CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 10
CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 10
CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 10
THE CROSS: A SUPPLEMENT PUBLICATION OF KCFAPI AND THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
PHP
Monitor
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CBCP
VOLUME 19
NUMBER 10
CBCPMONITOR.COM
Missionaries sound
alarm on palm oil
plantations
FARMERS, indigenous peoples, and the environment are
in trouble if unbridled expansion of oil palm plantations is
allowed in Mindanao, says an
organization of Catholic missionaries.
The Rural Missionaries of
the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region issued the
call for better engagement by
government leaders, companies
and stakeholders as oil palm
development swells.
They are particularly concerned about how peoples
access to food and land ownership has been undermined
by massive crop and land use
conversion from staple food
production to oil palm.
Thirty years of the palm
FILIPINO Catholics
lauded the timeliness
of Pope Francis prayer
intentions for May,
expressing optimism
that these will rally all
Christians worldwide,
with the help of Mary,
to be one with the less
fortunate in a world becoming numbed to the
pains of others.
Plantations, A7
WHATS INSIDE
The many names of
God and the blessing of
peace, B1
Pope Francis celebrates Mass for the opening of the 20th general assembly of Caritas Internationalis in St. Peters Basilica on May 12, 2015. Caritas will elect its new president
on May 14 and the candidates are: Archbishop Youssef Soueif, president of Caritas Cyprus and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle who has reportedly emerged the
stronger choice to head the global confederation of Catholic charities. Daniel Ibanez/CNA
Fight, A5
The Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM)s Huwag Kang Magnakaw campaign HUWAG KANG MAGNAKAW FACEBOOK PAGE
S TA RT I N G o u t a s a
campaign against syst e m i c t h i e v e r y, t h e
Archdiocese of Manila
(RCAM)s Huwag Kang
Magnakaw has recently
included in its mission
the task of fighting vote-
MANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will be a great asset if elected
president of Caritas Internationalis, a
priest said.
Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary
of Caritas Filipinas, said Tagle has all it
takes to lead the confederation of Catholic relief, development and social services
organizations worldwide.
I think he represents the values and
A2 WORLD NEWS
Pope Francis historic trip to Cuba will take place Sept. 19-22,
the Catholic Bishops Conference of Cuba has announced on May
11, a day after Pope Francis met privately with Cuban president
Raul Castro at the Vatican. Castro said after the meeting that he
will start praying again and return to the Church if the Pope
continues what he has been doing. News of the Popes visit to
Cubawhich will take place directly before he travels to the
United Stateshad been confirmed by Vatican spokesman Fr.
Federico Lombardi S.J. April 22. Pope Francis will be the third
consecutive Pope to visit the Caribbean island: St. John Paul II
did so in 1998, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. (CNA)
Attention to the poor was the point of departure for liberation theology claimed Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez Merino, widely acknowledged
as the founder of the movement, in a May 8 article in the Vaticans
newspaper. Fr. Gutierrez underscored that this attention to the poor
came from what liberation theologians experienced in their own
lives and lands. We referred to the poor as non-persons, but not in
philosophical sense, because it is obvious that each human being is a
person, rather in a sociological sense; the poor, that is, are not accepted
as persons in our society. They are invisible and have not rights, their
dignity is not recognized, the Peruvian theologian wrote. (CNA)
Peace takes hard work and must be built one person at a time
working each day by forgiving others, ending injustice and stopping greed, Pope Francis told elementary school children. People
also have to do more to stop condemning those who have made
serious mistakes and instead help those who are incarcerated,
especially juveniles, to start over and return to society, he said.
Its easier to fill prisons than help them learn how to make better choices in life, Pope Francis said May 11 during a one-hour
encounter with thousands of children, parents and educators taking part in an Italian initiative called The Peace Factory. (CNS)
CBCP Monitor
ASIANEWS.IT
Vatican Briefing
CBCP Monitor
NEWS FEATURES A3
A4 OPINION
CBCP Monitor
EDITORIAL
WHOEVER lives the mission of Caritas is not simply a charity worker, but is a true witness of Christ, one who seeks Christ
and allows Christ to seek him, one who loves with the spirit of
Christ, a spirit of gratuitousness and gift. All our strategies and
plans remain empty unless we carry this love in us. This was
what Pope Francis told the over 300 Caritas delegates from across
the world at the opening Mass of the 20th General Assembly of
Caritas Internationalis held at St. Peters Basilica in Rome on
May 12. Caritas Internationalis, which is the main charity arm
of the Catholic Church, is slated to have a major event from May
12-17 on the theme One Human Family, Caring for Creation.
This certainly differentiates substantially the charity work of
the Catholic Church from the humanitarian work of well-funded
philanthropists. In Ecclesia in Europa, Saint Pope John Paul
II already pointed out that serving the mission of the Church
by means of a charity that evangelizes is the commitment and
the responsibility of everyone. (No. 33). With the values of
the Gospel in tow, it is caritas that, more than anything else,
evangelizes, especially by witnessing to the joy of the Gospel
even in the midst of poverty, injustice and suffering.
Pope Francis told the delegates that the source of the organizations global work lies in the simple and docile welcome of God
and neighborThis is the root. If you cut this root, Caritas
dies. It is in this spirit that even the social and organizational
structure of these charitable institutions should manifest. Let
us ask the Lord for the grace to understand the true dimension
of Caritas, for the grace not to fall into the deception of believing that well-organized centralization is the way, for the grace
to understand that Caritas is always on the periphery, in every
particular ChurchThe Caritas of each particular church, even
the smallest, is the same. There is no big Caritas or small Caritas,
all are the same.
For Pope Francis, belief in God and assisting others go hand in
hand. Faith according to him is to welcome God and express
this in service to our brothers and sisters. Word, sacraments
and service lead to and nourish each other to wash the feet
and bathe the wounds of the suffering and to prepare a table for
them All our strategies and plans remain empty unless we
carry this love in us. Not our love but his. Or better yet, our
love purified and strengthened by his love.
At the end of the day, its all about faith, love and the spirituality of charity workersand not simply about mobilization and
strategic social action work that even makes use of high-level corporate systems. And here comes the rub. If only to deliver and
manage a most systematic charity work, some Catholic charitable
institutions hire top-level workers sans the Catholic values cited
by Pope Francis. Of late, for instance, an international Catholic
charitable institution was accused of hiring workers that oppose
fundamental Catholic moral teachings. Hereabouts, many are
just too secular and too mainstream.
CBCP
Monitor
PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE
Pedro C. Quitorio
Ronalyn R. Regino
Editor-in-Chief
Design Artist
Nirvaana E. Delacruz
Gloria Fernando
Associate Editor
Marketing Supervisor
Roy Q. Lagarde
Ernani M. Ramos
News Editor
Circulation Manager
Kris Bayos
Marcelita Dominguez
Features Editor
Comptroller
WHAT is intended to promote unity and harmony in the country is precisely dividing the
people in general. What is envisioned to bring
about peace and progress in Mindanao is not
exactly making people in Mindanao jump for
joy, neither pacifying the fears nor resolving the
reservations of the people in Luzon and in the
Visayas. Thus stands the enigma of the BBL
proudly promoted by the present administration and fervently affirmed by its well-rewarded
supporters.
It is anything but a secret that in Mindanao
itself, there are non-friendly groupings such as
the well-known MNLF, the fearsome ASG, the
dangerous BIFF, plus apparently other newlyemerging militant groupingsin addition to
MILF that precisely pushed the MNLF aside
with the support and patronage of the incumbent administration. The above-said major
groupings may not be exactly warring factions
among themselves whereas one apparently
simply comes from anotheras a mother gives
Marriage redefined?
