontifical and Royal University.Their choices were confirmed bya student-dominated board ofjudges, which included media ex-perts, UST administrators andacademics.

Awards for the most populardrama mini-series, actor and ac-tress in a drama mini-series, en-tertainment news show, gag show,Student-Judges Choice for the Tele-vision Station with the MostYouth-Responsible Programmingand variety program were alsohanded out. (Santosh Digal)

ate said.The awardees were Mrs. Vir-

ginia C. Cacanta, Miss Marilyn L.Cano, Mrs. Angelita A.Concepcion, Mrs. Carina G.Dacanay, Mr. Joel C. Javiniar, Dr.Evangeline M. Macase, Dr.Rosalinda C. Natividad, Dr.Evelyn B. Tallod and Mrs.Cresisanta A. Vallestero.

The Sedes Sapientiae (Seat ofWisdom) Award was given by theArchbishop Gaudencio B. CardinalRosales and MAPSA PresidentMsgr. Gerardo O. Santos.

Mrs. Virginia C. Cacanata, agraduate of Pasig Catholic Collegein 1970 and immediately rose fromthe ranks to become its ExecutiveVice President for the past 38 years,delivered her response on behalfof the other winners.

The Lifetime AchievementAward was conferred on MissOfelia S. Meneses by His EminenceGaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales,DD, assisted by Msgr. Roberto A.Espenilla, head of MAPSA Com-mission on Human Resource Man-agement and Development. (MeloM. Acuña)

MANILA Archbishop GaudencioB. Cardinal Rosales paid tribute tothe outstanding school administra-tors from the Manila Archdiocesanand Parochial Schools Association(MAPSA) under the leadership ofMsgr. Gerardo O. Santos in fittingceremonies at the VillaImmaculada, Intramuros ManilaThursday morning.

In his inspirational message,Cardinal Rosales said the awardsextended to outstanding personnelis the “Church’s way of expressingits appreciation for the outstand-ing achievements and of love.” Headded the awardees “served be-yond what ordinary people couldappreciate,” for the awardees“were more than mentors, teach-ers and Christ’s disciples in Catho-lic schools for being active partici-pants in the ministry of Jesus.”

“You awardees have been teach-ing, accompanying, encouraging,understanding and not just deliv-ering your knowledge because youshow how you speak, how youteach and the way you conductyourself as a teacher, person, citi-zen and as a Christian,” the prel-

Officials of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines (KCFAPI) with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams during a courtesy call at theNunciature in Paco, Manila, March 3, 2008.

MarkingsMarkingsMarkingsMarkingsMarkingsMarkingsMarkingsMarkingsMarkingsMarkingsCELEBRATED. Fr.L u d g e rFeldkaemper, SVD,45th anniversaryof priestly ordina-tion, February 2,2008. A well-known Biblescholar whoworked for manyyears in the Philip-pines, Fr.F e l d k a e m p e r ,founded the JohnPaul I Biblical Cen-ter in 1979 whenhe was assignedas Bible Professor at the Immaculate ConceptionSchool of Theology in Vigan City. He started the BasicBible Seminar which is now well known all over theworld. He became the executive secretary of theCatholic Biblical Federation for many years. He cur-rently teaches Scriptures in one of the SVD seminar-ies in Germany.

CELEBRATED. Fr.Wim Wijtten, SVD,49th anniversary ofsacerdotal ordination,February 1, 2008.Another bible scholarwho worked formany years in North-ern Luzon, Fr. Wijttentook over as directorof the Biblical Centerin Vigan after Fr.Feldkaemper left. Hebecame subregionalcoordinator of theCBF-SEA, the firstSoutheast Asia sub-regional coordinatorof the Catholic Bibli-cal Federation. From the Philippines he was assigned inNemi, Rome as director of the Dei Verbum, the Interna-tional Bible Institute on Biblical Pastoral Ministry of theSVD. He is currently residing in Holland in one of the SVDseminaries there.

CELEBRATED. Diocese of Kabankalan, 20th anniversaryof creation as a diocese; February 11, 2008. BishopVicente M. Navarra, DD was appointed the first bishop ofKabankalan. In his fourteen years as bishop of the dio-cese, he introduced the formation of Diocesan synod;built the Bishop’s house; the seminary (Little Way CollegeSeminary); astrong organiza-tion of lay leaderswho are commit-ted to the Diocesanprogram of BasicEcclesial Commu-nities. In 2003,Bishop PatricioBuzon, SDB be-came the 2ndbishop ofKabankalan whenBishop Navarrawas appointed 5th

bishop of Bacolod.With his religiousbackground and

affiliation, Bishop Buzon took interest in updatingschools. He invited the Christian Brothers in Australiato help in the updating and formation of the Catholicschools in the diocese. He initiated a Pastoral Assem-bly and Pastoral Planning among the clergy to re-di-rect efforts for a more comprehensive approach toongoing formation of the clergy. His pastoral visita-tions among the parishes help him know the real prob-lem of the people and the real situation of the diocese.

ORDAINED. Rev. Moses Romy Namalata and Rev.Patrick Leody Cendeño of the Servants of the RisenChrist Monastic Community, March 1, 2008, at St.Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, Ramos, Tarlac; byMost Rev. Florentino Cinense, DD, bishop of Tarlac.

CBCP MonitorB1Vol. 12 No. 5

March 3 - 16, 2008

How does the diocese addressthe issues of environmental deg-radation in Samar province?

The Diocese of Catarman inNorthern Samar looks at thisproblem from the perspectiveof the entire island of Samarof which Northern Samar isone of the three provinces. Thethree Dioceses of Calbayog,Borongan and Catarman areone in support and have lob-bied with multi-sectoralgroups in Congress for theenactment of Samar IslandNational Park to preserve theremaining Samar rainforest.We have consistently opposedmining activities in the wholeisland and the return of log-ging concessions, particularlyof San Jose Timber Co. In viewof these environment-relatedconcerns we have joined rankswith multi-sectoral groups of

NGOs, POs and LGUs to form theSamar Island Partnership forPeace and Development Forum.

What is your take on the threatof materialism creeping into ourlifestyle brought about by suchphenomenon as globalization?

This is inevitable because ofmass media and mobility ofpeople nowadays, especially ouroverseas workers. It becomes anadded challenge to our evangeli-zation efforts. Thank God inmany ways our people are in-nately religious. So there is aneed for us in the Church to ad-dress this issue in our catecheticaland formation programs other-wise we shall wake up one daywith our people dull and dead inspirit.

Would you say consumerism hasaffected our people’s sense of

values, especially the young?Truly the young people have

to be given much attention in re-gard to their education and train-ing to the right sense of values,especially Christian values. Con-sumerism is one form of materi-alism affecting our economic lifeas well as human behavior indi-vidually and socially. It tran-scends ages, young and old orsocial groupings, families andcommunities. It can insert intothe whole culture and attitude. Itis not taught but caught in a mat-ter of time and given a hospitableenvironment. Even the Churchcannot be insulated from it butshould not be a slave to it or con-done it. Its wind can sweep us allif we are not wary. Here againour evangelization efforts shouldbring to the surface the attractive-ness of our lived Christian val-ues and virtues with the primacyof faith and spirit. The wholeChurch is strongly challengedfor concrete witnessing in our re-spective surroundings and in theongoing formation of the faith-ful.

How does the diocesan familyand life apostolate respond tothis challenge?

Before these macro-level con-cerns, we have to look into ourconcrete local situation and theimmediate condition of everyfamily in the Diocese. The phe-nomenon of migrant workers iscausing a lot of strains to unity ofthe family. Moreover, there is theaggressive population controlprogram of government that in-troduces artificial birth controloptions with anti-life and anti-family implications. The Diocesehas articulated as one of our 10pastoral priorities the family asfocus of evangelization echoingthe priorities of PCP II. There areactive family life movements andapostolate in the parishes. Wehave established a Diocesan fam-ily life commission with clergyand lay involvement for pro-lifeapostolate. But it seems the workis daunting and we cannot doenough. There is a need of per-sistent effort as a Church and inpartnership with different sectorsof society. The endemic poverty

in the province brings havoc tofamilies causing a host of relatedproblems, namely street chil-dren, child labor, and human traf-ficking particularly of younggirls. Rural poverty that spillsover to urban poverty in urbancenters does not indeed give anoptimistic picture of family andhuman development in the dio-cese. Our evangelization of fami-lies has to consider this concretebackdrop for any effective effortor program that we want to comeout for the Diocese. As of nowour implementation of familylife programs has to be combinedwith our building of BasicEcclesial Communities in theparishes. There is a need furtherof coordinating all these effortsfor the welfare of families.

How active are the basic ecclesialcommunities in your diocese?

PCP II calls BEC the new wayof being Church. It also wants toinstitutionalize BEC in all thePhilippine Dioceses. It is a wayof giving flesh to the Church’svision of becoming the Church

of the Poor and Communityof Disciples. During the 1st Di-ocesan Pastoral Assembly in1996 under our First Bishop,Bishop Angel Hobayan, BECwas declared the main pasto-ral thrust of the Diocese. Dur-ing the 2nd Diocesan PastoralAssembly and Diocesan Pen-tecost Vigil, last May 26, 2007the clergy, the religious andlay faithful recommittedthemselves to the same pas-toral thrust in our ten pasto-ral priorities. Since last year Ihave also requested theRedemptorists BEC missionteam to assist the parishes inbuilding BEC after givingBEC reorientation to all theparish priests. They have beenso far to two parishes and twomission centers after sixmonths and still going. Weare also among the Diocesesthat participate in the NASSAassisted BEC program ofwhich five of our parishes areincluded. I must note how-ever that the growth of BECs

ORDAINED bishop in July 22, 2004, Most Rev. Emmanuel C.Trance was appointed second bishop of Catarman in March 11,2005. In this issue of CBCP Monitor, Bishop Trance talks about thevarious concerns of the diocese: environmental degradation in theprovince; the effects of consumerist lifestyle on families; the thrustof family life apostolate to combat threats on family life; the BECprograms and participation of the laity in the life of the Church;and the ongoing formation of the clergy and the laity.

7Q U E S T I O N S

7 Questions / B2

By Bishop Arturo M. Bastes,SVD, DD

Need for a full understanding of theBible Apostolate

There is an incomplete understandingof the bible apostolate prevailing amongthe Catholic faithful (priests, religious,laity). This apostolate is commonly un-derstood as comprising activities thatdirectly deal with the bible such as biblecourses, bible seminars, bible sharingsessions, bible quizzes, bible drama,bible exhibits, bible Sundays, bibleweek, bible distributions etc. Often theyare considered as “luxurious extras” thatare nice things to do if time permits.

But a full understanding of the bibleapostolate needs to be inculcated amongour faithful. The bible is God’s word toHis people. In the bible, “the Father whois heaven comes lovingly to meet Hischildren, and talks with them” (Dei Ver-bum, art.21). Thus the aim of the bible

apostolate is to help people encounterGod the Father in the Sacred Scriptures.In DV art. 21 we read, “…such is the forceand power of the word of God that canserve the Church as her support andvigor, and the children of the Church asstrength for their faith, food for the soul,and a pure and lasting font of spirituallife.” This passage teaches that the Wordof God must permeate and animate ev-ery dimension of the Church’s life: li-turgical, catechetical, pastoral, moraland social. Seen in this way the biblicalapostolate constitutes an integral part ofthe mission of the Church. Hence therecan be no authentic ministry in theChurch unless it is based on the word ofGod.

The ministry of the Word made fleshMoreover God’s Word is not only ex-

pressed in human terms but is also madeflesh. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is theWord of God made flesh. He is the per-fect revelation of the Father so that any-

one “who has seen Him has seen the Fa-ther” (Jn 14:9). His revelation of the Fa-ther came from the “truth” that he is: “Iam the way, the truth and the life” (Jn14:6). In the prologue of the Gospel ofJohn we see the essence of Jesus’ mys-tery and ministry. His mystery is theWord of God made flesh. From his mys-tery stems His ministry, which the Fa-ther had given Him: To dwell in themidst of men and women to reveal theFather to all human beings. Jesus’ worksand words constituted His entire minis-try whereby He “glorified His Fatheron earth” (Jn 17, 4) and “manifested HisFather’s name” (Jn 17, 6)

When revealing His Father, Jesus ex-ercised His ministry in a very concreteand tangible way. So concrete and tan-gible was His ministry that John in hisfirst letter asserts “that which was fromthe beginning, which we have heard,which we have seen with our own eyes,that we have looked upon and touchedwith our hands, concerning the Word of

Life” (I John 1, 1). The climax of Jesus’ministry is the paschal event, His deathand resurrection, which shed light on thesignificance of Jesus’ entire mystery andministry on earth.

The identity of the ministry of Jesus andHis disciples

The risen Christ entrusted His ownministry to His disciples. The identity ofJesus’ mission and that of His disciples isexpressed in John 20, 21: “As the Fatherhas sent me, even so I send you”. Themission of the disciples is but the con-tinuation of Jesus’ ministry. He gave themthe Spirit to empower them for this min-istry. The apostles were sent forth to dothe same thing as Jesus’ did: to reveal theFather and bring all human beings intofriendship and unity. In His priestly prayerto the Father, Jesus asked: “that they mayall be one even as Thou, Father, art in Meand I in Thee”. The object of Jesus’ prayeris KOINONIA, fellowship, that is, a filialrelationship between God as Father and

all human beings as His children, andthe relationship between all men andwomen as brothers and sisters of thesame Father. Consequently the apostlesestablished communities in differentplaces, which express this fellowshipor Koinonia.

The Word of God is addressed to theChurch

The Church, as the community of be-lievers, is the fellowship resulting fromChrist’s mission and that of the apostlesand their successors. She is the Word ofGod “enfleshed” in a community ofmen and women who consider them-selves the children of God. It is to theChurch as a Koinonia of believers thatthe Bible, the written Word of God isfirst of all addressed. For the bible isprimarily a written result of the primi-tive community’s experiencing, livingand celebrating the Word of God pro-claimed by the Word made Flesh, re-

The full understanding ofthe Biblical Apostolate

Pastoral ConcernsPastoral Concerns

Full / B7

Most Rev. Emmanuel C. Trance, DD

B5 StatementsSeeking the truth, restoring

integrity

B6 Reflections‘Untie him and let him go’

B7 Social ConcernsTeaching fishers how to fish

through microfinance

B2 UpdatesRubrics in the celebration of the

Holy Eucharist

B3 DioceseDiocese of Kabankalan

B4 CommissionsPower to unite with Elvira

B8 EntertainmentBuhay Parokya

B2 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorUpdates

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

A few years ago, a Statement of the 20th Na-tional Assembly of Diocesan Directors of Lit-urgy (Sept 12-16, 2005) was picked up by thelocal mass media and stirred up a controversy.The Statement—entitled Rubrics in the Cel-ebration of the Eucharist—called on thefaithful to “carefully study and observe the

rubrics of the Holy Mass…and eliminate inthe assembly indecorous movements or bodilygestures…(exhorting) fidelity and loyalty tothe liturgical reform of Vatican II.” But thelocal media subsequently focused on the spe-cific question of holding hands during the pray-ing of the Our Father at Mass. Questions of“inculturation” and “the need for a more cheer-ful and consoling Mass” were raised againstwhat some called “rubricism” and rigid “le-galism” in the liturgy. All these are a bit overmy simple layman’s head. Can you please shedsome light on what the bone of contention re-ally is?

I WOULD like to clarify that liturgygoes farther than Canon Law. On theother hand, can. 2 of the Code of CanonLaw states: For the most part the Code doesnot define the rites which are to be observedin celebrating liturgical actions. For this rea-son current liturgical norms retain their forceunless a given liturgical norm is contrary tothe canons of the Code.

Hence, I will limit my discussion tothe strictly canonical aspect of the ques-tion and perhaps clarify the terms.

Lex orandi, lex credendi: The Impor-tance of the Rubrics

It has often been said that lex orandi,lex credendi—i.e., the rule of prayer isthe rule of faith. A person and a commu-nity pray according to their belief suchthat private prayer and community wor-ship manifest the faith of the individualand the community.

However, the external signs that aperson is subjected to and which areprevalent in a community have a way ofaffecting the way a person and a com-munity think or believe. The externalsigns of respect, reverence and love thata Catholic community gives to the Eu-charist—for example—not only mani-fests its respect, reverence and love forthe Sacrament of the Body and Blood ofChrist, but ultimately influence its faithin the Real Presence.

Hence, the rubrics. Rubrics are the in-dications—normally in red print, hencethe term (from the Latin rubrum = red)—interspersed in the official liturgical textsthat indicate the bodily gestures andpostures of the celebrant(s), other min-isters and congregation, as well as othermaterial details regarding the conduct

of the particular rite or liturgical cer-emony. If even in public functions—froma simple flag-raising ceremony to themost elaborate presidential inaugura-tion—there is normally a Master of Cer-emonies to make sure the written scriptand proper protocol are followed, itstands to reason that in the acts of publicworship of God (which is what the lit-urgy is) there be a proportionate con-cern that the script is followed.

Rubrics in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist

The Juridic Dimension of Public Wor-ship

But why take away spontaneity andpersonal devotion—one might ask—inliturgical celebrations? There is indeeda danger of overdoing the attention tothe rubrics—what some have calledrubricism—such that the spirit of the lit-urgy is stifled by rigid observance of theprinted procedure. Nevertheless, thereis a minimum requirement of standardpraxis in liturgy for the sake of publicorder.

The operative word is public. In thewords of Vatican II, in the liturgy fullpublic worship is performed by the MysticalBody of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Headand his members (Constitution on theSacred Liturgy , SacrosanctumConcilium, 4.XII.1963, n.7). It is notmerely an act of private personal devo-tion or prayer, but rather the act of thewhole Church—the Mystical Body ofChrist, including Christ the Head andall the faithful as members of the body.In the liturgy—and the Eucharistic cel-ebration is the liturgical act par excel-lence—it is not just the sacred ministeror just any individual faithful who acts,but the whole Church acts.

