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VOLUME 19
NUMBER 13

June 2 - July 5, 2015

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR.COM

Pope affirms CBCP ecology


efforts in new encyclical
By Roy Lagarde

IT IS not something new


but Pope Francis citation
of Filipino bishops in his
groundbreaking letter on the
environment shows that local
efforts on caring for creation
are on the right track, a
church official said.

In his nearly 200-page encyclical entitled Laudato Si (Be Praised), the pontiff
cited a document of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines on the
environment.
Who turned the wonder world of the
seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of
color and life? the Pope quoted a CBCP
pastoral letter on ecology when he talked
about the destruction of marine resources.
Right direction
Published in January 1988, the statement
entitled What is happening to our beautiful land? is the worlds first pastoral letter
of Catholic bishops on the environment.
The landmark document was even adopted and published by the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops.
After almost three decades, Laudato Si is
said to be the Vaticans first major teaching
on the environment and climate change.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP
president, said the citation was recognition
of the pastoral efforts of the local Church in
the area of ecological stewardship.
It is an affirmation that we in the Philippines are in the right direction in teaching
that creation is a gift that must be cared
for, Villegas said.
He, however, clarified that this was not
the first time the Pope cited the CBCP in
an encyclical.
Efforts, A7

Missionary to
govt: Leave IP
schools in peace
A CATHOLIC missionary
brother and indigenous peoples
(IP)s rights advocate has called
on the Philippine government to respect the status of
educational institutions for
IP children for what they are
supposed to be: second home,
peace zone, and preserver of
culture.
As the second homes of our
children, schools must always
be zones of peace. Children,
including those of our indigenous people, have all the right
to security without the threat
of militarization or of being
caught up in an encounter
with rebels, Br. Martin Francisco told CBCP News in an
interview.
Missionary, A6

WHATS INSIDE
The first encyclical wholly
from Francis overturns
expectations, A1

Laudato Si Message of His


Holiness Pope Francis for
Lent 2015, B1

Pope Francis receives participants in the 9th plenary assembly of the Catholic Biblical Federation led by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, at the Vatican
on June 19, 2015. The assembly of the worldwide association of Episcopal Conferences and more than 200 Catholic Biblical institutions is the first over which Tagle
is presiding as the new CBF President. L OSSERVATORE ROMANO

CBCP: No torture even for terror suspects


THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines on Tuesday said that torture was
unacceptable to interrogate terror suspects.
While the bishops laud efforts to spare
the public from the threat of terrorism, they
insisted that the use of torture is unjustifiable
even to extract information that might thwart
a terror attack.
We cannot countenance the torture of
suspects even when motivated by the noble
end of ferreting out the truth, and sparing
innocent victims, said Archbishop Socrates
Villegas, CBCP president.
The savagery of all acts of torture contradicts all noble deeds, he pointed out.
The bishops were reacting to documented
reports from human rights watchdog Amnesty
International about the prevalence of torture
in the Philippines.
They also lamented the culture of impunity by which authorities take it upon
themselves to torture their victims.
But the bishops said that acts of torture are
not only committed by law enforcers, citing

CBCPMONITOR@CBCPWORLD.NET

reports of torture inflicted by rebels, insurgents, separatists, and bandit groups.


The fact that they have taken up arms
against the government constitutes no justification for the torture inflicted on others,
Villegas said.
Nothing justifies torture, more so when
it is part of a scheme of lawlessness and sheer
brigandage, he added.
The CBCP also called on priests, religious,
and lay people not only to assist victims of
torture and help stomp put this scourge by
vigilance and discernment.
Villegas stressed laypeople must have the
Christian courage to speak out against
torture and even to testify in court against its
perpetrators.
When we act with resoluteness against
the perpetrators of torture, it is and should
be the incomparable dignity of the human
person that should be our end, and the
criterion of the rightness of our advocacy
and endeavors, he said. (Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)

Pro-choice group slammed


for twisting Popes,
prelates statements
A CONCERNED lay Catholic
has expressed alarm over what she
describes as the deceptive, cheap,
and desperate way with which the
Philippine Center for Population
and Development (PCPD) appears
to be misrepresenting pronouncements on reproductive health,
responsible parenthood, and sexuality education by high-ranking
Catholic officials, including no
less than Pope Francis, in order
to advance their agenda, through
computer-generated graphics.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP president FILE PHOTO

Misleading the public


Philippine Center for Population and Development, a population control group and major

pusher of contraceptives in the


Philippines attempts to mislead
the public that Catholic leaders are
one with them in advancing their
agenda by taking the clergymens
words out of context, putting them
on a poster with their photos, and
appending the SexEdPH hashtag,
says Anna Cosio, a registered nurse
and a member of pro-life, prochastity, pro-family Catholic group
Youth for Life (Y4L), in a recent
statement she posted on the Facebook wall of Lingayen-Dagupan
Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas,
who also serves as president of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP).
Pro-choice / A6

CFC seedbed for vocations FSP to continue campaign for media with a soul
priests
JUST days after celebrating bears fruits in its campaign from the faith, the religious
their centenary, the Daugh- for media with a soul.
sister said.

ONE of the biggest Catholic lay


groups is becoming the seedbed
of priestly and religious vocations
in the country, Catholic priests
said.
Fr. Ruper Solis, SVD, said Couples for Christ (CFC) continues to
stand out as a source of hope for the
Church, raising the morale among
the faithful as whole, especially
the youth.
The CFC is the seedbed of vocations, Solis said in his homily during a Mass before the Liveloud
concert held at the World Trade
Center in Pasay City on Friday.

Because of CFC, many young


people were inspired to enter the
seminary, he said.
After the Mass, around a dozen
SVD major seminariansall former members of the CFCYouth
for Christ, were presented to
thousands of people gathered at
the venue.
The CFC has become an instrument for promoting vocations,
said Solis, drawing loud cheers and
applause from the crowd.
Another SVD priest Fr. Jonathan
Letada, also called on CFC to conVocations / A1

The Lord grew the seed,


she said. Our congregation
is like the seed, grown and
now spread in all the continents. From small things
may arise big things, by
Gods grace, Canag added.

Amid the immorality peddled by some mainstream media, media users


especially the young, can be
safeguarded through love,
Felix said.
The best thing that the
young people of today can
do is to love, she said. If
you love truly, you do not
wish to destroy. You allow
people to grow.
The congregation, which
uses the media to carry out
its apostolate, will con-

Drawn away from faith


According to Canag, the
battle field now includes
online platforms where
liberty is unbridled.
The culture and mentality that the mainstream
media advocate draw people

FSP / A7

Batches of FSP sisters, from 1948 to the most recent, look forward
to hundreds of years more as they mark a milestone in their
congregations history with a mini parade in celebration of their
100th foundation anniversary on June 15, 2015 at their provincial
house in Pasay City. RAYMOND SEBASTIAN

Pari Koy exorcism episode misleading priest

ILLUSTRATION BY BROTHER MATIAS

Young people raise hands in worship during the Liveloud Praise Concert held at the
World Trade Center in Pasay City on June 12. R. LAGARDE/CBCPNEWS

ters of Saint Paul reaffirmed


their commitment to creating media with uplifting
values for the next 100 years
and beyond.
Blaming media for being partly responsible for
societys crumbling sense of
morality, former Philippine
province superior Sr. Evangelina Canag (FSP) likened
her congregation to a tiny
seed that, by Gods grace,
germinates when planted,
grows into plant, generates
branches and, eventually,

PRODUCERS and writers of GMA 7s television


series Pari Koy should
be careful not to mislead
viewers about Catholic
Churchs teachings, especially on exorcism.
This is what Fr. Daniel
Estacio, one of the six exorcists in the Archdiocese
of Manila, stressed, noting a recent Pari Koy
episode wherein lead actor Dingdong Dantes

(Fr. Kokoy) performed


an exorcism, while telling with the evil spirit:
Maawa ka na sa kanya
Ibalik mo na siya sa kanyang ina. (Have pity on
himReturn him to his
mother.)
In a lecture before 435
lay ministers of the Diocese of Pasig last Friday,
Estacio said it is misleading to portray evil spirits
as merciful.

No mercy
The episode sends a
wrong message that we can
plead with the demon, as if
it has mercy and compassion. This is very misleading, he said.
When a priest-exorcist
performs an exorcism and
expelling demons, he is
not and should not make a
plea or request the demon
to leave but rather comExorcism / A6

A2 WORLD NEWS

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

Popes encyclical urges Korea to rethink


its development
DAEJON, South Korea, June 20,
2015Pope Francis encyclical
on ecology and care for creation
will push South Korea to rethink
its development model, helping
the country and the population
to reach an ecological conversion
which we desperately need. I can
say with joy that my country has
taken it very seriously: now it is up
to the local church to study it and
learn as much as possible from it
says Mgr. Lazzaro You Heung-sik,
president of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, and
Bishop of Daejeon.
The prelate met this morning
with journalists of major newspapers in the headquarters of the
Korean Bishops Conference (see.
Photo) to explain the contents of
the encyclical: There were many
different opinions, but I can say
with great satisfaction that all the
reporters present were said very
happy with Pope Francis text.
For my part I wanted to thank the
Pope and Cardinal. Turkson, who
helped us to prepare ahead of its
publication.
The Laudato s: on care of our
common home is dense and full
of practical recipes for ecological
protection, these are issues here
that we take very seriously. We

Kkottongnaeon, South Korea - August 16, 2014: Pope Francis speaks to religious sisters
and brother from communities across Korea at the Training Center School of Love in
Kkottongnaeon, South Korea on August 16, 2014. CNA

have so many problems related


to the environment - I think the
project of the four rivers, the
energy issue, the development of
nuclear power - and as a Church
we become increasingly aware that
the challenges we face, we cannot
limit ourselves to just denouncing
the situation. In the country there
is still a lack of awareness of recycling, we are the 12th country in
the world for density of pollutant
emissions, we waste a lot of energy
... In short, we really contaminate
the air and water.
Some say that this is the price
to pay for economic development: This is wrong. Economic

growth and environmental protection can coexist, but this


requires an internal conversion
by all of us. It is true that the
State and the multinationals
must inevitably make the most
significant steps, but often
they have economic or political
interests that are at odds with
the harmony of creation. They
first have to take the Popes
invitation seriously. I believe we
need to provoke real debate, real
dialogue on these realities that
is not just ideological. We must
change the way we live our lives.
To do so would be enough to
start with the little things, those

that each of us does every day.


Saving water when brushing
your teeth, turning off electronic
devices when not in use ... They
seem minutiae but are important
things, which if everyone practices then can really contribute
to saving the world.
In short, said Msgr. You, we
must consume less and create a
new energy policy. This depends
not only on government, but on
a shared political vision that unites
us all. I think that the Popes position on ecology is the key to Korea.
The relationship between man and
God, the relationship between
men, the relationship between
man and nature are three inherent
realities of which, here in Asia, we
are not yet fully aware.
This morning, the bishop concludes, a journalist asked me
what the Church wants the Korean
society to do with respect this encyclical. I replied that the Catholic
community want this text to be
taken seriously, as a gift and a warning that comes from our universal
pastor. We want to keep the spirit
and the soul of this text, and try
to put them into practice. We are
ready to do our part, and we will do
everything to turn Francis invitation into a reality. (AsiaNews)

US bishops on Laudato Si its about conversion


WASHINGTON D.C., June 18, 2015Several leading U.S. bishops praised the new papal
encyclical as an invitation to turn away from sin
and grow closer to God through a relationship
to the created world.
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, described the document as fundamentally
an invitation to deeper conversion.
Its about our Holy Father saying everyone
should take responsibility, and sin is not taking
responsibility for the truth, he told CNA June
18. Sin is both individual and social, he added,
one does not negate the other. And so personal
decisions that we make are important.
We understand that it is as he said in communion with everyone, that we seek the common good. And that is a very forceful call. It is
a call for conversion.
The archbishop spoke at the National Press
Club in Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning. He was joined by Cardinal Donald Wuerl
of Washington.
They discussed Pope Francis new encyclical,
which was officially published June 18. The
184-page document is entitled Laudato Si,
taken from the Canticle of St. Francis praising
God for his creation.
We not only receive this message with joy,
but we seek to be responsible in caring for our
common home, a home that God has entrusted
to us, Archbishop Kurtz told reporters.
The encyclical applies faith to todays issues in
reading the signs of the times, said Cardinal
Wuerl.
He added that the encyclicals use of empirical
data shows his [Pope Francis] and the Churchs
deep respect for the world of science and the
understanding that it is a domain of its own.
While focused on the environment, Laudato

Si also addresses the broader relationship of


humans to nature, to each other, and to God.
It discusses the connection between sin and the
degradation of the environment, condemning
the overconsumption of natural resources as well
as a similar disregard for Gods creation through
abortion and population control.
While the document is addressed to the
whole world, Archbishop Kurtz told CNA that
the United States has a specific role to play in
promoting its teachings.
We in the United States, I think we do have
a special responsibility to look for the ways in
which we can care for others and not be concerned only about self-interest, he said.
The archbishop also warned people not to tailor the encyclical to their own narrow interests.
When it becomes simply an economic or a
political policy paper, he said of selective readers, they miss the message. Its that important.
Because the message is much more profound.
Pope Francis makes this point in the encyclical, he noted, dismissing a narrow biocentrism
that shows concern only for the earth and not
for human persons. Francis also criticizes a
technocratic approach that values technological progress while ignoring its effect on people
and the environment, Archbishop Kurtz added.
While citing scientific studies on climate
change and its causes, Pope Francis still leaves
room for dialogue on the matter, and this is
clear at the end of the document, the archbishop
affirmed.
He also says at the end that in calling for
dialogue, he does not in any way give the impression that the Church is settling questions of
science, he said. [Pope Francis] knows that in
dialogue with others, theres a great respect for
that human person, for our creativity.
Other bishops throughout the U.S. also

issued statements reflecting on Laudato Si.


Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles said
in his weekly column for The Tidings that what
struck him most about the encyclical was the
sense of urgency and the personal tone.
Laudato Si is not so much a work of politics
or economicsit is a moral and spiritual reflection on our times, he said.
Inviting all the members of his archdiocese
to read the encyclical and reflect on ways to put
it into practice, Archbishop Wilton Gregory of
Atlanta reflected that The Holy Father wants
us all to take seriously the issues that face our
planet not only from an economic perspective,
but out of genuine ethical concern for all of the
people with whom we share it.
Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha echoed
this notion, also saying that the Pope is calling
individuals, families, communities, corporations and nations to a fresh way of thinking
and acting.
As previous popes have done, he urges us to
reject a utilitarian consumerism that does not
preserve the environment for future generations
and that shows a harsh disregard for the poor
today, the archbishop said.
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia,
whose city will host Pope Francis during his
visit to the United States this September, also
welcomed the encyclical, which he described
as a deep and complex appeal to conscience, a
challenge to all of us to reexamine our stewardship of the environment and our love for the
global poor.
As Philadelphians prepare for the World
Meeting of Families this fall, Pope Francis reminds us that the family is a school of love and
responsibility, the seed of a culture of life that
includes the dignity of the earth and the needs
of all its peoples, the archbishop added. (CNA)

Catholics in Holy Land aggrieved by arson attack


on monastery in Israel
JERUSALEM, Israel, June 19,
2015Catholic leaders have been
joined by Israeli leaders in their
concerned reaction to Thursdays
attack on a church located on the
Sea of Galilee, which has hospitalized two persons and caused
extensive damage.
In the early hours of June 18,
the attackers started a fire at the
Church of the Multiplication in
Tabgha, located 120 miles north
of Jerusalem. The church is built
on the site where Christ fed the
5,000 through the multiplication
of loaves and fish, and is joined
to a Benedictine monastery. As a
result of the arson, a monk and a
staff member were hospitalized and
treated for smoke inhalation.
There is a real escalation in
anti-Christian violence: from a
small fire which leaves little damage, to a bigger fire, and finally to
an arson attack which is intended
to produce major damage and even
killing, lamented Bishop William
Shomali, Auxiliary Bishop of the
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in an interview with the Catholic pastoral
charity Aid to the Church in Need.
We are allowed to ask: what will
come next?
The attackers left Hebrew graffiti
on the walls, reading all idols will
be smashed, which suggests they
were Jewish extremists. According
to The Times of Israel, the graffiti
is a quote from the Aleinu prayer,
which is prayed three times each
day in Jewish services.
Bishop Shomali commented, I
am still inclined to think that the
act is perpetrated by a very small
and aggressive group. I cannot put
all Israelis in the same basket, since
there are the liberal and tolerant
Jews, those who are less, and fi-

nally those who hate the


non-Jews. My fear is that
these radicals are increasing in number and in the
degree of intolerance.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called the arson
an attack on us all,
adding that in Israel
freedom of worship is
one of our core values
and is guaranteed under
the law. Those responsible for this despicable
crime will face the full
force of the law. Hate
and intolerance have no
place in our society.
Israeli president Reuven Rivlin commented
that such terrible desDevastation from an arson attack on the Catholic Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha, Israel,
ecration of an ancient
suspected to have been carried out by Jewish extremists. LATIN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM
and holy place of prayer,
is an attack on the very fabric of and Muslims. There is a great need vandalism are brought to justice.
life in our countryIsrael, as a on the part of all religious leaders
The Church of the Multiplicastate and a society, is obligated to in this country to stress the value of tion had been vandalized preprotect and preserve the holy sites, tolerance and respect among their viously, in April, when Jewish
extremists destroyed crosses in the
adherents.
for all faiths.
He added that At this moment monasterys outdoor prayer area,
The arson did extensive damage
to the monastery, the church en- all we can do is to forgive those and threw stones at worshippers.
Fr. Jamal Khader, rector of the
trance, an office for pilgrims, and who committed this crime and to
a book storage room.
somehow rebuild again as we try to Patriarchate of Jerusalems semiHundreds of thousands of practice the gospel values that our nary in Beit Jala, lamented that the
pilgrims have visited here, have Lord taught us.
arsonists could have been enabled
prayed here, have had Mass at
Fr. Vasko reported that the Bene- by officials lax reactions to similar
this Holy Site. In many ways dictine community who operate attacks in the past.
it was a haven of peace and the monastery have said, We will
We had incidents including
tranquility which has now been not permit a small group of fanatics at Tabgha and Dormition Abbey
disfigured by misguided zealots to divide the people of this land. where Israeli authorities didnt
who have no respect for the The injury will always be there as do enough to stop them, so we
religious beliefs of others, Fr. it was a terrible thing for usbut expected such a crime and this
Peter Vasko, OFM, president of we will overcome it.
may continue if the authorities
the Franciscan Foundation for
The Assembly of Catholic Or- dont take concrete steps to stop
the Holy Land, stated.
dinaries of the Holy Land said, it, to show they are serious in
It is indeed a sad day here in Given the severity of the crime, we protecting the holy places in the
the Holy Land, in Israel for all the demand a rapid investigation, and Holy Land, he told The Indepeople living here, Jews, Christians that the perpetrators of this act of pendent. (CNA)

CBCP Monitor

Vatican Briefing
Pope Francis speaks up for Italys unemployed youth

Youth unemployment is a true social plague that leaves young


people feeling useless, Pope Francis told an Italian labor group
on June 20. The human being is the center of development, and
as long as men and women remain passive or marginalized, the
common good cannot be considered fully met, the Pope told
members of the Italian National Federation of the Knights of
Labor at the Apostolic Palace in a June 20 audience. The pontiff
said the world of work should be ready and waiting for young
people and the fresh strengths they bring. However, in recent years
young people have received the message that there is no need of
them. This is a symptom of a grave dysfunction, which cannot
be attributed only to global and international causes, he said.
Italys official overall unemployment rate is above 12 percent. Its
youth unemployment is about 40 percent, according to European
Union figure. (CNA)

Will Pope Francis change the date of Easter?