Candidly Speaking
Fr. Roy Cimagala
CBCP Monitor
OPINION A5
Duc In Altum
Traffic Time,
My Prayer Time
SOMEONE told me, I really
want to pray but I dont have time.
Im so busy from morning to evening. I just smiled.
Many of us have these words as
our lame excuse for not praying. I
do understand. We are really busy
with many things, but it is not an
excuse not to find time to pray.
Heres my question: If we dont
have time to pray because we are
busy, how come we can squeeze out
some time for some other things?
As the old saying says, Kung
gusto, may paraan. Kung ayaw,
maraming dahilan.
If theres a will, theres a way. I
guess we dont really see the importance of prayer in our life.
If we really have that desire to
pray, we can find a way! Heres one
creative way: Our daily travel time
to school or work is a potential
prayer time. Whoa!!! Yes, why not?
Recent studies show that the
Philippines is fourth among Asian
countries and placed ninth in the
By the Roadside
Rev. Eutiquio Euly Belizar, Jr., SThD
LEST I be misunderstood, my interest in writing about Manny Pacquiao has really nothing
to do with his celebrity status as a boxer. My
interest is in what his relationship with Filipinos worldwide tells us about ourselves. It is
beyond dispute that Manny Pacquiao, especially
when he goes into big fights, effectively unites
Filipinos behind him, whatever their language,
place of origin, politics, religion or gender. For
example, I found it more than interesting that
the known terrorist Basit Usman even made
himself vulnerable to an assassins bullet when
he stopped to check on Manny Pacquiaos Fight
of the Century at which Manny Pacquiaos
champion status was likewise assassinated, as it
were, by Mayweathers smarter defensive and
evasive skills, as well as dirty tactics. The resulting defeat by the Pinoy icon was as resounding
as the collective disbelief and grief of ordinary
Filipinos. Initially, Pacman himself objected,
saying he thought he won the fight but later
admitted that, although he did his best, his
best was not good enough at least to the judges
and the computer stats.
What I find striking is how Filipinos identify
with Pacman in his victories and also in his
defeats. There is no dearth of real heroes in the
Philippines, what with so many official ones in
historys textbooks and unofficial ones in OFWs
etc., in addition. But no one among them
has achieved the celebrity status of a Manny
Pacquiao in such a sensational and spectacular
fashion, especially when we consider his dramatic rise from a starving street kid to one
of the worlds highest paid and highest earning
athletes. His victories over bigger and stronger
foes were nothing short of incredible. But it is
expression of this.
As a kingly/servant community the family is
a community in the service of humanity. It is
called to concretely express loving service and
charity at home, in the wider community and
in society. The parents should teach the children
to become men and women for others and use
their talents and gifts not only in caring for each
other and their parents but also in the service
of the poor and the needy. Thus, they grow up
aware of their responsibility to work for justice
and peace, to care for the environment and
eradicate poverty.
The vision of the Christian family as a
domestic church is indeed a lofty vision an ideal that seems unattainable. After 34
years since John Paul II came out with his
post-synodal exhortation and as the Synod
of Bishops once again focuses on the family,
I wonder how many are aware of this vision
and its meaning and implication. I wonder
how many families are really living according
to this ideal. It would appear that through
all these years, there has been little effort to
promote this vision of the Christian family
and consequently the number of families that
are trying to make this vision a reality is not
that many. The year 2016 has been declared
by the CBCP as the year of the Family and
the Eucharist. I hope that more effort will be
given to promoting the beautiful vision of
the Christian family as the domestic Church.
Pitik-Bulag
Fr. Wilfredo Samson, SJ
them.
6. Plan ahead or evaluate your
work.
Dont just curse the traffic or play
a game in your phone. Be creative.
There is no such idle time to people
who can see God in all things including the traffic.
The key here is disposition and
creativity. For once we think of
God or any spiritual thoughts, we
are already praying.
I smiled when I saw this as
inside the bus this morning: DO
NOT PRAY FOR AN EASY LIFE.
PRAY FOR THE STRENGTH
TO ENDURE THE DAILY
TRAFFIC.
Why should I curse the MMDA
and hate the traffic if I cannot
avoid it? Its useless and pathetic.
Why not instead use these traffic
moments as my time to catch up
with God?
Now, you dont have an excuse
to say that you dont have time
to pray.
Importance of
Communication
WORLD Communications Day is celebrated by the Universal Church
every Feast of the Ascension, this year, May 17. In his message for the 49th
World Communications Day, His Holiness Pope Francis chose family as
the focal point since it is the subject of reflection by the Church in the
two Synods: the recent extraordinary assembly and the ordinary assembly
scheduled for next October. He said it is in the context of the family that
we first learn how to communicate. He believed that communication is
intertwined with body languagewhen the Blessed Virgin Mary visited
her cousin Elizabeth and the infant in her womb leaped; when family
members accept one another because there is a bond between them.
Pope Francis said the family is an environment in which we learn
to communicate in an experience of closeness, a setting where communication takes place, a communicating community. The family is
a community which provides help, which celebrates life and is fruitful.
Once we realize this, we will once more be able to see how the family
continues to be a rich human resource, as opposed to a problem or an
institution in crisis.
Communication in the Church is important so that there is a medium
where the message from the hierarchy will reach the ministries and parishioners and vice-versa. Through communications, the bishops message
and circular reach the parishioners through the respective parishes.
To propagate the importance of communicationnewspaper, television, radio and social mediaMost Rev. Francisco de Leon, D.D., Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kalookan, issued a circular advising
all parishes to conduct a second collection in anticipated Masses and
Sunday Masses on May 16 and 17 to support the Mass Media Ministry.
***
Radio Veritas will celebrate its 46th Anniversary on May 17 and to
commemorate this occasion, the management will continue the traditional out-of-studio remote program at SM Skydome at 1:00 p.m. The
anniversary is always observed on the Feast of the Ascension and the
World Communications Day. Congratulations to Radio Veritas on its
anniversary and also for being number 4 most listened to radio station
nationwide as per the latest Nielsen Survey. Congratulations to Radio
Veritas President Fr. Anton C.T. Pascual and Program Directress Sr.
Judy Zamar, all its anchors, hosts, reporters, writers, administrative and
technical staff. To all the radio listeners, thank you for always listening
to Radio Veritas 846, the Word, the Truth.
***
I would like to greet my family, relatives, friends and all our readers
Happy Mothers Day. This is the first time that my celebration of Mothers
Day is without our Inay Gloria Angeles Santiago. We were in Ohio last
year when we celebrated Mothers Day with Inay. Although we prepared
ourselves for the eventual passing of Inay, it is still a very painful experience of losing her. It really hurts to the core, especially when she had a
cheerful disposition and was nice to be with; she was like an older sister
to us. She was very strong and could move around before she suffered
a mild stroke last October, which made her bedridden. It was also very
frustrating for Inay to be bedridden when she used to be very active in
the house and was always with us for family outings and eat outs.
To show how strong Inay was, she was able to hurdle the 21-days
interstate road tour our family took last spring. We travelled by land
to different states from West Coast starting at Panorama City (in Los
Angeles via Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Memphis-Tennessee) to East Coast (Washington D.C., Maryland,
Philadelphia-Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York), Canada (Niagara
Falls), back to West Coast (via New York, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, Iowa,
Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Las Vegas-Nevada) to Panorama City.