It is this public nature of the liturgythat gives it a juridic dimension. It formspart of the common good and is worthy

of protection by the Law of the Church.As an illustration, a private citizen can-not on his own initiative decide to deco-rate the street and sidewalk in front ofhis house with fancy tiles and elaborategrillwork. Since the street and sidewalkare public property, they are subject tothe sole jurisdiction of lawfully consti-tuted authority (which is mandated tocare for the common good of the com-munity). Only the City Government (orNational Government if the road is a

national road) can decree modificationson the road.

On the other hand, the Christian faithfulhave the right to worship God according tothe prescriptions of their own rite approvedby the legitimate pastors of the Church(c.214)—a right to which corresponds theobligation, on the part of the sacred min-isters, to celebrate the liturgy accordingto the norms established by the legiti-mate pastors of the Church, as we shallsee in c.846, §2 below.

Disposition and Supervision of theSacred Liturgy

Vatican Council II established the fol-lowing General Norms for the disposi-tion and supervision of the sacred lit-urgy (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, n.22):

1) Regulation of the sacred liturgydepends solely on the authority of theChurch, that is, on the Apostolic See,and, as laws may determine, on thebishop.

2) In virtue of power conceded by law,the regulation of the liturgy within cer-tain defined limits belongs also to vari-ous kinds of bishops’ conferences, legiti-mately established, with competence ingiven territories.

3) Therefore, no other person, not evena priest, may add, remove, or changeanything in the liturgy on his own au-

thority.The Code of Canon Law, reflecting the

mind of Vatican Council II, has estab-lished the competent authority in thefollowing terms:

Can. 838 — §1. The supervision of thesacred liturgy depends solely on the au-thority of the Church which resides inthe Apostolic See and, in accord with thelaw, the diocesan bishop.

— §2. It is for the Apostolic See to or-der the sacred liturgy of the universal

Church, to publish the liturgical books,to review their translations into the ver-nacular languages and to see that litur-gical ordinances are faithfully observedeverywhere.

— §3. It pertains to the conferences ofbishops to prepare translations of theliturgical books into the vernacular lan-guages, with the appropriate adapta-tions within the limits defined in the li-turgical books themselves, and to pub-lish them with the prior review by theHoly See.

— §4. It pertains to the diocesan bishopin the Church entrusted to him, withinthe limits of his competence, to issue li-turgical norms by which all are bound.

Thus, actually very little is left to in-dividual initiative in the matter of theliturgy, as the Code clearly states:

Can. 846 — §1. The liturgical booksapproved by the competent authority areto be faithfully observed in the celebra-tion of the sacraments; therefore no oneon personal authority may add, removeor change anything in them.

— §2. The ministers are to celebratethe sacraments according to their ownrite.

All these are applicable to each of thesacraments in particular and to sacredliturgy in general. What about the HolyMass?

The General Instruction of the Ro-man Missal (G.I.R.M.) and the RomanMissal

On top of dozens of important docu-ments regarding the Holy Eucharist thathave come out after Vatican Council II,the most important single document re-garding the celebration of the Holy Massis the Institutio Generalis MissalisRomani—or General Instruction of theRoman Missal (G.I.R.M.)—, by the Sa-cred Congregation for Divine Worship

on 26.III.1970, subsequently updated on27.III.1975 (2nd Edition), and most re-cently by the Congregation on DivineWorship and the Discipline of the Sacra-ments in 2002 (3rd Edition). Together withthe Roman Missal itself (also referredto as the Novus Ordo or the Vatican IIMass and published almost simulta-neously with the G.I.R.M.), this containsthe complete script of the Holy Mass asrevised by Vatican II, together with allthe possible variations and—this is thebone of contention—the instructions (ru-brics) regarding the bodily gestures ofcelebrant (s), other ministers and con-gregation and the disposition of the vari-ous material elements that go into theEucharistic celebration.

ConclusionThere are many more details in the

G.I.R.M. that need fine-tuning in thePhilippines. To single out the holdingof hands by the congregation at the OurFather, which is not even mentioned inthe G.I.R.M., is to miss the woods forthe trees. As to the questions posed atthe start, perhaps we can conclude withthe following:

1) There is a need to go back to therubrics, since the conduct of the Mass isnot a matter for the individual tastes ofbishops and much less of priests.

2) While admitting the possibility forvariations and adaptations to the localFilipino situation (inculturation), suchvariations cannot be introduced withoutprior review and approval by the HolySee.

3) Specifically, the points raised bythe most recent Instruction from theCongregation for Divine Worship andthe Discipline of the Sacraments,Redemptionis Sacramentum, On cer-tain matters to be observed or to beavoided regarding the Most Holy Eu-charist (19.III.2004), can be given pri-ority.

4) We end with n.18 of the aforemen-tioned Instruction, which quotes JohnPaul II: Christ’s faithful have the right thatthe ecclesiastical authority should fully andefficaciously regulate the Sacred Liturgy lestit should ever seem to be “anyone’s privateproperty, whether of the celebrant or of thecommunity in which the mysteries are cel-ebrated.”

Marian Masses in Lent and AdventAnd crosses on the 14 stations

Q: The Masses for the weekdays(including Saturdays) of Lent andAdvent are assigned Masses. Yetthere are Masses in the Collec-tion of Masses of the Blessed Vir-gin Mary for the Lenten seasonand for the Advent season. Whenis it permitted to use the liturgiesfrom this Collection of Massesduring Lent and Advent?¯J.M.,Washington, D.C.

A: As No. 21 of the Introduc-tion to the Collection ofMasses of the Blessed VirginMary indicates, the collectionis destined above all for usein Marian shrines.

These shrines frequentlyhave permission from theHoly See to celebrate Massesof Our Lady on days thatwould otherwise not be per-mitted according to thenorms of the General RomanCalendar, such as during Ad-vent and Lent.

This concession is usuallygranted for all days exceptthose indicated in Nos. 1-6 ofthe table of liturgical daysfound in most editions of theRoman Missal.

This faculty is usually re-served to priests on pilgrimageor for celebrations for groupsof pilgrims and with the re-quirement to generally use theseasonal readings and not thoseof the Marian Lectionary (Intro-duction, No. 31).

For this reason the Massesassigned to Advent, Christ-mas, Lent and Easter are usu-ally not permitted in settingssuch as parishes, which do notenjoy any exemption from

the rules of the General Calen-dar. The calendar forbids most vo-tive Masses during these seasons.

The General Instruction of theRoman Missal, No. 376, does say,however: “On obligatory memo-rials, on the weekdays of Adventup to and including December16, of the Christmas Season fromJanuary 2, and of the Easter Sea-son after the Octave of Easter,Masses for Various Needs,Masses for Various Circum-stances, and Votive Masses areas such forbidden. If, however,required by some real need orpastoral advantage, according tothe judgment of the rector of thechurch or the priest celebranthimself, a Mass corresponding tosuch a need or advantage maybe used in a celebration with acongregation.”

Thus, should such an authenticneed for a Marian celebrationarise during the above-men-tioned times, the pastor couldchoose one of the correspondingMasses from either the RomanMissal or the collection of Massesof the Blessed Virgin Mary.

There are also exceptionswhich allow two of these formu-las to be used outside of the as-signed season during ordinarytime. No. 28 of the Introductionsays that the Christmas formula“Holy Mary of Nazareth (no 8)”may be used if a group of faithfuldesires to commemorate Mary’sexemplary conduct at Nazareth.Likewise, the Lenten formula“Mary Virgin, Mother of Recon-ciliation (no 14)” may be usedwhen Mass is celebrated in thecontext of seeking reconciliationand harmony.

Q: Are wooden crosses on top of de-pictions/paintings of each Station ofthe Cross required? These have beenremoved from our church.¯P.C.,Laplace, Louisiana

A: The principal document relat-ing to the external form of the ViaCrucis, or Way of the Cross, is theEnchiridion of Indulgences, No. 63.

The Church grants a plenaryindulgence to a member of thefaithful who practices the piousexercise of the Way of the Cross.

In order to obtain this indulgencethe exercise must be fulfilled be-fore legitimately erected stations.

For the legitimate erection ofthe Via Crucis, 14 crosses areneeded, to which may be addedimages or sculptures that repre-sent the station.

According to the most com-mon custom, the pious exerciseconsists of 14 pious readings towhich are added some vocalprayers. However, in order tofulfill the pious exercise all thatis required is a meditation on theLord’s passion and death with-out having to make a particularconsideration of each station.

It is necessary to move fromone station to the next. But if thestations are done in a large groupwhere moving is difficult, it issufficient for at least the guide tomove from station to station.

The faithful who are legiti-mately impeded from makingthe stations may gain the sameindulgence by dedicating about15 minutes to meditating andspiritual reading on the Passion.

Therefore, to answer the spe-cific question at hand: A legiti-mate Way of the Cross consists

of 14 crosses. These may bewooden, stone, metal or someother suitable material. Theimages are an optional, albeitvery useful extra.

The crosses may be rela-tively small compared to theimages or representations, butthey should be visible. Theymay also be located at any suit-able place near the images—above, below, beside or evenincorporated within the frame.

Possibly the local parishchurch could be encouraged torestore the crosses to its Way ofthe Cross. It could also be a won-derful teaching moment to ex-plain the Church’s doctrine onindulgences as well as fomentthe practice of the Via Crucis.

As No. 133 of the Directoryof Popular Piety says:

“The Via Crucis is a journeymade in the Holy Spirit, thatdivine fire which burned in theheart of Jesus (cf. Lk 12, 49-50)and brought him to Calvary.This is a journey well es-teemed by the Church since ithas retained a living memoryof the words and gestures ofthe final earthly days of herSpouse and Lord.

“In the Via Crucis, variousstrands of Christian piety coa-lesce: the idea of life being ajourney or pilgrimage; as apassage from earthly exile toour true home in Heaven; thedeep desire to be conformedto the Passion of Christ; thedemands of following Christ,which imply that his disciplesmust follow behind the Mas-ter, daily carrying their owncrosses (cf. Lk 9, 23).” (Zenit)

(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following questions:)

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

are on various levels, a majority are on the Kapilya level where thepriests could celebrate mass at least once a month, or they haveSunday liturgy without a priest and they have put up a barangaypastoral council, WESTY commissions and installed lay ministers.Others would have already subdivided into small clusters forBibliarasal groups, cooperatives, and feeding programs for malnour-ished children, and other communal activities.

PCP II has highlighted the active participation of the laity in the lifeof the Church. How does the diocese concretize this?

Again after PCP II and our 1st Diocesan Pastoral Assembly in 1996,the role of the laity became more visible. In the parishes this wasseen in the rise of many lay organizations and movements. They arecalled upon in Pastoral Assemblies, in Pastoral Councils and in Pas-toral Commissions and lately in the 2nd Diocesan Pastoral Assembly.We organized the Diocesan Pastoral Council were lay representa-tives and religious are included; we recognize and encourage the laycharisms and involvement in the Church. Their participation is es-sential to the communitarian direction of the Church today.

The continuing formation for lay people should be embedded inthe liturgy, in catechesis, and in devotions in the parishes and BEClevel. Nonetheless an organized ongoing formation for communityleadership, pastoral knowledge and skills are also needed in theDiocesan level and in the programs of our respective Diocesan pasto-ral commissions. We have to address this concern the soonest pos-sible time and to look for resources to bring it about.

Does the diocese have a continuing formation program for the clergy?When I was appointed as Coadjutor Bishop of Catarman in May 14,

2004, I would not forget what the then Apostolic Nuncio, ArchbishopFranco told me: “Please give attention to the ongoing formation ofthe clergy.” When I became Bishop of Catarman in March 11, 2005, Ihave announced it as my priority. In fact, I appointed myself as headof the Commission on the clergy instead of appointing a Vicar. Forthe ongoing formation, the clergy are grouped according to age leveland ordination batch: young clergy, first five years of ordination;junior clergy, six to 16 years; middle clergy, 17 to 24 years; seniorclergy, 25 years to retirement; and retired clergy. We have our bi-monthly gathering for presbyteral pastoral assembly and recollec-tion, a quarterly gathering for ongoing formation groupings. Wehave a five-day annual retreat, annual ongoing formation seminar,renewal seminars for jubilarians, and sabbatical every six years perrequest. All of these are aimed to help the life and pastoral ministryof each priest to become one mind and one heart with Christ, themain goal of every ongoing formation.

I am pleased with my relationship with my clergy. I see them asmy immediate and direct partners and coworkers in the pursuit ofthe pastoral welfare of all the faithful in the Diocese and in the con-tinuing work of evangelization. I am connected to them in the sacra-mental bond which should be stronger than blood relations, the sac-rament of ordination. They have welcomed me as their Bishop eventhough I came from a different region. I want to be father, brotherand friend to them in the real sense. I am convinced that our mutualrelationship will give a strong witness to our pastoral service inunifying our ecclesial communities and building up of the Church.We can solve our problems together as brothers in the Church andfor the greater welfare of our ecclesial communities. Any challengeahead we can face as one if we keep this mutual bond in the Lord.

7 Questions / B1

B3CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorVol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008 Diocese

THE entire Province of Negros Occiden-tal once belonged to the Diocese ofBacolod, which was created in 1933, sepa-rating Negros from the Jurisdiction ofJaro. In 1987 Bacolod Diocese was di-vided into three ecclesiastical jurisdic-tions, San Carlos in the north, Bacolodin the center and Kabankalan in thesouth.

The Diocese of Kabankalan comprisesa total land area of 3,924 square kilome-ters, geographically mountainous butmostly accessible. Most of the faithfulhave an average or below average in-come level and their main sources ofincome are employment, farming andfishing. It is grouped into 5 vicariatedistricts which encompass 3 cities and 8municipalities of the southern part ofNegros Occidental in the Philippines. Thetitular patron is St. Francis Xavier whosefeast is celebrated on December 3.

The religious had been the pioneersin the task of evangelization inKabankalan. The Recollects, the Jesuitsand the Mill Hill Fathers had contrib-uted to the spread of the Catholic Faiththereabout. In 1950, the then Bishop ofBacolod, Casimiro Lladoc, invited theColumbans to take over the area thatnow constitutes Kabankalan Diocese.

The Filipino clergy started to integratewith the Columbans in the 1970’s withthe advent of the Spirituality of the Ba-sic Ecclesial Communities or theKristyanong Katilingban (KK) as it is lo-cally known. The local Church sufferedtremendous harassment and persecutionduring the Martial Law era. After thebuilding in the compound of what is nowthe Kabankalan Cathedral was gutted bya fire in 1986, Kabankalan was erectedas a diocese in March 30, 1987. BishopVicente M. Navarra, D.D., was installedas first bishop of Kabankalan in Febru-ary 11, 1988.

During his term that spanned 13 years,Bishop Navarra facilitated the holdingof the First Diocesan Synod ofKabankalan and its subsequent Pasto-ral Assembly for the renewal andstrengthening of the local Church. Themodified Tithing System was adopted,in accordance with the spirit of the Sec-ond Plenary Council of the Philippines(PCP II). The Diocesan Pastoral Coun-cil and the Diocesan Pastoral Teamwere formed for lay empowerment andanimation of the BECs, which remainas the pastoral thrust of the Diocese. Itspreferential option for the less fortu-nate was typified by the establishmentof the deaf-mute apostolate which was

The Diocese of

Historical highlights in theevangelization of

Kabankalan Diocese(Adapted from the compilation of Dennis Madrigal in

Handurawan: Visita Iglesia Negros Y Recoletos: 2006)

1566: The Christianization of the Island of Negros began with the foundationof the missions of Binalbagan (1575-78) Tanjay (1580-83) and Ilog (1584-86)by the Augustinian Missionaries. Unfortunately, they had to abandon thesemissions for lack of priests.

1622: At the request of Bishop Pedro de Arce of Cebu, the Recollects came toevangelize Negros. The spiritual administration of Binalbagan includingKabankalan was ceded to the Recollects.

1638: Recollect Missionaries left Negros in exchange for Romblon. The con-vent of Binalbagan was entrusted to the Jesuits who came earlier in 1630.

1769: After the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1767, TheDominican missionaries came to continue the spiritual administration ofNegros with Fr. Manuel Diez assigned in Kabankalan (but died in 1774)and another one in Guihulngan (now a barrio of Cauayan). They left theIsland in 1774 and never returned.

1848 June 20: Gov. Gen. Narciso Claveria approved the Request of BishopRomualdo Jimeno of Cebu, “entrusting the spiritual administration ofNegros to the Recollects.”

1848 June 26: The Recollects willingly accepted the administration of Negros“with sustained joy”. The parishes of Amlan, Siaton, Kabankalan andHimamaylan were the first four parishes in Negros turned over to theRecollects.

1898 November 5: The outbreak of the Philippine Revolution began in Cen-tral and Northwestern Negros. After negotiations and the agreement ofsurrender were discussed by revolutionary leaders and the Spanish gov-ernment, the Spanish Alcalde Mayor and his military troops in Bacolodsurrendered to the rebels led by Gen. Aniceto Lacson and Gen. Juan Araneta.Thirty-five Recollects were arrested and jailed in Puerto San Juan (the origi-nal name of the provincial jail).

1932 July 15: Pope Pius XI issued a Papal Bull creating the Diocese of Bacolod,separating Negros from the Diocese of Jaro. The Parish of St. Sebastian inBacolod became the Episcopal seat of the diocese.

1933 May 16: The Diocese of Bacolod was formally established with the par-ishes of the whole Negros Island and Siquijor as its territorial jurisdiction.

1933 October 24: Bishop Casimiro M. Lladoc was installed as the first Bishopof the Diocese of Bacolod. He served the diocese for 18 years (1933-51). Hedied on September 21, 1951 at the age of 58.

1950 May 11: At the request of the Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines,Bishop Casimiro Lladoc of Bacolod formally informed the Recollect Supe-rior in San Carlos, Fr. Pedro Zunzarren, of his intention to transfer thespiritual administration of the southern Negros to the Columban mission-aries.

1950 June 16: The Recollects ceded the parishes of Isabela, Kabankalan and LaCastellana to the Irish Columban priests.

1951 May 29: Bishop Manuel Yap was installed as the second Bishop of theDiocese of Bacolod. He died on October 16, 1966.

1960 March 14-18: Bishop Manuel Yap convoked the First Bacolod DiocesanSynod which was attended by selected priests of the Diocese.