Speaking to a global gathering of priests, Pope Francis signaled


openness to changing the date of Easter in the West so that all
Christians around the world could celebrate the feast on the same
day. The Pope on June 12 said we have to come to an agreement
for a common date on Easter. His comments came in remarks to
the World Retreat of Priests at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran
in Rome. The event drew priests from five continents. The Pope
joked that Christians could say to one another: When did Christ
rise from the dead? My Christ rose today, and yours next week,
adding that this disunity is a scandal. (CNA)

In Vatican trial, former archbishop faces sex abuse charges

Former papal nuncio Josef Wesolowski will be tried by the Vaticans criminal court for sexual abuse of minors and for possession
of child pornography. The Vatican has said that Pope Francis
wishes to address (the case) justly and rigorously. Fr. Federico
Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, said last year
that from the very first moments that this case was made known
to them, moved without delay and correctly in light of the fact
that former nuncio Wesolowski held the position of a diplomatic
representative of the Holy See, particularly in recalling the former
nuncio to Rome for canonical trial. Wesolowski, a Polish-born
laicized archbishop, was papal nuncio to the Dominican Republic
from 2008 until he resigned in August 2013 due to allegations
that he had paid for sexual relations with minors. (CNA)

Pope confirms plans to visit Central African Republic, Uganda


in November

Pope Francis said on June 12 that he is planning to travel to


Africa in November, specifically to the Central African Republic,
Uganda, and possibly Kenya. During a meeting with hundreds of
priests from around the world participating in the Third World
Priests Retreat in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope
responded to the question from an African priest asking when
he planned to come to Africa. God willing, I will be in Africa
in November. In the Central African Republic first and then
Uganda, he responded. The pontiff added that it is possible
that he may also go to Kenya, but said this is not certain, because
of organizational challenges. (CNA)

Airport evangelization: Pope talks mercy, migrants, ministry in the air

Pope Francis told a group of airport chaplains that their call is to be


a sign of unity and mercy for the many different faces and cultures
that come through airports, including undocumented migrants
and asylum seekers. The airport is a place of encounter for many
people who travel, for work, for tourism, for other reasons; they
are also points of transit for migrants and refugees, children and
elderly, who need special care and attention, the Pope said June
12. He made his comments to participants in the International
Seminar of Catholic Civil Aviation Chaplains, organized by the
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant
Peoples. The theme of the encounter was Evangelii gaudium:
A Support for the Pastoral Care of Airport Chaplaincy. (CNA)

Pope to Special Olympics athletes: Help society, church beat exclusion

Help society and the church overcome all forms of discrimination and exclusion, Pope Francis told a delegation of Special
Olympics athletes. He encouraged the athletes to keep helping
each other discover your potential and to love life and appreciate it with all of its limits and, above all, beautiful aspects.
The popes comments came during an audience June 19 in the
apostolic palace with Special Olympics directors, coaches, family members and athletes, who will be representing Italy at the
games in Los Angeles July 25-Aug. 2. The world of sports can
look to the church to help guide it in fulfilling its true meaning
as an educational, physical and recreational activity that fosters
peoples dignity, he said. (CNS)

Parents transmit church teaching on marriage by example, pope says

Children need to see their parents kiss each other, complement


each other and resolve arguments peacefully, Pope Francis said.
Dear parents, your children need to discover by watching you
that it is beautiful to love another, the pope told parents participating in the annual pastoral conference of the Diocese of
Rome. Parents with their children preparing for first Communion
and confirmation, catechists and priests joined the pope for an
evening meeting in St. Peters Square June 14. The event marked
the beginning of the diocesan conference, which focused this year
on transmitting the faith. (CNS)

Vatican suspends donation agreement until soccer investigation ends

A charity for youth established by Pope Francis has suspended a


donations agreement with a South American soccer federation,
following the corruption scandal that erupted last month with
the worldwide soccer federation, FIFA. The South American
federation CONMEBOL had pledged to donate $10,000 to the
Vatican charity Scholas Occurrentes for every goal scored during
the America Cup, which began in Chile June 11. The federation had signed the agreement in the presence of Pope Francis
at the Vatican April 21. The charity issued a Spanish-language
press release June 11, signed by Archbishop Sanchez, saying it
will refrain from receiving any funds until the ongoing judicial
investigation is clarified. (CNS)

Pope asks Waldensians to forgive wrongs, urges youth to


love chastely

In a world of soap-bubble values, hypocrisy and delusion, Pope


Francis told young people to fight back with real love and told
workers to build a new economy based on creativity and courage. He also asked the Waldensians, whom the Catholic Church
excommunicated and persecuted hundreds of years ago, for
forgiveness. I ask you for forgiveness for the un-Christian, even
inhuman, attitude and behavior that we had against you over
history, he told representatives and members of the Waldensian
community June 22 in Turin. The historic gesture was part of
Pope Francis two-day pastoral trip to the northern Italian city.
The pope visited June 21-22 to venerate the Shroud of Turin as
well as commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of St.
John Bosco. (CNS)

CBCP Monitor

NEWS FEATURES A3

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

The first encyclical wholly from Francis


overturns expectations
VAT I C A N C i t y, Ju n e 1 9 ,
2015Laudato si is not only an
example of the Magisteriums social
teaching: it also represents the birth
of a new literary genre among papal
documents.
Normally in the modern epoch,
Popes have included in encyclicals
doctrinal themes. But Laudato si
is not a doctrinal textit is rather
a pastoral letter based on the classical Latin American method: see,
judge, act.
Pope Francis begins his encyclical by inviting readers to marvel,
like St. Francis of Assisi, before
creation, which he says is the only
path toward an integrated ecology.
He then explains what his encyclical will do.
I will begin, the Pope writes,
by briefly reviewing several aspects of the present ecological
crisis, with the aim of drawing on
the results of the best scientific
research available today, letting
them touch us deeply and provide a concrete foundation for
the ethical and spiritual itinerary

that follows. I will then consider


some principles drawn from the
Judaeo-Christian tradition which
can render our commitment to
the environment more coherent.
I will then attempt to get to the
roots of the present situation, so as
to consider not only its symptoms
but also its deepest causes.
In light of this reflection, I
will advance some broader proposals for dialogue and action
which would involve each of us
as individuals, and also affect
international policy. Finally I
will offer some inspired guidelines
for human development to be
found in the treasure of Christian
spiritual experience.
There is no better synthesis.
The Popes aim is to give people
information that they might become conscious of the necessity
of an ecological conversion, an
expression borrowed from St. John
Paul II.
Thus the Pope chose to cite not
only Church Fathers and Scripture,
but bishops conferences and some

The title of Pope Francis latest encyclical is taken from Saint Francis of Assisis Canticle
of the Sun, where the saint reflects on the Earth as a sister and mother. RUSSELL PALMA

modern thinkers. He made room


also for the thought of the Eastern
Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch,
Bartholomew, and even cited,
though merely in a footnote, a Sufi

thinker, Ali al-Khawas.


It is the same method as in
Evangelii gaudium, though
an apostolic exhortation certainly has a different magisterial

value than does an encyclical.


In Evangelii gaudium the Pope
had suggested that bishops
conferences could be given a
doctrinal power they do not
have at the moment. The last
papal document on the subject
was St. John Paul IIs 1998 motu
proprio Apostolos Suos, and his
post-synodal apostolic exhortation Pastores gregis.
But Pope Francis seems to want
to go farther. In this sense, the
green encyclical of the Pope
seems to be a manual, a text to use
in catechesis, and in international
policy forums to combat lobbies
and powers.
The practical directives which
dot the text of the encyclical are a
radical change in style.
Public transportation, air conditioning, and recycled paper
seem, a first glance, of little
importance in a magisterial text.
But for Francis, they are the very
purpose of the text a purpose
principally pastoral, as pastoral as
the directives to pray at meals, or

to adopt city monuments and


to care for them, for the benefit
of all.
And pastoral care is the central
idea of integral ecology, which is
the care of both the earth and of
mankind.
It is not only directives, however.
The Pope inserts in the text all the
classic themes of human ecology,
while adding in such directions.
Moreover, the encyclical, as are
all encyclicals of recent decades,
is aimed at all men of good will.
Thus the choice of the two prayers
at the encyclicals closing: one
shared with all who believe in
a God who is the all-powerful
Creator, and the other a uniquely
Christian prayer.
Bergoglios method, with many
dramatic descriptions of reality
which leave one to think in the
end that the Christian faith is an
invitation to joy: Let us sing as
we go. May our struggles and our
concern for this planet never take
away the joy of our hope. (Angela
Ambrogetti/CNA/EWTN News)

Pope: Concern for poor is sign of Gospel, Will Pope Francis change
the date of Easter?
not red flag of communism
VATICAN, June 16, 2015Focusing
on poverty and sacrificing for the poor
are the heart of the Gospel, not signs of
communism, Pope Francis said at his
morning Mass.
Furthermore, if Christians dont dig
deep and generously open up their wallets,
they do not have genuine faith, the pope
said June 16 during the Mass in the chapel
of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
He said people often hear, Oh, this
priest speaks about poverty too much, this
bishop talks about poverty, this Christian,
this sister talk about poverty. Well, theyre
a bit communist, arent they?
But poverty is precisely at the heart of
the Gospel. If we were to remove poverty
from the Gospel, people would understand
nothing about Jesus message, he said,
according to Vatican Radio.
Being fully Christian means being rich
in spirit, faith, the Word, wisdom and

zealthings that Jesus has taught and offered all people, he said.
Make sure, however, that this huge
amount of wealth in the heart also impacts the wallet, he said, because when the
faith doesnt reach your pockets, it is not
a genuine faith.
Pope Francis said the theology of poverty is based on the fact that Jesusin
his divine richnessbecame poor; he
lowered himself and sacrificed himself to
save humanity.
The Beatitude, Blessed are the poor in
spirit, means letting oneself be enriched
by the poverty of Christ and not wanting
to be rich with those riches that are not
from Christ, he said.
Christian giving goes beyond plain charity, which is good, but isnt the Christian
poverty believers are called to embrace,
he said. Christian poverty is: I give to the
poor what is mine, not the excess, but also

what is necessary for ones own well-being.


Christians do this because they know
that sacrificing in such a way enriches
them, he said. And why does the poor
person enrich me? Because Jesus said that
he himself is in the poor.
When people strip themselves of the
material, Jesus works within them and
they are enriched; when people give to the
poor, Jesus is also working in the poor, in
order to enrich me when I do this, the
pope said.
The clearest sign Jesus left of how giving
enriches others, the pope said, is the gift
of himself in the Eucharist. He becomes
bread for us.
That is why the theology of poverty is
the heart of the Gospel and not an ideology. It is precisely this mystery, the mystery
of Christ who lowered himself, was humiliated, made himself poor in order to enrich
us. (Carol Glatz/Catholic News Service)

Pray, do your part Running priest to Yolanda survivors


TACLOBAN City, June 14,
2015It is not enough
that whenever problems
come, we will pray to God to
eliminate the problem, Fr.
Robert Reyes, also known as
the Running Priest urged
Yolanda survivors, adding
that action on their part is
also needed.
Let us not [test] God.
God helps those who help
themselves, the priest said
in an interview after Mayor
Alfred Romualdez talked to
hundreds of urban poor who
held a rally at the city hall
grounds.
St Paul said: Prayers are
not enough; good works and
prayers should go together,
Reyes further said in answer
to the coastal barangay dwellers insistence to remain at
the danger zone where their
livelihood is located.
Action needed
That is why our mantra
is pray, study, and move,
he stressed, expounding that
with study goes communication.
But it is not enough to
talk. The mayor will contribute his part and his people
will have to continue his part
and both have to do things

for the good of Tacloban,


he urged.
Reyes, a champion of the
poor and a strong supporter
of the non-profit organization Urban Poor Associates,
was in the city on Thursday
June 11 to confirm reports
about the city governments
plan to evict about 40 families in the storm surgeravaged seaside Old Road
Sagkahan area.
On his initiative, a dialogue
was held between Romualdez
and representatives of the
urban poor who are strongly
opposed to the transfer of
the families to a transitional
shelter in the uphill northern
barangay.
Seaside homes
Following three hours of
peaceful talk between the
urban poor folks and the
mayor, in the presence of
Reyes and local news men,
the pro-poor priest advised
the Old Road Sagkahan
urban poor representatives
present to study, meet and
discuss well their position
on the issue and translate
whatever they have discussed
into clear terms.
As of now, there is yet a
greater need for houses for

those whose seaside homes


were severely damaged by
super typhoon Yolandas
storm surge on Nov. 8, 2013.
With no available lots
that the government could
purchase near the seaside
villages, transitional houses
built at an uphill northern
barangay.
In a rehabilitation forum
organized last year by the
city government, the United
Nations Habitat, which
helped the city government
map out a plan for a typhoon-resilient community
in line with the thrust to
build back better and safer,
proposed expanding the citys
economic center closer to the
said northern barangay.
This, however, will take
more years as more infrastructures have yet to be put
in place and public utilities
such as stable water supply,
electricity, and communication lines have to be installed.
Possible tsunami
The city governments financial situation, according
to city officials, is a major factor that left the city government with no other options
than to move the survivors
from the coastal barangays

to the northern barangay


where fishing is not a feasible
livelihood.
The Pope Francis Center,
where Caritas Philippines is
building homes for Yolanda
survivors, was once touted as
part of the northern barangay, including Abucay.
This was until economic
activities started to bloom
in the said area over the
years, especially after the city
government put up a bus
terminal in Abucay and a
huge lot was marked out for a
department stores expansion
supposedly in 2015.
Reyes, in an interview,
reiterated Romualdez concern over the safety of the
dwellers children which is
the main reason the dwellers are being encouraged
to transfer to safer grounds
away from threat of another
storm surge.
As the mayor stated, they
are not precluded from doing their livelihood if they
are fishermen, they can continue, but please keep your
children safe from future
calamities such as tsunami
which is bigger than a storm
surge, Reyes pointed out.
(Eileen Nazareno-Ballesteros/CBCP News)

Prelate explains why Pinoys are truly rich


PASAY City, June 13, 2015 The Poor
Man of Asia. This is just one of the less
than flattering things the Philippines
has been called, but a prelate recently affirmed how Filipinos are wealthy in the
truest sense.
The richness that we (Filipinos) have, is
the richness that comes from the blessing
of the Lord, not the richness of the world,
said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma during a
Mass at the 7th National Catholic Charismatic Congress on June 6 at the SMX
Convention Center.
Telling the estimated 5,500 attendees
story after story about Filipinos natural
sense of faith and hope, the prelate said
his prayer is for Pinoys to recognize this
spiritual richness as a grace from God.
Rich Filipinos
My point is we are rich in faith and may
we recognize that because that is the goodness, the blesing that we share, he added.

According to the former Catholic


Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) president, a recent meeting for
the upcoming International Eucharistic
Congress in January 2016 had Archbishop
Piero Marini, president of the Pontifical
Committee for International Eucharistic
Congresses (IEC) commenting on this
richness of Filipinos.
During an IEC meeting from April 24
to 28, Palma quoted Marini as saying:
Many Filipinos will say Were a poor
country and yetId like you to notice
how rich you are. You are rich in hope,
joy, faith. And I see lot of lay people very
active, and of course, volunteering, reaching out to others for the love of God and
for the Church.
Palma was also quick to remind Filipinos
everywhere to ignore the worlds measures
of success as the number of cars that you
park or the money in the bank and to look
instead at what really matters.