Please allow me dear readers to quote this prayer: If roses grow in
Heaven, Lord please pick a bunch for me, place them in my Mothers
arms, and tell her theyre from me. Tell her I love her and miss her, and
when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek, and hold her for a
while. Because remembering her is easy, I do it every day, but theres an
ache within my heart that will never go away. I love you Inay.
***
All Filipinos, I presumed, were not happy when our very own Manny
Pacquiao lost to Floyd Mayweather by unanimous decision in the socalled Fight of the Century. As almost all Filipino sports analysts had
predicted before the fight, Manny must knockout Mayweather, otherwise,
he will lose by decision because his opponent is a good defensive boxer.
We witnessed the new style of boxing Mayweather had introduced in
this century.
***
We would like to greet our family friend Rev. Fr. Charlie de Guzman,
SVD, a very Happy Birthday. The same greetings go to Sis. Ida Nocum,
Immediate Past Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council of San Roque
Cathedral of the Diocese of Kalookan; also Kate Buenconsejo, staff of
Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas.
Candidly Speaking / A5
riage. They had the usual rationalizing taste of the tolerance bit. Its
a reasoning that has overreached its
purpose, trying to go to a bridge
too far.
This alibi about tolerance, while
it has its merits, should not be
the only, much less, the primary
consideration to make, especially
in issues like marriage. There are
many other more fundamental
and indispensable considerations
that precede it.
Obama was quoted as saying:
No matter who you love or what
God you worship, you can still
pursue happinessI will support
you every step of the way.
So, if one happens to love an
animal in a sexual way, he is free
to marry it, and bestiality can
now be elevated to the level of
marriage? Or if one happens to
fall in love with his own sister,
or his own brother, he can also
marry her or him, and incest can
be marriage?
Anything is always possible with
man. Thats why we need laws
Popes intentions
Jesus through Mary will surely
keep our Christian nations and
communities safe from lukewarm
faith, he added.
The Holy Fathers universal
prayer intention for May is: That,
rejecting the culture of indifference, we may care for our neighbors who suffer, especially the sick
and the poor.
Moreover, his intention for
evangelization is: That Marys
intercession may help Christians
in secularized cultures be open to
proclaiming Jesus.
Fight, A1
Big challenge
For Professor Nestor Limqueco
of the Company of St. Dominic
(CSD), overcoming an indifferent
society challenges all to respond to
the needs of others, particularly
those in the margins.
The culture of indifference, he
explained, is very much rampant,
and its mere presence is a wakeup call for the faithful to examine
themselves and find ways to share
the fruits of contemplation.
My personal experience as a
Catholic educator is to counteract
the harmful influences of media on
A6 LOCAL NEWS
CBCP Monitor
Security of slaves
The arancel can give us better security
but that that is the security of slaves not of
freemen. I know a few of us grumble and
complain secretly wishing to return to the familiar and secure instead of the adventure of
a new Church. Complainers end up defeated.
When we allow our fears to guide our actions
we lose our vision and get imprisoned by our
griping, he says. (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCP News)
Anti-crook, A1
Caritas, A1
Bad taste
The so-called fixed donations violate
the spirit with which we slowly abolished
the arancel system of Church sustenance.
It smacks of bad taste and intellectual dishonesty to say that we have no fixed rates
for the sacraments and church services on
one hand and yet insinuate softly later a
certain amount to be offered, he adds.
While he admits he old system of Church
sustenance is familiar and feels secure, Villegas points out this is the security of Egypt
not the hope of the Promised Land.
BBL, A1
Obedience, respect
In a statement, the campaign
led by Fr. Nono Fajardo underscores its desire to challenge
incumbent Commission on
Elections (Comelec) officials,
as well as those seeking elective
posts not to use foul means of
securing votes, to obey the law,
and to respect voters rights.
Moreover, it exhorts citizens
to practice vigilance in order to
ensure a transparent, peaceful,
and orderly 2016 presidential
elections.
With the concerted efforts of
all, the drive hopes to end nationwide corruption, and speed
up the rebirth of honesty in
peoples hearts.
Seed of renewal
Manila Archbishop Lus Antonio G, Cardinal Tagle stated
in an earlier report that the
advocacy is a continuing journey in uprooting the culture of
stealing on all levels of society
by planting the seed of honesty,
integrity, and generosity.
Santacruzan, A1
CBCP Monitor
A7
PREDA
Iloilo prelate reveals couples Antipolo youth learn feeling, thinking, doing well
secret to happiness
ANTIPOLO Inspired by Pope Francis message to young Filipinos during his Encounter
with the Youth at the University of Sto. Tomas
(UST) last January to be wise, use three languages: think well, feel well and do well, the
Diocese of Antipolo youth ministers held their
4th KaDA Youth Leaders Exchange (KYLE) on
April 24 to 26 in Kalaoasis Calawis, Antipolo.
Immersion experience: their 4th KaDA
Youth Leaders Exchange (KYLE) delegates
meets Calawis Residents during the immersion
portion of the event from April 24 to 26, 2015
in Kalaoasis Calawis, Antipolo. (Photo: KYLE
2015 Media Team)
Guided by the KYLE Mantra What I think,
I feel and I do, I feel what I think, and I feel what
I do, I do what I think and I do what I feel to
think, to feel and to do, more than a hundred
delegates plunged into a three-day adventure,
emerging as empowered youth leaders.
Inner leaders
Hosted by Nuestra Seora Dela Annunciata Parish, Boso boso, Antipolo, the event gathered youth
leaders from various parishes for the sole purpose of
deepening their understanding of the Popes message to the Filipino youth during his visit Jan. 18
visit to UST, improving as leaders in the process.
The young people learned how to think:
being critical, to feel: being compassionate and
humble, and to do: love and action, through
4th KaDA Youth Leaders Exchange (KYLE) delegates have the opening liturgy to the event, which ran from April 24 to
26 in Kalaoasis Calawis, Antipolo. KYLE 2015 Media Team
ILOILO CityWhat keeps married people happy? Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo through
a story showed that choosing to be
happy with ones spouse is the key
to married bliss.
Telling, a story of a Couples
for Christ couple during his
post-Communion message at the
closing Mass of the 18th International Kids Village (IKV) at the
University of San Agustin (USA)
gym in Iloilo City, Lagdameo narrated that a husband and wife were
interviewed separately about their
secret to happiness.
According to the prelate, the
husband said: I will tell you my
secret, but I do not want my wife
to hear about it You know the
secret to my happiness is please
do not tell hermy wife, my
wife.
Likewise, the wife was also asked
and she revealed, I do not like my
husband to hear my answer..What
is the secret of my happiness? The
secret of my happiness is my husband, Lagdameo related.
Plantations, A1
A8
Fr. Carlos Reyes, Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Episcopal Commission on Interreligious
Dialogue, on Friday, April 30, 2015, described children as the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, saying they show lessons valuable
to interreligious dialogue. VANESSA PUNO
CBCP Monitor
Markings
APPOINTED. Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop to the Apostolic Vicarate of Bontoc-Lagawe. The appointment of Fr. Valentin Dimoc
was announced by the Vatican at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6.
Bishop-elect Dimoc will be the fifth bishop of the vicariate, which covers the two civil provinces of Ifugao and the Mountain Province. The
vicariate has been without a bishop since January 2013 after Bishop
Rodolfo Beltran, who served the area for seven years, was installed
as Bishop of La Union. For two years, it has been under the care of Fr.