1967 February 24: Bishop Antonio Y. Fortich became the third Bishop of the

Compiled by Fr. Ludovico To-ong, Jr.

initiated by Bishop Navarra and is pres-ently supervised by the Anawim Foun-dation. The synchronized reshuffling ofthe diocesan clergy was undertakenshortly before Bishop Navarra wastransferred to Bacolod Diocese in Julyof 2001. But before that, he had realizedthe construction of the Little Way Col-lege Seminary, now on its seventh yearof operation.

For almost two years, the diocese wasentrusted to the care of the DiocesanAdministrator, Msgr. Rogelio B. Cruz,V.G. until Fr. Patricio A. Buzon, thenProvincial of the Salesians of Don Bosco,Philippine South Province was ap-pointed bishop and subsequently or-dained by His Eminence Ricardo Cardi-nal Vidal in February 19, 2003. He wasinstalled as second bishop ofKabankalan in March 19, 2003.

The new bishop dutifully studied andcontemplated the decrees of the FirstSynod and the resolutions of its subse-quent pastoral assembly. Consequently,the bishop intensely proposed to con-duct a diocesan-wide Strategic Planningin view of the diocese’s pastoral endeav-ors.

As an initial step, the clergy convenedwith selected BEC leaders in May 2004for two days to look closely into the eco-nomic, political, socio-cultural andecclesial situation of the local Churchthat gradually led to revisiting and re-vising the vision-mission statement ofthe diocese.

It was then agreed during the two-dayconvention to conduct a parish basedassessment using SWOT (Strength-Weak-nesses-Opportunities and Threats)Analysis Tool to really assess thestrengths and weaknesses of the diocesein terms of human, communitarian andspiritual aspects. The said event was re-ligiously conducted and was eagerly at-tended by more than 2,100 BEC leadersthat lasted for 5 months in the later partof 2004. The Second Diocesan PastoralAssembly (DPA II) was called by theBishop in February 2005 to finallypresent the collated result of the dioc-esan-wide SWOT assessment and tomake corresponding actions needed toresolve any ambiguities. Through thisvery important undertaking, the diocesehas finally identified its top 7 priorityobjectives to be addressed in 3 to 6 yearstime and towards the attainment of theupdated vision-mission of the diocese.This was also the time when organiza-tional set-up, structures and systemswere formally established.

Actively spearheaded by the Bishopwith the members of the Clergy bothdiocesan and religious, the diocese at themoment is in the implementation pe-riod of the plans and programs mandatedby DPA II. The administrative body ofthe diocese includes a Board of Consult-ers and the Presbyteral Council. On thepastoral section, there are 12 commis-sions with their respective directors whoassist the bishop in the implementationof plans and programs. Serving the pa-rishioners are 36 diocesan priests and 1religious, while the others are servingfull time in the seminary, schools, com-missions, and other autonomous orga-nizations of the diocese. They are con-tinually strengthening and empoweringthe 702 Basic Ecclesial Communities(BECs) and ecclesial organizations allover of the diocese.

VisionWe, the local Church of the Diocese of

Kabankalan, envision ourselves to be aCommunity of the Lord’s Disciples,sharing His own three-fold mission, asPriest, Prophet and King, working to-gether as agents of integral renewal,nourished by the Word and the Eucha-rist so that we may all achieve the full-ness of life in Christ, Who is “The Way,the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6).

MissionInvoking the guidance of the Holy

Spirit, with Mother Mary as our model,we, the Priests, the Religious and the La-ity, in unity and solidarity with ourBishop, commit ourselves:· To strive for personal holiness through

the daily contemplation of the Wordand the reception of the sacramentsand through the imitation of the Lordin His simplicity of life and preferen-tial love for the poor;

· To live and work together in commun-ion and to promote the Basic EcclesialCommunities, known in the dioceseas Kristyanong Katilingban, as a newway of being Church;

· To work for integral faith formation thatleads to social transformation throughthe active participation of the laity andthe empowerment of the poor;

· To promote the apostolate of the familyas an evangelized and evangelizingagent for a just and pro-life society;

· To journey with the young towards fullmaturity in Christ through aninculturated Catholic Education;

· To foster and sustain the renewal of theclergy.

Historical / B5

Kabankalan

IMPORTANT FACTSBishop ……………………………. 1Priests: Diocesan ………………………… 47 Religious: Foreign ………………….……… 4 Filipino ………………...………... 1 Loaned ………………….………… 1Deacon ……………………....…….. 4Women Religious: Filipino ………………………….… 21 Foreign ……………….…………… 3Seminarians: In Theology ……………………….. 14 Pre-College ………………………. 13 Philosophy .………………………. 27

Diocesan Divisions: Vicariates ………………………..... 5 Parishes …………….……………. 23 Entrusted to Diocesan Clergy .... 23Chaplaincies ……………………..…. 6 Entrusted to Diocesan Clergy …..... 5 Entrusted to Religious Clergy ……. 1Educational Centers: Colleges Diocesan ………………...……….. 1 Directed by Religious …….……... 2 High Schools Directed by Diocesan Clergy ....… 15 Directed by Religious ………….… 4 Elementary Schools Diocesan ………………………….. 5 Directed by Religious …..………… 2 Kindergartens Diocesan ………………….……… 28 Directed by Religious .………….. 1Population …………………… 769,049

ON BACKGROUND: St. Francis Xavier Cathedral of Kabankalan. BELOW: Most Rev. Patricio A. Buzon, SDB, DD

B4 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorCommissions

By Paul J. Marquez, SSP

THE National Catholic Family BibleQuiz is on its third year. At the helm ofthis biennial event is Elvira Yap Go, apetite-looking Papal Awardee ProEcclesiae Pontifice. She recalls how her‘pet project’ started from somethingsmall. “I was very surprised when apriest gave me a children’s Bible withcolorful illustrations. A friend explainedto me that maybe the priest wanted meto donate bibles to poor children sincehe was organizing a family Bible quiz.So I gave him several Bibles.”

Elvira has gone beyond donating cop-ies of the Bible. After attending an Inter-national Catholic Family Bible Quiz inRome, the bible quiz in the small parishkept flashing on her mind. “Maybe wecan duplicate this and make it nationwide.”She broached the idea to several bish-ops whom she knew personally and theyencouraged her. Everything then fellinto place, like God was blessing Elvira’s‘pet project’. People from all walks oflife came to volunteer their help and re-sources—old friends, ordinary people,professionals, priests, nuns and seminar-ians. In 2004, a secretariat was formedand they moved to an office. Invitationsfor families to join the contest were sentout to dioceses nationwide and familiesstarted joining in.

All beginnings are difficult, Elviraadmits, but looking back at her experi-ence during the contest’s first hour, shecannot but marvel and thank God forhelping her team. “Year 2004 was theInternational Eucharistic Year and theMarian Year. We groped in the dark. Wedidn’t know exactly where to begin.Along the way, we had many insightsand discoveries from all the people in-volved, including ourselves, like howwe could work with grace under pres-sure.” Elvira’s team is now registeredwith the Securities and Exchange Com-mission and is known as Power to UniteCatholic Family Bible Group, Incorpo-rated.

The second Bible quiz was in 2006.Aside from having more participants,she considers the second quiz better or-ganized owing to the experiences gainedduring the 1st Bible quiz and to the steadyshow of support from friends and strang-ers alike. The team received a first-handexperience on how individuals and fami-lies hungered for the Word of God. Theexperience also opened their eyes to re-alities happening on the parish level. “Atthe beginning we thought we had verygood catechists but during the quiz wesaw how many of them lacked knowl-

‘Power to Unite’ with Elviraedge and skills. Some did not show en-thusiasm, maybe because they alsolacked encouragement and support fromthe priests. The bishops, however, werevery supportive,” Elvira relates.

On the 3rd National Catholic FamilyBible Quiz, the questions will revolvearound family, mission and life. An “On-the-Spot Painting Contest” will be heldsimultaneously with the contest.

After the first National Catholic Fam-ily Bible Quiz, Elvira’s team saw theneed for a song to capture the wonder-ful experience. She wrote the lyrics ofthe song “Power to Unite” and CharoUnite composed the music. “It speaks ofmy observation on the current situationboth in our country and in the world.There is confusion, despair and heavysense of helplessness. But not everythingis hopeless. We also have a way out ofour problems. And we found this inGod’s Word.”

Elvira and her team simply felt theneed to celebrate God’s power into theirlives. Little did they realize that the songwas meant for something bigger whenthe song was made for MTV. “We orga-nized a dance contest that would inter-pret the song. The winners were featuredin this MTV showcasing Filipino folkdances. We sought the help of noted di-rector Louie Ignacio, arranger Roy delValle and National Artist for DanceRamon Obusan. The MTV turned out tobe Mr. Obusan’s last legacy because hepassed away a few weeks later,” Elvirasays.

The “Power to Unite” MTV sentElvira to New York recently to receive avery prestigious award. “The New YorkFestivals International TelevisionBroadcasting Awards gave us the GoldWorld Medal not only for our excellentwork. It was also their way of acknowl-edging the deeper longing for peace,harmony, justice, unity and love. In ourhumble way, our MTV has offered hopeto the world,” Elvira ruminates.

She considers such an experience trulyoverwhelming considering that it wastheir first venture into MTV.

“We keep getting several recogni-tions, like two awards from CMMA. Oneis for Best Music Video, the other one isBest Radio Ad Public Service. Then wereceived also the Anvil Award for Ex-cellence, plus others from many awardbodies. These serve as our encourage-ment, but the real push comes from theHoly Spirit.” In the midst of all the acco-lades and acclaim her group is getting,Elvira insists that she is a very simpleperson. “Maybe I am just an instrument,”she humbly admits.

Elvira is born to a Chinese family of

11 children. She’s in the middle—the“shock absorber” in the family. But al-though her features are 100% Chinese,Elvira’s heart can also be 100% Filipina.“I did not grow to be like my siblings.They kept only to fellow Chinese, but Iwas a ‘rebel’ in the sense that I mingledwith Filipinos. We live here, I study here,so why can I not be with Filipinos? I amalso a Filipino, and I find Filipinos warm,kind, gentle and loving.” She studied ina Chinese school then took up Bachelorof Science in UST because she thought ofbecoming a doctor, until she realized shedid not want to kill herself with memo-rization. “I want more to analyze thanto memorize. I am not an intellectual. Iam just a simple person, very simpleperson.”

As Elvira scrutinizes the twists andturns in her life, she cannot but be thank-ful to God. “I have a full life and I amvery thankful for God’s blessings. Ourfamily was not wealthy, all of us had towork, even today. Even if I don’t have ahusband and a family, I took care of mynephew who is now 19 years old. I guessthe reason why the Church gave me thePapal Award in 2003 was the way I treatedour workers in Columbia InternationalFood Products, Inc. It is my vision that alltheir children would finish school andhave a chance to improve in life.”

As a young student, Elvira also en-rolled studied French, Russian and Span-ish language. “I stayed in Madrid for al-most a year. I also experienced how todress up like a real lady and to be courtedby foreigners. Sometimes people mis-took me for an airline crew, an ambas-sador or a royalty. I made friends alsowith families and everywhere I went—Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia. I wassurprised that people naturally openedup to me. It was there that I realized howdifficult it is to live in a country withoutfreedom,” Elvira points out.

Elvira has also transformed into a TVpersonality as host of the inspirationalshow “Power to Unite with Elvira”. Theprogram is aired on NBN Channel 4every Tuesday at 7:00-7:30 pm. LouieIgnacio directed 13 episodes in 2007 fea-turing archbishops and bishops withElvira. “Imagine, when we guestedArchbishop Capalla he was on his wayto Manila but because of our taping, hedetoured to Cebu. Another time, Arch-bishop Lagdameo went all the way toPakil, Laguna for our 10-minute inter-view! I was telling myself, if all thesebishops were making sacrifices, whyshould I complain?” Elvira opines. Forthe next episodes, the show will focuson education and will bring televiewersto different parochial schools.

Elvira claims she used to be painfullyshy and was not the type of person toemcee a show, much less on nationaltelevision. She does not even follow ascript every time she is in front of thecameras. “For me it is more importantto listen to the person I am interview-ing. Maybe God trained me by listen-ing. I was in a Ferragamo shop in theUS, there was this salesclerk who madesmall talk with me. Later on, she wasalready confiding her personal prob-lems. I told her, you have to decide onyour own, but always your priority mustbe your family. Then she asked me,‘Ma’m, are you a prophet?’ “

Elvira cringes at the suggestion thatshe is a prophet. “I am only God’shumble instrument, and I want to remaina very humble person. For me, successis not because you’re intelligent oryou’re wealthy. Everywhere I go, I seethe rich getting richer, the poor gettingpoorer. There is hopelessness and help-lessness. What we offer is hope, that allis not yet lost.” Elvira shares.

Many things in Elvira’s life havechanged and her hands are now filledwith more things than she can handle,but Elvira is not complaining. Delightedwith how God make things possible forher, she exclaims, “He has shown me hislove in many unexpected ways!”

Fr. Luis Supan

Question BoxQuestions on politics

What are the moral respon-sibilities that come with po-litical power?

“Those with political re-sponsibilities must not for-get or underestimate themoral dimension of politicalrepresentation, which con-sists in the commitment toshare fully in the destiny ofthe people and to seek solu-tions to social problems. Inthis perspective, responsibleauthority also means author-ity exercised with those vir-tues that make it possible toput power into practice asservice (patience, modesty,moderation, charity, effortsto share), an authority exer-cised by persons who areable to accept the commongood, and not prestige or thegaining of personal advan-tages, as the true goal of theirwork.” (Compendium of theSocial Doctrine of the Church,Libreria Editrice Vaticana,2004, no. 410).

How should elected public of-ficials carry out their mandate?

“In their specific areas(drafting laws, governing,setting up systems of checksand balances), elected offi-cials must strive to seek andattain that which will con-tribute to making civil lifeproceed well in its overallcourse. Those who governhave the obligation to an-swer to those governed, butthis does not in the least im-ply that representatives aremerely passive agents of theelectors. The control exer-cised by the citizens does notin fact exclude the freedomthat elected officials mustenjoy in order to fulfill theirmandate with respect to the

objectives to be pursued. Thesedo not depend exclusively onspecial interests, but in a muchgreater part on the function ofsynthesis and mediation thatserve the common good, one ofthe essential and indispensablegoals of political authority.”(Ibid.no. 409).

What harm does corruption of po-litical power cause to the citizens?

“Among the deformities of thedemocratic system, political cor-ruption is one of the most seri-ous because it betrays at one andthe same time both moral prin-ciples and the norms of social jus-tice. It compromises the correctfunctioning of the State, having anegative influence on the rela-tionship between those who gov-ern and the governed. It causes agrowing distrust with respect topublic institutions, bringingabout a progressive disaffectionin the citizens with regard to poli-tics and its representatives, witha resulting weakening of institu-tions. Corruption radically dis-torts the role of representativeinstitutions, because they becomean arena for political barteringbetween clients’ requests andgovernmental services. In thisway, political choices favor thenarrow objectives of those whopossess the means to influencethese choices and are an obstacleto bringing about the commongood of all citizens.” (Ibid. no.411).

How can every citizen contributeto the common good of society?

“Authentic social changes areeffective and lasting only to theextent that they are based on reso-lute changes in personal conduct…It is obviously the task ofpeople to develop those moralattitudes that are fundamental for

any society that truly wishesto be human (justice, honesty,truthfulness, etc.), and whichin no way can simply be ex-pected of others or delegatedto institutions. It is the task ofeveryone, and in a special wayof those who hold variousforms of political, judicial orprofessional responsibilitywith regard to others, to be thewatchful conscience of societyand the first to bear witness tocivil social conditions that areworthy of human beings.”(Ibid. no. 134).

Why is it important that the“soul” of society be Christiancharity?

“The profound meaning ofcivil and political life does notarise immediately from the listof personal rights and duties.Life in society takes on all itssignificance when it is basedon civil friendship and frater-nity (St. Thomas Aquinas). Thesphere of rights, in fact, is thatof safeguarded interests, exter-nal respect, the protection ofmaterial goods and their dis-tribution according to estab-lished rules. The sphere offriendship, on the other hand,is that of selflessness, detach-ment from material goods,giving freely, and inner accep-tance of the needs of others.Civil friendship understood inthis way is the most genuineactualization of the principleof fraternity, which is insepa-rable from that of freedomand equality. In large part, thisprinciple has not been put intopractice in the concrete circum-stances of modern politicalsociety, above all because ofthe influence of individualis-tic and collectivistic ideolo-gies.” (Ibid. no. 390).

By Dyz Pumarada

“PAGSUSUMIKAPAN naming palaguin angnegosyong ito na ipinagkatiwala nyo sa amin (We willdo our best to make this business succeed),” saidNimfa Estareja, Parish Migration Desk (PMD) co-ordinator of San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish (SLRP) inNavotas.

Such was the happy and excited remark of NimfaEstareja, when the project “OFW Store” was estab-lished at San Lorenzo Parish in December 2, 2007.The project was conceptualized to encourage mi-grant families to invest their money in income gen-erating ventures.

Three months after the store was opened sellingonly three basic products of rice, cooking oil, andsugar, it now carries a variety of items includingcandles, bottled mineral water, soft drinks, candies,biscuits, etc

More products were added to respond to thegrowing needs of consumers, especially duringweekends when churchgoers are ample. In fact, thegroup has to install a rotational system in operat-ing the store among the members since they haddecided to operate from 6:00 AM to 8:00PM.

The group is currently working on the system-atization of their business policies especially onthe aspects of financial management, patronagerefund and dividends to member’s share capital.

The Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itin-erant People (ECMI) accompanied the group inpursuing the project that started from the seminaron entrepreneurship. After which, series of meet-ings have taken place to brainstorm ideas, until thewriting of their business plan. The group under-

went leadership training, formation seminars, fi-nancial management, and the importance of sav-ings and budgeting. In a short span of time, most ofthe members were able to pool their financial con-tribution reaching the amount of thirty thousandpesos as part of their initial capitalization of eightythousand pesos. ECMI provided the capital aug-mentation as one of the program components ofComprehensive Reintegration Program (CORP).