Goodness of the Lord


The prelate also recounted another
story of how a parish priest in Switzerland thanked him profusely, saying,
Thank you very much. Thank you for
the Filipinos!
According to Palma, the parish priest,
who heads three big churches, has only
seven regular Mass-goers. The situation
got even more challenging, he said, when
two of them died. Things changed when
the Filipino group, the Association of San
Pedro Calungsod, decided to come every
Sunday.
Our church is fullAnd they sing so
beautifully!, Palma quoted the priest as
saying.
This is the reality in many places
Today, Id like us to thank the Lord for
this richness..[Our richness is] our firm
conviction in the goodness of the Lord,
he said in conclusion. (Nirvaana Ella
Delacruz/CBCPNews)

An image of the Resurrected Christ is brought out in procession in Baclaran Church on Easter Wednesday.
RAYMOND SEBASTIAN

VATICAN CITY, June 19, 2015Speaking to a global gathering of priests, Pope


Francis signaled an openness to changing
the date of Easter in the West so that all
Christians around the world could celebrate the feast on the same day.
The Pope on June 12 said we have to
come to an agreement for a common date
on Easter.
His comments came in remarks to the
World Retreat of Priests at the Basilica of
Saint John Lateran in Rome. The event
drew priests from five continents.
The Pope joked that Christians could
say to one another: When did Christ rise
from the dead? My Christ rose today, and
yours next week, adding that this disunity
is a scandal.
The Orthodox churches normally celebrate Easter a week after the Catholics.
Some Orthodox leaders have also reflected
on the dating of the Christian holy day. In
May, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II
wrote to the papal nuncio in Egypt suggesting a common date for Easter.
Historian Lucetta Scaraffia, writing in
the Vatican daily newspaper LOsservatore
Romano, said the Pope is offering this initiative to change the date of Easter as a gift of
unity with the other Christian churches.
A common date for Easter, she said,

would encourage reconciliation between


the Christian churches and a sort of
making sense out of the calendar.
She noted that the proposal could help
reinforce the identity of persecuted Christians, particularly those in the Eastern
churches that are at risk of disappearing.
Scaraffia wrote that the simultaneous
celebration of the Resurrection by all
Christians would increase the importance
of the central feast of the faith in a moment
when changes seem to be suddenly coming
throughout the world.
The Popes remarks implicitly underscore an important fact: in the countries
where Christian identity is being overshadowed, the marking of time continues to be
tied to the life of Jesus, she added. We
also know also that the calendar is not only
a convention but also something profound
and symbolically relevant.
Scaraffia said Easter and related feasts
constitute a distinct aspect of the liturgical year because they are connected with
a cycle of time that repeats every year and
marks the returns of the seasons.\
She also pointed out that the date of
Easter is established based on the cycle of
the moon, just as the Muslims and Jews
establish their important feasts with the
lunar calendar. (CNA)

Altar servers told: Be witnesses of faith


MALITA, Davao Occidental, June 12,
2015Being one of the visible personalities in the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist, altar servers are told to become
witnesses of the Catholic faith.
The parish priest of Sto. Rosario Parish
said members of the Knights of the Altar
Servers (KOTAS) should serve as examples
to young people through their kind of
witnessing as Catholics.
Be witnesses in the renewal of faith,
said Fr. Kim Cossid, parish priest to the
hundreds of KOTAS members who gathered for the 1st MaLiMaDo Convention
last May 21 to 22.
Cossid, who officiated the Mass during
the course of the two-day activity, said altar
servers should also make the Eucharist an
important part of their lives.
Altar servers from the parishes and

mission stations in Malita, Little Baguio,


Matamis, and Don Marcelino (MaLiMaDo)
in Davao Occidental Province participated in
the activities like the Marian procession, cultural presentations, and sportsfest. The whole
activity reflected on a Year of the Poor-related
theme, Do Justice and Love Kindness.
In the past, the KOTAS of the Diocese
of Digos usually hold an annual diocesan
convention but this year, they opted to
have the gathering at the vicariate level to
develop camaraderie among its members.
The diocesan convention will now be held
every two years.
The organizers are hoping that KOTAS
members will understand even more their
significant role in the celebration of the
Holy Eucharist, being the servers of the
altar. (John Frances C. Fuentes/CBCP
News)

A4 OPINION

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

WHEN Cardinal Mario Bergoglio assumed the Petrine ministry and


took the namesake of St. Francis, a Filipino archbishop already surmised
that the new pontiff will pursue an agenda inspired by St. Francis of
Assisi, namely: the poor, the environment, and peace. He was right.
During his inaugural address in March 2013, Pope Francis already
outlined this when he said, I would like to ask all those who have
positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all
men and women of goodwill: Let us be protectors of creation, protectors of Gods plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and
of the environment.
It was no surprise then that his much-awaited encyclical on the
environment, Laudato Si, would take prominence in the agenda of
his pontificate. He spoke on behalf of the poor, while bewailing poor
governance and bad business for placing speculation and the pursuit of
financial gain ahead of the common good. He pointed the tragic rise
in migrants, to escape poverty caused by environmental degradation.
He chastised global inequality and called for a true ecological approach
that will hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
The encyclical points out how the poor have been seriously hurt by
demographic segregation in modern society, which is partly due to the
fact that many professionals, opinion makers, communications media
and centers of power, being located in affluent urban areas, are far removed from the poor, with little direct contact with their problems. In
the end this lack of physical contact and encounter, encouraged at times
by the disintegration of our cities, can led to a numbing of conscience
and to tendentious analyses which neglect parts of reality, (No. 49).
Both the environment and people, especially those in the peripheries,
fatally suffer injury from the worsening structural evils proliferated by
economic and political ends. Says the encyclical, Human environment
and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately
combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related
to human and social degradation, (No. 48).
The root causes are, of course, not in the stars but in the human
heart. In 1988, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
issued its first landmark pastoral letter on ecology, What is happening
to our beautiful land. It said: At the root of the problem we see and
exploitative mentality, which is at variance with the Gospel of Jesus.
This expresses itself in acts of violence against fellow Filipinos. But it
is not confined to the human sphere. It also infects and poisons our
relationship with our land and seas.
At the end of the day, the call to good stewardship of creation may
actually be a call to conversion of the heart.

The Eucharist: source and


goal of dialogue
IN the life of the Church, the Eucharist stands as both the source and
goal of this dialogue. By our participation in the Eucharistic Celebration, we enter into a communion of life with the Triune God because
we are inserted into the dialogue of life and salvation that began in
history and now perpetuated in liturgical mystery in the power of the
Holy Spirit. The various elements of the celebration engage our body,
our senses, our consciousness and our affectivity in that dialogue which
unfolds enabling us to share in the rhythm of Christs life offered for
our salvation.
By gathering and forming an assembly of worship, we respond to the
Fathers summons to be his covenanted people. By listening to and assimilating the Word proclaimed, we engage in a dialogue whereby the
Father heals, forms, and enriches us with his life and love, especially with
the help of a homily which, on account of its Eucharistic context, surpasses
all forms of catechesis because it leads up to sacramental communion.
In a singular way, we enter into a dialogue of life with the Triune
God by eating Christs Body and drinking his Blood, for responding
to our prayer of epiclesis, the Father sends the Holy Spirit through
His Son upon the bread and wine so that they may become the Body
and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Emerging from the Eucharistic
gathering, we are sent to continue and extend this Trinitarian dialogue
of life and salvation in the form of loving service especially toward the
least, the last, and the lost.
The dynamic movement of the celebrative action, then, (gathering word
meal-mission) makes us realize that the Eucharist is the living memorial of
the dialogue that took place in the entire life and ministry of Jesus Christ
but which finds its climax in the Paschal Mystery of his suffering, death
and resurrection and final glory. It was a dialogue that constitutes both
an act of obedience to the Father (ascending movement) and compassion
towards weak sinners (descending movement), a sacrifice of both adoration
(ascending movement) and service (descending movement).
In Asia, where the characteristic mode of the Churchs existence is
that of dialogue, the Eucharist shines forth as a unique experience of
Gods dialogue with us and our response to God: a dialogue of life, a
dialogue of love. That in the Eucharist Christ invites everyone to a
table fellowship where he shares his life through his words of love and
healing and through a meal that deepens loving relationship among
those who call the same God their Father means much for a people
whose culture gives pride of place to close family ties that are kept intact
and strengthened by parental counsel and family meals.
That Christ offers himself as bread that satisfies all hunger and drink
that quenches all thirsts and gives joy will warm the heart of many in
this continent whose daily existence is marked by insufficiency of the
basic necessities. The Eucharist should be a constant reference point
for the local Churches of Asia in their continuing missionary dialogue
with local cultures, religions, with the poor, and the youth since the
divine-human dialogue that transpires within it is the seed and vision
of the whole of her mission.

- From the Theological and Pastoral Reflections in preparation for the


51st International Eucharistic Congress

Monitor
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ILLUSTRATION BY BLADIMER USI

The call to conversion

Living Mission
Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

The Poor Jesus and


His Teaching

Year of the Poor Reflections


JESUS of Nazareth, as portrayed
in the Gospels, is a poor man.
Though he belonged to a family
that was not poor (Joseph, his legal
father, was a skilled laborer), Jesus
and his parents encountered several
situations wherein they faced the
same life circumstances as the poor.
The Holy Family was forced by
the decree of Caesar Augustus to
make the arduous journey to Bethlehem. While they were there
the time came for her to have her
child, and she gave birth to a son,
her first-born. She wrapped him in
swaddling clothes and laid him in a
manger, because there was no room
for them in the inn (Lk 2:6-7).
The family had to flee into
Egypt, because King Herod was
searching for the child to destroy
him. So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with
him, left that night for Egypt (Mt
2:14). They lived as exiles in a for-

eign land until Herod died. Only


then did the family finally return to
Israel and settle in Nazareth.
Facing difficult life situations
beyond ones control is a common
experience of the poor; the Holy
Family was not spared such hardships.
Indeed, their faithand oursis
often tested through lifes daily trials.
Jesus Public Ministry. Jesus
voluntarily left the modest comforts of his family in Nazareth;
his goal was to preach the coming
of Gods reign. Thus, when John
the Baptist sent his disciples to
inquire about Jesus identity as the
messiah, Jesus told them to return
to John and report the signs they
saw. One clear sign was that the
Good News is proclaimed to the
poor (Mt 11:5).
As Jesus began his public ministry, he entered the synagogue
in Nazareth and read from the
prophet Isaiah: The spirit of the

Torre de Babel

Lord has been given to me, for he


has anointed me. He has sent me
to bring good news to the poor
(Lk 4:18). Jesus goes on to claim
that this text is being fulfilled
today even as you listen (Lk 4:21).
These Gospel texts indicate the
great importance of the poor in
the development of Jesus ministry.
In a special way he announces the
Kingdom of God to the poor. One
author has called this the privilege
of the poor; God will never forget
the poor and needy.
For Jesus, the Poor are Blessed.
The Gospels contain two versions
of what is known as the Beatitudes.
Both begin with a declaration of
the blessedness of the poor. In
Luke (6:20) one reads: How
happy are you who are poor; yours
is the Kingdom of God. Matthew
(5:3) states: How happy are the
poor in spirit; theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

We should not think that these


beatitudes call actual material poverty
a good thing. Jesus would never have
called blessed a situation where people
live in the slums and do not have
enough to eat. Such poverty is an
offense against human dignity, and
Christians must work to alleviate it.
The only poverty that is blessed
is the poverty of spirit, an attitude
which realizes that one cannot
rely on his own material, physical resources to live a full human
life. True poverty of spirit accepts
that the only genuine source of
strength and happiness is found
in God alone.
Poverty of spirit opens one to the
values of Gods Kingdom: sharing,
forgiveness, neighborliness, joy,
and peace. Indeed, one is blessed
only when one realizes his own
poverty, ones utter helplessness
without God. True joy is found
in God alone.

And Thats The Truth


Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

WHAT is the measure of ones patriotism?


Why revere a national hero? Why do we erect
monuments to heroes?
The issue currently ragingon the condominium building nearing completion behind
the Rizal monument at the Lunetashould lead
us to question the way things are in our country.
The age-old system that has kept us shackled to
undesirable conditions in our midst, for one,
and for another, the way we regard what truly
matters for us. Judging from the reactions of
many vocal citizens heard or read in mainstream
and social media, the Torre de Manila issue is
fast becoming a Torre de Babel reality. That is,
IMHOin my humble opinion.
Arguments have been aired over it, allegations
of corruption thrown here and there, but what

is the contentious issue really trying to tell us,


ordinary people who claim to revere Dr. Jose
Rizal as a national hero? It all started when
some people objected to the buildings being a
photo bomber, sticking out like a sore thumb
behind the towering Rizal monument. It mars
the landscape, so they screamed, it disrespects
a beloved hero. From that sentiment arose so
many comments, and blaming fingers began
to wag against the condominium developer,
DMCI, until the name Torre de Manila
emerged as the villain in what is turning out to
be the citys zarzuela of the decade.
The fight should not be between DMCI and
the NCCA, NHC, or whatever government
agency on culture is involved; the kinks in this
situation have to be primarily ironed out by

Candidly Speaking
Fr. Roy Cimagala

YES, as long as we struggle interiorly, there is spiritual life, the very


wellspring that produces the living
water for our river of life. As long
as we struggle interiorly, we can be
assured of our fidelity to whatever
commitment we have entered into.
Interior struggle is essential and
indispensable to our life.
Our life is very dynamic, with
all sorts of challenges to face,
problems to solve, issues to be clarified. We need to see to it that our
interior life, our spiritual life, our
thoughts, desires, and intentions
are firmly rooted on God, their
proper foundation.
We need not only to purify our
thoughts and intentions from any
stain of pride, vanity, lust, envy,
sloth, gluttony, anger, etc. We need
to also fill them and rev them up
with true love and wisdom. These
are the reasons why we have to
engage in a lifelong interior or
spiritual struggle.
The ideal situation should be
that we are always in awe at the
presence of God in our life, making him the principle and objective
of all our thoughts, words and
deeds. We have to be spiritually
fit before we can be fit anywhere

elsefamily-wise, professionally,
socially, politically, etc.
Lets never be deceived that
our life is mainly physical, and
its development is just a matter
of struggling externallythat we
manage to eat, to work, to earn,
to stay away from physical danger,
etc. The real battle is in our internal selvesin our thoughts and
desires, our will and plans.
The struggle in life cannot just be
a matter of economics or politics.
The battle always starts and ends in
our mind and heart, in the spiritual
aspect of our life. This is where
things start to happen, and where
things also get resolved.
Even if there are still things to be
fixed externally, we can still manage
to fix them internally, because thats
where we get in touch directly
with God, and with him, nothing is impossible. Lets disabuse
ourselves from the thought that
we get our ultimate peace and joy
somewhere else.
Thats why we have to see to it
that our thoughts and desires are
properly engaged with God who is
their true foundation and end, for
outside of Him, we will just expose
ourselves to all sorts of random and

these abovementioned agencies and the city of


Manila (which approved the DMCI construction). But emotions run high, especially on
primetime TV where among others a former
beauty titlist and a multi-awarded radio commentator were already condemning poor DMCI
even before it can air its side. The protesters
main argument is based on a physical aspect,
the buildings being an eyesore and therefore
an affront to Jose Rizal. For me that is a nonissue; its just a question of perspective. I was
surprised to discover one day, driving along
Roxas Blvd., that the building is so far away
and behind the monument that if you focus on
the monument you wont even notice the Torre
is there. Creative photographers can even hide
And Thats the Truth / A5

Learning the art of


interior struggle
usually dangerous possibilities.
And God is not a figment of
our imagination, a product of
our desire to believe, a mere psychological crutch. He is the most
real beingin fact, the fullness of
subsistent being whose essence we
can somehow know but can never
fathom. He is the very author of
reality itself.
This task of conforming our
thoughts and desires to Him is
getting to be very exciting, because
these days many are the earthly
thingsattitudes, philosophies,
ideologies, cultures, together with
their lifestylesthat dare to be
alternatives to God.
Todays world is so immersed in
worldly values that any reference
to God is at best a mere formalism,
a decorative item, a lip service to
tradition that is already emptied of
its true substance.
And this is because in the first
place many people are not praying
anymore, are not exercising and living by faith. They prefer to follow by
the rule of following what comes
naturally. And thats usually just
obeying ones feelings and passions,
or the many flipping fads around.
Thus you have ad slogans like,

Obey your thirst, I dont wanna


grow up.. Im a Toys R Us kid,
Its fun to tickle your tongue
with If youre constantly bombarded with messages like this,
chances are you will believe them,
and start abdicating the use of your
spiritual faculties.
We have to wage an abiding
interior struggle if only to keep
our sanity, our humanity. We need
to do it to avoid becoming mainly
conditioned by earthly values that
are blind to the spiritual and supernatural realities of our life.
We need to see to it that our
minds and hearts are truly engaged
with God, with the living God, and
not just an idea or theory of God.
This is not only possible, but also
highly practicable, because in the
first place, God himself wants it
that way.
The reason many people find it
hard to get in contact with God
is because they have lost the art
of prayer and contemplation,
and have assumed a dominantly
worldly outlook that makes them
self-centered, complacent, agnostic, if not atheistic.
This is where interior struggle is
most needed.

CBCP Monitor

OPINION A5

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

Managing the resources


of the Church
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines-Pension Plan Committee
held the 17th ADFAP (Arch/Diocesan Financial Administrators of the Philippines)
Convention at Hotel Essencia, Real Street,
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental from
June 15 to 19, 2015. It was attended by
174 Oeconomus/clergy and staff from all
over the country.
The 5-days convention theme was very
appropriate: Towards a Productive Asset
Management in the Church. The Church
needs experts advice in the management
of the assets of the Church to be productive
and efficient.
The session started with the Recollection
led by Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San
Carlos, Negros Occidental. He said: I am
a Christian steward when I receive Gods
gifts gratefully, I cultivate them responsibly,
I share them lovingly in justice with others,
I return them with increase to the Lord
Live as Christ lives.
Ms. Ann Mayeen Magno, Senior Director of Ernst & Young Transaction Advisory
Services, Inc. lectured on Management Accounting wherein she discussed the mistakes
committed in Church accounting such as
misuse of accounting information, limited
acceptance of financial statements and problems with control; lack of understanding of
financial information; donor fatigue when
giving is not tied to relevant financial information. Some of her advice: use accounting information to support issues, present
information that can be understood, give
frequent updates on fund collections and
disbursement.
Dr. Henry Sojor, a professor at St. Joseph
Seminary College, discussed the Corporation Sole where Archbishops are authorized
by the Pope to organize corporations and
appoints a Bishop as head of the corporation for the purpose of holding church

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

property. He was authorized to act on his


own authority without a board of directors and recognized as the overseer of the
diocese.
Most Rev. John Du, Archbishop of Palo,
Leyte and CBCP Treasurer and Chairman
of Pension Plan commented that: We are
called treasurers upon the call of the Lord
because of his mercy and compassion. He
called upon us because of the goodness of
our Lord, than our goodness. As finance
administrators, we must be generous We
must do, as we preach; we must pray, we
must fast, we must do some sacrifices as finance administrators. Fr. Edgar Macalalag,
Executive Secretary of CBCP Pension Plan,
reported a total of 5,085 members for the
First Quarter of 2015: 4,876 active, 118
abroad, 91 inactive. The problems of the
Committee are those members who are in
arrears and never paid their contributions,
though there are those who remits contributions regularly.
Ms. Elvira Go talked about the Piso Para
sa Misa sa Mundo (Peso for the Year of the
Eucharist) which will culminate in January
2016 in Cebu. Engr. Enrico Cruz, President
of United Realty Brokers and Appraisers
Network (URBANet), lectured on Leasing
Church Properties. His advice how to get
good tenants: verify rent-paying ability; get
audited financial statements; history of renting; check personal background.
Mr. Luis Morales, Chairman of the
Philippine Council for NGO Certification
(PCNC), discussed the requirements of a donee institution. All revenues shall be used in
the pursuit of the purpose of the foundation;
no part of the revenues and assets is used
for the benefit of its Board, management,
staff and other persons. Donors are neither
charged 30% donors tax nor 12% VAT,
hence, the full amount donated is 100%
tax deductible.

Atty. Ma. Liza Rosario, Legal Counsel


of the Archdiocese of Manila, updated the
delegates on the status of the arch/dioceses
whose SEC registration were revoked due
to defects in papers filed at the SEC, by not
applying as corporation sole but either as
stock or non-stock corporation.
Atty. Jose Antonio Sedigo, the present
Register of Negros Oriental, discussed the
different types of land, modes of acquiring
and titling them.
***
It is like a pilgrimage of the churches of
Dumaguete. The Holy Eucharist was held
in different churches with the following as
main celebrants: Bishop Gerardo Alminaza
of San Carlos, Negros Occidental; Bishop
Julito Cortes of Dumaguete at Cathedral
of St. Catherine of Alexandria; Archbishop
John Du of Palo, Leyte at the Mary Immaculate Parish; Bishop Patricio Buzon of
Kabankalan, Negros Oriental at the 132
years old San Agustin of Hippo in Bacong
town; and Bishop Jesse Mercado of Paraaque. The delegates were treated to a city
tour, among those visited was the Lady of the
Abandoned Church in Valencia town, with
lunch at Tierra Alta. Thanks to Archbishop
John Du, Fr. Wilson Chu of Palo, Leyte - the
2015 ADFAP Presidentand CBCP staff
Noreen and Beverly and their counterparts
in Dumaguete City.
***
Happy 12th Anniversary to the Diocese
of Kalookan! Through the intercession of its
patron saint, San Roque, and Nuestra Senora
Virgen dela Nieva, and the able guidance of
its Apostolic Administrator Bishop Francisco
De Leon, the Diocese is able to continue on
its journey towards the fullness of life.