Joseph Requino, who was named administrator by the Vatican. The
bishop-elect is currently the vicariates social action and development
center director and rector of the Mission Station of Ayangan. With his
appointment as new prelate, Dimoc will be the 133rd member of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, of which 94 are active
and 39 retired. No date has been set for the Episcopal ordination and
installation of Dimoc as bishop of Bontoc-Lagawe.
DIED. Msgr. Jose Chito Bernardo passed away on on May 2, 2015,
11:43 p.m., the eve of the fifth Sunday of Easter. He was 69 years old.
Friends and family paid their last respects at the St. John Mary Vianney
Galilee Development and Retreat Center for Priests (Tagaytay City)
from the afternoon of May 3 to noon of May 4. From there, his remains
were transported to St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Church (Makati City)
for Mass at 3:00 p.m. Bernardos wake resumed at Bahay-Pari, San
Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex (Makati City) from 5:00 p.m. to
10:00 p.m. on May 4 and from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on May 5.After
the 9:00 a.m. Mass in Bahay-Pari on May 6, his remains were cremated at the Loyola Memorial Chapels and Crematorium (Makati City).
His ashes were then brought to St. James the Great Parish Church
(Muntinlupa City) in the afternoon. Inurnment followed the 3:00 p.m.
Funeral Mass on May 7.
PASTORAL CONCERNS B1
File Photo
CBCP Monitor
OPAPP
B2 UPDATES
CBCP Monitor
File Photo
File photo
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following
query:)
Q: During Easter season, is it correct to incense both the paschal
candle and the cross during Mass? -- F.O., Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
A: If incense is used at Mass the cross should always be incensed
during all seasons of the year. As specified in No. 87.d of the Ceremonial of Bishops (CB), this is done at the entrance procession
and at the presentation of gifts.
Incensing / B7
The propaganda
is relentless, with
arguments as
ridiculous as citing
the factwhich the
divorce proponents
in the Senate and
Congress present as
something negative
that the Philippines
is the only Catholic
country that remains
without a
divorce law.
intentions of the subject. Unfortunately, this
error is quite prevalent even in many Catholic schools and quite a number of Catholic
universities in the Philippines.
3. The culture of the ephemeral. Without moral absolutes or objective truths, the
good and the beautiful cease to have objective meaning. From subjective relativism one
simply floats to the culture of the ephemeral.
If there are no objective truths and moral absolutes, then everything is passing. This leads
to what the Pope refers to as the culture of
the ephemerali.e., everything is disposable;
nothing lasts. Even people are disposable
when they are no longer useful or pleasurable. The sad phenomenon of asylums for the
elderly (when their children have disposed of
them) or of institutions for the disabled and
infirm (when society has disposed of them)
or of divorced women and abandoned children (when their husbands have disposed of
them), so prevalent in the West, is the glaring
proof of this culture.
4. Lack of openness to life. The final
result of the aforementioned forces is the lack
of openness to life, also described by previous
pontiffs as the contraceptive mentality and the
culture of death. Only a philosophy grounded
on being can fully appreciate the goodness of
CBCP Monitor
FEATURES B3
CBCP News
Most Rev. Piero Marini, President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses opens the Plenary Assembly held in Cebu City on April
24-28, 2015. Seated with him are: Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma who hosts the 51st International Eucharistic Congress that will be held in Cebu on January
24-31, 2016; Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles who is the Chair of the CBCP Committee on Eucharistic Congress; and Fr. Vittore Boccardi, SSS, Secretary of
the Pontifical Committee for Eucharistic Congress.
CBCP News
Archbishop Jose Palma orients the participants of the Plenary Assembly from 47 countries on the Cebu City Sports Center that will be one of the venues of the
51st International Eucharistic Congress.
CBCP News
CBCP President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas joins the Plenary Assembly participants in the ocular inspection of the ongoing construction
of the Pavilion that will be the main venue of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress.
B4 FEATURES
FSP
A Journey of Faith
CBCP Monitor
The Daughters of St. Paul during a pilgrimage to Lipa City on the occasion of the 75th foundation anniversary of the Philippine province in 2013
On Philippine soil
The Philippine province, which celebrated its 75th anniversary only last 2013,
has at present 179 professed sisters living
in 18 communities within the country
and abroad. The Sisters carry out their
apostolic ministry through book publishing, production of radio and television
programs, media education and literacy,
managing an online shop and 18 media
centers throughout the country, conducting biblical animation and outreach, organizing book missions and visits to families,
schools and parishes.
The Sisters outreach program has taken
on a more meaningful dimension this year,
as the local church celebrates the Year of the
Poor. Each community in the province has
intensified its outreach program to the poor
through media animation, bible ministry
and catechesis.
In Pasay, where the central house is
located, a group of sisters from the community regularly conduct their outreach
ministry to the inmates at Pasay City Jail,
children in conflict with the law who are
housed in Pasay City Youth Home and to
poor residents living in Pasay cemeteries
and nearby slum areas.
The program resonates well with the desire of Pope Francis for the Church to have
a deeper commitment towards its most
marginalized members, whom the pontiff
said, suffer the worst discrimination
not merely because of meager resources
at their disposal but due to the lack of
spiritual care.
and other traditional means of communicating the Gospel, the Sisters now
make their presence felt in cyberspace
by maintaining blogs and social media
sites so that through these multimedia
platforms the Gospel will further spread
and permeate todays internet-savvy
generation.
FSP
Gratitude
True enough, one cannot celebrate the
present moment without looking at the past
with a grateful heart and counting the innumerable blessings the Lord has showered
upon the congregation in superabundance.
In this centenary of their foundation,
the Daughters of St. Paul worldwide look
back with gratitude to their founder Blessed
James Alberione and co-foundress Venerable Thecla Merlo, two visionaries whose
hearts were imbued with profound faith
in Divine Providence and who, with enormous courage unhesitatingly responded to
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Themed 100 years of Pauline consecrated life, a journey of faith and love,
the celebration is also an occasion for
all the Paulines to commend the pioneer
sisters who bore the difficulties of the
foundational years, trail blazing the path
for each Pauline Sister who will follow them
through the years.
Sr. Evangelina Canag, former provincial
superior of the Philippine province and one
time General Councilor said that Blessed
James Alberione, whom Paulines used to
addressed to as Primo Maestro, meaning
First Teacher in honor of Jesus Master,
had always insisted on the nuns to always
trust in Divine Providence. Trust coupled
with action.
But trusting in God does not mean we
do nothing on our part. During the early
days, Primo Maestro used to send sisters to
knock on doors and ask for old newspapers
from families. The sisters would then bring
all those old newspapers to the recycling
plant in exchange of clean paper to use for
printing books, Sr. Evangelina said.
Pauline heritage
The seed of foundation was planted
in Alba, Italy, on a
memorable night
that divided the
19th and 20th centuries. The young Alberione, still a seminarian at that time
was praying before
the Blessed Sacrament exposed at the
Cathedral of Alba.
While deep in prayer,
he felt the profound
stirrings in his heart
to do something for
the people of the new
century.
That initial spark
from the Holy Spirit
finally took shape
on August 20, 1914
upon the foundation
of the first branch
of the Pauline family, the Society of St.
Paul; and the birth of
the Pauline charism,
which defines the
spirituality and mission of the Pauline
family.