The “OFW Store” project is a product of CORPfor OFWs and their families left behind.

Composed of 25 migrant families at San LorenzoParish who organized themselves together, thePMD is in line with the program of the KalookanDiocesan Desk of the Pastoral Care of Migrants andtheir Families (KADMI), headed by Rev. Fr. RubenMaybuena.

The program promotes the holistic approach ofreturning the perspective of migrants from the pre-employment stage to the time they are about toreturn home. One of its components is the enter-prise development where migrant families are en-couraged to use the remittances productively ei-ther saving for future investment or pooling of fi-nancial resources for group livelihood or enter-prise.

It is being implemented in collaboration withthe diocesan migration ministry, and the parishmigration desk/ministry.

The “OFW Store” project was launched with aEucharistic celebration officiated by Fr. AllanLopez, OP. At the launching PMD members for-mally pledged their commitment to the group andto the project. The store, located inside the parishcompound, was provided by the parish priest forthe group’s use.

OFW Store

Teaching migrant families toinvest money wisely

Elvira Go (2nd from left) holds the Gold World Medal won for MTV Power to Unite. Also in photo are Director Louie Ignacio and Bishop AntonietoCabajog.

B5CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorVol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008 Statements

A call foremancipation

from the bondageof corruption

“For authority was given you by the Lord, your kingship is from theMost High…” (Wisdom 7:3)

LENT is a season of reflection, penance, and self-renewal. Canit be providential that during this time of lent, we are houndedonce again by deep and disturbing scandals affecting us indi-vidually as citizens and collectively as a nation?

The dismal state of corruption in government as revealed byrecent revelations should now impel us to seek and pursue thetruth. Actually, the truth is out. Corruption is rampant: in theuse of public funds, among friends, in our dealings with for-eigners, in public offices, among high and low officials.

The essential thing now is for us to reflect on what has be-come of us Filipinos. And by “us” we mean all, both in and outof government, private and public individuals. For there seemsto be a presupposition that corruption is bred by governmentand government alone. Nothing can be farther from the truth.Corruption exists even in the private sector which should like-wise get its share of condemnation. Corruption is present evenin churches and schools, among adults and youth. Moreover,like cancer it is not confined to just one part. It affects and painsfrom wherever it emanates. Rizal, a century ago, once alludedto a metaphor of the motherland as being sick. Did we everreflect and ask ourselves why until this very day we have thesame diagnosis?

On a brighter side however, we are grateful to God. With Hisgrace, we still exist as a nation. Many times over, we have beengiven another lease on life as Filipinos, with our country–thePhilippines. But our nation is still a work-in-progress. We’vehad numerous pre-colonial uprisings, modern day coup d’états,and people power revolts. We seem to be endlessly rolling therock of Sisyphus up and down the hill of our destiny. But by thegrace of God, we have survived.

And so we ask: Why are we corrupt? Why do we have thisdebilitating and enslaving sin? And this question we can onlyask ourselves. Is it just our leaders? How about us? Do we putthe blame on others only?

Are we indeed sovereign and responsible citizens? There isamong us a cry of dismay over corruption. And there is a grow-ing clamor for both immediate and long term actions. But be-fore we leap, let us pause to reflect, to discern, to do penance,and pray for renewal done on a national level during this timeof lent. Let us resolve to emerge from this period, discernmentrenewed at Easter time.

We respectfully request President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyowho is conscience bound as a symbol of our sovereignty, topronounce herself on the allegations hurled against her admin-istration and her very family. The allegations are very seriousand even point to her as being the core of all the anomalieshappening in her government. We ask her, devout Catholic asshe is, to level with us her people, to take us into her confidencein the spirit of lent, with God as her witness—but spare us thelegal/technical jargons of politicians. We ask her to share herinnermost sentiments and reflections with the people. Whathas she to say about why our country has become so corrupt?Let the blind eyes of justice prevail. If she’s still worth beingour president, then let it be. But if she finds herself wanting,then in all humility, let her resign as an act of penance, and pavethe way for national self-renewal eventually to evolve into arenewed nation embarked on high moral grounds and not justof power and self aggrandizement alone.

We pray that in this season of lent, we can reflect more on thecauses of sin, do penance, and collectively renew our life as anation by eradicating corruption around us in our personal lifeand in the life of the community.

+ANTONIO J. LEDESMA, S.J.Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro

‘Mother Nature is speaking,are we listening?’

A Pastoral Letter on the flooding of Eastern Samar and other parts of Samar IslandBeloved People of God:

It is with sadness and deep compas-sion for our people, especially for all theflood victims in our communities, thatwe speak out. In the past few days heavyLa Niña rains caused flooding in our riv-ers, streams and seas, claiming precioushuman lives, sweeping away houses, do-mesticated animals and bridges as wellas inundating farms and making impass-able a number of our roads and high-ways. We thank the generosity and sac-rifices of ordinary citizens as well asgovernment and non-governmentgroups that have responded to ourpeople’s most basic needs.

At the same time, this tragedy com-pels us to look more deeply into our cir-cumstances.

1. We have suffered severe floodingin Eastern Samar but also in other partsof Samar and Leyte, the likes of whichhave never been seen or experiencedbefore. These could indicate ominousconditions in the future. We must ask:Are we adequately and effectively pre-paring ourselves and our people to re-spond to emergencies such as this mostrecent calamity? Do we truly understandwhat we have been through and do weknow what to do in response? If resultsare any indication, we still have a longway to go.

2. From what we see, it is without adoubt that these floods have also beenexacerbated by many of our depletedforests, damaged mountains and natu-ral landscapes due to irresponsible log-ging and mining. At times it seems ev-

erything we have lost is beyond recov-ery. But we must do our part in the ur-gent task of saving what we can. Thismeans that we must decide for the resto-ration, preservation and protection ofour forests, mountains and what remainsof our natural wealth.

3. We also need to identify the sourcesof damage and abuse to our forests andmountains, no matter how the truth mayhurt. By necessity we must point to log-gers, miners (small-scale or large-scale)and irresponsible citizens among us whoprefer personal profit to common benefit.

4. Apart from the evils wrought onour land, we note that environmentalabuse for money, such as what we seefrom logging or mining, gives onlyminimal compensation and temporaryemployment to our poor. According tothe Church document Economic Justice forAll, “the Church has affirmed that mis-use of the world’s resources or appro-priation of them by a minority of theworld’s population betrays the gift ofcreation since whatever belongs to Godbelongs to all” (EJA 34). Logging andmining, for example, only benefit a few,namely, the big-time loggers and min-ers themselves, together with some un-scrupulous politicians and businessmen.Worse, some concessions are grantedunder dubious circumstances at the ex-pense of poor communities. Moreover,in the last one hundred years, respon-sible mining is virtually non-existent inPhilippine history while the results ofirresponsible mining are very visibleand form permanent scars in our land-

scapes.5. Finally, although we deeply appre-

ciate outside help, we must see ourselvesas primarily responsible for finding ourown solutions. Pope John XXIII in Materet Magistra aptly says that “the locals arein the best position to decide on devel-opment strategies that best respond totheir needs and conditions” (MM 55). Itis the locals who suffer when commer-cial logging depletes natural habitats,drain water and forest resources andflood lowland communities. It is the lo-cals, therefore, who must find ways andmeans to conserve their natural re-sources for their common benefit andthose of future generations.

When God “took man and placed himin the garden of Eden”, Genesis tells usthat he did so for man “to cultivate andtake care of it” (Gen 2:15). Cultivatingand caring, then, are from God whileabusing and destroying our environ-ment must be pointed out as contrary tohis will and plan for the earth. MotherNature, in fact, is speaking the samemessage these days. If we care for her,she will care for us. If we abuse her, wereap destruction. We must make wisechoices. As Moses reminded Israel to“choose life that you and your descen-dants may live” (Dt 30:20), so we yourpastors urge you to choose life by pro-tecting and preserving our land from theabuses of logging and mining.

+ CRISPIN B. VARQUEZ, DDBishop of BoronganAnd clergy

BELOVED People of God:Greetings in the peace of the

Lord!Today in the midst of restless-

ness and confusion, we come toyou as pastors, for that is our pre-cise role. We do not come as poli-ticians whose vocation it is toorder society towards the com-mon good. Our message contrib-utes to the flourishing of a de-mocracy which must not be builtonly on political formulae.

We face today a crisis of truthand the pervading cancer of cor-ruption. We must seek the truthand we must restore integrity.These are moral values needingspiritual and moral insights.

Therefore, we address this pas-toral statement to everyone par-ticularly you our beloved peopleand in a special way to our po-litical rulers and officials.

We are convinced that thesearch for truth in the midst ofcharges and allegations must be

determined and relentless, andthat the way to truth and integ-rity must be untrammeled, espe-cially at the present time whenquestions about the moral ascen-dancy of the present governmentare being raised.

For this reason, we strongly:1. Condemn the continuing

culture of corruption from the topto the bottom of our social andpolitical ladder;

2. Urge the President and allthe branches of government totake the lead in combating cor-ruption wherever it is found;

3. Recommend the abolition ofEO 464 so that those who mighthave knowledge of any corrup-tion in branches of governmentmay be free to testify before theappropriate investigating bodies;

4. Ask the President to allowher subordinates to reveal anycorrupt acts, particularly aboutthe ZTE-NBN deal, without be-ing obstructed in their testimony

no matter who is involved;5. Appeal to our senators and

the ombudsman to use their dis-tinct and different powers of in-quiry into alleged corruptioncases not for their own interestsbut for the common good;

6. Call on media to be a posi-tive resource of seeking the truthand combating corruption byobjective reporting without biasand partiality, selective and ten-dentious reporting of facts;

For the long term we reiter-ate our call for “circles of dis-cernment” at the grassrootslevel, in our parishes, BasicEcclesial Communities, recog-nized lay organizations andmovements, religious institu-tions, schools, seminaries anduniversities. It is through inter-nal conversion into the matu-rity of Christ through commu-nal and prayerful discernmentand action that the roots of cor-ruption are discovered and de-

stroyed. We believe that suchcommunal action will perpetu-ate at the grassroots level thespirit of People Power so bril-liantly demonstrated to theworld at EDSA I. It is PeoplePower with a difference. Fromthe grassroots will come out aculture of truth and integrity weso deeply seek and build. Weinstruct our CBCP Commissionsto take active role includingnetworking for this purpose.

May the Lord bless us in thissacred undertaking to build anew kind of Philippines and mayour Blessed Mother be our com-panion and guide in this journeyto truth and integrity.

For and on behalf of the Catho-lic Bishops’ Conference of thePhilippines:

+ ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, D.D.Archbishop of JaroPresident, CBCPFebruary 26, 2008

Seeking the truth,Seeking the truth,Seeking the truth,Seeking the truth,Seeking the truth,restoring integrityrestoring integrityrestoring integrityrestoring integrityrestoring integrity

(A CBCP Pastoral Statement)

Diocese of Bacolod. At the age of 75,he tendered his resignation, ending his22-year old episcopacy (1967-88).

1981 February 20: His Holiness Pope JohnPaul II officially visited the Diocese ofBacolod as part of his religious andpastoral visit to the Philippines (Feb-ruary 17-20) and his first historicaljourney to Asia. From Bacolod CityAirport, the Pope proceeded to theCathedral and the Bishop’s Residence.Then, he moved in a motorcade to theReclamation Area to deliver his mes-sage to the people of Negros.

1987 February: The Diocese of Bacolodwas divided into three dioceses,namely: Bacolod, Kabankalan and SanCarlos.

1987 March 30: Kabankalan was erectedas a diocese.

1988 February 11: Bishop Vicente M.Navarra was installed as the FirstBishop of Kabankalan.

1990 January: Second Plenary Council ofthe Philippines was convoked.

1997 February 11: Official announcementand convocation of the First Synod ofKabankalan by Bishop Vicente M.Navarra.

1997 October 20-25: The First DiocesanSynod of Kabankalan was held inKabankalan Catholic College. DSK Iproduced a model of pastoral initia-tives integrating, adapting, and fol-lowing the pastoral endeavors of theCouncil Decrees of Vatican II and PCPII. Administrative Councils and Di-ocesan Commissions were formal-ized.

2000: The Great Jubilee Year Celebra-tion.

September 2: Bishop Vicente M. Navarrawas appointed Apostolic Administra-tor of The Diocese of Bacolod.

2001 February 12-13: The First PastoralAssembly was held, presided byBishop Navarra. Pastoral Program inthe Ministries of Worship, Education,Service, Temporalities, Youth, Family

and Life, Clergy, Vocation and Mis-sion (WESTYFAM-CLERVOM) wassystematized. The Diocesan PastoralCouncil (DPC) was created.

2001 May 24: Bishop Vicente Navarra wasappointed as the Fifth Bishop ofBacolod. Msgr. Rogelio Cruz servedas the Diocesan Administrator forKabankalan.

2001 June 26: Recollects of St. EzekielMoreno Province in the Philippinesextended assistance to the Diocese ofKabankalan as part of the FormationTeam in the Diocesan Seminary, TheLittle Way College Seminary. TheMemorandum of Agreement signedbetween Bishop Navarra for the Dio-cese of Kabankalan and Fr. EmeterioBuñao, OAR, Prior Provincial of theProvince of St. Ezekiel Moreno stipu-lated that the Recollect priests willassist the diocese in the formation ofseminarians and administer the semi-nary initially for one term (a three-year period) subject to renewal there-after. Pioneering Recollect formatorswho were loaned to the diocese were:Fr. Ronel P. Gealon, OAR, Fr. Arnel F.Diaz, OAR and Fr. Charlito Orobia,OAR.

2003 March 19: Bishop Patricio A. Buzon,S.D.B., D.D. was installed as the Sec-ond Bishop of Kabankalan.

2004 May: The clergy convened togetherwith selected BEC leaders for two daysto look closely into the economic, po-litical, socio-cultural and ecclesial situ-ation of the local church that gradu-ally ushered to revisiting and revis-ing the vision-mission statement ofthe diocese.

2005 February: The Second Diocesan Pas-toral Assembly (DPA II) was called byBishop Buzon to present the final col-lated result of the diocesan-wideSWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Oppor-tunities-Threats) Assessment and totake the necessary corresponding ac-tion.

Historical / B3

B6 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorReflections

THIS is the kind of wisdom every be-liever and follower of Christ shouldhave. It’s not enough to have the wis-dom of this world, no matter how prac-tical that may be, nor the wisdom of theflesh, no matter how mind-blowing,much less the wisdom of words, no mat-ter how clever.

The wisdom of the cross is first a giftof the Holy Spirit to us before it becomesa virtue in us. Since it’s a gift, we have topray for it constantly. Since it’s a gift thatneeds to be a virtue, we have to culti-vate and develop it also.

The wisdom of the cross is the mostperfect gift, embodying all the otherspiritual gifts, since it completes char-ity by infusing light and love into oursoul.

With it we are able to discern Godand divine things in everything that wesee and do. It gives us the appetite torelate everything to God, linking us toGod through the things of this world.

It goes beyond understanding andknowledge which enable us to knowdivine and natural things in themselvesand in their mutual relations, but with-out relating them to God, their ultimatecause.

These gifts and virtues do not auto-matically lead us to love, since they fallshort of bringing us to God who is love,as St. John said so succinctly. It’s wis-dom that does that. Wisdom makes usinto contemplative souls, seeing and lov-ing God in everything.

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Wisdom of the cross

With this definition of wisdom, it canbe said that it’s hardly seen around, sinceit is manifest that reference to God isscarcely done in the things we do. Wethink, reason out, speak, act and behaveoften by ourselves, without God.

But it can reside deep in our hearts,not visible to our senses and our worldlyways. As the Book of Wisdom says: “Ineach generation wisdom passes into holysouls, she makes them friends of God andprophets.” (7, 27)

Saints and holy men and women haveit, except that they are not fond of show-ing it off. It is perceived only by thosewho have the spirit in the manner spo-ken of by St. Paul:

“We have received not the spirit of thisworld, but the Spirit that is of God, that wemay know the things that are given us byGod. Which things also we speak, not in thelearned words of human wisdom, but in thedoctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritualthings with spiritual.

“The sensual man perceives not thesethings…for it is foolishness to him, and hecannot understand, because it is spirituallyexamined.” (1 Cor 2, 12-14)

In cultivating and developing wisdomas a virtue in us, we need to struggleagainst things like laziness, disorder,unhealthy attachments, pride and allforms of sin. In fact, everything can be afrontline in this struggle.

Thus, this wisdom has to be the wis-dom of the cross, which is the wisdomof Christ, since Christ showed the ulti-

mate saving truth and love, and sharesthese things with us up to now, by dy-ing on the cross.

We have to understand this supernatu-ral truth with the grace of God, other-wise we succumb to what St. Paul oncesaid about the crucified Christ:

“To the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, andto the Gentiles foolishness. But to them thatare called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ thepower of God and the wisdom of God.” (1Cor 1, 23-24)

It’s this wisdom that provides us withthe proper furnace to forge our love forGod and others, the acid test to probethe depth and range of our grasp of thetruth in love. It’s the abiding convictionthat everything gets resolved in thecross.

The wisdom of the cross goes muchfurther than what our intelligence andwill can penetrate. It gives life and vital-ity to our different human forms andstructures, our cultural and personalways.

As the late Pope John Paul II once said:“The wisdom of the Cross, therefore,breaks free of all cultural limitationswhich seek to contain it and insists uponopenness to the universality of the truthwhich it bears.” (Fides et ratio, 23)

Let’s learn this wisdom of the cross byconforming our thoughts and desires,our whole life, to Christ crucified, study-ing, praying, meditating on his words,and slowly and steadily assimilating hisexample into our life!

I NOW have six children.One day, I had zero. The next day, I have six.No, I don’t have six wives that gave birth on the same day.Last June 1996, I took in six orphans in my little bamboo hut in

ANAWIM. Varying in ages, they’re siblings whose parents died afew years back.

Taking them was a big mistake.I ate with these kids, prayed with them, played with them, read

them bedtime stories, and whenever I arrived home, they’d hang onto me like I was a Christmas tree.