Falling and
Falling in Love

Whatever

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

THE topic of my talk is living


holy purity or chastity in our
day and age, the speaker began.
His introduction clearly drew
the attention of the participants.
Perhaps, I thought, this is because purityboth at the personal and social levelsis one of
the more challenging virtues to
live today. This virtue is greatly
threatened by the tidal wave of
sensuality proliferating a click
away on the Internet, movies,
music, and print media.
Having attended other talks
on the same subject, I expected
the speaker to begin by defining the virtue of purity, then
enumerating the acts against the
virtue and finally, tackling the
human and supernatural means
in order to effectively dominate
our disordered tendencies. But I
was mistaken.
Seeing quite a number of
familiar faces in the audience,
who may have at one time or
another attended my previous
talks on the same topic, I would
like to focus instead on how we
can each learn how to fall in love
more with God every day rather
than just talking about falling,
the speaker said.
This last phrase really caught
my attention. As he unfolded the
main points of his presentation,
he held fast to his promise: at
no given point did he refer to

Duc In Altum

impurity and grave occasions of


sins. All throughout his talk, he
focused on the positive means
to grow in love for God and
others, through prayer, sacrifice,
and work.
All this made me realize something beyond purity itself. I
then comprehended why some
can mistakenly call the Catholic faith a religion of offenses
instead of a Church of love.
This is obviously untrue. But it
is also true that the centuries of
casuistic moral theology, positively aimed at giving persons a
clear moral compass, may have
gradually paved and carved a
restricted mental mode that
appeared to focus only on correcting and conquering mans
disordered tendencies and forgetting to balancing it with a
struggle out of love.
It would only be much later on
with St. John Paul IIs Encyclical
Veritatis Splendor, that we were
again reminded that God did
not create man only to avoid
falling, but for love and with
grace is called to even exceed
the letter of the Law. The holy
Pontiff elaborated on this idea
reflecting on the encounter of
the rich young man with Jesus.
Our Lord had asked that young
fellow to abandon his comfortable life of compliance [the
Commandments] and dare to

traverse the horizon of love and


total self-giving.
This novel rediscover y of
something already contained
in our Lords teachings and
examples ought to make us
remember not to focus only on
our falls but more on falling
in love. If at all, let us allow
our falls to lead us towards the
humble recognition that we
will always need Gods grace to
covert and transform us.
Christianity would indeed be
a sad and unattractive way of life
if it were simply reduced to not
falling into sin. The Catholic
faith is not a cold embodiment
of written rules or a hollow lifestyle built on some androgynous,
ascetical exercises. Our faith is
a lively and cheerful encounter
with the Person of Jesus who
constantly invites us to follow
Him, to love Him and carry a
mission for Him.
Christianity undoubtedly does
not deny the need for a sincere
and constant struggle to overcome personal disorders, but its
true aim is to orient our entire
life and goals towards loving
God and identifying oneself with
Jesus Christ. In other words, it
is all about how to constantly
fall in love with God and others.
Thus understood, one seeks
the more positive and fruitful
aspects of the spiritual life. Un-

Please be fair and gentle

doubtedly, our sinful condition


and tendencies will always accompany ourselves until we die.
But these are only the weak and
dying remnants of the wounds
caused in our nature by original
sin.
With Gods grace one begins
to train himself towards greater
rectitude in execution, detachment from results, and a zeal to
outdo oneself each time. These
attitudes are no longer limited to
ones struggle against temptation
and sin, but more on the manner
one prays, attends Mass, carries
out his professional and family
duties, and so on.
***
Is the burden heavy? No, a
thousand times no! Those obligations which you freely accepted
are wings that raise you high
above the vile mud of your passions. Do the birds feel the weight
of their wings? If you were to cut
them off and put them on the
scales you would see how heavy
they are. But can a bird fly if they
are taken away from it? It needs
those wings and it does not notice
their weight, for they lift it up
above other creatures. Your wings
are heavy too. But if you did not
have them you would fall into
the filthiest mire. (St. Josemara,
in Furrow no. 414)

Pitik-Bulag
Fr. Wilfredo Samson, SJ

HAVE you ever wrongly judged someone?


And silently been put to shame? Have you
ever experienced being wrongly judged by
others? What did you feel? And you cry, Its
unfair!
One clear observation: We are slow to judge
someone whom we know well and someone
whom we love. But we are quick to judge
someone we dont know or a person we dislike. This is the reason why need to be more
careful and discreet when we say something
to someone. Most of the time, the level of our
relationship and emotion dictate the quickness
and fairness of judgement regarding someone.
Think about it.
How come we suspend judgement on someone dear to us? And we say, I need to talk
to him first, before I make any conclusion. I
need to hear his side. There must be reason

why he did it.


How come we immediately judge someone
we dislike? And we say, I know this guy. I dont
want to hear his side. He will never change.
He is always like that. If this is the case, we
are not yet ready to judge others. The Gospel
according to the evangelist Matthew a few days
ago did not prohibit us from judging others.
Judging others is necessary if our intention is
to correct and not to simply destroy someone.
Unfortunately, our negative emotions, biases,
and prejudices block our ability to give clear
and fair judgment to all.
The Gospel is encouraging us to clear the
log from our eyes, before we can even remove
the specks from the eyes of others. We are
being encourage to be more aware of our
emotion, prejudices and biases, and how they
control our decisions. For without awareness

of our inner movements, we are prone to give


harsh, unfair, and undiscerned decisions or
judgments.
Should I immediately label someone as a
bad boy for stealing a piece of bread from
the canteen, in his desire to bring food home
to his hungry younger sister?
Lets clear the log in our eyes first, then
we can judge others. But not only to expose
their mistakes, put them to shame, and insult
them. We missed the point of judging others.
When we judge someone, it is for the benefit
of helping a brother in the spirit of fraternal
correction. We should condemn the evil work
done, but we do so by being more charitable in
knowing their intention. It will give us a different set of eyes, It will make a big difference.
Lets help someone by judging them with
fairness and charity.

And Thats the Truth / A4

it altogether; if you want it out


of your picture, just change your
vantage point.
But some influential persons
want blood. They want the construction stopped, or chopped to
the level of the treetops if not tabula
raza. All this sentimentality masquerading as patriotism could make
us miss the forest for the trees. In
fact, their arguments make me won-

der if they are truly honoring a hero


or just worshipping his monument.
For me, Rizal is so great that
building even twenty condominiums behind his monument would
not make him less of a Filipino
to emulate. There are so many
other eyesores I am sure Jose
Rizal would want us to open our
eyes to: the street dwellers around
us; the scavengers who eat fast food

chain leftovers; the street children


sniffing rugby off plastic bags; the
homeless living under the bridges;
the squatters (urban settlers to the
politically correct); putting up their
shacks on islands, parks, sidewalks
or seawallsthe favorite subject of
moviemakers aiming for awards at
international film festivals.
Emotions should be tempered
with reason and objective investiga-

tion. I am sure that Rizal would


consider it vanity for his fans be
so anxious about the aesthetics of
his monument instead of working
towards the ideals that he died for;
sheer mediocrity to be to be ranting and raving over the Facebookworthiness of our pictures instead
of giving of ourselves in love for
our fellow-Filipinos.
(To be continued)

Commentary

Fr Robert A. Gahl, Jr

Surprised by Francis
WITH his new encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis continues to break
the mold of preconceived, rigid expectations. Our polarized culture
instinctively sorts people and positions into neat boxes according to the
politicized categories of right and left or, more simplistically, for and
against. Many analysts quickly respond by oversimplifying his profound
teaching. Many critics hone in on their favorite topic and promptly applaud or chastise the Pope if he seems to take their favorite view on their
favorite topic, or not.
But no one should feel comfortable with Laudato Si. Francis does not
seek applause for his teaching but that it be taken to heart. The Pope
presses his careful reader to deep conversion and to concerted action in
economic and political policy.
None of this should be a surprise. Since the late 19th century, with
Leo XIIIs Rerum Novarum, Popes have pronounced on matters of social
doctrine. Pope Francis is perfectly in continuity with his predecessors and
he makes the point in the introduction to this new encyclical by laying
out its foundation in the teachings of John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II,
and Benedict XVI. All of these Popes have expressed acute concern for
the environment. Benedict even made the effort to install a vast array of
solar panels on the roof of his audience hall to achieve carbon neutrality
within Vatican City State, the first state to achieve such a goal.
Nonetheless, the run-up to the publication of the encyclical was marked
by controversy, even to the point that, on account of their scepticism with
respect to the solidity of global warming science, some observers were
expelled from meetings on climate change recently held in the Vatican
by the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences. Global warming concerns
dominated the pre-publication controversy. Media attention increased
interest in the Pope and excitement for his encyclical on ecology.
Laudato Si is probably the most anticipated encyclical in history because concerted attempts were made by opposing political proponents
within the Church and in the secular world to modify, delay, impede,
and to spin the text before it was finalized. Then, in the final days before publication, a leak of a draft, hardly distinguishable from the final
document, fanned the flames of controversy, also regarding the ethics of
publishing, or even just discussing, a leaked draft. Exposing irreconcilable
views of the journalistic profession, journalists quoted other journalists
regarding the tensions between institutional loyalty, accreditations, and
the obligation to bring to light matters of international public opinion.
Given that Pope Francis enjoys universal recognition as the most
influential moral authority today and that many hold that we are living
in an historic moment of impending global tragedy on account of the
devastating effects of irreversible climate change, activists hold that he
must speak out and lead the world towards concerted effort to reduce the
emission of carbon dioxide and to save the world from impending doom.
Is the Pope taking sides?
Indeed, Pope Francis faces an unprecedented situation. In early centuries, Papal teaching focused on the content of revelation, for instance,
the unity between the human and divine natures of Jesus; the relationship
between the three Persons of the Trinity; the nature of grace, justification;
and the sacraments -- all subjects foreign to contemporary concerns of
secular, political debate.
But in recent times, Popes have concentrated on teaching regarding the
implications of divine revelation in human affairs. Consequently, they
have pronounced encyclicals dedicated to marriage, family, human life,
economics, democracy, and all features of social justice.
So, if the world is truly facing impending doom, due to anthropogenic, or man-made global warming, then, perhaps, the Pope does
have an unprecedented obligation to use his authoritative voice to warn
the world and to bring everyone together to act in concert to prevent
world-wide devastation. Many scientists and proponents of calling our
age the anthropocene claim that acting alone, or even as an entire nation or continent, would be ineffective to stave off the global effects of
greenhouse gases. If the warnings of climate scientists are well-founded,
then surely the Pope must forcefully proclaim the obligation for global
coordinated effort to reduce the warming. Moreover, it seems that he
must do so without delay in preparation for his upcoming trip to the
USA in September, when he will address the joint session of Congress
in Washington DC and the UN General Assembly in New York, and
prior to the UNs climate change conference in Paris next December.
Only Pope Francis has the moral force to bring all together to make
courageous commitments to preclude the devastation. Nevertheless, if
the Pope were to take sides in a politicized debate between ideologies, he
would lose his moral authority and his teaching would no longer enjoy
the secure foundation in Gods revelation. Some Catholics, and even some
nonbelievers, fear that if he proclaims global warming a matter of religious
belief, then he will have damaged the oldest teaching office in history.
The unusual title of the encyclical encapsulates the debate and frames
Francis entire response to the vexing issue. He begins the encyclical
quoting St. Francis famous Canticle of the Creatures with the words be
praised in the original, Umbrian version of medieval Italian Laudato
si`. The very title lends itself to misinterpretation for those who do not
read the encyclical. The history of environmentalism can help explain
the contradictory interpretations.
The history of environmentalism
The environmental movement began with anti-Christian roots in
utopian, neopaganism. In the early 1970s, environmentalists joined
forces with proponents of the sexual revolution and neo-Malthusians
with their aims to eliminate population growth through contraception
and abortion. For these neo-Malthusians, our world is a zero-sum game.
We are all locked into a Petri dish in competition with other animals for
natural resources, especially limited food and water. Only so many humans can survive on this planet and with accelerating population growth,
they claimed, the human race would kill itself out by using up all the
resources. Doom and gloom was prophesied, but all of their predictions
proved entirely false.
With more people on hand, more creativity was unleashed and more
resources were discovered, extracted, and even created with the power of
human entrepreneurship. The economist and Nobel Prize laureate Julian
Simon eloquently analyzed the power of human creativity with his book
The Ultimate Resource, by statistically demonstrating that the human
being is the greatest treasure for economic development.
Despite the evidence, Malthusians of all stripes remain stuck in their
materialistic misconceptions. They fail to appreciate the power of the
human mind to transcend the limitations of stuff. So, they continue to
ally with the more extreme utopian neo pagans who worship the earth,
the plants, and the animals, while holding that humans are a blight that
pose a danger for the extinction of other species. They claim a religious
obligation to reduce the human population, even by exterminating the
very young and the old and through demographic campaigns of forced
sterilization in developing countries.
For radical environmentalists, Pope Francis quotation of St. Francis
might seem like a song to mother earth and to her creatures. But the
Pope promptly explains the point of his title. Who should be praised?
The entire encyclical responds that God is to be praised through his
creatures by the human person who is at the pinnacle of Gods material
creation. Our role in nature is so crucial that God became man so that
he could touch this world of ours with his hands, so that he could spend
30 years working as an artisan so as to teach us to raise material creation
in praise to God, Our Father. Indeed, Francis writes: Jesus worked with
his hands, in daily contact with the matter created by God, to which he
gave form by his craftsmanship. It is striking that most of his life was
dedicated to this task in a simple life.... In this way he sanctified human
labour and endowed it with a special significance for our development.
As Saint John Paul II taught, by enduring the toil of work in union with
Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God
for the redemption of humanity(98).
Natural ecology and human ecology
Following John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Francis teaches that natural
ecology must go hand in hand with human ecology. With Benedict,
Francis denounces the dictatorship of relativism and extends Benedicts
Commentary / A7

A6 LOCAL NEWS

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

CBCP Monitor

Catholic eco-warriors euphoric over new encyclical


THE Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM)
expresses joy over the release of Laudato Si, thanking Pope Francis for sounding the alarm on climate
change, and for highlighting the importance of caring
for creation, protecting human dignity, and safeguarding our common home.

Vatican City - June 18, 2015. A press conference on Pope Francis newly released encyclical Laudato Si in Paul VI Hall on June
18, 2015. Laudato Si is taken from St. Francis of Assisis medieval Italian prayer Canticle of the Sun. Pope Francis addresses the
environment, climate change, abortion, embryonic experimentation, and population control in the encyclical. CNA

Urgent call
This beautiful and urgent call to action from
Pope Francis, besides challenging our lifestyles and
behaviors, has perfect timing ahead of the COP21
summit, shares Toms Insua, GCCM movement
coordinator, in a recent statement.
According to him, Pope Francis himself said he
wanted the encyclical to influence the international climate negotiations, and now is the time for
Catholics and all people of good will to mobilize
and remind world leaders of the moral imperative
of climate action.
Universal solidarity
Representing over 100 Catholic global organizations
working on climate justice, GCCM joins Pope Francis
in his call to create a new and universal solidarity
that recognizes those integral relationships between
the social and economic ills of our age.
The movement noted that a new and better paradigm
of socio-economic development is necessary, one that is
sustainable and includes intergenerational solidarity, in

order to achieve this universal communion.


Broken notion of self, others
Bill Patenaude, GCCM co-founder and author of
CatholicEcology.net, lauds the Holy Father for forcefully and lovingly reminding his family and all people
of good will that ecological and social ills are rooted in
a broken notion of the self, as well as of relationships.
Even more, Laudato Si offers us a road map to
heal those relationshipsto offer peace to each person
and healing to the world, he adds.
Speaking on behalf of GCCM, Lou Arsenio, program
coordinator of the Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM)s
Ministry on Ecology who is also a GCCM co-founder,
thanks all bishops who raise awareness on climate change
and urge other prelates and Catholics of the world to be
more active in caring for the environment.
Pinoy welcome
For their part, Filipino Catholics welcomed the
release of Laudato Si in a live streaming event hosted
by the Columban Fathers of Our Lady of Remedies
Parish Church in Malate, Manila during which they
monitored the proceedings at the Vatican.
Meanwhile, other Catholic communities across the
globe celebrated the long-awaited encyclical on ecology
which lays out the definitive moral case for climate action. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Learn to live in poverty Icon features Mary as Mother of Creation


prelate to seminarians
LEARN to live in poverty.
This is what Malolos Bishop Jose
Oliveros, DD told seminarians of
the Immaculate Conception Seminary (ICS) in Guiguinto, Bulacan
during a celebration of the Holy
Eucharist in honor of the Holy
Spirit to commence the start of the
ICS formation year on June 15.
In his homily, he urged the seminarians to commit to a life of poverty
in solidarity with the Church in the
Philippines which is currently celebrating the Year of the Poor.
Tips for living out poverty
He said seminarians should live
in simplicity, looking only after
basic necessities, while foregoing
excessive wants.
You do not live a life of the rich
in the seminary. We live in poverty
because are serving the Church of
the Poor, Oliveros said.
Further, the prelate gave a practical tip on how to live out poverty,
something he himself practiced
while in seminary formation:
Eat what is served before you. It
is a symbol of poverty. Oliveros
also told seminarians they should
appreciate what they are served,
refraining from being too picky

about what they eat.


Forming future priests
Remember what the Lord had
said, Blessed are the poor in spirit,
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We
must number ourselves among the
poor, so that we may be worthy and
be blessed in Gods kingdom, he said.
At the end of the Mass, Fr.
Sonny de Armas, rector of the
minor seminary reported that
currently, there are 46 seminarians
enrolled in the minor seminary. Fr.
Manny Cruz, on the other hand,
noted an increase in the number of
seminarians in the major seminary.
There are 24 seminarians in the
Pre-college Department; 103 in the
Philosophy Department; and 46 in
the Graduate School of Theology.
Oliveros also expressed gratefulness to the seminary formation
team for responding to the task
he assigned to them: teaching and
forming future priests.
Aside from the Diocese of
Malolos, ICS serves seven other
dioceses in terms of seminary
formation, namely the Dioceses
of Antipolo, Balanga, Cabanatuan, Cubao, Kalookan, Novaliches, and Pasig. (Arvin Ray
C. Jimenez/CBCPNews)

Pro-choice / A1

Villegas is one of the two prominent Filipino clergymen, the other


being Manila Archbishop Lus
Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, whose
statements she laments were used
in a manner contradicting official
Church position.
Chastity, contraceptives dont mix
No, PCPD, the Catholic
Church does not approve of your
condom-centered version of Sex
Ed, but we do have Paul VIs Humanae Vitae and JP2s Theology of
the Body that teach young people
about Chastity. And Chastity and
Contraceptives will never go together, just as oil and water do not

mix. So please, stop taking peoples


words out of context to suit your
agenda. Its deceptive, cheap, and
desperate. RH, she adds in the
same post.
Cosio tells Villegas, Dear Bishop Soc, I wanted to send you a
personal message but couldnt find
that option on your page, so I will
just be posting this here in case you
have not yet seen it. I just thought
you should know about this since
the @Philippine Center for Population and Development (PCPD)
appears to be misrepresenting you
and other prominent clergymen to
advance their agenda. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Exorcism / A1

mand the demon or evil spirit with


authority using the name of Jesus,
Estacio pointed out.
The priest warned that this inaccuracy may lead many to believe
that man can have a harmonious
co-existence with the devil.
Rise of Satanism
This is why, many nowadays especially the youth are engaging [in]
Satanism and having pact with the
devil, believing that we can relate
with the devil, he warned.
Estacio urged Pari Koy producers and writers to ask the help of a
priest as their consultant or adviser
so that they would be properly guid-

ed, especially on Church teachings.