The congregation
of the Daughters of
St. Paul was established a year later,
on June 15, 1915
with a handful of
young women whom
Fr. James Alberione
gathered together to
work for the apostolate of the press.
The fledgling group was led by Teresa
Merlo, who took the name of Thecla on
her profession day in honor of St. Pauls
first woman disciple. She became the first
Mother General of the Daughters of St.
Paul, and closely collaborated with Alberione in founding the other Institutes of
the Pauline Family. Today, the Daughters of
FSP
Challenges
Always an inspiration and a source of
strength for all those who followed him,
Alberione urged all Daughters of St. Paul to
make use of every means of communication
that modern progress provides, with the
aim of forming a new mentality in society,
a mentality that will assure spiritual vitality for souls and Christian life for society.
As true with any great endeavors
challenges are not lacking, but faith in
the God who calls is much greater. The
Daughters of St. Pauls Mother General
Sr. Anna Maria Parenzan said as much, in
a letter to all the sisters on the occasion
of the centenary.
Our Centenary offers us the opportunity to celebrate the memory of the marvels
the Lord continues to work through our
poverty and littleness. The continual developments in the field of technology give
always [a] new face to our mission and []
challenge us to always start afresh, with the
faith that marked our beginnings, she said.
We think of the strength and courage of
our sisters: especially those who live in perilous socio-political situations, and those
who dedicate themselves without reserve
to the Lord through illness and advancing
age, transforming themselves into living
A hundred years after that initial impulse, the flame of apostolic fervor continue to burn in the heart of each Daughter
of St. Paul. Despite diversities in culture
and language all the sisters are united to a
common goal to preach the gospel and
to make Jesus known in every corner of
the globe.
STATEMENTS B5
File Photo
CBCP Monitor
Reviewing Pananabangan
Let us allow the Pastoral Letter on
Stewardship issued by the bishops of the
United States to guide us: As each one has
received a gift, use it to serve one another
as good stewards of Gods varied grace (1
Pt 4:10).
What identifies a steward? Safeguarding material and human resources and
using them responsibly are one answer;
so is generous giving of time, talent, and
treasure. But being a Christian steward
means more. As Christian stewards, we
receive Gods gifts gratefully, cultivate
them responsibly, share them lovingly in
justice with others, and return them with
increase to the Lord.
Pananabangan as has been repeatedly
said is NOT about money. It is NOT
a fund raising scheme. It is a way of life
lived with gratitude, lived responsibly and
shared generously.
The enemies of Church renewal are
indifference, cowardice and loss of the
sense of the sacred. The globalization of
indifference must be fought with the compassion of Pananabangan. The cowardice
and timidity so prevalent in crisis must
be won over by the culture of courageous
giving. We show our true colour when
we are put in hot water. The loss of the
sense of the sacred must end with the
culture of communion and active social
engagement.
Pananabangan helps us to face our
dragons and conquer them. This spiritual program helps our people to get
involved and come out from our sheltered
piety. It helps us to understand that the
parish office is not a venue for business
transactions for the sacraments and sacramental but an encounter between fellow
stewards. Pananabangan gives us courage
to commit to the Lord and live by this
commitment to love like Jesus without the
fear of ever lacking. This spiritual program
will open our hearts to the reality that
everything is holy because everything is
grace. The Beatitudes are our magna carta
for Pananabangan. The life example of
Jesus, the primary steward of the mercies
of God, is our only model to follow.
Adopting Pananabangan
The Word of God upon which we must
always base our homilies during the liturgy
has abundant references to stewardship.
I encourage you our brother priests to
look at the Word of God with the eyes
of Pananabangan, to constantly flavour
the homily with Pananabangan tones and
repeat the three fold message of gratitude,
responsibility and generosity (GRG) as the
hallmarks of the stewardship spirituality.
Without resorting to judgmental moralizing, let us prophetically speak against
indifference, cowardice and the loss of the
sense of the sacred.
The Pananabangan envelopes that
we have made available to parishes and
schools may be filled up also with commitments to give time and talents beyond
the customary money pledges. I encourage our school directors to regularly talk
to our academic communities on the
spirituality of stewardship during school
convocations, retreats and seminars. The
Pananabangan manual of formation is
ready and available for this purpose.
In the context of prayer and from your
pastoral sensitivity, the Pananabangan
formation may be adopted as an extended
formation series. Candidly, if the Pananabangan module is reduced to a crashed
half a day seminar, it will most likely not
achieve its desired effect of becoming a
lifestyle for Christs disciples. It needs
time for patient assimilation and pondered
reflection. It needs to simmer and take
roots. Haste is waste.
Implementing Pananabangan
Although Pananabangan is NOT about
money, it is the perennial issue about money that becomes the test if Pananabangan
has indeed been taken to heart. One of the
clear signs of our Pananabangan spirit is
our fidelity to the abolition of the arancel
or the fixed rates for the sacraments and
sacramentals in the Church. It is our
archdiocesan policy as indicated in the
computerized parish accounting system
that the parish office should not require
the parishioners to make fixed donations
for the services of the Church. The so
called fixed donations violates the spirit
with which we slowly abolished the arancel
system of Church sustenance. It smacks
of bad taste and intellectual dishonesty
to say that we have no fixed rates for the
sacraments and church services on one
hand and yet insinuate softly later a certain
amount to be offered.
The Church will not get poorer with
Pananabangan. The Church will become
more credible, more prophetic and more
Christ like with Pananabangan. The arancel system is both a painful scourge on
the long suffering people and a shameful
stain in the vestments of the Churchs
ministers. The arancel imprints an invisible and foul price tag on our priestly stole.
It has been tolerated but in the beginning
it was not so.
Giving to the Church must become a
regular habit with or without the sacraments. It is certainly true that the sacraments and blessings of the Church are not
a reward for a virtue nor a prize for being
good. In the same way, the blessings and
sacraments of the Church must not appear
limited fruitfulness.
I believe that in freely giving my time,
in humbly sharing my talents,
and in generously sacrificing my treasures,
the Lord will always provide.
He will take care of all my needs,
and bless me with infinite reward on
earth and in heaven.
I will be the first to give.
I will not wait for the others.
I will keep on giving even if others do
not give.
I will not be afraid to have none.
I believe that the best time to share is
now, not tomorrow,
for tomorrow is an excuse of the greedy.
I will keep my needs and wants simple
and few,
for I believe that in reducing my selfishness,
I will grow in happiness and holiness.
I am a steward of the Lord.
I will return all these to Him with
abundant yield!
Much is asked of me because much has
been given to me
I praise the Lord for His kindness to me
Now and forever.
Amen.
File Photo
B6 REFLECTIONS
CBCP Monitor
Jean II Restout
AN extraordinary outpouring of
the divine Spirit on all mankind
had been foretold by the prophet
Joel (see Jl 3:1-5), but the effect of the fulfillment of such
a prophecy went beyond every
expectation. PENTECOST was
not just a matter of people speaking previously unknown foreign
languages or having visions. It
was A NEW CREATION. It
brought into existence A NEW
MANKIND, a new People of
GodTHE CHURCH.
The new creation and the new
people of God started with the
handful of some 120 disciples of
Jesus. (See Acts 1:15.) It effected
in them a radical change, both
as individuals and as a group.
The bystanders were struck by
the fact that those unschooled
Galileans could express themselves in foreign languages. (See:
Acts 2:7-12.)
But what mattered most was
the inner transformation that
had taken place in those simple
folks: from fearful, they had
turned daring; from ignorant,
they had become learned; from
being a confused and scattered
crowd, they had been fashioned
into a well-knit community,
characterized by brotherly love,
with an inspiring leadership and
a deep sense of mission.