When we’d finish dinner, I’d hear one of them say, “Kuya Bo, magbasaka na tungkol kay Jesus...”

I recall sitting on the bamboo floor, and the two smallest kidsscramble for my lap, and the older ones standing beside and behindme. I’d read slowly, pointing to the pages of a kid’s picture Bible. Athousand questions are asked. They’d laugh, share their simple expe-riences, and sometimes just listen quietly. In the meantime, the young-est girl would yawn, rest her head on one of my arms, and sleepbeautifully. I’d look at her cuddled up on my lap, and I’d tell myselfagain, “this is really one big mistake.”

One night, I cried. But they were really tears of joy. I was realizingthat my life was ridiculously changing, right before my eyes. Be-cause whenever I left them to go back to my apartment in Manila, or

Give your heart away andfind it whole

preach in different parts of the world, I cannot silencethe persistent ache within me. It throbs like a hiddenwound.

It just takes a sight of a parent carrying his child. Ora toy left on the floor. Or a store selling children’sclothes. Immediately, my heart travels a thousand milesaway to my bamboo hut in ANAWIM. What are mykids doing now?

I miss them terribly.I miss their noise, their laughter, their smell.I miss holding that tiny, sleeping girl in my arms.I must admit. My heart is no longer mine. It has been

broken, and its shattered pieces now reside in tinyhearts. They do not know the power they have overme. In their utter helplessness, they now own me. Ilove them deeply. I’ve become their prisoner. And Ihope I’ll never get released.

But ironically, in this shattered condition ofmy heart, I’ve never felt so whole. So alive. Sofree.

Yes, it was a big mistake adopting them.Probably one of the most beautiful mistakes I’ve

ever made in my life.

Bo Sanchez

WE can never fully understand man and woman and their relationshipto each other outside the divine design. Any consideration outside ofthat will be an aberration, a departure from the original plan.

For it is a part of the Divine plan for the human race that there be aharmonious integration of what is masculine and what is feminine.“Man and woman, he created them”, the Scriptures say. By this naturaldifferentiation, the unique nature of a being is what determines its op-eration, which in turn determines its means of perfection.

Woman’s physiological and psychological nature orders her tonurturance. Herself being created out of love, she becomes a giver oflove. Thus, woman’s dignity is closely connected with the love whichshe receives by the very reason of her femininity, and the love whichshe gives in return. This is Divine love coming full circle, igniting that“sincere gift of self”, her natural response to Him who loved first. Thisis the “feminine genius”, the same feminine soul whom Adam saw as heawakened from his deep sleep.

If she refuses (for she has free will) to be a vessel of love, there will bedisorder in the run of things. Her feminine gifts wasted, life becomesdifficult, or if there is life, it becomes a caricature of itself.

And so it is that woman was made differently as a complement to theman, as the man was made differently as a complement to the woman.Herein lies their unity in the divine plan. Sadly, this differentiation hasbeen misunderstood.

The view is held that if such differences occur, these are “culturallycreated roles made by men and imposed on women.” Thus was born theidea that the division of labor between man and woman in the familywas the first “class struggle”; that “family is “the first oppressive soci-ety.” The rhetoric continues—that “if the family is the cause of all evil,then the family is what had to be eliminated; and since the differencesbetween men and women are the cause of evil in the family, then soci-ety has to make men and women the same. Of course, they recognize thatthere are certain biological differences, but their choice is to as far aspossible make these differences irrelevant—[these being] merely so-cially created gender roles.” (Dale O’Leary, The Gender Agenda, 1999).

Mother Teresa of Calcutta did say in Cairo, “Whether woman or man,all God’s gifts are good, but they are not all the same.” Which is sayingthat while some things are within the realm of choice, there are alsothings that are not a matter of choice. Such as one’s real nature. One’sDNA, after all, cannot lie. Man and woman are equal yes, but certainlydifferent.

That she was made differently was deliberate, for what followedafter God breathed life into her form, was her embodiment with asuffusion of the attributes of her womanly nature—gifts of empathy,sensitivity, inner strength, nurturance, a natural predilection for life.Not that the man is incapable of these. It was given to the woman atcreation—in plenitude. That is true empowerment!

“It is therefore necessary,” the encyclical Mulieris Dignitatem makes itclear, “that the man be fully aware that in his shared parenthood, he owesa special debt to the woman. No program of ‘equal rights’ between women andmen is valid unless it takes this fact fully into account.”

This is the reason why, in the spiritual realm of parenthood to whicha woman is called, the Church sees her specific precedence over the man.For as it were, upon a child’s entry into the world, the sweetest face hewill ever behold is that of his mother. And as he grows in her care, hisyoung mind gets an inkling of a larger and looming Someone wholoves without measure. Later in his life, it will be easy for that child tofind God.

She believes—or knows—that she has more power than kings or menof power because by her hand, her child (her wards, her workers, herreligious community) can become saints or scoundrels, leaders or idlers,glowing successes or failures. She also knows that without her “sinceregift of self”, there wouldn’t be any inhabitants in this world, nor in heaven.“And so it dawns on her that her glory is not limited to this world.”

No mean task for sure, but that is where her dignity lies. That is whyany woman, whether a nurturer of life, a single surrogate mother to hernephews and nieces, a faithful steward of a business (her “baby”), sim-ply by her presence of love in any activity where human life is valued—that woman deserves a hallowed place in the Kingdom where the Fa-ther who started it all—the Embodiment of Love—prepares the grand-est welcome!

Atty. Jo Imbong

Behold: WOMAN

IT is very interesting to followthe story of Jesus raising Lazarusback to life. This can very well beour own story—our personal sto-ries and our story as a nation.

At the onset, when Lazarus wasonly ill and not yet dead, Jesusreceived word from Lazarus’ sis-ters regarding his illness. Ratherthan rush towards Bethany(Lazarus’ place), Jesus stayed putfor two more days where he wasat that time. When he finally gotto Bethany, Lazarus was in thetomb for four days.

If we translate the gospel toour own experience, we can pos-sibly see ourselves (whether asindividuals or as a nation) asvery ill, if not, in a crisis situa-tion. We wish change to happen,and how we wish the changewould come soon. We have ourtimetable and at times we can bevery impatient with ourselves,our neighbors and possibly evenwith our God. How many timeswe want God to sing accordingto our tune or dance in ourrhythms! Today’s gospel assuresus, though, that God alone hasthe perfect timing. He cannot berushed nor be delayed. God’spowerful intervention comes atthe nick of time, even if at timeswe might have lost all hope, orwhen, humanly speaking, wedon’t see light at the other endof the tunnel. Despite contraryappearances, God is still incharge, and he always cares forus.

“Lord, if you had been here, mybrother would not have died,”Martha tells Jesus. It is very diffi-cult to determine if Martha washurting when she said thosewords to Jesus. What is much

‘Untie him and let him go’(5th Sunday of Lent, 9 March 2008 – Jn. 11:1-45)

clearer is that Martha simply pro-claims her faith in Jesus’ extraor-dinary power. We can be likeMartha who puts faith in thepower of Jesus, but our idea ofGod’s power always falls shortto what God can actually do forus. God can always do somethingmore than we can imagine.

Naturally, Martha’s deepestlonging was for Lazarus to behealed of his illness and not todie. Jesus, however, always givesus something much greater thanwe can possibly think of or imag-ine. Lazarus is not only broughtback to life; Martha herself re-ceives new life as Jesus person-ally guides her to spiritual en-lightenment. Resurrection,Martha learns eventually, is notlimited to one’s final day onearth. She learns how resurrec-tion can in fact be a daily experi-ence. Jesus tells her: “I am the res-urrection and the life; whoeverbelieves in me, even if he dies,will live, and everyone who livesand believes in me will neverdie. Do you believe this?”

Despite her initial professionof faith in the resurrection,Martha still entertains misgiv-ings when Jesus commanded thatthe stone in Lazarus’ tomb betaken away. She protested andstarts to talk about the corpse fullof stench and decay after the fourdays. We can be like Martha whenwe keep harping about the pastand complain of everything rot-ten about us. We can be likeMartha when our little learningabout our faith turns into a dan-gerous thing, especially if we takepride of what we know but failto put them into action. It is al-ways much easier to put theblame on the past and on othersrather than obey God and do thedifficult task he is asking from us

today. “Take away the stone,” hecommands us.

God can at times ask us to dodifficult things not according toour liking. “Lazarus, come out!”With these powerful words, Jesusis able to make Lazarus rise onhis feet. The good news is thatJesus’ word is indeed powerful,and hearing his word can lead usto the beginning of somethingmuch bigger than ourselves.Lazarus is finally restored to hisfamily and his community onlyafter his relatives took away hisburial cloths. Earlier he couldhardly move since he was stillbound in burial cloth. God canalways give us a fresh start.

Such image reminds us of our-selves, how despite having al-ready heard Jesus’ teachings andcommands, a part of our beingstill cry for redemption from hu-man weakness and sin. We cancontinue to wallow in selfishnessor despair, or receive the powerof resurrection that Jesus bringsto us. Most Filipinos nowadayslive in a daily grind of sufferingand insecurity. They look at lifegrimly and without hope. Tosome people, the recent mass ac-tions do not make any sense be-cause they look at all politiciansas hopeless and corrupt, and thatany change of leaders would notimprove their lot. When a sinnerstarts to believe in his worst selfand believes that he or she is be-yond redemption and God’s care,the tomb will forever be shut.

Our task as children of the Res-urrection is to find way by whichwe can help one another removethe stone from our tombs, untieone another so we can be set freein truly loving God and ourneighbors. We can do this by lis-tening keenly to the voice of ourShepherd: “Lazarus, come out!”

By Paul Marquez, SSP

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

B7CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorVol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008 Social Concerns

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Watch and prayTHE involvement of the Parish Pastoral Councilfor Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in the WATCH

vealing the Father, and continued to beproclaimed by the apostles and their suc-cessors. That living tradition as timewent on had to be fixed permanently inwritten words, the Sacred Scriptures,under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.Thus if the Church wants to remain as aKoinonia of believers resulting Christ’smission and that of the apostles andtheir successors, then she has to continueto hear this living Word as fixed in theSacred Scriptures, inspired by the Spirit,to experience its message and to live byit in the present situation. Without theliving connection of the Word madeFlesh, proclaimed in Sacred Scriptures,

Full / B1

Suggested questions for communal discussions in the parishes:What harm has corruption done to our country?Since all corruption is a form of deceit and must be supported by lies, what

are some current glaring cover-ups of truth that have rocked our society?How far have lying and deceit pervaded our society, our culture? (Cite some

situational instances)When I look at myself, how far have I been influenced by and how have I

contributed to this culture of corruption?Seeing the harm done by this culture of corruption, deceit and lying, how

can I uproot this culture from myself?How can I promote the uprooting of this culture of corruption, deceit and

lying in my parish?What actions can we together do so as to uproot this culture of corruption,

deceit and lying from our country?What concrete measures can we do to help our government officials remove

from themselves this culture of corruption, deceit and lying?

& PRAY Movement transcends partisan politics in the light of our commoncrusade for TRUTH. PPCRV is never neutral when it comes to truth. It isalways for Truth. It is never neutral when it comes to sin. It is alwaysagainst sin. And corruption is sin. We must come together to pray, discuss,and decide what COMMUNAL ACTION we can do to free us from the cap-tivity of corruption and lawlessness. This is the critical challenge before usas responsible citizens and followers of Christ. In response, PPCRV resolvesto mobilize its parish units nationwide towards the formation of Truth andPrayer Centers, most especially in this time of LENT.

To build aware-ness on currentsociopolitical is-sues and contro-versies besiegingour national lifetoday. And to dis-pel the sense ofINDIFFERENCEpermeating ourcommunities thatblocks responsiblecitizenship fromhappening.

Common Action Thrust Activities Time Frame

SEE(To be aware)

Every parish is en-couraged to orga-nize Truth andPrayer Centers forcommunity dia-logues throughperiodic “Kapihansa Katotohanan”within the parish.Issue based discus-sion points shall bedistributed to par-ish communitiesfor their Lentenrecollection andformation pro-grams.

February 6 –March 22, 2008(Ash Wednes-day to BlackSaturday)

JUDGE(To Discern)

To internalize na-tional issues andc o n t r o v e r s i e sthrough prayerfuldiscernment andto dispel the senseof HOPELESS-NESS which dis-courages peoplefrom participatingin good gover-nance

To designate a spe-cific time of the day– 3pm DivineMercy hour and/or 12 noon/6pmAngelus hour – forpraying special in-tentions for Truthto reign in us, andthat God may dis-pel hopelessness,indifference, pas-sivity whichdisempower usfrom an active andmeaningful par-ticipation in socialtransformation

February 6 –March 22, 2008(Ash Wednes-day to BlackSaturday)

ACT(To Mobilize)

To mobilize allparish communi-ties in order toconcretize theirFaith Responsethrough commu-nal action.

Work for the re-moval of EO 464.Launch the Nation-wide POLITICALEDUCATION INI-TIATIVE (2010) forparochial ands c h o o l - b a s e dimplementationConduct SignatureCampaign forTruth.

February 17 –March 23, 2008(2nd Sunday ofLent to EasterSunday)

the Church cannot exist as Koinonia asintended by Christ and His disciples.

Tradition precedes the written WordSacred Oral Tradition though more

primitive and broader than Sacred Scrip-tures, is contained in Sacred Scriptures.In fact the main content of Sacred Scrip-ture is Oral Tradition, which came firstbefore the Word of God was put intowriting and both together are fountainsfrom which the Church today drawswater for her living faith. Hence the bibleoccupies a fundamental place in the lifeof the Church. This being so, the Churchhas the duty to continuously hear the

Word of God if it wishes to remain whatChrist intends it to be, an authentic com-munity or Koinonia of believers.

The primacy of the ministry of the WordThe primacy of the “Ministry of the

Word” is clearly indicated in the Acts ofthe Apostles. As the primitive Churchdeveloped, many concerns came out fromthe growing communities, including thedistribution of material goods collectedfor poor widows (Acts 6). So the disciplessummoned the whole body of disciplesand said, “It is not right that we shouldneglect the Word of God to serve attables…As for us, we shall give ourselves

to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”(Acts 6, 2-4)

In the beginning that Word was theKerygma, whose kernel is the procla-mation of the Death and Resurrection ofJesus. As evident from the emergence ofthe Gospels, that kerygma of the Pas-chal Mystery (Passion and ResurrectionNarratives) expanded into the proclama-tion of what Jesus did and said while Hewas with His disciples (Jesus’ Ministry,the main body of the gospels), and evenhow Jesus came into the world as theson of God, the Son of David, the prom-ised Messiah, born of the Virgin Maryas prophesied in the Old Covenant (In-fancy Narratives). Since Jesus is fulfill-ment of the Old Covenant, the New Cov-enant cannot be fully understood with-out the Scriptures of Israel, God’s cho-sen people.

It is then very clear that evangeliza-tion or the proclamation of the goodnews of the Kingdom cannot be donewithout reading the complete bible, boththe Old and the New Testaments, digest-ing it and being nourished by it. Thisministry of the Word was such a centralpreoccupation of the apostles that no“activity” of the Church, be it liturgical,sacramental, social, moral, catechetical,pastoral can be done without basing iton their living experience of the Wordof God. Thus one hears expressions like“the Sacred Scripture is the soul of alltheology”, “the biblical apostolate is theumbrella of all other apostolates”. In-deed there can be no genuine ecclesialapostolate or ministry without rootingit in the Word of God, whose ministry isthe heart of the Church’s mission. Forthis reason there can be no sacramentalcelebration without the liturgy of the

Word, which precedes it and gives itmeaning. In the Eucharist we find onlyone table of the Lord with two comple-menting menus: the Liturgy of the Wordand the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In Johnchapter six we are made to understandthat the Eucharistic Body and Blood ofJesus can be true food and true drink onlyif we accept the Word of Jesus, for it isonly by eating His Body and drinkingHis Blood in faith, that is, accepting HisWord can anyone receive life, which islife everlasting.

The Biblical Apostolate, integral part ofthe Church’s mission

This then is the full meaning and im-pact of the “biblical apostolate or bibli-cal pastoral ministry”. Being an integralpart of the mission of the Church en-trusted by Christ, it is not simply to beidentified as a specific activity done inconnection with the bible. The specificactivities are by no means useless. Theyare very laudable projects that will helpthe people rediscover the Word of God.These activities provide pastoral work-ers an “easy access” to the Word of Godamong our people as desired by the Sec-ond Vatican Council. But they have tobe understood in the proper perspectiveof the bible apostolate as composing theheart of the Church’s ministry for all menand women for all times and places. Thebible apostolate, then, is not simply anoptional but an obligatory task of theChurch as the community of God’sWord.

(Talk delivered during the 17th National Bib-lical Workshop organized by the Episcopal Com-mission on Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) inCagayan de Oro City, February 11-15, 2008)

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for aday; teach a man to fish and you feed himfor a lifetime.” This popular Chinese ad-age sounds comically ironic when allud-ing to an actual fisherman who could befishing his entire life. But when seenagainst a backdrop of constant threats inour marine resources and the palpableneglect of the government to the fisherfolksector, the humor of the paradox wanesand reality poignantly bites: the povertyof the Filipino fishers is increasingly be-coming severe. The fisher sure knows howto fish, but what he catches now barelyfeeds him and his family. How much morefor a lifetime?

Our fishers are aware that the bounty ofthe sea is not infinite. In a sleepy coastaltown of Mercedes,Camarines Norte, forexample, around 600fishers are pooling theirefforts together to rescuewhatever is left of theLamon and San MiguelBays, their major fishinggrounds. Collectivelyknown as the Inter-Is-land ManagementCouncil (IIMC), theyprotect the marine re-sources in collaborationwith the local govern-ment of Mercedes andthe Ateneo-based Insti-tute of Social Order (ISO).They are active in patrol-ling over the seas, look-ing after commercial fishers who illegallyharvest from the municipal waters. A ma-rine sanctuary has also been established.