According to GMA Network,
Pari Koy is a religious drama
series that portray the story of Father Kokoy from his journey to the
priesthood until he was assigned to
the parish of Barangay Pinagpala.
Estacio, the lone exorcist in the
Diocese of Pasig, gave a lecture on
Exorcism and the Spiritual Warfare
before lay ministers of the diocese at
the Sto. Nio Parish last Friday night.
Given the scarcity of priestexorcists in the country, Estacio
advocates for the laitys awareness
about the defensive and offensive
strategies in waging spiritual warfare. (CBCP News)

Vocations / A1

tinue and strengthen its missionary


work to inspire more young people.
Thank you, CFC, for taking
care of the youth, Letada said.
CFCs Family Ministries, particularly, CFCSingles for Christ
and CFC-Youth for Christ include vocation discernment in its

formation, so that young people


in CFC grow up being open to
Gods calling.
Around 11,000 people, mostly
youth, gathered at the concert to
sing songs of praise, organized
by CFC-Youth for Christ. (Roy
Lagarde/CBCPNews)

EVEN before Laudato Si was


made public, a Filipino religious
brother who doubles as an iconographer had come out with a
sacred icon that depicts the Blessed
Virgin as Inang Likhamother
of creationanticipating the ecoencyclical which for its part calls
Mary the Queen of all Creation.
In an interview, Br. Jaazeal Jakosalem, a member of the Order
of Augustinian Recollects (OAR),
told CBCP News he had created
the icon ahead of the more famous
Dakilang Likha, or Jesus of
Creation, which was introduced
on the same day Laudato Sicame
off the press.
Paragraph 241 of the encyclical on the care of our common
home, which is entitled Queen
of All Creation, in obvious reference to the Blessed Virgin, reads:
Mary, the Mother who cared for
Jesus, now cares with maternal affection and pain for this wounded
world. Just as her pierced heart
mourned the death of Jesus, so
now she grieves for the sufferings
of the crucified poor and for the
creatures of this world laid waste
by human power. Completely
transfigured, she now lives with
Jesus, and all creatures sing of
her fairness. She is the Woman,
clothed in the sun, with the
moon under her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars (Rev
12:1).
Mother and Queen
The papal document continues: Carried up into heaven, she
is the Mother and Queen of all

creation. In her glorified body,


together with the Risen Christ,
part of creation has reached the
fullness of its beauty. She treasures the entire life of Jesus in
her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51), and
now understands the meaning of
all things. Hence, we can ask her
to enable us to look at this world
with eyes of wisdom.

Filipinized icons
Like Dakilang Likha, Inang
Likha has incorporated elements
from indigenous Filipino art
forms which give the Blessed
Mother and the Holy Child strikingly Austronesian complexion
and features.
We are adapting ethnic patterns, he said, commenting on the
Asian-looking clothes the subject
wears.
Also like Dakilang Likha, the
Madonna-and-Child icon revives
the use of baybayin, with the
phrase dakilang likha in the ancient Tagalog script written on the
left side of the panel.
Praying and painting
According to him, right before
he sets off working on a new picture, he prays, stressing he needs
the guidance from above for this
spiritual task.
You need guidance before cocreating, Jakosalem explained.
Traditionally, iconographers,
people who write icons, see
themselves as more than artists
given that what they help create are
no ordinary works of art.
They [icons] are the windows to
heaven, Jakosalem added.

Greenheart Hermitage
Coming from a family of painters in Western Visayas, the Recollect brothers shared he is connected to the Greenheart Hermitage,
an ecological center founded
by the Recollects in 2010 at the
University of Negros OccidentalRecoletos in line with the congre-

gations ecology ministry.


There, Jakosalem works with
young people in Negros Occidental, painting environmental murals
on public walls.
To view his other creations,
visit: https://www.facebook.com/
greenheart.hermitage. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

St. Josemaria, effective intercessor for for family, marriage


FORTY years after his death, St. Josemaria Escriva is proving to be a truly powerful intercessor
for families, says the current Opus Dei prelate.
Forty years have gone by since that 26th of
June in 1975, when God called our Founder to
the joy of heaven. How many gifts he has gained
for us since then! And he has certainly fulfilled
his promise, Bishop Javier Echevarra, the
present Prelate of Opus Dei, wrote in his June
2015 pastoral letter. All throughout these years,
many persons who have benefitted from St.
Josemarias intercession attest that many favors
received were for fostering the good of families.
Novenas for marriage, family
For this, two novenas, available at the Opus
Dei website www.opusdei.ph,the Novena for a
Happy and Faithful Marriage and the Novena
for the Family, have been composed, inspired
by St. Josemarias desire to help all married
couples and those preparing for marriage to find
meaning and encouragement in their vocation
through a commitment to daily prayer and
friendship with God, especially when facing
inevitable difficulties and times of trial.
The novenas contain daily reflections from the
writings of St. Josemaria, prayers for the family,
and the prayer for the intercession of the saint.
Through reflection and prayer, the novena is a
guide that helps spouses bring to God the needs
and challenges of daily life, while striving to attain
virtues especially purity, humility, generosity,
and love that lead to happy, faithful marriages.
In numerous occasions Pope Francis has
asked the faithful to pray for the upcoming
Synod for the Family. Opus Dei members believe these novenas respond to the Popes invitation and pray for all families around the world.
Besides the Novena for a Happy and Faithful
Marriage and the Novena for the Family, which
have resulted in numerous favors, three other

St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei JEBULON

novenas are also available: the


Novena for the Sick, the Novena for Work,
and the Novena for Forgiveness.
June 26 Masses
Echevarria, who for many years served as St.
Josemarias secretary, recalled that in the final
years of his life, the holy priest would assure his
spiritual sons and daughters, From heaven, I
will help you more.
Masses to commemorate the liturgical feast of
St. Josemaria Escriva will be celebrated in at least
75 churches in 32 cities or dioceses all over the

Philippines, announced the Information Office


of Opus Dei in the Philippines.
It is now a tradition in many places to celebrate the Holy Mass on June 26 in honor of
St. Josemara, priest and founder of Opus Dei.
St. Josemaria believed that those who are
called to the married state will, with the grace
of God, find within their state everything they
need to be holy, to identify themselves each day
more with Jesus Christ, and to lead those with
whom they live to God. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas/
CBCPNews)

Missionary, A1

Soldiers as teachers?
Francisco, a Blessed Sacrament Missionary of the Poor (BSMP) who has been
ministering to the Dumagats of Bulacan
for almost a decade, made this appeal in
view of the decision of the Department
of Education (DepEd) to convert three
special schools in Davao del Norte the IPs
themselves built into a regular high school
where members of the military are reportedly slated to serve as para-teachers.
We ask our government, the Armed
Forces of the Philippines [AFP], as well as
the rebel elements to respect these schools

as peace zones, not even to consider seeking


shelter in them in times of military activities and subversive operations, he stressed.

munities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs)


within the framework of national unity
and development.

Anti-IP
Francisco bemoaned the idea of appointing soldiers as para-teachers, pointing out
this move runs directly against what the
education department envisions for an IP
school with an IP-oriented curriculum.
According to him, the Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 mandates the state to recognize and promote
all the rights of Indigenous Cultural Com-

IP kids rights
Noting their vital role in nation-building, the law also guarantees the rights of IP
children to their physical, moral, spiritual,
moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social
well-being.
Sec. 28 of IPRA reads: The State shall,
through the NCIP [National Commission
on IP], provide a complete, adequate and
integrated system of education, relevant to

the needs of the children and young people


of ICCs/IPs.
While we see there is a good intention
behind all this, the decision to militarize
the IP schools is a step backward and
discourages the full indigenization of
these institutions and their curriculum,
Francisco added.
International law violation
Earlier, the National Council of Church
in the Philippines (NCCP) also voiced
their opposition to the closure.
The move by the Department of Edu-

cation (DepEd) to close three hinterland


schools for the Ata-Manobo tribe in Talaingod, Davao del Norte affects adversely
almost 3,000 Lumad children. Replacing
them with a public high school using
military personnel as para-teachers is an
absolute violation of the Declaration of
the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as
provisions of the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Right,
Rex B. Reyes, NCCP secretary-general,
shared in a recent statement. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

CBCP Monitor

A7

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

Caritas lauds deferment of


eviction in Tacloban
TACLOBAN CityThe churchs
social action arm is elated over
the deferment of a supposed plan
to evict Yolanda survivors who
are still living in Tacloban Citys
danger zones.
Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive
secretary of Caritas Philippines,
said it is a welcome development
that there will be no relocation
until permanent shelters are
made.
We would like to express our
sincerest gratitude to Tacloban
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and
the city council for heeding our
peoples call not to forcibly transfer
them until permanent shelters are
available, he said.
Gariguez made the statement
after the Tacloban City Council
assured, in a resolution, that there
will be no eviction until permanent
shelters are available.

Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines FILE PHOTO

The church agency earlier reported that the city government


is planning to evict around 3,000

families living in danger zones


and transfer them to a site where
basics like water, electricity, and

jobs are grim.


They will stay there for at least
two years, while they wait for the
construction of permanent houses
by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and non-government
organizations.
Romualdez, however, denied the
report, stressing he is against forced
eviction without proper relocation.
The mayor also clarified that
they would only be implementing
voluntary transfer to those who
wish to avail of the 200 temporary
housing units available in the
northern villages.
So far, the NHA is planning to
construct about 14,333 permanent
housing units in the northern part
of Tacloban.
According to the NHA, 3,000 to
5,000 of these permanent houses
are expected to be completed before the year ends. (CBCPNews)

Francis-inspired brother creates eco-icon


BACOLOD CityIts Laudato
Si in colors!
Just a week before its muchanticipated release, a religious
brother wrote an icon inspired
by St. Francis famous poem-prayer
which in turn inspired Laudato
Si, the encyclical on the care of
our common home.
In an interview, Br. Jaazeal
Jakosalem of the Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) told
CBCP News he based the image
on the Canticle of the Sun (or:
Canticle of the Creatures) of
St. Francis of Assisi from which
the title of the recent encyclical
is derived.
Windows to heaven
Icons are windows to heaven,
said he, echoing the iconographers
motto.
Called Jesus of Creation,
Jakosalem explained that the icon
depicts Christ as the Son of the
Creator, His Father, who participates in the work of creation, and
whose redeeming love transforms
all that is made.
Besides the Son of the Creator,
the icon also has the Poor Man of
Assisi at the lower center in a way
that calls attention to the message
of his canticle where he refers to the
sun as brother, to the moon as his
sister, and to the earthsymbolized by the plantas his mother.
Baybayin
Quite unlike the more familiar

Fr. John Leydon, SSC blesses the icon Jesus of Creation at the Our Lady of Remedies Parish Church in Malate, Manila on June
18, coinciding with the release of Laudato Si, the encyclical on the care of our common home. A delegation of Filipino Catholic
environmentalists are set to bring the icon to the Vatican and give it as gift to Pope Francis. GREENHEART HERMITAGE

icons, he pointed out Jesus of Creation differs from the others in its
use of Baybayin, the Old Tagalog
script.
The word Dakilang is on
Christs top left side with Likha
on the top right, Likha, forming
Dakilang Likha, which roughly
translates to distinguished among
Gods Creation, the icons alternate name.
The icon Jesus of Creation
will be in Rome next week to be
given as a gift to Pope Francis by
the Philippine Catholic Eco-team
delegation to support the Popes

encyclical, Jakosalem shared.


Greenheart Hermitage
Jakosalem, who comes from a family of painters in Negros, is connected
with the Greenheart Hermitage, an
ecological center established by the
Recollects in 2010 at the University
of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in
keeping with the congregations ecology ministry.
There the brother works with
young people, creating environmental murals on public walls.
Introducing icons

Knowing how statue-oriented


Filipino Catholicism tends to be,
Jakosalem expressed hope that with
his Jesus of Creation, Filipinos will
slowly take an interest in icons.
Aside from Jesus of Creation, the
Recollect brother earlier wrote
Jesus of the Poor, especially for
the ongoing Year of Consecrated
Life, which the Association of
Major Religious Superiors in the
Philippines (AMRSP) presented
to Pope Francis for a blessing
during his visit to the country.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP
News)

Help one another bishop to Yolanda survivors


SALCEDO, Eastern Samar,
With the work of rebuilding
continuing two years after super
typhoon Yolanda, a bishop calls
on survivors to lend each other a
helping hand.
We ought to help one another
recover for everyone to be dignified
human beings, said Borongan
Bishop Crispin Varquez in his
homily during the blessing and
turn-over of 6,875 shelter facilities
to Yolanda survivors, on June 22.
We should be concerned how
we can boost others to do better,
a Christian way of dealing with
one another, he further said as he
called on those present to use Godgiven resources to uplift people
from poverty.
Concern for others
Varquez said the beneficiaries
of the said houses, funded by the
Catholic Relief Services (CRS),
have much to be thankful for with
the kind of help they received
since super typhoon Yolandas
devastation was beyond everyones
expectations.
The prelate called on the new
home owners to show concern for
those who have yet to recover from
the onslaught of Yolanda which

ing up with different designs and


components for a strong house.
We have to build resilient communities, Curry said, noting that
Samar was one of the areas worst
hit by typhoon Yolanda.

Homes made of local materials have been built in six municipalities in Eastern Samar
to address the lack of more resilient shelter facilities after super typhoon Yolanda. CRS
Country Representative Joseph Curry said each build-up home costs Php 45,000, while
other homes cost less depending on the recipients needs. MELO M. ACUA

claimed thousands of lives and


billions in government and private
property.
He added they will truly be happier to see others rising from the
strong typhoons that hit Eastern
Samar.
The prelate said there is no
reason for typhoon victims to go
hungry with all the God-given
resources available, noting within
a year and seven months, we now
see people slowly rising.
Varquez added: God truly

works in mysterious ways.


Productive homeowners
He also lauded the CRS efforts to
build new homes and to assist residents in acquiring livelihood skills.
There is no reason for us to
go hungry but we all have to be
productive, he further said.
CRS Country Representative
Joseph Curry said the homes built
were all products of the joint efforts
of their technical team and that of
the government, with NGOs com-

Climate change threat


He said Pope Francis in his latest encyclical Laudato Si calls
on everyone to prepare for climate
change.
While we celebrate recovery, we
have to look forward to stronger
typhoons brought about by climate
change, he added.
Aida Vidal of Development and
Peace, a Canada-based non-government organization stressed that
their thrust is to provide shelter to
communities severely affected by
natural calamities.
We at Development and Peace
responded to [those] needs, she
said.
The certificates of donation were
received by the municipal mayors
on behalf of the beneficiaries.
Over a hundred residents underwent skills training provided
by TESDA in cooperation with
the Arteche National Agricultural School. (Melo M. Acua/
CBCPNews)

Dealing with the science


Of course, Francis responds to the challenge
of climate science by exercising his moral au-

Bishop Emeritus Angel Hobayan of the Diocese of Catarman, and Bishop Filomeno G.
Bactol, DD, the Bishop of Naval, Bishop Crispin B. Varquez, DD, the Bishop of Borongan,
and Fr. Neil Tenefrancia pose after the golden jubilee celebration of the Seminario de
Jesus Nazareno. FR. NEIL TENEFRANCIAS FACEBOOK

MANILA, June 18, 2015The


Seminario de Jesus Nazareno, of
the Diocese of Borongan, the only
minor seminary in the island of Samar, celebrated its Golden Jubilee
on June 16, 2015 with the theme
Jesus increased in wisdom and in
years, and in divine and human
favor (Luke 2:52).
The Apostolic nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, in his message,
read by Rev. Fr. Neil Tenefrancia,
Chancellor of the Diocese of
Borongan, blessed the seminary
as the heart of the diocese, a
seedbed of vocation blessing the
Diocese of Borongan.
The highlight of the celebration
was a Eucharistic Celebration
presided over by its first rector,
Bishop Emeritus Angel Hobayan
of the Diocese of Catarman, and
concelebrated by Naval Bishop
Filomeno Bactol, and Borongan
Bishop Crispin Varquez.
Crucified in parishes
The homilist Msgr. Lope Robredillo, an alumnus and former formator of the seminary, traced the history
of the seminary, from the founding
of the seminary on June 16, 1965 by
Msgr. Vicente Reyes, the first bishop
of Borongan, from Quiapo.
According to him, it was founded with the spirituality of the crucified Christ, with Jesus the Nazarene
as a model for seminarians.