This new creation, like the
first, was to go on till the end
of time. And we are part of it.
All through the centuries, the
Spirit has continued to enliven
the Church with His presence. It
(1 Jn 3:1).
As such, impelled by the Spirit who
dwells in us, we dare call God Abba,
Father, the same delicate appellation
which Jesus himself used when addressing his eternal Father. (See Rom
8:15; Gal 4:5-7 and Mk 14:36.)
Our relationship with the Blessed
Trinity has a dynamic orientation.
By its very nature, it tends to bring
us ever closer to the Divine Persons,
till we come to contemplate them
face to face, i.e., we experience
their love in the most direct and full
manner. In fact, if we are children,
also its demands. Our daily behavior has got to be in keeping with our
being children of light for God
is light (1 Jn 1:5). Everything in
we are also heirs: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ (Rom 8:17).
Such a set of interrelated relationships affects all aspects of our life.
It is as children of our heavenly
Father that we face our daily challenges and problems with trust-filled
faith. We know that He loves and cares
for us as no earthly father can do. His
universal fatherhood is a constant
reminder that we are members of the
family of humankind and all human
beings are our brothers and sisters.
It is in Jesus Christ, Gods incar-
ENCOUNTERS
dwells in us with
its transforming,
sublimating effects. Thanks to
him, the poverty
and frailty of our
human nature can
surge to unprecedented degrees
of sanctity and heroism. In the power
of the Spirit, our heart can learn to
love and rejoice as God does, and the
barrenness of our person can become
the most splendid cathedral which no
Luca Rossetti
Bo Sanchez
SOULFOOD
CBCP Monitor
SOCIAL CONCERNS B7
File Photo
MILLIONS welcomed Pope Francis, braved the rains, waited for long
hours to see and listen to his message
on the mercy and compassion of God.
In Malacaang, he talked about reforming the social structures, which
perpetuate poverty and the exclusion
of the poor. That was three months
ago. Now, it is business as usual.
Last March,the Department of Labor
gave a measly Php 15 increase in the
minimum wage of workers in Metro
Manila, which is not even enough to
pay the price hike of MRT according
to a labor leader. With the increase of
price of food items so many people now
simply buy noodles and tuyo for their
regular viand. Yet business is growing
and everyone sees the construction
of condominiums all over the cities.
Moreover, 11 Filipinos are now among
1,000 billionaires in the world. Should
those who create wealth continue to be
sacrificed inthe idolatry of money and
the dictatorship of an impersonal economy
(Letter of the Pope # 55), getting only
a Php 15 increase?
The scavengerswork hard to sort out
garbage to feed their families. Yet the
government, instead of appreciating
their effort to create employment for
themselves, frequently harass them. I
contributed a wheel to the kariton of
one scavenger whose family sleeps on
the sidewalk. That kariton was confiscated together with its goods. That
meant hunger for several days. Fortunately, his kariton was returned but not
the kariton and the goods of his other
Sidney Snoek
Eucharist / B3
Family / B2
c o m m o n p r a ye r s , a n d e ve n
common pauses for silence.
The various elements of the
Introductory Rites are intended
to establish unity among those
who have gathered, dispose
themselves to listen properly
to Gods word, and to celebrate
the Eucharist worthily, always
in view of sending them forth
as instruments of unity, proclaimers of the Word, and bread
broken and shared for the life
of the world. The Introductory
Rites constitute the beginning
of the movement of being chosen, called, and formed into an
ekklesia, a priestly people that
God will send to proclaim
the glorious works of him who
called them from darkness into
his marvelous light. (1 Pt 2:9).
2. Liturgy of the Word
Having thus been disposed
b y t h e In t r o d u c t o r y R i t e s ,
the faithful now listen to the
p ro c l a m a t i o n o f t h e Wo rd .
God and his people engage
in a dialogue in which the
great deeds of salvation are
Incensing / B2
CBCPMonitor
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
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B8 FEATURES
Moral Assessment
ng manunood ang
MORAL
ASSESSMENT:
kanilang pansin sa
papel na ginampa- CINEMA rating: V14
nan ng tadhana sa
buhay ni Emmanuel Pacquiao, hindi ito umasa sa isang
tradisyonal na sangkap tulad ng plot upang mabuosa
halip, tinuhog nito nang buong husay ang ilang mga pangyayari, karanasan, at eksena sa buhay ng Pilipinong idolo
upang palitawin na ang paglalakbay ni Pacquiao tungo sa
rurok ng tagumpay ay iginuhit ng tadhana.
Tiyak na may ilan ding mahahalagang pangyayari sa buhay
ni Pacquiao ang nalaktawan sa ginawang pagtatagni-tagni
ni Soriano sa Kid Kulafu, at ang pagtatapos ng pelikula sa
pagtatagumpay ni Pacquiao bilang boksingero, ngunit dapat
alamin ng manunood na hindi isang dokumentaryo ang
Kid Kulafu; bagkus, ito ay isang salaysay sa nais magbahagi
ng pag-asa at inspirasyon sa mga makakapanood nito, lalo
nat kung sila ay nasa abang kalagayang tulad ng kampeyon
noong kanyang kabataan.
Hindi maikakaila na may mga magagandang values na
lumutang sa Kid Kulafu, tulad ng pagiging masunuring
anak (ni Manny), kababaang-loob, pagmamahal sa pamilya, matatag na pagtitiwala sa Panginoon, disiplina upang
matamo ang tagumpay.
Kid Kulafu
Technical Assessment
Abhorrent
Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome
Exemplary
Poor
Below average
Average
Above average
Excellent
MORAL ASSESSMENT:
CINEMA rating : V14
Lolo Kiko
Buhay Parokya
CBCP Monitor
Brothers Matias
Bladimer Usi
The Cross
Filipino Brother Knights received a congratulatory message from the Supreme Knight
Carl Anderson through a video message. Part
of which, was reiterated by Deputy Supreme
Knight Logan T. Ludwig during his speech at
the convention.
Mabuhay! In behalf of the Supreme officers and directors I offer you a special word
of greetings as you gathered for your 10th
National Convention. Your convention
overlaps for a very special meeting in Rome
convened by Pope Francis in anticipation for
the canonization of Blessed Junpero Serra, a
shining example for the Knights of Columbus
everywhere. I have very much hope to travel in
Mindanao, yet, I have been asked in behalf of
the Knights of Columbus to deliver one of the
major addresses in this very important meeting. So I must be in Rome, said Anderson.
Inspired by the example of Pope Francis,
the Knights of Columbus gave more than 70
million volunteer hours of service and $170
million to charitable causes. These efforts made
a difference on the lives of millions of people,
according to Anderson.
Each of you makes an important contribution
to our church and communities. By working
together, we again achieved records in charitable
giving, we continue recruiting more men to our
beloved Order, and we have provided protection
thru our insurance programs, he added.
Mindanao Deputy, Bro. Balbino Fauni (standing, center) together with the other officers of the Order of the Knights of Columbus during the 10th Knights of Columbus National Convention held from May 1-3,
2015 at the SMX Davao Convention Center.
Sales Growth
Anderson cited that last year 2014, was
the 14th consecutive year of insurance sales
Convention, C3
KCFAPI Employees
A Physical and Spiritual Encounter with the
visit the Correctional
Abandoned/Outcast
Institution for Women
Patients of the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital with KCFAPI employees during
their visit at the Dermatology and Leprosy Services Center of the said institution in
Caloocan City in line with KCFAPIs Year of the Poor Activities.