It would, however, take some time forthe bays to be completely replenished.Even if the waters attain a level of produc-tivity sufficient enough to sustain thou-sands of dependents coming not only fromMercedes but also from neighboring com-munities, life will still be tough for fish-ers. Income from fishing fluctuates as theseasons change. When the rainy seasoncomes in usually by August, small-scalefishers have to content themselves withwhat they can catch near the shores thanrisk their lives braving the strong wavesand violent rains. Their traditional—al-most obsolete—and inadequate fishinggears like fish traps and hook and linesalso yield very limited catch and profit.Also, fishers are notoriously known (atleast in Mercedes) as “one-day million-aires.” After a good catch, they usuallyspend for drinking sprees and petty gam-bling. Without enough money saved, fish-ers are forced to borrow from usuriousmoneylenders come the proverbial rainydays without realizing that this puts themin greater debt in the long run.

Microfinance for fishersAll these factors prompted IIMC and ISO

to introduce a microfinance project that willallow the poor fishers to augment theirsmall incomes from fishing and savemoney at the same time. This project wascited in a recent research conducted by theJohn J. Carroll Institute on Church and So-cial Issues which documented schemes, pro-cesses and practices that fit (and do not fit)the intricacies of agriculture. The studysought to shed light on how to make

microfinance work for different agriculturalsectors—rice farmers, sugar workers, co-conut farmers and fishers—which are pre-dominantly perceived as risky by formallending institutions particularly in termsof cost effectiveness and loan recovery.

Fishers, for example, have meager andseasonal incomes, are vulnerable to natu-ral calamities, and are virtually isolatedfrom the mainstream of development. De-livering financial services to them is hencean utter disincentive for lenders. But IIMCand ISO dared to give hope to theseunbankable fishers as they are among thesectors in our society that experience thebleakest of poverty: a small fisher takeshome a measly PhP3,000 every monthbased on estimates. And microfinance mayjust be the means to somehow help the fish-ers cope with their unfortunate situation.

With a funding assistance from the Ger-

man Doctors, Inc., IIMC and ISO launcheda microfinance project called the Small En-terprise Economic Development Project orSEED Project. There is an existing liveli-hood project where qualified members canengage in supplementary activities suchas cattle dispersal, hog raising and fishculture. This time around, however, IIMCand ISO wanted to increase their outreachby extending small loans with affordableinterest rates and which can be repaid inshorter intervals. The lending proceduresare also streamlined—from requiring bor-rowers a simple project plan to deliveringthe loans right at their doorsteps.

Since July of last year, the project hasdisbursed around PhP350,000 benefitingalmost 80 fishing households. The amountborrowed—ranging from PhP1,000 toPhP5,000—are used for fish smoking(pagtitinapa), fresh fish vending or buyinga small, non-motorized boat. Borrowersalso engage in non-fishing livelihoodprojects such as sari-sari stores, piggery andbuy and sell. Devoting time to these ac-

tivities will hence contribute in the reha-bilitation of the waters of Mercedes. Projectswhich will use marine products like cor-als, shells and mangroves are not ap-proved to spare their already depleted re-source base from further pressure.

Loans carry an interest rate of 1.5% permonth. Most borrowers interviewed forthe study cited this low interest as theirmain reason for applying for loans espe-cially since it was way lower than the ratesimposed by the informal lenders as wellas other MFIs based in Daet, the province’scapital. Norma Viginia, 54, who borrowedto add to their capital for their fish smok-ing business, shared: “Sa microfinance ngIIMC, mababa ang patong kumpara sa 5-6 (ausurious money-lending scheme) na araw-araw ang singil kaya mabigat (In microfinance,the interest is low compared to 5-6 inwhich you have to pay everyday).”

As expected though, slight delays in re-payment saddle the microfinance opera-tions. This is mainly caused by uncontrol-lable weather changes and lack of custom-ers particularly in the islands. It is not be-cause the fishers are terrible borrowers,as formal creditors are made to believe.One borrower strongly challenged thismyth: “Dapat kong masunod ‘yung obligasyonko. ‘Yung utang ko dapat kong bayaran (Ishould follow my obligation. I must paymy debt).”

In terms of empowerment, MildredLoyola, IIMC’s finance officer, proudlyshared that their microfinance project hassomehow given the wives of fishermen achance to show that they too can decidefor their families specifically in terms of

income generation andfinancial management.They no longer need todepend on their hus-bands’ fishing. Theirwomen members havelearned to tap theirskills and use it to en-gage in activities thatwill improve their fami-lies’ income. In someinstances, a female cli-ent shared, the husbandappreciates the initia-tive of the wife to lookand consult one anotherfor supplementarysources of income.

Creating ripples of changeThe loan portfolio and outreach of the

SEED project may pale in comparison toother established and well-knownmicrofinance institutions (MFIs) in thecountry, but IIMC and ISO believe that bigthings start from small beginnings. Andsoon the ripples the project is creating willlead to waves of change as it continues toreach a greater number of poor fishinghouseholds as the months pass.

In the end, we are confronted by the factthat the marginalized fishers (or any sec-tor) need not wait for mega-investmentsand multi-million development infrastruc-tures for food to get into their tables andfor them to be empowered. The impact ofthe SEED Project on its borrowers may onlybe a drop in the ocean, and its success stillmodest as of the moment. But by makingcredit available and more accessible to thepoor fishers as well as to other sectors, itproves that it only takes a very smallamount of credit—not dole-out—to helpthe rural poor improve their lot.

By Gerald M. Nicolas

Teaching fishers how tofish through microfinance

B8 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorEntertainment

Technica lAssessment

PoorBelow averageAverageAbove averageExcellent

MoralAssessment

Abhorrent Disturbing Acceptable Wholesome Exemplary

Title: The SpiderwickChronicles

Running Time: 107 min.Cast: Freddie Highmore, Mary-

Louise Parker, Nick Nolte,Sarah Bolger, Martin Short,David Strathairm

Director: Mark WatersProducers: Mark Canton, Larry

J. Franco, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Albie Hecht, KareyKirkpatrick, Julia Pistor

Screenwriters: KareyKirkpatrick, DavidBerenbaum, John Sayles

Music: James HornerEditor: Michael KhanGenre: Adventure/ DramaCinematography: Caleb

DeschanelDistributor: Paramount

PicturesLocation: CanadaTechnical Assessment:

Moral Assessment: ½CINEMA Rating: For viewers

age 13 and below withparental guidance

DIVORCEE Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) and her teen-agedchildren Mallory (Sarah Bolger)and twins Jared and Simon(Freddie Highmore in a dual role)move out of New York City intothe countryside, to live in an oldhouse inherited from an aunt,Lucinda (Joan Plowright), now ina home for the mentally chal-lenged. The house has been aban-doned for 80 years after the mys-terious disappearance of ArthurSpiderwick (David Strathairn),Lucinda’s father. Not wanting tohurt her children, Helen concealsthe fact that her husband has ac-tually left them for anotherwoman. Unaware of this, Jaredcannot understand why his fathercannot visit them as he promises;this makes him a problematicchild, stubbornly keeping to him-self and forever looking fortrouble by poking into the nooksand crannies of the old house. Hesoon discovers Arthur

Spiderwick’s “field guide” to theunseen world, and, defying allwarnings not to open it, un-leashes a chain of events thatmanifest the presence of evilpowers surrounding the house.

Highmore as the identicaltwins Jared and Simon will be re-membered for FindingNeverland, August Rush and TheGolden Compass, films that haveso far attested to his gifts as anactor. In The SpiderwickChronicles, he outdoes himselfby playing two very differentcharacters: one rebellious, theother, not. Mary-Louise Parkerdelivers a solid performance asthe strong mother with a secret.The plausible plot and the cast’sperformance put The SpiderwickChronicles notches above the or-dinary fantasy movie—for yourown good it won’t carry youaway to a make-believe world asit anchors you to down-to-earthrealities that form the spine ofthe story. Even the elves and fair-ies project human qualities, andthe ogres and goblins manage tolook menacing without givingyou a “digital feel” commonly

accompanying computer-gener-ated monsters.

The Spiderwick Chronicles isnot only good entertainment forthe whole family—it even offersfood for thought. What groundsit is the terrific interweaving ofthe unseen world and everyday,in-your-face realities, such asbroken families, siblingsquabbles, temper tantrums,pragmatic though well-meaningparents, etc. Even the things usedto ward off evil are everydayhousehold items: tomato sauce,salt, honey, etc. This movie is safeand wholesome enough to merita PG-13 rating by CINEMA, butcare should be taken in explain-ing things to younger children,differentiating for them betweenfact and fiction. Yes, there is defi-nitely an “unseen world” (other-wise what for is faith?), thusguide the children to pay atten-tion to what’s going on behindwhat they see. (Case in point:when a boy stabs his father afterhe declares his love for theformer.) The SpiderwickChronicles should give childrena good exercise in discernment.Buhay Parokya

Title: The FlockRunning Time: 105 min.Cast: Richard Gere, Claire Danes, Avril

Lavigne, KaDee Strickland, RayWise, Kristina Sisco

Director: Andrew LauProducers: Andrew LauScreenwriters: Hans Bauer, Craig

MitchellMusic: Guy FarleyEditors: Tracy Adams, Martin HunterGenre: Crime/ Suspense/ ThrillerCinematography: Enrique ChediakDistributor: BMS FilmsLocation: North AmericaTechnical Assessment: ½Moral Assessment: ½CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18

and aboveERROL Babbage (Richard Gere) is a reg-istrant administrator of the Departmentof Public Safety in a town far north han-dling various cases of sexual offenders.After handling the post for some time,he has developed a sort of paranoia tothe point of abusing his power towardsthe offenders. Thus, he is forced into re-tirement and newcomer Alison Lowry(Claire Danes) is taking his place. Errolspends his last eighteen days in the of-fice training Alison. At about the sametime, a seventeen-year-old Harriet Wells(Kristina Sisco) has been found missingand is believed to be abducted by un-known suspects. Errol is convinced thatHarriet is kidnapped and in the custodyof one of his paroled sex offenders. How-ever, his superiors do not believe in his

guts so he asks Alison, as part of her train-ing, to come with him as he uncoversthe underground world of pornographyand deviant sexual behavior of a flockof sex perverts. At the same time, Alisonis asked by the department to investi-gate Errol’s suspicious activities.

The Flock’s premise of exploring thedark world of deviant sex offenders isinteresting. However, the plotline andtreatment drags in the first half of thefilm. There is too much unnecessary pro-cessing of emotions and analysis ofminute details that do not contributemuch to the flow of the story. The audi-ence can only see the foreground but notthe background story of the characters.But then, Richard Gere as Errol Babbagedelivers the nuances of the character verywell. He is able to show depth of emo-tions, physical strength and wit that areall needed for the character. ClaireDanes however, seems at a lost with herdepiction of Alison’s character who issupposed to be as strong and as witty.She becomes the exact opposite of Errol.Although the crude and dark cinematog-raphy works very well for the entire ef-fect of the film, it only contributed tothe audiences’ feeling of boredom.

To kill a monster, one must be a mon-ster himself or he simply becomes one.The Flock has contemplated on thismoral dilemma as Errol tries to put jus-tice in his own hands. Such acts are justi-fied by the clear-cut characterization ofa person with paranoia and the retribu-

MAC en COLETMAC en COLETMAC en COLETMAC en COLETMAC en COLET Ni Bladimer Usi

tion at the end. Errol is in continuousbattle against himself. He is not a badperson so he experiences dissonancewhenever he commits abuse of powerover the sex offenders. The real troublewith The Flock is the treatment of thesubject matter itself: sexual deviant be-haviors and pornography. The story isdark as it is and it does not help that theroot of the darkness in the movie is notclear. The evil that is unknown to the

characters has remained unknown to theaudience even up to the end. Thus, thefilm leaves the audience with nothingbut disturbing images of the dark worldout there. Such visuals may cause night-mares and trauma for the young audi-ences so the movie is suited only to view-ers 18 and above. Audiences should alsobe warned of the sensitive subject mat-ter, acts of violence and vulgar languagein the film.

Look for the three missing items: Water jug, Doctor’sbag and Sunglasses (Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP Monitor C1C1

IN this issue, we begin a series on the history andcharisms of Couples for Christ – its origins, its de-velopment, the struggles and challenges it faced asit spread not just in the Philippines but worldwide.This is an honest attempt to finally write the de-finitive history of CFC, and to leave to future gen-erations a legacy of a true, fair and complete as-sessment of a community that began as a smallgroup, became a movement and finally a Vatican-recognized international and private lay associa-tion of the faithful.

At an earlier time…

Charismatic, is an umbrella term used to de-scribe Christians who believe that the manifesta-tions of gifts of the Holy Spirit seen in the firstcentury Christian Church are available to contem-porary Christians and may be fully experiencedand practiced today.

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal as it existstoday is the outgrowth of a retreat held in Febru-ary 1967 of several faculty members and studentsfrom Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, U. S. A.Many of the students experienced a movement ofGod’s Spirit called being “baptized in the HolySpirit.” What happened quickly spread to graduatestudents and professors at the University of NotreDame and others serving in campus ministry inLansing, Michigan. The movement spread rapidly,so that, by 2003, the Catholic Charismatic Renewalwas in over 230 countries worldwide, touching over119 million members according to David Barret,head of Global Evangelization Movement in Rich-mond, VA.

The movement was given a major endorsementby Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens, a leading liberalcardinal in the Catholic Church. Three popes haveacknowledged the movement: Pope Paul VI, PopeJohn Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI.

In March 1992, Pope John Paul II stated: “At thismoment in the Church’s history, the CharismaticRenewal can play a significant role in promotingthe much-needed defense of Christian life in soci-eties where secularism and materialism have weak-ened many people’s ability to respond to theSpiritand to discern God’s loving call. Your contri-bution to the re-evangelization of society will bemade in the first place by personal witness to theindwelling Spirit and by showing forth His pres-ence through works of holiness and solidarity.”

Laying the Foundation

In the Philippines, the Ligaya ng Panginoon(LnP), founded in July 19, 1975 became the leadinggroup in the charismatic renewal movement. Itstarted as a simple prayer group held every Fri-day. Fr. Herb Schneider, S.J. who had just arrivedfrom Innsbruck, Austria, was invited to join. By1979, LnP was conducting two weekly charismaticprayer meetings – one in Assumption Convent inSan Lorenzo Village, Makati, and another one inChrist the King Seminary in Quezon City. Around800 people usually attended the Assumption prayermeeting every week, while Christ the King had anaverage weekly attendance of 400. These assem-blies were arguably the biggest prayer groups inMetro Manila at that time. Interestingly, womencomprised about 80% of those who attended. The

men stayed away from the prayer meetings, averseto the loud prayers and raising of arms in worshipwhich characterized those meetings.

In one of his trips abroad, Fr. Herb – who hadbecome head of the LnP coordinators —was invitedto attend a breakfast forum for men. This inspiredhim to replicate the experience in the Philippines.Together with some LnP members, he started abreakfast meeting for businessmen, which eventu-ally led to what is known today as BCBP (Brother-hood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals).Among those who attended the prayer groups werefaculty members from the UST College of Engi-neering. In time, this led to the first campus-basedevangelization of students known today as the CYA(Christ’s Youth in Action).

In 1980, Fr. Herb and LnP directed one of itscoordinators, Vic Gutierrez, to design an outreachprogram that could attract married couples towarda renewed Catholic life. They realized that to ef-fectively renew society, a conversion to Christ ofboth spouses, and consequently their families, wasnecessary.

Vic formed a team and, after much prayer anddiscernment, decided to hold home-based Life inthe Spirit Seminars (LSS). The team wanted to try anew evangelization method – one that could drawthe men in. They invited married couples to a so-cial evening in the home of Eli and OphieConcepcion in Quezon City. Vic told his team:“Our strategy is to introduce these couples to a per-sonal relationship with Jesus in a social setting.We will invite them to a social activity, not a prayermeeting. There, we will share with them God’sinvitation to a renewed life with Him.”

Using a home of one of the members, the teamarranged the living room to exude a friendly, re-laxing atmosphere. They engaged the invitedcouples in small groups, discussing the challengesand joys of raising a family in the modern world.Light snacks and drinks were served. Before theevening ended, Vic spoke to them about the strongneed to support each other in caring for their fami-lies and for Divine Guidance in their role as par-ents. He closed the evening with an invitation forthem to come again.

The origins ofCouples for Christ

(First of a series)by Marivie Dalman and Tony Gimenez

Nonoy and Marivie Dalman with Vic and Agnes Gutierrez

THE Apostolic Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, HisExcellency Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, wasthe main celebrant at the Holy Mass during theMission Core Gathering of Couples for Christ onMarch 2, 2008 at the Ateneo de Manila Grade SchoolGym. During Mass, the Archbishop dedicated sev-enteen missionaries in what he called was an an-cient rite of “sending off.”

In his brief homily, Archbishop Adams spokeon the theme of Light, taking off from the Gospelreading about the man born blind whom Jesushealed. He likened the blind man to all of us who,when he exclaimed, “I can see!” really meant “Ibelieve!”

He explained that, in the same way we take natu-ral light for granted, we also do not really appreci-ate the light of our baptism. Stressing that the Gos-

Papal Nuncio Papal Nuncio Papal Nuncio Papal Nuncio Papal Nuncio dddddedicatesedicatesedicatesedicatesedicatesCFC CFC CFC CFC CFC mmmmmissionariesissionariesissionariesissionariesissionaries

pel reading is all about baptism and faith, he spokeabout the doubts that arise from the fact that we allreceived the light of baptism when we were tooyoung to understand what it was all about. And so,although baptism brought us new life as babies,now that we are adults, it often feels as if that newlife has nothing to do with what is within us now.

Light and darkness, according to the Arch-bishop, represent the choices we make everyday –for or against the Light, for or against Jesus. Healso said faith is compared to light because it re-veals things to us, it gives us the proper perspec-tive in viewing the things around us and it changesthe way we see things.

Jesus is our Light, and Archbishop Adams em-phasized that Jesus provides the answers to ourmany questions. As Christians, we are supposed

to look at the world and at our problems in thelight of faith – by not following blindly the paganways of those who do not see.