Robredillo challenged the seminarians to be ready to be crucified, imitating the image of


Christ; with the priests themselves
ready to be crucified in their parishes and; bishops in their dioceses.
Obstacles to following Jesus
The priest stressed that the
image of Christ goes against the
prevailing culture of excellence
and culture of competition that
give rise to jealousy, envy, vain, and
pride, obstacles in following Jesus.
He further added that priesthood
means living a simple life and being
content with a ministry of mercy
and compassion.
Hobayan thanked the seminary
for inviting him to preside over
the Eucharistic Celebration.
Coming back after 50 years, he
said, he saw great change and
growth in the seminary, particularly through its graduates of
highly-respected priests, educated
professionals, and responsible
people in society.
The celebration was attended
by bishops, guest priests, the Vicar
General of the Archdiocese of Palo,
Msgr. Rex Ramirez, rector of Sacred
Heart Seminary of Palo, Fr. Erlito
Maraya, priests from the diocese
of Borongan, lay representatives of
the different parishes, Boronganons,
seminarians, and their parents.
(Vanessa M. Puno/ CBCPNews)

Efforts, A1

According to him, the pontiff


also quoted a CBCP statement
in his first encyclical, Evangelii
Gaudium (The joy of the Gospel).
Moral guidance
The CBCP head said the Popes
second encyclical offers moral
guidance and seeks to address humanitys indifference to the earth.
He said the letter provides perspectives on the need for a better
approach to ecological problems
and its effects to the poor.
This is why the Popes encyclical
on the worrisome and truly pressing environmental and ecological
issues should be truly exciting,
Villegas said.
While the churchs first major
teaching letter on climate change
is not about science, he said talks
on the issue should not be left to
scientists alone.
The roots of our indifference
to environmental and ecological
concerns which, in the ultimate
analysis, are concerns for the good
of all and the sinful dispositions
in all of us that make us contributors to the depredation of a world
entrusted to our stewardship, these
are what scientists cannot teach us.
All these, the encyclical promises to
address, Villegas said.
The CBCP chief then called on
the faithful to heed the Popes call
to preserve the environment and to
protect communities from climate
change consequences.
We are still suffering from the
sweltering heat of this summer,
and hardly anyone will contest
the claim that this was among the
hottest of summers we have ever
gone through. We are also warned
about more erratic weather systems
including more violent typhoons,
Villegas added.
But the Popes letter will remain nothing more than ink on
paper until we all allow ourselves
to be won over by St. Francis

exaltation of all of created reality,


he also said.
Caritas inspiration
For Caritas Internationalis
President Cardinal Luis Antonio
Tagle, the encyclical will guide the
agencys work around the world for
years to come.
I visit communities where
people are living on trash heaps.
Children are born in trash, grow up
and die there. They feel like trash.
This is not Gods creation, this is
man-made, Tagle told Zenit.
Pope Francis is inviting everyone to reflect on this reality.
He is calling on us to aim for a
new lifestyle, to change the economic structures that have caused
so much harm and regain our
responsibility for others and the
world. Laudato Si will inspire the
work of Caritas organizations [for]
years to come, he said.
Aside from the environment,
the encyclical also touches key
aspects of Caritas work such as
labor exploitation, agriculture, and
social inequity.
In a tone of inclusiveness reflective of Pope Francis papacy,
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle rallied all,
Christians and non-Christians
alike, to read and think about the
encyclical.
We call on non-Christians,
families, educators, politicians,
business people, experts in science
and digital technology, media,
consumer groups, non-government and peoples organizations
to study the encyclical and its
proposals, he said.
Tagle also called on the faithful,
the religious, and the clergy of the
Archdiocese of Manila to study,
enrich, discuss and meditate on
the various points of the papal
letter.

FSP / A1

Commentary / A5

critique of post-modern nihilism by asserting that practical relativism is an even worse


consequence of doctrinal relativism. Anthropocentrism and its progressive technocratic
paradigm must be overcome with a conversion
of heart by giving priority to human beings in
our transcendent reach towards God. We must
care for nature as we care for our own bodies,
because we understand all of nature as Gods
creative gift entrusted to our stewardship. God
counts on us so much that he wants us to rule as
kings with him, not by dominating over nature
with the exploitative attitude of the consumerist
throwaway culture, but by ordering nature in
service to God and our fellow humans, including those of future generations.

Lone minor seminary in


Samar marks 50 years

thority as the leader of the Catholic Church.


He summarizes the growing consensus among
scientists. Greenhouse gases accumulating
in our atmosphere cause warming. We contribute to those gases accumulating in the
atmosphere. Given that there is a danger of
a vicious cycle of overheating and melting
of glaciers and polar ice caps with the consequent rising of the level of the sea, Francis
calls for concerted global effort to reduce
the trend with a new human solidarity, all
while declaring that the Church does not
presume to settle scientific questions or to
replace politics. And he expresses his concern
to encourage an honest and open debate so
that particular interests or ideologies will not
prejudice the common good.(188)
As throughout history, the Church continues to promote scientific research. Given
that climate science is so young and addresses

an enormously complex set of problems with


implications for us all, there is an especially
pressing need to continue advancing research,
for instance, regarding the predictive models of
climate change, wherein there continues to be
a great deal of uncertainty, volatility, and disaccord among scientists.
The encyclical addresses all areas of human
life from a cosmic perspective of fidelity to the
Creator while defending the traditional teachings of the Church regarding sexuality, marriage,
and family. In its complexity, Laudato Si may
be summed up with Pope Francis call for a
renewal of humanity so that our relationship
with nature, including human nature, may be
renewed.
(Fr Robert A. Gahl, Jr., is Associate Professor of
Ethics, at the Pontifical University of the Holy
Cross, in Rome.)

tinue to draw a soul into the


mainstream media, despite being
dwarfed by these organizations in
terms of facilities and resources,
Canag said.
Religious life has lost its luster
due to the media, she added.
Joy and pain
500 benefactors, collaborators,
relatives, friends, and well-wishers
gathered on June 14 from across
the Philippines and Malaysia at
the Queen of Apostles Sanctuary
located in the congregations community in Pasay to celebrate a Mass
presided over by Cebu Archbishop
Jose Palma.
They are the people who have
accompanied us in our journey

before, during the war, and today,


said Sr. Gloria V. Felix (FSP), who
is in the police ministry. We are
very thankful to the Lord, who
gave us so many blessings.
The sisters rejoiced over the
congregations centenary, looking
back even on the FSPs mournful
moments.
We are happy, Felix said. And
happy even in sorrow because the
man we chose to follow carried
the Cross.
Beyond 100 years, the congregation is looking forward to handing
over to the young ones what the
sisters have received by Gods
grace in order to carry on the mission, she said. (Oliver Samson/
CBCPNews)

A8

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

Daughters of St. Paul


celebrate 100 years

CBCP Monitor

Legion of Mary to
mark 75 years
THE Legion of Mary will
celebrate its Diamond Jubilee
on July 19, Sunday, with a
concelebrated Mass at the SM
Mall of Asia Arena at 10:00
a.m. with Manila Auxiliary
Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo as
main presider.
The celebration hopes to
remind all legionaries in the
Philippines how this lay organization has grown when
the world was at the brink of
World War II and survived
periods of instability and recovery and some problems within
the Catholic Church, said Sr.
Olivia Gellangarin, President
of the Senatus of Northern
Philippines.
The 75th Anniversary has
Lehiyonaryo: Alagad ng mga
Dukha as its theme.
She added the celebration
is also in thanksgiving for preserving the legionaries amid

adversities.
Legionaries from all over the
country are expected to mark
the occasion with members flying in from Papua New Guinea
and Guam which are under the
supervision of the Senatus of
Northern Philippines.
Gellangarin said the Legion
of Marys first praesedium was
established at the Hospicio de
San Jose in Manila on July 21,
1940.
The celebration will begin
with a procession at 7:00 a.m.
with the Regia of Antipolo.
Msgr. Celso Ditan, the Spiritual Director will lead in the
opening prayer and recitation
of the Holy Rosary.
Expected to participate are
delegations from Vigan, Mindanao, Western Visayas, Cebu,
Northern Philippines, Bicolandia, Manila, and Silang, Cavite.
(Melo M. Acua/CBCPNews)

Titus Brandsma media


award nominees sought

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma celebrates a Mass to mark the 100th year foundation anniversary of the Daughters of the St. Paul (FSP) at their provincial house in Pasay City
Sunday, June 14, 2015. RAYMOND SEBASTIAN

THE Daughters of the St. Paul (FSP) in the


Philippines joined their sisters in other parts
of the world in celebrating the congregations
100th year foundation anniversary in a simple
get-together held at their provincial house in
Pasay City Sunday, June 14.
Blessed
In a speech, Sr. Delia Abian, FSP vicar
provincial, looked back to their humble start a
century ago in Alba, Italy, expressing gratitude
to the Lord that today the congregation which
Fr. James Alberione and Mo. Thecla Merlo,
a blessed an a venerable, respectively, helped
establish continues to inspire and to thrive in
its mission of proclaiming the Word of God
through the communications media.
The beginnings of the Daughters of St. Paul,
according to the co-foundress, Venerable Thecla
Merlo, were even more humble and hidden
than those of the Society of St. Paul which was

founded a year before, she said.


The Daughters of the St. Paul came into being without a name, without a house, without
anyone being aware of their presence. Now,
the congregation has flourished and spread far
and wide. With more than 2,200 sisters present
in 52 countries of the worlds five continents,
the congregation has indeed been blessed, she
continued.
Filled with wonder
For Sr. Consolata Manding, directress of the
Pauline Institute for Communication in Asia
(PICA), how FSP has reached where it is now
is nothing short of a miracle.
[Of course,] Im so happy Im filled with
wonder how all these years we as sisters were able
to do the apostolate serving in the dioceses, how
we were able to use the media, the legal training, and learning from what we do, you know
and how we spread in different countries of

the world, living in very difficult situations, the


sister from Bohol exclaimed.
The more I think of it the more I wonder
how God guided us, inspired us, protected us,
encouraged us. And in the end you say, Lord,
this is really Your work, she added.
8 silver jubilarians
The centennial celebration coincided with the
silver jubilee of eight FSP sisters who renewed
their vows in the presence of their community,
Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma, families, and
friends.
They are: Sr. Maria Corazon O. Mercurio
of Lipa; Sr. Carmen B. Billones; Sr. Mildred T.
Chan who oversees the Paulines online shop; Sr.
Christine Henry Sundin of Malaysia; Sr. Alice
Candido of Pasay; Sr. Nema H. Sun of Cebu;
Sr. Proserfina Foronda of Pasay; and Sr. Bibianah Thecla Dunsia of Malaysia. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)
A statue of Blessed Titus Brandsma Willem Nabuurs

PH eagle freed on Independence Day


THE Philippine Eagle Pamana was released into the wilderness of Mt. Hamiguitan,
San Isidro, Davao Oriental, as
the Filipino nation celebrated
its 117th Independence Day,
on June 12.
The 3-year old Philippine Eagle from Iligan City was restored
to life after almost succumbing
to two gunshot wounds. After
assessment, the Philippine Eagle
Foundation (PEF) decided it
was time for the eagle to flap
her wings again in her natural
habitat.

Famous environmentalist and


TV personality Kim Atienza
opened Pamanas cage to free
her. She flew out immediately,
paused, and rested, mindful of
her surroundings. After several
minutes, Pamana flew again to
the delight of the crowd which
cheered her release.
The foundation found it most
appropriate to release the endangered eagle into the vastness of
Mt. Hamiguitan, a UNESCO
world heritage site, also celebrating its first year anniversary of
inclusion in the prestigious list

of the heritage sites on June 23,


2015.
The PEF has high hopes for
Pamanas chances of survival in
Mt. Hamiguitan, primarily because it is a highly-protected area
with a better level of enforcement
and public awareness.
It is also hoped that the female eagle will be able to locate
Cabuaya, a male Philippine
eagle, so they could raise a family
of their own. Cabuaya is the
child of Cabu and Aya, whose
love nest is in the wilderness of
Brgy. Cabuaya in the City of

Mati, now considered a Philippine Eagle sanctuary.


Governor Corazon Malanyaon, Mayor Tina Yu, also
representing the San Isidro parish pastoral council, and other
provincial and local officials,
department heads, and locals
were also present for Pamanas
release.
35 eagles are now under the
care of the PEF, while Davao
Oriental serves as habitat to 3
to 10 pairs of Philippine Eagles.
(Sr.Marietta Alo, OND/Ms.
Leonila Duallo/ CBCPNews)

50 Bicol priests to undergo magnesium therapy training


FIFTY priests in Bicol will undergo magnesium
therapy training organized by Daet Bishop Gilbert A. Garcera at the Holy Trinity Cathedral
on June 26.
The priests will attend a two-hour lecture on
the basics about the mineral, said Mary Jean
Netario-Cruz, said to be the countrys leading
magnesium advocate.
Netario-Cruz, who is world pioneer for magnesium clinics, the first one of which she opened
in Antipolo in 2014, will conduct the lecture.

It was in 1995 when the Carmelites established its media ministry


in honor of Dutch Carmelite priest
Titus Brandsma, a journalist and
educator who was martyred on July
26,1942 in Dachau, Germany. He
defended the freedom of the press
and right to education, even in the
face of death.
He was beatified by now St.
John Paul II on Nov. 3, 1985 as a
Martyr of Press Freedom.
In the Philippines, the Titus
Brandsma Media Center is the
Carmelites contribution to the
media ministry and has always
been committed to the pursuit
of truth through spirituality and
social communication.
Established in 1999, the Titus
Brandsma Award aims to recognize and honor journalists in
print and broadcast who lived
out the virtues of Blessed Titus
Brandsma.
Interested parties may call
7266054 or send emails to tbcmedia@yahoo.com (Melo M. Acua/
CBCPNews)

Markings
Appointed. Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Victor Ocampo, 63
from Bataan as the new bishop of the Diocese of Gumaca in Quezon
province. Vatican announced the appointment of Ocampo as the fifth
bishop of Gumaca on June 12. Bishop-elect Ocampo is currently the
chancellor of the Diocese of Balanga and parish priest of the Santo
Domingo Church in Abucay town, Bataan. He will succeed Bishop
Buenaventura Famadico who was transferred to the Diocese of San
Pablo in Laguna in 2013. Bishop-elect Ocampo was born in Angeles
City, Pampanga in 1952. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of
Balanga in 1977. His Episcopal ordination will be held at the Balanga
cathedral on August 29.

Magnesium deficiency
The importance of the mineral to the body,
effects of it deficiency, and its capability to relieve various pains will be discussed, she said.
After the lecture, the priests will be taught about
the therapy and its application, Netario-Cruz said.
Magnesium therapy, which is conducted
transdermally, was introduced by Netario-Cruz
in the country in 2011.
It has addressed over 500 cases, said Fr.
Dari D. Dioquino, who is possibly the worlds
first magnesium advocate priest.
Back pain, insomnia
Magnesium therapy recipients reported
relief from various conditions, like back pain,
headache, frozen shoulder, muscle cramps,
stiff fingers, arthritis, and even insomnia, said
Victoria Baterina-Solis, a magnesium therapy
coach, also called a magi coach.
Most cases of body pains, especially among
seniors, are triggered by magnesium deficiency
as a result of diet poor in this mineral, Netario-

ONE of the countrys most prestigious award-giving bodies, the


Titus Brandsma Award Philippines, which will soon recognize
outstanding media practitioners,
is still open for nominations until
June 30.
This years search includes outstanding achievers in press freedom, journalism, emerging leaders in journalism, community
communication, culture, arts and
Literature.
A group of respected media experts and artists will compose the
jury to judge the awardees from
a list of finalists received by the
Awards Secretariat on or before
June 30 and will consider theater
groups, musical groups or choirs,
literary writers, authors, songwriters, songwriters groups, visual
artists, community radio stations,
and community newspapers.
Its executive director, Fr. Arnulfo
E. Alindayu, O.Carm, said the
award, which is given every two
years, may also be given posthumously.

Mary Jean Netario-Cruz (4th from left 2nd row) and her team of magnesium advocates pose for a photo at St. Joseph
the Worker Cathedral in Tagbilaran before a healing mission in Bohol early this year. From left 1st row are magnesium
advocate priests Fr. Fernando Dodong Po and Fr. Dari Dioquino. OLIVER SAMSON

Cruz said.
Unhealthy lifestyle, like excessive intake of
caffeine and alcohol, long-term medication,
and stress, exacerbates the deficiency, she added.
Having gained the interest and support of
the religious people in 2014 with regard to

magnesium therapy, Garcera invited NetarioCruz and her team of magnesium advocates,
who include three magi coaches (magnesium
therapy coaches) and two magi coach apprentices to conduct the training in Bicol. (Oliver
Samson/CBCPNews)

Invested. On the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and


the Philippine Independence Day, June 12, the Order of Preachers
conducted the rite of vestition of Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop
Socrates Villegas, DD and San Fernando Bishop Rudolfo Beltran,
DD, making them novices of the Dominican Clerical Fraternity of the
Philippines. They received the habit of St. Dominic in the celebration
of the Vespers of the Dominican Community of Manaoag at the Minor
Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag from the
hands of Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, Prior Provincial of the
Dominican Province of the Philippines.
Died. The Social Action Director of the Kidapawan Diocese, Fr. Rogelio
Nim or Fr. Jake passed away after suffering a heart attack at around
midnight on June 21. His remains lie in state at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Diocesan Seminary, Guadalupe Bishops Palace, Kidapawan
City. Interment will be on June 29 with a Holy Eucharistic celebration
at 9:00 a.m.

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

File Photo

CBCP Monitor

Concerned citizens, including religious men and women call for a stop to mining in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

(First of a series)

1.LAUDATO SI, mi SignorePraise


be to you, my Lord. In the words of this
beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi
reminds us that our common home is like
a sister with whom we share our life and a
beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. Praise be to you, my Lord, through
our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and
governs us, and who produces various fruit
with colored flowers and herbs.[1]
2. This sister now cries out to us because
of the harm we have inflicted on her by our

their natural environment than what serves


for immediate use and consumption.[4]
Subsequently, he would call for a global
ecologicalconversion.[5] At the same time,
he noted that little effort had been made
to safeguard the moral conditions for an
authentic human ecology.[6] The destruction of the human environment is extremely
serious, not only because God has entrusted
the world to us men and women, but because
human life is itself a gift which must be defended from various forms of debasement.
Every effort to protect and improve our
world entails profound changes in lifestyles,

reflections of numerous scientists, philosophers, theologians and civic groups, all of


which have enriched the Churchs thinking
on these questions. Outside the Catholic
Church, other Churches and Christian communitiesand other religions as wellhave
expressed deep concern and offered valuable
reflections on issues which all of us find disturbing. To give just one striking example, I
would mention the statements made by the
beloved Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,
with whom we share the hope of full ecclesial
communion.
8. Patriarch Bartholomew has spoken in

and inspiration when I was elected Bishop


of Rome. I believe that Saint Francis is the
example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out
joyfully and authentically. He is the patron
saint of all who study and work in the area of
ecology, and he is also much loved by nonChristians. He was particularly concerned for
Gods creation and for the poor and outcast.
He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy,
his generous self-giving, his openheartedness.
He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in
simplicity and in wonderful harmony with
God, with others, with nature and with

Laudato Si

and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty


and goodness. Through the greatness and
the beauty of creatures one comes to know by
analogy their maker (Wis13:5); indeed, his
eternal power and divinity have been made
known through his works since the creation of
the world (Rom1:20). For this reason, Francis
asked that part of the friary garden always be
left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs
could grow there, and those who saw them
could raise their minds to God, the Creator
of such beauty.[21]Rather than a problem to
be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be
contemplated with gladness and praise.

Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of our Common Home
irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with
which God has endowed her. We have come
to see ourselves as her lords and masters,
entitled to plunder her at will. The violence
present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also
reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident
in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all
forms of life. This is why the earth herself,
burdened and laid waste, is among the most
abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she
groans in travail (Rom8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth
(cf.Gen2:7); our very bodies are made up
of her elements, we breathe her air and we
receive life and refreshment from her waters.
Nothing in this world is indifferent to us
3. More than fifty years ago, with the world
teetering on the brink of nuclear crisis,Pope Saint
John XXIIIwrote anEncyclicalwhich not only
rejected war but offered a proposal for peace.
He addressed his messagePacem in Terristo the
entire Catholic world and indeed to all men
and women of good will. Now, faced as we are
with global environmental deterioration, I wish
to address every person living on this planet. In
my Apostolic ExhortationEvangelii Gaudium, I
wrote to all the members of the Church with the
aim of encouraging ongoing missionary renewal.
In this Encyclical, I would like to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home.
4. In 1971, eight years after Pacem in
Terris,Blessed Pope Paul VIreferred to the
ecological concern as a tragic consequence
of unchecked human activity: Due to
an ill-considered exploitation of nature,
humanity runs the risk of destroying it and
becoming in turn a victim of this degradation.[2]He spoke in similar terms to the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations about the potential for an
ecological catastrophe under the effective
explosion of industrial civilization, and
stressed the urgent need for a radical change
in the conduct of humanity, inasmuch as
the most extraordinary scientific advances,
the most amazing technical abilities, the
most astonishing economic growth, unless
they are accompanied by authentic social
and moral progress, will definitively turn
against man.[3]
5. Saint John Paul II became increasingly concerned about this issue. Inhis first
Encyclical he warned that human beings
frequently seem to see no other meaning in

models of production and consumption, and


the established structures of power which
today govern societies.[7] Authentic human development has a moral character. It
presumes full respect for the human person,
but it must also be concerned for the world
around us and take into account the nature
of each being and of its mutual connection in
an ordered system.[8]Accordingly, our human ability to transform reality must proceed
in line with Gods original gift of all that is.[9]
6. My predecessorBenedict XVIlikewise
proposed eliminating the structural causes
of the dysfunctions of the world economy
and correcting models of growth which
have proved incapable of ensuring respect
for the environment.[10]He observed that
the world cannot be analyzed by isolating
only one of its aspects, since the book of
nature is one and indivisible, and includes
the environment, life, sexuality, the family,
social relations, and so forth. It follows that
the deterioration of nature is closely con-

particular of the need for each of us to repent


of the ways we have harmed the planet, for
inasmuch as we all generate small ecological damage, we are called to acknowledge
our contribution, smaller or greater, to the
disfigurement and destruction of creation.
[14]He has repeatedly stated this firmly and
persuasively, challenging us to acknowledge
our sins against creation: For human beings to destroy the biological diversity of
Gods creation; for human beings to degrade
the integrity of the earth by causing changes
in its climate, by stripping the earth of its
natural forests or destroying its wetlands;
for human beings to contaminate the earths
waters, its land, its air, and its lifethese are
sins.[15]For to commit a crime against the
natural world is a sin against ourselves and a
sin against God.[16]
9. At the same time, Bartholomew has
drawn attention to the ethical and spiritual
roots of environmental problems, which
require that we look for solutions not only

himself. He shows us just how inseparable


the bond is between concern for nature,
justice for the poor, commitment to society,
and interior peace.
11. Francis helps us to see that an integral
ecology calls for openness to categories which
transcend the language of mathematics and
biology, and take us to the heart of what it is
to be human. Just as happens when we fall
in love with someone, whenever he would
gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of
animals, he burst into song, drawing all other
creatures into his praise. He communed with
all creation, even preaching to the flowers,
inviting them to praise the Lord, just as if
they were endowed with reason.[19]His
response to the world around him was so
much more than intellectual appreciation
or economic calculus, for to him each and
every creature was a sister united to him by
bonds of affection. That is why he felt called
to care for all that exists. His disciple Saint
Bonaventure tells us that, from a reflection

We have forgotten that man is not only a freedom


which he creates for himself. Man does not create
himself. He is spirit and will, but also nature.
nected to the culture which shapes human
coexistence.[11]Pope Benedict asked us to
recognize that the natural environment has
been gravely damaged by our irresponsible
behavior. The social environment has also
suffered damage. Both are ultimately due to
the same evil: the notion that there are no
indisputable truths to guide our lives, and
hence human freedom is limitless. We have
forgotten that man is not only a freedom
which he creates for himself. Man does not
create himself. He is spirit and will, but
also nature.[12] With paternal concern,
Benedict urged us to realize that creation is
harmed where we ourselves have the final
word, where everything is simply our property and we use it for ourselves alone. The
misuse of creation begins when we no longer
recognize any higher instance than ourselves,
when we see nothing else but ourselves.[13]
United by the same concern
7. These statements of the Popes echo the

in technology but in a change of humanity;


otherwise we would be dealing merely with
symptoms. He asks us to replace consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity,
wastefulness with a spirit of sharing, an asceticism which entails learning to give, and
not simply to give up. It is a way of loving,
of moving gradually away from what I want
to what Gods world needs. It is liberation
from fear, greed and compulsion.[17] As
Christians, we are also called to accept the
world as a sacrament of communion, as a
way of sharing with God and our neighbors
on a global scale. It is our humble conviction
that the divine and the human meet in the
slightest detail in the seamless garment of
Gods creation, in the last speck of dust of
our planet.[18]
Saint Francis of Assisi
10. I do not want to write this Encyclical
without turning to that attractive and compelling figure, whose name I took as my guide

on the primary source of all things, filled


with even more abundant piety, he would call
creatures, no matter how small, by the name
of brother or sister.[20]Such a conviction
cannot be written off as naive romanticism,
for it affects the choices which determine our
behavior. If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and
wonder, if we no longer speak the language
of fraternity and beauty in our relationship
with the world, our attitude will be that of
masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs.
By contrast, if we feel intimately united with
all that exists, then sobriety and care will well
up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity
of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical:
a refusal to turn reality into an object simply
to be used and controlled.
12. What is more, Saint Francis, faithful
to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a
magnificent book in which God speaks to us

My appeal
13. The urgent challenge to protect our
common home includes a concern to bring
the whole human family together to seek a
sustainable and integral development, for we
know that things can change. The Creator
does not abandon us; he never forsakes his
loving plan or repents of having created
us. Humanity still has the ability to work
together in building our common home.
Here I want to recognize, encourage and
thank all those striving in countless ways to
guarantee the protection of the home which
we share. Particular appreciation is owed to
those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic
effects of environmental degradation on the
lives of the worlds poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can
claim to be building a better future without
thinking of the environmental crisis and the
sufferings of the excluded.
14. I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future
of our planet. We need a conversation which
includes everyone, since the environmental
challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. The
worldwide ecological movement has already
made considerable progress and led to the
establishment of numerous organizations
committed to raising awareness of these
challenges. Regrettably, many efforts to seek
concrete solutions to the environmental crisis
have proved ineffective, not only because of
powerful opposition but also because of a
more general lack of interest. Obstructionist
attitudes, even on the part of believers, can
range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind
confidence in technical solutions. We require
a new and universal solidarity. As the bishops
of Southern Africa have stated: Everyones
talents and involvement are needed to redress
the damage caused by human abuse of Gods
creation. [22] All of us can cooperate as
instruments of God for the care of creation,
each according to his or her own culture,
experience, involvements and talents.
15. It is my hope that this Encyclical
Letter, which is now added to the body
of the Churchs social teaching, can help
us to acknowledge the appeal, immensity
and urgency of the challenge we face. I will
begin by briefly reviewing several aspects of
Laudato Si / B2

B2 PASTORAL CONCERNS
Laudato Si / B1

the present ecological crisis, with the aim of


drawing on the results of the best scientific
research available today, letting them touch
us deeply and provide a concrete foundation
for the ethical and spiritual itinerary that
follows. I will then consider some principles
drawn from the Judaeo-Christian tradition
which can render our commitment to the
environment more coherent. I will then
attempt to get to the roots of the present
situation, so as to consider not only its
symptoms but also its deepest causes. This

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

sectors of society are now adopting a more


critical approach. We see increasing sensitivity to the environment and the need to
protect nature, along with a growing concern,
both genuine and distressing, for what is happening to our planet. Let us review, however
cursorily, those questions which are troubling
us today and which we can no longer sweep
under the carpet. Our goal is not to amass
information or to satisfy curiosity, but rather
to become painfully aware, to dare to turn
what is happening to the world into our own
personal suffering and thus to discover what
each of us can do about it.

the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and


by-products. We have not yet managed
to adopt a circular model of production
capable of preserving resources for present
and future generations, while limiting as
much as possible the use of non-renewable
resources, moderating their consumption,
maximizing their efficient use, reusing and
recycling them. A serious consideration of
this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway culture which affects
the entire planet, but it must be said that
only limited progress has been made in
this regard.

rise in the sea level, for example, can create


extremely serious situations, if we consider
that a quarter of the worlds population lives
on the coast or nearby, and that the majority
of our megacities are situated in coastal areas.
25. Climate change is a global problem
with grave implications: environmental,
social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the
principal challenges facing humanity in our
day. Its worst impact will probably be felt
by developing countries in coming decades.
Many of the poor live in areas particularly
affected by phenomena related to warming,

Laudato Si

CBCP Monitor

II. THE ISSUE OF WATER


27. Other indicators of the present situation have to do with the depletion of natural
resources. We all know that it is not possible
to sustain the present level of consumption
in developed countries and wealthier sectors
of society, where the habit of wasting and
discarding has reached unprecedented levels.
The exploitation of the planet has already
exceeded acceptable limits and we still have
not solved the problem of poverty.
28. Fresh drinking water is an issue of
primary importance, since it is indispensable
for human life and for supporting terrestrial

Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of our Common Home
I. POLLUTION AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
Pollution, waste and the throwaway
culture
20. Some forms of pollution are part of
peoples daily experience. Exposure to atmospheric pollutants produces a broad spectrum
of health hazards, especially for the poor, and
causes millions of premature deaths. People
take sick, for example, from breathing high
levels of smoke from fuels used in cooking
or heating. There is also pollution that affects
everyone, caused by transport, industrial
fumes, substances which contribute to the
acidification of soil and water, fertilizers,
insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general. Technology, which, linked
to business interests, is presented as the only
way of solving these problems, in fact proves
incapable of seeing the mysterious network

Climate as a common good


23. The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. At the global
level, it is a complex system linked to many of
the essential conditions for human life. A very
solid scientific consensus indicates that we are
presently witnessing a disturbing warming of
the climatic system. In recent decades this
warming has been accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear,
by an increase of extreme weather events,
even if a scientifically determinable cause
cannot be assigned to each particular phenomenon. Humanity is called to recognize
the need for changes of lifestyle, production
and consumption, in order to combat this
warming or at least the human causes which
produce or aggravate it. It is true that there
are other factors (such as volcanic activity,
variations in the earths orbit and axis, the

and their means of subsistence are largely


dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing
and forestry. They have no other financial
activities or resources which can enable them
to adapt to climate change or to face natural
disasters, and their access to social services
and protection is very limited. For example,
changes in climate, to which animals and
plants cannot adapt, lead them to migrate;
this in turn affects the livelihood of the poor,
who are then forced to leave their homes,
with great uncertainty for their future and
that of their children. There has been a tragic
rise in the number of migrants seeking to
flee from the growing poverty caused by
environmental degradation. They are not
recognized by international conventions as
refugees; they bear the loss of the lives they
have left behind, without enjoying any legal

and aquatic ecosystems. Sources of fresh


water are necessary for health care, agriculture and industry. Water supplies used to be
relatively constant, but now in many places
demand exceeds the sustainable supply, with
dramatic consequences in the short and long
term. Large cities dependent on significant
supplies of water have experienced periods
of shortage, and at critical moments these
have not always been administered with
sufficient oversight and impartiality. Water
poverty especially affects Africa where large
sectors of the population have no access to
safe drinking water or experience droughts
which impede agricultural production. Some
countries have areas rich in water while others
endure drastic scarcity.
29. One particularly serious problem is the
quality of water available to the poor. Every
day, unsafe water results in many deaths and

tionship between the poor and the fragility


of the planet, the conviction that everything
in the world is connected, the critique of
new paradigms and forms of power derived
from technology, the call to seek other ways
of understanding the economy and progress,
the value proper to each creature, the human
meaning of ecology, the need for forthright
and honest debate, the serious responsibility
of international and local policy, the throwaway culture and the proposal of a new lifestyle. These questions will not be dealt with
once and for all, but reframed and enriched
again and again.

of relations between things and so sometimes


solves one problem only to create others.
21. Account must also be taken of the
pollution produced by residue, including
dangerous waste present in different areas.
Each year hundreds of millions of tons of
waste are generated, much of it non-biodegradable, highly toxic and radioactive, from
homes and businesses, from construction
and demolition sites, from clinical, electronic
and industrial sources. The earth, our home,
is beginning to look more and more like an
immense pile of filth. In many parts of the
planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful
landscapes are now covered with rubbish.
Industrial waste and chemical products
utilized in cities and agricultural areas can
lead to bioaccumulation in the organisms

solar cycle), yet a number of scientific studies


indicate that most global warming in recent
decades is due to the great concentration of
greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrogen oxides and others) released mainly
as a result of human activity. Concentrated
in the atmosphere, these gases do not allow
the warmth of the suns rays reflected by the
earth to be dispersed in space. The problem is
aggravated by a model of development based
on the intensive use of fossil fuels, which is
at the heart of the worldwide energy system.
Another determining factor has been an increase in changed uses of the soil, principally
deforestation for agricultural purposes.
24. Warming has effects on the carbon
cycle. It creates a vicious circle which aggravates the situation even more, affecting the

protection whatsoever. Sadly, there is widespread indifference to such suffering, which


is even now taking place throughout our
world. Our lack of response to these tragedies
involving our brothers and sisters points to
the loss of that sense of responsibility for our
fellow men and women upon which all civil
society is founded.
26. Many of those who possess more
resources and economic or political power
seem mostly to be concerned with masking
the problems or concealing their symptoms,
simply making efforts to reduce some of the
negative impacts of climate change. However, many of these symptoms indicate that
such effects will continue to worsen if we
continue with current models of production
and consumption. There is an urgent need

the spread of water-related diseases, including


those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked
to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are
a significant cause of suffering and of infant
mortality. Underground water sources in
many places are threatened by the pollution
produced in certain mining, farming and
industrial activities, especially in countries
lacking adequate regulation or controls. It is
not only a question of industrial waste. Detergents and chemical products, commonly
used in many places of the world, continue
to pour into our rivers, lakes and seas.
30. Even as the quality of available water is
constantly diminishing, in some places there
is a growing tendency, despite its scarcity,
to privatize this resource, turning it into a
commodity subject to the laws of the market.
Yetaccess to safe drinkable water is a basic and
universal human right, since it is essential to
human survival and, as such, is a condition for
the exercise of other human rights. Our world
has a grave social debt towards the poor who
lack access to drinking water, becausethey are
denied the right to a life consistent with their
inalienable dignity. This debt can be paid
partly by an increase in funding to provide
clean water and sanitary services among the
poor. But water continues to be wasted,
not only in the developed world but also
in developing countries which possess it in
abundance. This shows that the problem of
water is partly an educational and cultural
issue, since there is little awareness of the seriousness of such behaviour within a context
of great inequality.
31. Greater scarcity of water will lead to an
increase in the cost of food and the various
products which depend on its use. Some
studies warn that an acute water shortage
may occur within a few decades unless urgent
action is taken. The environmental repercussions could affect billions of people; it is
also conceivable that the control of water by

File Photo

will help to provide an approach to ecology


which respects our unique place as human
beings in this world and our relationship to
our surroundings. In light of this reflection,
I will advance some broader proposals for
dialogue and action which would involve
each of us as individuals, and also affect international policy. Finally, convinced as I am
that change is impossible without motivation
and a process of education, I will offer some
inspired guidelines for human development
to be found in the treasure of Christian
spiritual experience.
16. Although each chapter will have its
own subject and specific approach, it will also
take up and re-examine important questions
previously dealt with. This is particularly
the case with a number of themes which
will reappear as the Encyclical unfolds. As
examples, I will point to the intimate rela-

CHAPTER ONE
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR COMMON HOME
17. Theological and philosophical reflections on the situation of humanity and the
world can sound tiresome and abstract, unless they are grounded in a fresh analysis of
our present situation, which is in many ways
unprecedented in the history of humanity.
So, before considering how faith brings new
incentives and requirements with regard
to the world of which we are a part, I will
briefly turn to what is happening to our
common home.
18. The continued acceleration of changes
affecting humanity and the planet is coupled
today with a more intensified pace of life and
work which might be called rapidification.
Although change is part of the working of
complex systems, the speed with which human activity has developed contrasts with the
naturally slow pace of biological evolution.
Moreover, the goals of this rapid and constant
change are not necessarily geared to the
common good or to integral and sustainable
human development. Change is something
desirable, yet it becomes a source of anxiety
when it causes harm to the world and to the
quality of life of much of humanity.
19. Following a period of irrational confidence in progress and human abilities, some

Frequently, when certain species are exploited


commercially, little attention is paid to studying their
reproductive patterns in order to prevent their depletion and
the consequent imbalance of the ecosystem.
of the local population, even when levels of
toxins in those places are low. Frequently no
measures are taken until after peoples health
has been irreversibly affected.
22. These problems are closely linked
to a throwaway culture which affects the
excluded just as it quickly reduces things
to rubbish. To cite one example, most of
the paper we produce is thrown away and
not recycled. It is hard for us to accept that
the way natural ecosystems work is exemplary: plants synthesize nutrients which feed
herbivores; these in turn become food for
carnivores, which produce significant quantities of organic waste which give rise to new
generations of plants. But our industrial
system, at the end of its cycle of production and consumption, has not developed

availability of essential resources like drinking


water, energy and agricultural production in
warmer regions, and leading to the extinction
of part of the planets biodiversity. The melting in the polar ice caps and in high altitude
plains can lead to the dangerous release of
methane gas, while the decomposition of
frozen organic material can further increase
the emission of carbon dioxide. Things are
made worse by the loss of tropical forests
which would otherwise help to mitigate
climate change. Carbon dioxide pollution
increases the acidification of the oceans and
compromises the marine food chain. If present trends continue, this century may well
witness extraordinary climate change and
an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems,
with serious consequences for all of us. A

to develop policies so that, in the next few


years, the emission of carbon dioxide and
other highly polluting gases can be drastically
reduced, for example, substituting for fossil
fuels and developing sources of renewable
energy. Worldwide there is minimal access
to clean and renewable energy. There is still
a need to develop adequate storage technologies. Some countries have made considerable
progress, although it is far from constituting
a significant proportion. Investments have
also been made in means of production and
transportation which consume less energy
and require fewer raw materials, as well as
in methods of construction and renovating
buildings which improve their energy efficiency. But these good practices are still far
from widespread.