TEAM LOVE BANK. KCFAPI employees headed by the VP MIS, Underwriting & Admin.
Services Group, Mr. Ronnie Infante visited the inmates of the Correctional Institution for
Women in Mandaluyong City in line with the Year of the Poor Activities.
Last April 29 to May 1, 2015, the 9th Gathering of KC Priests was successfully held
at the Rivier Retreat House in Davao City with the theme: Priestly Renewal in Pope
Francis Vision of the Church of the Poor. A total of twenty-two priests attended the
Gathering with fourteen from Luzon, one from Visayas and seven from Mindanao. The
Program for the Gathering focused on the Messages given by Pope Francis himself at
different venues during his Papal Visit to the country last January 2015.
C2
Alonso L. Tan
Chairmans Message
Curia Settings
The Cross
Presidents Message
MY mother Carlita Generoso was born
on November 4, 1927 in Quezon City
by komadrona. Shell be 88 on her
next birthday. Shes now very frail and
almost bed-ridden. She could no longer
stand nor sit on her own. She has to be
prepped up on her chair to eat, to bathe
and everything.
Her mind wanders a lot nowadays.
Although she seems to recognize us and
is aware of our presence, she could no
longer remember our names. Im the only one she recognizes and
know by name whenever shes lucid. She asks for me whenever
Im not around. However, to her, I have different personalities. I
am her son. I am her brother. I am her husband. Maybe because
from among us siblings, I am the one she had spent the most time
with. We shared the same office for almost forty years, conversing
a lot each day. Sharing views on different matters, personal, social,
business, religious and even matters that are trivial. We quarrel too,
whenever our opinions are poles apart.
Let me tell you her story and at least two miracles that she had
experienced. Yes two, not one. How lucky or bless can one get?
She graduated Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines in Diliman with a degree on Pharmacy. She first worked as an
over-the-counter pharmacy clerk at the Far Eastern Drug Company,
maybe the Mercury Drugstore of that time. There she met my
father who fell in love with her upon seeing her for the first time.
My mom refused to marry my father until he converts into her
Catholic faith. They got married on February 14, 1954. I was born
the following year and a brother a year and half later.
My parents resigned from their employment in the early months
of 1958. Soon thereafter they founded two separate companies.
My mother with her elder sister and mother organized the Leitz
Pharmaceutical Laboratory, producing over-the-counter medicines.
My father founded the Alysons Chemical Enterprises, a trading
firm of chemicals.
Their businesses were thriving when disaster struck our neighborhood. A fire broke from a chapel behind my moms laboratory
and gutted several dozen houses including our house, lab, my
grandparents and an aunts house. Slowly they picked themselves
from the ashes and soon started to be ahead.
They also begun to be active in church. My mom joined the
Mother Butler Guild and my father the Knights of Columbus and
even joined the Cursillo movement.
My mom had a laparotomy in the mid-sixtys. It was an emergency operation as she was in extreme pain and the doctors could
not find anything wrong with her. It was supposed to be an open
and close operation as she was found to have an advanced stage
of stomach cancer. The main surgeon opined that since they had
already opened her up they might as well try their best. She was
given five years to live, the first year being critical whether she
could survive it or not. Her stomach was completely removed. Her
esophagus was directly connected to her small intestines making
it very difficult for her to swallow. It has now been fifty years since
her operation and shes still alive. Was the surgeon extremely good?
Did she get lucky? Or was it a miracle?
Sometime in early 2000, she started to lose her eyesight. She
had her eyes examined by her doctor and was told that it was irreversible. She was suffering from macular degeneration. She went
to the United States to consult with other specialists there only to
be told that it was irreversible and she would eventually lose her
eyesight. The fate that she would suffer scared her a lot especially
when she could no longer read large marker pen written six inches
tall letters and left her confined at home. My mom is a fighter and
would never give up. She prayed a lot. She prayed harder. After
about a year in such a condition, her vision started to improve
contrary to what doctors were telling her. She visited her doctors
here and in the US and were amazed at her inexplicable recovery
from a certain blindness. Did she get lucky a second time? Or was
it another miracle?
Why is mom so blessed? Is it because she prays a lot? Is it because
she gives to charities even when she has no money for it? She could
have been dead fifty years ago. She could have been blind for at
least ten years by now. Prayers, Charities and her strong Faith
spelled the difference.
I pray that somehow Im also blessed as I pray to our Lord that
He allows my mother to enjoy the last remaining years of her life
without pain. Am I blessed or not? Or is it my mom whos blessed?
Even if shes losing control of her faculties or not, Im glad shes
not in pain and has a cheerful disposition.
I offer this piece to all the mothers who had brought their
children into this world no matter what they would have to suffer and endure just to raise us their children and be the person
that we are today. Without their sacrifices, we could not attain
the successes we are enjoying today. Tell your mom that you love
her and that you appreciate what she has done in your life before
its too late. Before she could no longer remember who you are.
Happy Mothers Day.
Womanhood
MOTHERS Day is highly significant for
most of us. After all, nobody can come into
the world without a mother. For this article
however, please allow me to dwell on Womanhood. A chunk of time is admirably set
aside for the whole world to give credit to one
half of the earths inhabitants. For how can
we not give honor to somebody who spent
9 months nurturing us even before we had
any consciousness about anything?
In the last fifty years, the cause of respecting and giving importance to the role of
women has taken dramatic leaps. Writers,
thinkers, and media, undoubtedly have
contributed immensely to the growth of
the peoples awareness of this issue. Even
theologians, both men and women, have
written extensively on the theology of the
woman. Unfortunately, only a few of us
have access to the literature. Even our
popes have been quoted and misquoted
on this topic.
I wonder if anybody can claim at all to
be an authority on the subject. The field
is so rich, so vast, so complex and even
mysterious. My only credential on why I
can write about it is that I am a woman.
From the little that I know, one topic which
has tickled my imagination is when they
say that all persons have the feminine and
masculine dimensions in their very persona.
The female gender exhibits, obviously, the
feminine dimension to a greater degree. The
men, on the other hand, have more of the
masculine dimension.
What happens if some persons have
developed the other side of them in a
very significant degree, hand in hand with
what is basically theirs? Well I think these
are the people who are more grounded,
more integrated and have better rounded
personalities. So we see men who are very
caring, inclusive and who have no prejudices
against women. And some women, despite
their femininity are very decisive, assertive,
Michael P. Cabra
My Brothers Keeper
Mother: Underinsured yet the most priceless in the family
MOMS value is priceless, but
if you have to put a peso figure
on the things she does for the
family, her worth would be up
this year over last. From yaya
to cook to household financial
manager, mother does a little bit
of everything. I believe the value
of the tasks a typical mother
does is much higher than last
year. On the contrary, based on
studies, if you paid a man to do
tasks like cooking, helping with
homework, and cleaning up, the
salary would be even higher. A
man putting in the same hours
at the same tasks would earn 8
percent more.
The imbalance is reflected in
life insurance. Among individual
policies sold to married couples,
the amount of coverage on women is substantially lower. Many
families couldnt afford to pay for
the services that a mom does for
free. Thats why its important to
consider what a parent provides
when deciding how much life
insurance to buy.