The archbishop stressed that we Catholics havethe responsibility not only to do what God wantsus to do but also to help others do likewise. Inclosing, he asked each one to reflect on what he orshe has done with the light of our faith. Can otherswho see and hear us see that we are people of thelight and of faith? Do our lives reflect the goodChrist?

Archbishop Adams noted that while his reflec-tion on the Gospel ends with his homily, our re-flection as Christians was only beginning. Godused him as the humble instrument to bring HisWord but the Lord calls each one of us to see Christcome not in the Word but in the Sacrament of theHoly Eucharist, His gift designed to strengthen usas, we walk in faith.

In a stirring ceremony, the missionaries receivedthe Apostolic Blessing and a necklace with a woodencross, symbolic of the God they serve.

The CFC international missionaries:

Origins / C4

Noli and Sam Catabas of Parañaque going to the MiddleEast

Michael and Carel Ariola of Pasig going to South Africa

Boy and Radel Guinto of Rizal going to Ghana

Erika Ermino of Cagayan de Oro going to Africa

Leni Equiron of Pasig going to Africa

Jingjing Purugganan of Pasig going to Indonesia

Alain Guerrero of Rizal going to Thailand

Emman Esguerra of Cavite going to Africa

Ace Lu of Cavite going to the Middle East

Melissa Wong of Malaysia

Kiesha Middleton of USA

Trista Fleege of USA

Dunn Estacio of USA

Dexter Suban of Canada.

C2 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 -16, 2008

CBCP MonitorCBCP Monitor Ugnayan

by Joe Tale, CFC Director

Lent is love

AS we enter fully into the spirit of the Lenten sea-son, we see the fullness of the salvific love thatJesus our Lord has for us. More than 2,000 yearsago, He came into the world to fulfill His mission— to proclaim the Good News, to minister to thepoor, and to spread out His arms and die for us, sothat humanity’s sins may be forgiven.

The fifth Sunday of Lent is known as the Sundayof Forgiveness, the day that is also the onset ofGreat Lent. The focus of this Sunday is the fall to sinof Adam and Eve, leading to our separation fromGod. This reminds us of our need for God’s for-giveness and guides our hearts, minds, and spiri-tual efforts in returning to Him in repentance. Inthe religious life, the fifth Sunday of Lent is the daywhen nuns and priests pray the Vespers service offorgiveness just before they go on what is called asHoly Fast, a period of intense fasting.

Let us remember what Lent is all about. Lent is

all about God’s infinite love for man. Lent is allabout forgiveness which is a basic element of Love.The very center of Christian faith and life is basedon forgiveness. Christianity itself is, above all, thereligion of forgiveness. God forgives us, and Hisforgiveness is in Christ, His Son, Whom He sendsto us, so that by sharing in His humanity we mayshare in His love and be truly reconciled with God.Indeed, Christianity has no other content but love.And it is primarily the renewal of that love, a re-turn to it, a growth in it, that we seek in Great Lent,in fasting and prayer, in the entire spirit and theentire effort of that season. Thus, truly forgivenessis both the beginning of, and the proper conditionfor, the Lenten season for it is the very beginningof embracing God’s love.

It is significant that our community has chosenLove as our theme this year. In this season of Lent,how should we love?

The Lord has given us a path to follow – the pathof forgiveness and the path of love. Jesus said, “Ifyou forgive men their trespasses, your HeavenlyFather will forgive you.” He also said, “Love oneanother as I have loved you.”

In this season of Lent, we are reminded to for-give, for without forgiving there can be no love.The past year’s events have given us many reasonsto forgive and to seek forgiveness. Hurting wordswere said, friendships were broken, family ties weresevered, commitments shattered. Forgiveness al-lows us to let go of all these bitter experiences. It

opens up our hearts to the grace of God so that wecan let go all the hurts, all the bitterness and behealed.

Jesus gave us the perfect model when He saidwe are called to forgive our enemy not seven timesbut seventy times seven. What a wonderful admo-nition, but an extremely difficult one to obey. Canwe reach out and bridge relationships with friendswho have betrayed us? Can we reach out and askforgiveness from those whom we hurt?

Forgiveness liberates. Forgiveness brings aboutthe gift of healing. No matter how great the trans-gression, forgiveness is always greater. And in ourChristian life, forgiveness allows us to truly loveand become like Christ.

What about Love? We have spoken reams andvolumes about Love, especially as to how weshould relate to one another in community, in thewake of the conflict that still continues to rage. Ourcounsel remains the same: Be still and know thatGod is working to put things in order. Be still andknow that He will not allow this community thatHe raised to be brought down. Be still and allowthe love of Christ to flow into our hearts and out toothers, especially to those who have wronged us.

In this year of Love, we continue to be facedwith struggles that beset not just our personal livesand our community life, but our country. Today,there is once again a cacophony of voices clamor-ing for change in the face of the twin evils of graftand corruption. As a community we have made

our stand. We have aligned ourselves with our bish-ops in their call for communal action that is peace-ful, that is just and most of all, that involves ourindividual commitment to do our share in healingthis nation. (See Council Statement on page 3. Ed). Inthis Lenten season, it would be good if we could allreflect on how we can contribute to making thisnation what God wants it to be.

Paul tells us not to lose hope and never to giveup the effort and struggle to make our personallives and our society always more human and moredivine. We are assured that this is not only pos-sible but that it is also guaranteed. Why? How?Because our God is always there beside us, alwaysready to help us along. But He requires three thingsfrom us: first, to follow His example and be toler-ant with each other; second, and even better, thatlike Him we start dealing with each other in a con-ciliatory and friendly way and not as enemies; third,and perhaps the more demanding for us, that withHim and like Him, we humble ourselves and be-come servants of each other, as He showed us bythe example of His washing His apostles’ feet.

Lent is a time of grace. It is our fervent prayerthat we use this time to truly allow God’s grace towash us, to heal us, to open up our hearts. The bestthing about Lent is that it is the gateway to Easter,the time of rejoicing and of remembering that wehave a God who died out of love for us, but whoHimself was so beloved of the Father that He rosefrom the dead.

EVERY single year, CFC leadership declares thetheme that will guide the community in its work.In 2008, it is ‘Love one another as I have loved you(John13:34-35). This theme also helps provide fo-cus for the three-pronged goals of the community– Evangelization and Formation, Family Life Re-newal and Total Christian Liberation (Social Jus-tice, respect for life and the work with the poor).

During the well-attended Leaders Conferenceat the Araneta Coliseum last January 12, the ex-panded vision and mission statements were an-nounced by the full seven-man council. Thusstated, CFC vision calls on “Families in the HolySpirit renewing the Face of the Earth”. With addedemphasis, it continues: “...Moved by the HolySpirit, One with the Catholic Church, Blessed toWitness to Christ’s Love and Service; Couples forChrist is a united global community of FamilyEvangelizers, that sets the World on Fire with theFullness of God’s transforming Love”

CFC Mission of “Building the Church of theHome and the Church of the Poor” defines thebroad areas across which leaders and membersare to proceed in accomplishing the goals. Withthe road map reviewed and laid out, the minis-tries can now seamlessly align their plans andwork activities.

A GATHERING OF LEADERS

Clear on CFC’s mission and vision, the Provin-cial Area Councils and the Metro Manila Gover-nance Team came together for the Annual Year-start Meeting last January 13 at SEAMEO Center.The Provincial and Regional Area Heads planningsessions followed the next day, January 14. Fol-lowing the parameters defined by the broad con-sultative and interactive dynamics of the PastoralCongress that was launched in August 2007, thePhilippine Mission cascaded the outputs to the op-erational and leadership teams across the country.

In the same gathering, the respective roles ofCFC Leaders were reiterated as follows:

1. SHEPHERDS- Chosen to lead and take careof the flock entrusted to them (household mem-

bers, sectors, provinces and countries), they are toassure, train and form their members faithfullyinto strong and vibrant disciples.

2. SERVANT LEADERS- They are to be livingwitnesses to the Christian faith, walking their talkand modeling their life and service along theChristian ideals. They should understand that theyare to lead their people to Christ and bring Christto the people.

3.STEWARDS- They must make full, prudentand competent use of all the time, talents and re-sources raised for the furtherance of God’s King-dom - their own and those of the people assignedunder their pastoral care. They must serve withthe attitude of being responsible, accountable andtransparent in their actions and their works.

4. SOLDIERS- As part of God’s peaceful army,CFC leaders must always be ready, faithful andwilling to win souls and territories for Christ. Theyare called to do battle against evil and injustice inthe world.

THE HEARTBEAT OF THE MISSION

Evangelization is at the very heart of the mis-sion of Couples for Christ. When faithfully ex-ecuted, people are transformed and their lives arepermanently changed. Personal and family trans-formation is sustained in the households, forma-tion teachings, services, conferences, retreats, andeven in fellowships. As we experience commu-nity life, all of us mature in the immersion andlearn to share the blessings of being in commu-nity to others.

Evangelization encompasses broad areas butcan be simply grouped into two areas: PERSONALAND FAMILY LIFE RENEWAL, and TOTALCHRISTIAN LIBERATION.

With the advent of the Social Ministries, thescope of interactions widened and CFC leadersand members discovered more opportunities forevangelization. Additional areas of service be-came available.

Total Christian Liberation represents a very cru-cial and dynamic aspect by which the CFC com-munity has been called upon to make the differ-

ence. It defines the whole dimension of humansociety and the diverse concerns that affect notonly our country but the whole world i.e. in theareas of social justice, respect for life and workwith the poor (Gawad Kalinga).

To emphasize, Total Christian Liberation(TCL) does not limit the scope of CFC work onlyto Catholics, or other Christians but broadly ex-tends to every one, whatever their race, back-ground or creed. TCL refers to the way, the atti-tude and the posture by which we have been calledto serve as Christians, following the very exampleof Jesus. Furthermore, TCL is defined explicitlyby the Vatican-approved statutes of CFC.

THE CHALLENGE

For some time, the mission mantra of CFC was‘massive, rapid, and global evangelization’. Thatwas our battle cry for the late eighties and earlynineties. It served the community well as can begleaned from the rapid growth in numbers as wellas geographic and territorial presence in the sec-ond decade of the life of CFC.

When the Social Ministries were established,this was premised on CFC’s willingness to respondwith more dynamism and boldness in evangeli-zation. It was also CFC’s answer to the challengesposed by the deteriorating social conditions – pov-erty, lawlessness, apathy, injustice and breakupof families. During those formative times, we triedto fit the ministries to the many mission profilesby putting up structures, and assigning and arbi-trarily allocating manpower down the line drawnby our pastoral organization. Instead of respond-ing to the opportunities presented by and throughthe Social Ministries, it was sadly misunderstoodby some as a venue to ‘rest’ from mainstream evan-gelization work and turn lax in their commitment.The reality should have been that, beyond advo-cacy or services, the Social Ministries were inte-gral to the definition of the totality of CFC workof evangelization.

CFC’s work with the poor is epitomized by thegreat and tremendous impact that Gawad Kalingahas in the life of the community, in the whole coun-

try and in manyareas of theworld. GawadKalinga, even asit simulta-neously inspiresand challenges,goes above and beyond the vi-brant communi-ties and the col-orful homes ithas built. GawadKalinga was cre-ated to fulfill thevery mission ofChrist of ‘bring-ing glad tidingsto the poor’ - totransform livesaccording toGod’s plan, torestore orderand human dig-nity as befittingGod’s childrenand to enablethe poor to expe-rience the provi-dence and suffi-

ciency ordained by a loving God.

DIRECTIONS

Because CFC is an evangelizing community,we are therefore not only believers in and follow-ers of Christ but are called upon to make the GoodNews real and attainable.

The following guidelines on evangelizationshould help:

1. While rallies and inspirational activities aregreat for those in community, the one-on-oneevangelization works best. By our daily witness-ing through our very own transformed lives, bysharing the wonders of family and communitylife, or by telling stories of the happiness we ex-perience, we are accorded many wonderful op-portunities to show Christ’s love working in us.

2. Since everyone is an evangelizer, no one isexempted from the CLPs. It is nice to give talks,but it hardly counts. Every leader is tasked withthe responsibility to mount and lead the CLP ac-tivities. The reminder is for everyone, includingthe International Council, the Governance teams,and the Provincial Councils and down the line.Once a CFC, always an evangelizing CFC!

3. Evangelization is not just about CLPs, butthe whole spectrum of plans, activities and initia-tives that lead to the CLPs. So the work of theFamily Ministries can be crafted creatively to ad-dress this expectation. Similarly, the various So-cial Ministries can creatively do likewise.

4. Every year end we submit reports on mem-bership. While the evangelization reports willnot necessarily reflect the numbers of persons whobenefited from our activities, qualitative report-ing is made more relevant by enumerating themany activities that are being done by commu-nity members for others.

5. Gawad Kalinga and the Social Ministriespresent many unique opportunities in support ofTotal Christian Liberation (TCL). Others may notbe drawn to CFC community but by our work forthe poor, we help others to become better believ-ers and practitioners of their respective creeds andfaiths,

6. We are all called upon to create and nurturea caring environment and atmosphere in thehouseholds and in the whole community.

7. Fostering closer relations with the Clergyby supporting parish and diocesan initiatives andlooking for ways to help and support them is im-perative. By recognizing that the Church is boththe clergy and the laity, we become better part-ners in evangelization.

NEW AVENUES FOR EVANGELIZATION

God truly rewards faithfulness to the missionby presenting avenues for evangelization. The firstquarter of the year is not yet over but already thecommunity is presented with many wonderful andexciting opportunities, such as the provision ofvalues formation for our OFWs – those who areabout to leave, those already in their work sta-tions abroad, and those returning home for good.Another opportunity is the work to evangelizethe thousands of resettled families that the na-tional government has relocated, such as thosealong the North and South Rail areas that havebeen transferred to Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan.

God has given CFC as a precious gift for evan-gelization, and each one of us is given our gener-ous share of opportunities to share in the work.How we choose to respond, will greatly definehow we move forward as God’s community.

Philippine Mission -

The road to evangelizationThe road to evangelizationThe road to evangelizationThe road to evangelizationThe road to evangelizationby Joe Yamamoto

Member, CFC InternationalCouncil and Philippine

Missions Director

C3CBCP MonitorCBCP MonitorVol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008 Ugnayan

THE MCG Teaching Night held at XavierSchool on February 19 focused on a topicperfect for the month of hearts: marriage.His Excellency Bishop Francisco San Di-ego (Diocese of Pasig), who sat at theMarriage Tribunal for 15 years and taughtmatrimonial law for five years, wasguest speaker.

The good bishop stressed that thebasis and foundation of marriage is love.According to him, unity and indissolu-bility are the salient qualities of mar-riage, which Jesus Christ elevated froma mere covenant or contract to a sacra-ment. As a sacrament, matrimony is holyin itself and bestows grace upon those

who receive it. It also makes the couplethat receives it holy, provided the sacra-ment is received without impediment.

There are three elements needed tomake a marriage valid: (1) there shouldbe no impediments, such as age, a previ-ous existing marriage, difference in wor-ship or disparity of cult, consanguinity,etc.; (2) consent should be freely andwillingly given by the contracting par-ties; and (3) canonical witnesses shouldbe present during the ceremony.

Bishop San Diego made clear the factthat the groom and the bride are theministers of the sacrament; the priest ismerely a witness of the Church. He also

explained that the Church follows civillaw regulations regarding the impedi-ments. Unlike the state, however, theChurch can grant a dispensation to liftan impediment. “Without the three ele-ments,” he said, “the marriage is notvalid, and therefore not holy and cannotsanctify.”

The Bishop was generous with hisadvice and admonition. Those who arestill single, he cautioned, should not tobe in a hurry to get married because it’simportant to be financially, emotion-ally, psychologically, and spirituallyprepared for a lifetime commitment.“Build on love that is already there,” hesaid, “not on the hope that your spousewill learn to love you someday”.

To married couples, he emphasizedthe need to practice honesty, sincerity,openness, and fidelity to make a mar-riage work. He also admonished parentsto allow their married children to liveon their own so that they, too, can applythe graces of marriage in their own mar-ried life.

According to the Bishop, CFC ismeant to be a light to every couple inthe world because of its global nature.But each couple should start at home byfulfilling their obligations to theirspouse, and caring for their children andraising them as Catholics. “Praying andgoing to mass together adds to the sanc-tity of marriage,” he added. He cited howCardinal Newman, a former Protestant,was so touched by the faith of his neigh-bors – a Catholic family who went tomass together every Sunday – that heeventually converted to Catholicism.“This,” the Bishop said, “is the fruit ofthe sanctity of marriage.”

Bishop shares insightson matrimony

DEAR CFC brethren in Christ,

Our country is once again on the brink of a political upheaval.Calls for the resignation of the President are increasing in tempo and

crescendo. Charges and countercharges fill the airwaves, Senate hearing roomsand even the streets.

The search for truth is on everybody’s lips. Rightly so, for the truth needsto come out so we can move on as a nation on more solid foundation. “SoJesus said to those who believed in him, ‘If you obey my teaching, you are really mydisciples, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

We support the search for truth. There must be a sober effort to do so, withall those involved accorded due process and protection and given the oppor-tunity to be heard freely without undue pressure or threat.

But we must also see beyond the clamor of the moment.And realize that overcoming this monster, nay, the sins, of graft and cor-

ruption takes a sustained and all-out effort involving every Filipino’s partici-pation and resolve.

Today, we invite attention to this aspect of our life and mission as CFC, onour response to the social dimension of the Gospel.

We thus support the call of our bishops to “pray together, reason together,decide together, act together towards a more vigorous work for good gover-nance and a more active promotion of responsible citizenship in our societyin the light of the Gospel and the social teachings of the Church”.

While certainly there are institutions tasked with dealing with the urgentconcerns of the day, we too, even individually, have a role to play. Goodgovernance is not only the concern of government or our public officials.Good governance also includes our individual responsibility to help makeour government institutions and public servants act in the manner that willbest serve the common good. Good governance, indeed, begins with us, thecitizenry.

The twin evils of poverty and graft and corruption are our greatest shameas a largely Christian nation. These twin evils are rampant in our land alsobecause we as a people tolerate the same. Let us thus resolve to change andnot continue to be part of the problem. Let us all be part of the solution.