Its no secret that moms shoulder a lot. Based on statistics,
Roberto T. Cruz
The Cross
C3
constructed an unprecedented
network of institutions to provide
for the health, education and welfare of millionsCatholics and
non-Catholics alikefor whom
the government did not provide
an answer.
These institutions, though, were
not intended to simply fill a gap left
by the limitation of government.
They were not, as Pope Francis has
reminded us, merely NGOs, that
is, volunteer non-governmental
service organizations. Their mission was greater. These Catholic
institutions gave witness to the
transcendent dignity of each human being they served, especially
those whose dignity the government often neglected.
Pope Benedict XVI addressed
this missionary spirit when he
spoke at St. Patricks Cathedral in
New York City during his 2008
visit to the United States. On that
occasion, he stated that faith and
a spirit of constant conversion and
Program Proper
Aside from the presence of the
officers of the Knights of Columb u s Fr a t e r n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f t h e
Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) and its
wholly-owned and majority-owned
companies, the three-day convention was graced by some prominent
individuals like Davao City Mayor
Rodrigo R. Duterte, who gave the
welcome address.
The three Knights of Columbus State
Deputies, Bro. Arsenio Isidro G. Yap (Luzon), Bro. Rodrigo N. Sorongon (Visayas)
and Bro. Balbino C. Fauni (Mindanao)
rendered their accomplishment reports
from 2010 - 2014.
Members of the clergy also participated
in the convention, among them: Zamboanga Archbishop Most Rev. Romulo T.
Dela Cruz, DD, Cotabato Archbishop
Most. Rev. Orlando Cardinal B. Quevedo, DD, Davao Archbishop Most
Rev. Romulo G. Valles, DD, Cagayan
de Oro Archbishop Most Rev. Antonio
J. Ledesma, DD and Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)
Media Director and KCFAPI Spiritual
Director, Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III.
(KCNews/Yen Ocampo)
CHAPTER TWO
--------.--------The Battleground
Priests, C1
Convention, C1
way of life.
As we prepare to welcome our
pope to the United States later
this year, let us strive for a record
of accomplishment that we can all
be proud of.
Vivat Jesus!
By James B. Reuter, SJ
1. The Philippines
so as to overcome self-centeredness,
greed and cynicism.
Pope Francis similarly challenges
us today with even greater determination to be, in his words, neighbors who care for each other. This
is truly the Knights of Columbus
Correctional, C1
C4
The Cross
RESOLUTION EXPRESSING FULL AND UNQUALIFIED TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN COURT OF APPEALS ASSOCIATE JUSTICE JOSE C. REYES, JR. AND
DENOUNCING AND CONDEMNING THE RECKLESS ACCUSATION OF BRIBERY AGAINST HIM BY SENATOR ANTONIO TRILLANES IV
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION OF THE
PHILIPPINES,INC. (KCFAPI) BOARD OF TRUSTEES
and the
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS (K OF C) LUZON, VISAYAS AND
MINDANAO JURISDICTIONS
RESOLUTION
EXPRESSING FULL AND UNQUALIFIED TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN COURT
OF APPEALS ASSOCIATE JUSTICE JOSE C. REYES, JR. AND DENOUNCING AND
CONDEMNING THE RECKLESS ACCUSATION OF BRIBERY AGAINST HIM BY
SENATOR ANTONIO TRILLANES IV
WHEREAS, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has accused Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. and Justice Francisco Acosta, Chairman and a member,
respectively, of the Sixth Division of the Court of Appeals of committing the crime of bribery for each having received P25 Million in
to
consideration for the grant and issuance of Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), later upgraded to a Writ of Preliminary Injunction,
prevent the enforcement of a preventive suspension order issued by the Ombudsman against Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, Jr.
WHEREAS, Senator Trillanes IV then filed with the Senate a resolution urging its Committee on Justice and Human Rights to investigate
the alleged bribery, supposedly in aid of legislation.
WHEREAS, Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. is a highly respected citizen and jurist, who rose to become a Justice of the Court of Appeals
through sheer merit and possession of the highest degree of integrity, honesty, competence, probity and independence; and the Judicial
and Bar Council has even nominated him more than twice for appointment to the Supreme Court.
WHEREAS, Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. is a devout Catholic who is active in Church organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus and
Couples for Christ; and serves as a Lay Minister of the Holy Sacrament, which truly manifest his deep spirituality and fear of God; he is a
man of strong moral fiber, lives a simple life and is without vices, and has never succumbed to corruption.
WHEREAS, as just among the visible proofs of public recognition of Justice Reyes integrity, honesty, competence, probity and independence, high moral and ethical principles and deep spirituality, are his holding of various positions of trust and confidence in the private
sector, such as, inter alia, Trustee and Secretary of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI),
belonging to the biggest five mutual benefit associations in the Philippines, that exclusively serves the insurance needs of the members (as
well as members of their families) of the Order of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines which as of today has a total membership
of 336,360 spread all over the Philippines under its Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao Jurisdictions; Chairman of the two foundations of the
KCFAPI, namely, the KC Philippines Foundation, Inc. and the KC Fr. George J. Willmann Charities, Inc. which, among other things,
provide scholarship programs, including scholarship for seminarians, many of whom are now Catholic priests in active service of the Catholic
Church; and as Director of the Keys Realty & Development Corporation, a KCFAPI wholly-owned corporation which also operates the
Holy Trinity Memorial Chapels and Crematorium.
WHEREAS, the Trustees/Directors, Officers and Staff of the KCFAPI and of the foregoing foundations and company, as well as all the
State Deputies and Officers representing the 336,360 members all over the Philippines in its three Jurisdictions of Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao, know and can fully attest to the fact that Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. has led and continues to lead an exemplary life of Christian
virtues and values who follows the path of righteousness and justice; his integrity, honesty, competence, probity and independence as a
justice constantly inspire all of them.
WHEREAS, the accusation of bribery made by Senator Trillanes IV against Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr., without even any offer of a semblance of truth, is a reckless and an imprudent imputation, which remains clearly malicious and merely serves to smear and destroy the
name, honor, and integrity of Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. as well as of the institution he is faithfully serving - the Court of Appeals - and even
the entire Philippine Judiciary itself.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc., through its Board of Trustees, and the
Knights of Columbus in the Philippines, through the States Deputies of its Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao Jurisdictions, have resolved, as
they hereby resolve, to:
I
EXPRESS, and to let the public know of such expression, its full and
unqualified trust and confidence in Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr., Chairman
of the Sixth Division of the Court of Appeals, who is an exemplary Catholic
gentleman of utmost integrity, honesty, competence, probity and
independence and who is serving the Court of Appeals for the cause of
truth and justice with utmost commitment, dedication, loyalty and fidelity.
II
DENOUNCE AND CONDEMN Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for recklessly
and imprudently accusing Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. of the crime of
bribery and hastily filing with the Senate a resolution for the investigation by
its Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the alleged bribery,
allegedly in aid of legislation.
Let copies of this Resolution be provided Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr., the Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Maria Lourdes
A. Sereno, and the Honorable Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals Andres Reyes, Jr.
Adopted this 16th day of April 2015 in the City of Manila.
ALONSO L. TAN
Chairman
RAOUL A. VILLANUEVA
Trustee-Treasurer
BALBINO C. FAUNI
Trustee & Mindanao Deputy
ROGELIO V. GARCIA
Trustee (Independent)
RODRIGO N. SORONGON
Trustee & Visayas Deputy
Speaking during the 110th Founding Anniversary of the first Knights of Columbus Council
in the Philippines, (Council 1000), former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. urged the
public to pray for peace in Mindanao.