Specifically, how do we respond to the current situation?First, we ask all households to pray, reflect, and discuss the whole issue of

good governance and responsible citizenship, including how to fight thismenace that is graft and corruption, asking the Holy Spirit for guidance andstrength. We suggest the following reflection question:

“What can I do as an individual, and together with others, to help stopgraft and corruption and encourage good governance in this country?”

We ask that you share your insights and reflections with us. You may sendyour emails to the St. Thomas More & Associates (STMA) at<stma_global@yahoo.com>.

Secondly, we ask every member of the CFC family, whether in govern-ment or the private sector, to commit to the following:

1. I shall not to be a party to any bribery or other acts of graft and corrup-tion.

2. I shall be a watchdog and help bring to light any and all forms of corrup-tion in both government and private offices.

3. I shall exercise my right to vote by rejecting corrupt officials and helpingbring to office deserving public servants.

4. I shall help increase awareness on good governance issues among otherfamily members and my circle of friends.

5. I shall pray unceasingly for our government officials and our nation.

Thirdly, since in the meantime, the poor continue to suffer, and the poorwill be the biggest victims in all political upheavals, we ask that we intensifyour work for Total Christian Liberation.

Brothers and sisters, we have been given many chances to reform as anation. But for the most part, we looked at this, as a government responsibil-ity alone. It is time to truly do our part. The appointed time is now. The timeto reform our country, beginning with ourselves, begins anew today.

CFC INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL

Good governance begins with us

CFC COUNCIL STATEMENTFebruary 19, 2008

Bishop Francisco San Diego, DD

THE talk of Bishop Fran-cisco F. Claver, S.J., D.D.,former Vicar Apostolic ofBontoc, Mountain Prov-ince and Lagawe, Ifugao,during the STMA Plan-ning Conference wasvery relevant to the is-sues being raised todayby many quarters in oursociety. The conferencewas held on February 16,2008 at the Bulwagan ngKarunungan Hall, De-partment of Education,Pasig City.

The bishop spoke on“Good Governance andResponsible Citizen-ship,” based on an earliercall made by the Catho-lic Bishops Conference ofthe Philippines (CBCP)for the faithful to con-sider “communal action”in the face of the twin is-sues of graft and corruption now fac-ing the government. CBCP, the goodbishop explained, is urging the peopleto join the moral-spiritual reform of ournation by beginning with themselves.The bishops noted that people tendedto put the blame on others, particularlythose in government, instead of askingthemselves what they can do to helpthe country and eradicate evil in the bu-reaucracy.

To flesh out and explain the essenceof the CBCP’s message, Bishop Claverstressed the following points:

• You get good governance only if youhave responsible citizenship.

• The common good is being subordi-nated to the private good.

• The common good should be our con-cern. The problem is that the com-mon good is not most people’s con-cern.

• What we need as a Christian peopleis a social conscience and the spirit tofight for the common good, insteadof just working for our selfish ends.

• If you do not have the spirit to fight,develop it, individually or jointlywith others.

• We have always had a tendency tolook at problems as always outsideof us.

• Even in darkness, there is light. So,let us take advantage of the light.There is always hope for achievinggood governance and responsible citi-zenship in this country. But this is

only possible if people will act to-gether and decisively work for it.

• No man is completely evil that thereis nothing we can do to change him.This is where evangelization for com-plete individual transformationcomes in.

• We are human beings who can besaved. This can be done throughprayer and the transforming powerof the Holy Spirit.

• Renewal should be for the whole com-munity. Individual renewal is notenough.

• Let’s not depend on government foreverything. We should ask ourselveswhat we can do to help ourselves,apart from what the government cando to help us. Let us transform our-selves first according to gospel val-ues before we can transform others,including the government, throughthe power of the Holy Spirit.

• Corruption is our biggest problem,our greatest shame. While we are sen-sitive about issues on corruption, weseem not to have done anything sig-nificant to eradicate it. Doing some-thing about it even becomes more dif-ficult if people involved are our rela-tives and friends. Most people in thiscase prefer to look the other way.

• Some people say that Filipinos arepoor because they are corrupt.

The bishop, suggested some ways bywhich we can face and overcome theseseemingly insurmountable problems,

as follows:• Christians should seek the truth.• They should seriously discuss the cor-

ruption issue and try to get to the truthof negative allegations.

• Once they have obtained the truth,the people must decide on the actionto take, as a group.

• In all these activities, they should prayto God for discernment, protection,and guidance.

• They should ask for the promptingsof the Holy Spirit and act accordingly.

After seriously reflecting on BishopClaver’s message, we are tempted to askourselves the following questions:

• Can we not, as a people of God,equipped with Christian teachings andendowed with spiritual maturity anddiscernment, effectively manage oursociety by our own moral compass andfinally resolve the issues on good gov-ernance and responsible citizenshipconfronting our country today?

• Can we not, transform ourselves be-fore even attempting the first step to-wards national transformation?

• Can we not elect and support leaderswho are endowed with a vision, mo-rality and integrity for a public of-fice but who may not necessarily havethe power and the wealth to insuretheir victory in election exercises?

• Can we not, start our complete trans-formation today?

(Nonoy Dalman)

Bishop Claver speaks ongood governance and

responsible citizenship

The Tekton Guild Foundation, a socio-economic ministry of CFCrecently entered into an agreement with the Department of Laborand Employment (DOLE) to conduct Values Formation Seminar/Program and provide counseling services for OFWs and their fam-ily members. The MOA was signed by Lito Tayag, member of theIC (International Council) and DOLE Sec. Arturo Brion.

(From left to right) Mila Ladrido, Nolet Ladrido (Project Leader) Amb. Boy Parungao (ProjectCoordinator), Lito Tayag (Chairman, Tekton Guild / Foundation) and DOLE Sec. ArturoBrion, Usec. Linda Padilla, Deputy Administrator Tess Manzala.

(From left to right) Nolet Ladrido (Project Leader) Amb. Boy Parungao (Project Coordina-tor), Lito Tayag (Chairman, Tekton Guild / Foundation) and DOLE Sec. Arturo Brion.

Bishop-emeritus Francisco F. Claver, S.J

C4 Vol. 12 No. 5March 3 - 16, 2008

CBCP Monitor Ugnayan

THE weekend of February 15-17 sawclose to 6,000 men and women ComeHome to Christ in the 15th InternationalLeaders’ Conference held at Clark Expoin Pampanga. This was the biggest at-tendance at the ILC for the Singles ever.

Entitled At Home, Singles in God’sHeart, the conference brought home notonly the existing Singles for Christ mem-bers but also former SFC members –those who had moved on to CFC andthe other ministries HOLD and SOLD.

The talks were inspiring – “Home inGod’s Love,” given by Melo Villaroman,Jr. (CFC International Council Member andthe CFC Family Ministries Head); “Journey-ing Home” given by Sam Manuel (Mis-sionary for the Middle East); “Home, (Bit-ter) Sweet, Home” given by Joy Katigbak(SFC International Council Head) and“Lead them Home” by Taffy Ledesma(SFC Intl. Council Member).

An innovative segment was the The“Disciples Institute”, which was com-

In an interview, Vic recalls: “In thesucceeding weeks, we held discussionsand sharings following the topics of theLSS. The ambience in the host home wasso unlike the atmosphere of a charis-matic prayer meeting. This was a delib-erate strategy because, in those days,charismatics were often regarded asoddballs. So, we didn’t raise our handsin worship. We didn’t close our eyes aswe prayed. No loud clapping of handsnor of booming ‘praise the Lord’ clichés.Because of this, the invited couples, in-cluding the husbands, were more relaxedand more open to listen. We succeededin bringing them through seven weeksof the LSS. By November 1980, all sixcouples who finished this LSS joined thecommunity.”

A second LSS was soon held, and 16couples attended. These couples and anequal number of service team memberscould no longer fit in the living room ofthe Concepcions. So, the team sent theother half to the nearby house of Poyand Elvie Estrellado. They all completedthe LSS but unlike the previous group ofsix couples, they could not become partof LnP because the coordinators decidedto postpone the community weekendretreat – which serves as the entry pointfor LnP membership.

Vic and his team thought of offeringa course that would sustain the interestof these 16 couples and guide them to-ward Christian maturity while theywere waiting to come into the Ligaya.They adapted a program used by TheWord of God, a pioneer covenant com-munity in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Theymodified the talks to suit the needs ofthe couples and added inputs of interestto the families. This became the firstChristian Life Program (CLP).

But, Vic and his wife, Agnes, felt in

SFC comes homeSFC comes homeSFC comes homeSFC comes homeSFC comes homeBy Rowena Pasimio

Origins / C1

their hearts that God had a greater plan.They sensed that God wanted the 16couples to be the seed for a new move-ment that would focus on renewing fami-lies. Consulting with their assistantcouple, Ed and Flory Montalvan and therest of the team, they held the first CLP.Before the course ended, they had a namefor the group – Couples for Christ.

Vic recalls: “In May 1981, I was onmy way home from a meeting in Romeof the first Council of the InternationalCatholic Charismatic Renewal Services(earlier known as ICO) of which I was amember. I decided to pass by Jerusalemto pray for God’s direction in this newministry. As I visited and prayed in theholy shrines, I felt in my heart that Godwas urging us to continue with what wehad planned to do – to establish Couplesfor Christ. When I got home, I wrote thecovenant of the CFC, which we woulduse at the closing of the CLP.”

Thus in June 1981, Vic and Agnesalong with Ed and Flory led the 16couples in making their covenant to theCouples for Christ – a family life out-reach of Ligaya ng Panginoon commu-nity. These are the 16 couples:

1) Danny & Tess Aviado2) Romy & Irene Arguelles3) Chito & Shirley Borja4) Tito & Tuding Collantes5) Pete & Fely Cambel6) Tony & Cora Espiritu7) Manny & Ditas Garcia8) Danny and Eggie de Guzman9) Larry & Brenda de Guzman10) Frank & Gerry Padilla11) Monching & Baby Ramirez12) Rey & Diday Saavedra13) Boy & Elma Santillan14) Jimmy and Malou Tan15) Jun & Auring Tan

16) Jojo & Hedy Villegas

Birth of CFC

The 16 couples were divided into fourcell groups called households wherethey would be formed in the life andspirituality of the new movement,Couples for Christ. Vic and Agnestrained four couples from the Ligaya toserve as the first household heads:Manny and Nida Sandoval, Manny andJosie Gaddi, Manny and Zeny Sy, Henryand Baby Hizon. Ed and Flory assistedVic and Agnes until they were replacedby Ely and Nena Lademora.

The Christian Life Program (CLP)became the Christian initiation courseof CFC. The strategy of introducingpeople to a renewed personal relation-ship with Jesus in a relaxed and friendlysocial setting proved to be very effec-tive. The CLPs continued to held in theliving rooms of the homes of CFC mem-bers. The warmth of personal relation-ships was a key factor in this type of evan-gelization. Personal evangelization wasencouraged. As charismatic renewalgained wider acceptance, CLPs becamebolder in their charismatic expression.Evangelization was brisk and, by the endof 1981, CFC had a total of 34 couples.Two years later, the CFC had grown to160 couples.

Other groups involved in familyapostolate began to take notice of theenthusiasm and commitment of theCouples for Christ. Fr. Ruben Tanseco,S. J. was particularly keen on the follow-up program which was part of the pas-toral formation tract. He then invitedCFC to tie up with Marriage Encounter.Couples for Christ started to conductCLPs for their ME couples. This was notpursued however as there were some

Fr. Herb Schneider, S.J. with Ditas and Manny Garcia

concerns that could not be resolved. Inthe meantime, Fr. Mark Lesage of LasPiñas and Msgr. Mercado of UnitedParanaque invited the leaders to intro-duce CFC to their parish. Two CLP teamswere formed to serve in these parishes.Thirty couples in Las Piñas and 13couples in United Paranaque graduatedfrom the first parish-based CLP.

CFC’s early vision

With the growth of CFC came manychallenges. The rapid spread of themovement demanded a clearly sharedvision. In 1983, Vic formed and traineda pastoral team to help him lead andmanage the growing movement. Theteam was composed of Ely Lademora,Raul Sarceda, Frank Padilla, Bobby Pi-lar, Popoy del Rosario, Pio Acampado,Danny Aviado and Jojo Villegas. DannyAviado was later replaced by Carlos Sali-nas when Danny migrated to the U. S.Vic brought his team to a weekend plan-ning session. There he wrote CFC’sStatement of Mission while Raul Sarcedadid the Statement of Philosophy.

By this time, CFC was beginning toreceive many requests from all over thecountry to help in establishing familylife apostolates. To address this need,Vic Gutierrez discussed with the pasto-ral team the idea of developing what hetermed as “exportable packages” — astart up kit that would allow other pro-vincial groups to establish new chapterswith minimum help from CFC Manila.

Providentially, Ligaya member RaulSarceda had resigned from his job tomake himself more available to the workof Ligaya and its outreaches. Vic ap-pointed him the first Executive Directorof CFC and immediately put him to thetask of developing the manuals of theCFC programs: CLP Manual, House-hold Heads’ Manual, the Marriage En-richment Manual and the other teachingcourses of CFC. These manuals, togetherwith audio teaching tapes, comprised the“exportable packages”. A number ofoverseas CFC chapters tremendouslybenefited from these materials. Consid-ering CFC’s limited resources, its over-seas offices were set up and operatedwithout much assistance from CFC lead-ers in Manila. These materials played atremendous part in helping to bringabout CFC’s vision and mission.

Attention at this point was focusedon developing and training leaders andimbuing them with the vision of CFC.A number of dedicated and committedleaders — among them, Frank Padillawho was trained and appointed by VicGutierrez to replace Raul Sarceda as Ex-ecutive Director when the latter movedhis family to Malaybalay, Bukidnon in1985 to help build a covenant commu-nity.

In 1983, upon the advice of the LigayaBody of Coordinators, CFC was regis-tered as a non-stock, non-profit corpo-ration at the Securities and ExchangeCommission (SEC) under the name:Couples for Christ Foundation Inc. The in-corporators and members of the first

CFC Bulacan:workingtogether withthe Clergy inspreading thecall fordiscipleshipBy Jun DimarucotCFC Provincial AreaHead

Malolos, Bulacan, February 9, 2008- THE CFC Bulacan Area Councilheaded by its Provincial Area Di-rector, Rey Francisco and wifeNoli, along with Area Leaders,held a one-day recollection at theSantisima Trinidad Church of thetown.

Rev. Fr. Efren Basco, parishpriest of Malolos, started the morn-ing session with a talk on “Calledto See and to Live as a True Ser-vant of Christ”. Taking off fromLuke Chapter 24, Verses 13 – 35,Fr. Basco exhorted the CFCBulacan leadership not to be dis-heartened over recent events asthese are part and parcel of thechallenges in our Christian life. Hereminded the leaders of the twodisciples in Emmaus and their ex-perience with the “stranger” whotalked, walked, and stayed withthem – explaining to them in greatdetail why the recent events hadto take place, and opening theireyes to understand Christ’s eter-nal sacrifice. It was only after hehad left that they realized they hadjust encountered the Risen Lord!

In his talk on “Discipleship andEvangelization”, Rev. Fr. MannyAnastacio reminded the leadersthat, as God’s disciples, they werecalled upon to sustain CFC’s ef-fort to evangelize their respectivefamilies.

The session, attended by at least500 leaders of CFC & its Ministriesthroughout the province, ended atabout 5 p.m. with a mass celebratedby Fr. Allan Antonio, the spiritualdirector of CFC Bulacan.

Board of Trustees were:

1. Victorino B. Gutierez2. Raul G. Sarceda3. Francisco A. Padilla4. Francisco F. del Rosario5. Pio S. Acampado6. Jose T. Villegas7. Roberto Pilar8. Carlos C. Salinas9. Antonio O. Vasquez10. Victor U. Gamboa

Under Vic’s leadership, CFC spreadout to other provinces and eventuallyto other countries. The succeeding lead-ership continued with as much passionin spreading the mission of CFC.

In his exhortation at the CFC 9th an-niversary, Vic challenged the CFCcommunity: “Let us bring whoever wecan into a personal relationship withJesus just as we ourselves have experi-enced it. Let us populate this nationwith people who shall live accordingto this new morality – the life of God.It is our duty to God. It is our duty toour nation. It is our duty to ourselvesand to our children – the future gen-eration.”

The members heeded Vic’s call. By1992, CFC had grown, the Spirit wasleading the community to greaterheights. It would not be long beforethe community would feel the Spirit’sstirrings to include their children intheir new-found life in the Lord.

It has been more than 26 years sincethat first group of Christians was in-troduced to Christ in a social setting.Vic continues to be amazed at howCFC has grown. He said: “…Since1981, Couples for Christ has grownbeyond our wildest imagination. To-day, I watch from the sidelines, amazedat what God has done and continues todo through Couples for Christ. I amgrateful for the privilege of havingbeen there in its beginnings.” (MarivieDalman and Tony Gimenez)

(In the next issue: The Split of 1993)

prised of 20 workshops designed to im-part essentials on varying topics cover-ing the areas of Love for God, Love forSelf, Love for Neighbor and Love forFamily.

The organizers made sure therewould be a lot of fun as well – thus, theCreative Competitions and Sports Com-petitions. And then there was the Lord’sDay, celebrated by SFC InternationalCouncil Heads, Aldy and Joy Katigbak– a fitting way to continue paving thejourney to God’s work. The Lord’s Daywas capped by a Bounty Parade – a timefor the various provinces to share withtheir brothers and sisters the fruit of theland. Food, delicacies and sweets werepassed on, offered freely, shared lov-ingly with one another as SFC observeda tradition of community sharing thatwas truly reminiscent of the time of theearly Apostles.

Sunday Mass was celebrated by HisExcellency, Bishop Pablo David ofPampanga, and concelebrated by Father

Paul Uwemedimo. The bishop led theprayers for the new SFC InternationalCouncil members: Aldy and Joy

Katigbak, Eloy Caluag, Bob Lasala,Michael Ariola, Lawrence Quintero, KateDeiparine and Taffy Ledesma.Bishop Pablo David, DD