Laudato Si / B4

FEATURES B3

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

By Robert Z. Cortes
POPE Franciss comprehensive and beautifullywritten encyclical on ecology is out and is entitled Laudato si. Its title is from the first line
of a prayer of St. Francis: May you be praised,
my Lord. From beginning to end, the encyclical
indeed, is an act of praise to God.
For my part, I would praise it for having
foiled both the conservative right and the
progressive left in their assumptions of both
the encyclical and Pope Francis.
In the time leading to the publication of the
encyclical, the former
had expressed consternation that the Pope
was writing on something out of his reach.
The latter, for their part, had expected his radical, revolutionary side to finally appear. Well,
Pope Francis was quite radical, all right, and the
encyclical some sort of a Green Revolution:
but not the sort that they were expecting.
As an article in The Atlantic (an American
magazine) succinctly
summarized it, what this encyclical is not is
a love letter to GreenpeaceFrancis is embracing environmental stewardship as a Catholic
theologian, not a liberal activist.He does so
by contextualizing the topic squarely within
his proper ambit: care for humanity in general,
but especially the poor. Indeed, his environmental theology here is a manifestation of the
Churchs preferential option for the poor. Its
also a continuation and development of his
predecessorsfrom St. John XXIII to Benedict
XVIwhom he quotes a lot in the document.
Yet, the encyclical is revolutionary. It is the
first that ever had ecology as its main theme.
It is radical unlike any document on the environment because it gets to the real root of the
problem he mentions sin early onand its
solution.
In the first part the Pope discusses pollution,
climate change, water
shortage, and the loss of biodiversity. But
he does so not for their sake, but to highlight
the ultimately more important consequences
of dodging them: the suffering of human beings. It is they who are truly important. No
wonder Pope Francis moves on swiftly from
environmental to economic, social, and cultural
ecology.
Yet he goes further to the ecology of everyday life. Here the Pope brings down ecology
to its most central purpose and its most radical
source: the human person and his immediate
community. Logically, in this very section of
his encyclical, Francis recalls Benedict XVIs
affirmation that there exists an ecology of
manMan also has a nature that he must
respect and which he cannot manipulate at his
own pleasure.
He echoes that statement in probably the one
statement that could
summarize his entire encyclical. The integral
ecology requires openness to categories that
transcend the language of the exact sciences or

Pope Franciss Green


Revolution

biology and is tied to the essence of the human


being.
This is to say that the radical answer to the
problems of the
environment goes beyond considerations of
biodiversity and water shortage. It requires a
return to acknowledging and respecting human

For example, instead of acknowledging and


respecting the original
design of human beings, assisting it where
it needs support, it has hailed as brave and
honest decisions that attempt to minimize,
short-circuit, or even totally eradicate the reality
of human nature. I refer specifically to Bruce

Pope Francis does not say in this


encyclical,
Who am I to judge?
nature. Only then can environmental problems
be seriously addressed; without this, everything
would be cosmetic and ineffective. Now theres
a radical solution, if Ive ever seen one.
Unfortunately, recent events have shown that
society is going the wrong direction.

Jenners celebrated transgender surgery and the


big Irish mistake in the last referendum.
To these, Pope Francis does not say in this
encyclical, Who am I to
judge? Rather quite plainly, he says, It is not
a healthy attitude that claims to delete the sexual

An Ecological Life: Living Laudato Si


THIS sister now cries out to us
because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible
use and abuse of the goods with
which God has endowed her. We
have come to see ourselves as her
lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present
in our hearts, wounded by sin, is
also reflected in the symptoms of
sickness evident in the soil, in the
water, in the air and in all forms
of life. (Pope Francis, Laudato
Si, no. 2)
Beyond the walls of Vatican
Across the globe, the encyclical
Laudato Si opens an air of freshness beyond the walls of Vatican.
Accepted not only by Catholics,
but also by other faiths and beliefs,
environmental activists, scientists,
atheists, among others with an
open heart, as Pope Francis encourages. Laudato Si is a contemporary
document revealing and underlining a new dialogue about how we
are shaping the future of our planet
(Pope Francis, Laudato Si, no. 14),
valuable than any other resource
materials and scientific papers
about the climate crisis.
The encyclical will send a strong
message to every Christian to take
a collective action in solving the
greatest ecological crisis we ever
have, said Lou Arsenio, Program
Coordinator of Ministry on Ecology, Archdiocese of Manila.
Defining Climate Change by Understanding the Common Good
In this Encyclical, Pope Francis
speaks from the heart, close to
the language in the margins.
An ordinary person can read the
encyclical just like reading a novel,
a manual or clear instructions;
simple words of wisdom from a
once doctrinal-laden chair of St.
Peter. A pastoral letter with the
purpose: I will point to the intimate relationship between the poor
and the fragility of the planet, the
conviction that everything in the
world is connected, the critique of
new paradigms and forms of power
derived from technology, the call
to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress, the
value proper to each creature, the
human meaning of ecology, the
need for forthright and honest

debate, the serious responsibility


of international and local policy,
the throwaway culture and the
proposal of a new lifestyle. (Pope
Francis, Laudato Si, no. 16).
In discerning the unimaginable
effects of the climate crisis, Pope
Francis re-affirms the assessment
of his predecessors that Climate
change is a global problem with
grave implications: environmental,
social, economic, political and
for the distribution of goods. It
represents one of the principal
challenges facing humanity in our
day. Its worst impact will probably
be felt by developing countries in
coming decades. Many of the poor
live in areas particularly affected by
phenomena related to warming,
and their means of subsistence
are largely dependent on natural
reserves and ecosystemic services

such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial


activities or resources which can
enable them to adapt to climate
change or to face natural disasters,
and their access to social services
and protection is very limited.
(Pope Francis, Laudato Si, no. 15)
The end-game is clear and simple,
the Church cares for our common
homeour common good.
Destroying the Earth, Oppressing the Poor
Ecological stewardship is inseparable with social justice. We need
to strengthen the conviction that
we are one single human family.
There are no frontiers or barriers,
political or social, behind which we
can hide, still less is there room for
the globalization of indifference.
(Pope Francis, Laudato Si, no. 53)

Undeniably, the poor are the


victims we have to realize that a
true ecological approach always
becomes a social approach; it must
integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to
hear both the cry of the earth and
the cry of the poor. (Pope Francis,
Laudato Si, no. 49)
He criticized existing political,
economic and technological structures stop talking, act now! It is
remarkable how weak international
political responses have been. The
failure of global summits on the
environment make it plain that our
politics are subject to technology
and finance. There are too many
special interests, and economic interests easily end up trumping the
common good and manipulating
information so that their own plans
will not be affected. (Pope Francis,

(Robert Z. Cortes is a PhD student in Social Institutional Communication at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce, Rome. He has an M.A. in
Ed. Leadership from Columbia University, N.Y.)

10 things you may


have missed in
Laudato Si
1) St. Francis is a star player in the encyclical, which proposes
a spirituality of human ecology, building on the work of Pope
Benedict XVI.
2) The Pope suggests making concrete, practical changes, such
as turning down the heat, avoiding the use of plastic and paper,
reducing water consumption, car-pooling, and planting trees.
3) The encyclical contains numerous strong pro-life passages,
condemning abortion, population control and embryo manipulation.
4) The document also touches on transgenderism, saying that
valuing ones own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if I am going to be able to recognize myself in an encounter
with someone who is different.
5) Several people have been claiming to have influenced the
encyclical, but a former Vatican official has stressed that the Magisterium has the final say.
6) In keeping with the tenor of his papacy so far, Pope Francis
maintains his own unique style in Laudato Si. Some observers say
the document reads more like a pastoral letter than an encyclical.
7) Pope Francis again brings up the idea of a throwaway culture something that has become a recurring theme of his papal
teaching. He uses the phrase to describe an attitude permeating
society that is willing to disregard anything deemed no longer useful, whether it be a failure to recycle paper products or a societal
rejection of the elderly.
8) Is it ok to disagree with the Pope on climate change and other
scientific / policy assertions? Yes, says one theologian, as long as you
seriously consider what the Pope is saying and accept his authority
on moral topics.
9) On five separate occasions, the Pope references The End of
the Modern World, a book by Catholic priest and author Romano
Guardini. You can read more about that book here.
10) Beauty is another theme in the encyclical, referenced more
than two dozen times. The Pope sees an important connection
between how we appreciate beauty and how we act: If someone
has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should
not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be
used and abused without scruple. (CNA)

Pope Francis highlights our human ecology by emphasizing


the relationship between human life and the moral law, which is
inscribed in our nature and is necessary for the creation of
a more dignified environment.

Laudato Si, no. 54)


The encyclical by itself articulated the vision of a Church of the
People, where Liberation Theology
failed to communicate, Laudato
Si did present a clear understanding - a new manifesto close to the
hearts of the people who made up
the 99%.
We hope this call to action
reaches beyond the Catholic
Church and into the hearts of everyone who understands the moral
obligation we have to protect our
resources and those most afflicted
by climate change, as manifested
by a statement from Al Gores The
Climate Reality Project.

CBCP-Nassa

By Br. Jaazeal Jakosalem, OAR

difference because he cannot deal with it more.


And rightly so, because these are reductionisms
of man to his feeling, willing, or body.
In an era where theres such a vehement demand for the re-construction
of mans environment it is incomprehensible
that anyone would encourage this destruction
of the human being.
In this confusion, the appeal Pope Francis
makes in this encyclical is
clear: promote life, respect the human person,
preserve the family. But I desire to underline
the central importance of the family Against
the so-called culture of death, the family constitutes the seat of the culture of life. By speaking
only about the family for months in his past
Wednesday audiences, he has made the message
here unmistakable.
This encyclical on the environment, then,
comes at a very timely
moment. It has come not only when the
physical world is suffering from the effects of
human abuse, but also when the moral and
spiritual realm of man is reeling from the effects
of human hubris. It has come to remind governments, international bodies, and scientific
organizations of their real raison dtrethe
human personand to be sincere in their efforts
of developing a truly human society.
But above all, it has come to tell each one
that the real solution begins with the individual.
The ecological crisis is an appeal to a profound
interior conversion. Highlight that word: individual. Because it is as individuals that we make
decisionswhether alone or in a groupfor
better or for worse for the environment.
In this sense, Pope Francis is a genuine radical, seriously promoting his version of a Green
Revolution. But it isnt as green as it is human.
CBCP-Nassa

CBCP Monitor

A Gospel of Creation
Pope Francis proposes a new
approach of addressing the climate
crisis: dialogue of faith & science,
where the manifestation of greed in
the areas of economics and technology were proven; faith and science
thus far proved to conscienticize
our global citizens.
It is through re-examining our
faith-beginnings, from convictions
along with the living experience
of the gospel of life, lived in the
written pages of witnessing. The
ultimate purpose of other creatures
is not to be found in us. Rather,
all creatures are moving forward
with us and through us towards a
common point of arrival, which is
God, in that transcendent fullness
where the risen Christ embraces
Ecological Life / B7

(Note: The Theological and Pastoral Reflections for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress that
has been serialized in this page will continue next issueEds.)

B4 PASTORAL CONCERNS
Laudato Si / B2

large multinational businesses may become a


major source of conflict in this century.[23]
III. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
32. The earths resources are also being
plundered because of short-sighted approaches to the economy, commerce and
production. The loss of forests and woodlands entails the loss of species which may
constitute extremely important resources in
the future, not only for food but also for cur-

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

can undermine the sovereignty of individual nations. In fact, there are proposals
to internationalize the Amazon, which only
serve the economic interests of transnational
corporations.[24]We cannot fail to praise
the commitment of international agencies
and civil society organizations which draw
public attention to these issues and offer critical cooperation, employing legitimate means
of pressure, to ensure that each government
carries out its proper and inalienable responsibility to preserve its countrys environment
and natural resources, without capitulating

the past two centuries has not always led to an


integral development and an improvement
in the quality of life. Some of these signs are
also symptomatic of real social decline, the
silent rupture of the bonds of integration and
social cohesion.
47. Furthermore, when media and the
digital world become omnipresent, their
influence can stop people from learning how
to live wisely, to think deeply and to love
generously. In this context, the great sages of
the past run the risk of going unheard amid
the noise and distractions of an information

which gets added almost out of duty or in a


tangential way, if not treated merely as collateral damage. Indeed, when all is said and
done, they frequently remain at the bottom
of the pile. This is due partly to the fact that
many professionals, opinion makers, communications media and centres of power,
being located in affluent urban areas, are
far removed from the poor, with little direct
contact with their problems. They live and
reason from the comfortable position of a
high level of development and a quality of
life well beyond the reach of the majority of

CBCP Monitor

home, in the countries in which they raise


their capital: We note that often the businesses which operate this way are multinationals. They do here what they would never
do in developed countries or the so-called
first world. Generally, after ceasing their
activity and withdrawing, they leave behind
great human and environmental liabilities
such as unemployment, abandoned towns,
the depletion of natural reserves, deforestation, the impoverishment of agriculture and
local stock breeding, open pits, riven hills,
polluted rivers and a handful of social works

Laudato Si

Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of our Common Home
to spurious local or international interests.
39. The replacement of virgin forest with
plantations of trees, usually monocultures,
is rarely adequately analyzed. Yet this can
seriously compromise a biodiversity which
the new species being introduced does not
accommodate. Similarly, wetlands converted
into cultivated land lose the enormous biodiversity which they formerly hosted. In some
coastal areas the disappearance of ecosystems
sustained by mangrove swamps is a source of
serious concern.
40. Oceans not only contain the bulk of
our planets water supply, but also most of the
immense variety of living creatures, many of
them still unknown to us and threatened for
various reasons. What is more, marine life
in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, which feeds
a great part of the worlds population, is affected by uncontrolled fishing, leading to a
drastic depletion of certain species. Selective
forms of fishing which discard much of what
they collect continue unabated. Particularly
threatened are marine organisms which we
tend to overlook, like some forms of plankton; they represent a significant element in
the ocean food chain, and species used for our
food ultimately depend on them.
41. In tropical and subtropical seas, we
find coral reefs comparable to the great forests
on dry land, for they shelter approximately
a million species, including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae. Many of the worlds
coral reefs are already barren or in a state of
constant decline. Who turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries
bereft of colour and life?[25]This phenomenon is due largely to pollution which reaches
the sea as the result of deforestation, agricultural monocultures, industrial waste and
destructive fishing methods, especially those
using cyanide and dynamite. It is aggravated
by the rise in temperature of the oceans. All of
this helps us to see that every intervention in
nature can have consequences which are not
immediately evident, and that certain ways
of exploiting resources prove costly in terms
of degradation which ultimatelyreaches the
ocean bed itself.
42. Greater investment needs to be made
in research aimed at understanding more
fully the functioning of ecosystems and
adequately analyzing the different variables
associated with any significant modification
of the environment. Because all creatures are
connected, each must be cherished with love
and respect, for all of us as living creatures
are dependent on one another. Each area is
responsible for the care of this family. This
will require undertaking a careful inventory
of the species which it hosts, with a view to
developing programmes and strategies of
protection with particular care for safeguarding species heading towards extinction.
IV. DECLINE IN THE QUALITY OF
HUMAN LIFE AND THE BREAKDOWN OF SOCIETY
43. Human beings too are creatures of this
world, enjoying a right to life and happiness,
and endowed with unique dignity. So we cannot fail to consider the effects on peoples lives
of environmental deterioration, current models
of development and the throwaway culture.
44. Nowadays, for example, we are conscious of the disproportionate and unruly
growth of many cities, which have become
unhealthy to live in, not only because of pol-

overload. Efforts need to be made to help


these media become sources of new cultural
progress for humanity and not a threat to
our deepest riches. True wisdom, as the fruit
of self-examination, dialogue and generous
encounter between persons, is not acquired
by a mere accumulation of data which
eventually leads to overload and confusion,
a sort of mental pollution. Real relationships
with others, with all the challenges they
entail, now tend to be replaced by a type of
internet communication which enables us to
choose or eliminate relationships at whim,
thus giving rise to a new type of contrived
emotion which has more to do with devices
and displays than with other people and
with nature. Todays media do enable us to
communicate and to share our knowledge
and affections. Yet at times they also shield
us from direct contact with the pain, the fears
and the joys of others and the complexity of
their personal experiences. For this reason,
we should be concerned that, alongside the
exciting possibilities offered by these media,

which are no longer sustainable.[30]


52. The foreign debt of poor countries
has become a way of controlling them, yet
this is not the case where ecological debt is
concerned. In different ways, developing
countries, where the most important reserves of the biosphere are found, continue
to fuel the development of richer countries
at the cost of their own present and future.
The land of the southern poor is rich and
mostly unpolluted, yet access to ownership
of goods and resources for meeting vital
needs is inhibited by a system of commercial
relations and ownership which is structurally
perverse. The developed countries ought to
help pay this debt by significantly limiting
their consumption of non-renewable energy
and by assisting poorer countries to support
policies and programmes of sustainable development. The poorest areas and countries
are less capable of adopting new models for
reducing environmental impact because
they lack the wherewithal to develop the
necessary processes and to cover their costs.
We must continue to be aware that, regarding climate change, there are differentiated
responsibilities. As the United States bishops
have said, greater attention must be given
to the needs of the poor, the weak and the
vulnerable, in a debate often dominated by
more powerful interests.[31] We need to
strengthen the conviction that we are one
single human family. There are no frontiers
or barriers, political or social, behind which
we can hide, still less is there room for the
globalization of indifference.

VI. WEAK RESPONSES


53. These situations have caused sister
earth, along with all the abandoned of our
world, to cry out, pleading that we take
another course. Never have we so hurt and
mistreated our common home as we have in
the last two hundred years. Yet we are called
to be instruments of God our Father, so that
our planet might be what he desired when he
created it and correspond with his plan for
peace, beauty and fullness. The problem is
that we still lack the culture needed to confront this crisis. We lack leadership capable
of striking out on new paths and meeting
the needs of the present with concern for
all and without prejudice towards coming
generations. The establishment of a legal
framework which can set clear boundaries
and ensure the protection of ecosystems
has become indispensable; otherwise, the
new power structures based on the technoeconomic paradigm may overwhelm not
only our politics but also freedom and justice.
54. It is remarkable how weak international political responses have been. The
failure of global summits on the environment
make it plain that our politics are subject to
technology and finance. There are too many
special interests, and economic interests easily end up trumping the common good and
manipulating information so that their own
A resident of Caluya Island holds up a sign in protest of the DMCI Semirara open pit coal mining expansion.
plans will not be affected. The Aparecida
a deep and melancholic dissatisfaction with growth is fully compatible with an integral Document urges that the interests of ecointerpersonal relations, or a harmful sense of and shared development.[28] To blame nomic groups which irrationally demolish
isolation, can also arise.
population growth instead of extreme and sources of life should not prevail in dealing
selective consumerism on the part of some, with natural resources.[32]The alliance beV. GLOBAL INEQUALITY
is one way of refusing to face the issues. It is tween the economy and technology ends up
48. The human environment and the an attempt to legitimize the present model of sidelining anything unrelated to its immedinatural environment deteriorate together; distribution, where a minority believes that ate interests. Consequently the most one can
we cannot adequately combat environmental it has the right to consume in a way which expect is superficial rhetoric, sporadic acts of
degradation unless we attend to causes related can never be universalized, since the planet philanthropy and perfunctory expressions of
could not even contain the waste products concern for the environment, whereas any
of such consumption. Besides, we know that genuine attempt by groups within society
approximately a third of all food produced to introduce change is viewed as a nuisance
is discarded, and whenever food is thrown based on romantic illusions or an obstacle to
out it is as if it were stolen from the table of be circumvented.
the poor.[29] Still, attention needs to be
55. Some countries are gradually makpaid to imbalances in population density, ing significant progress, developing more
on both national and global levels, since a effective controls and working to combat
rise in consumption would lead to complex corruption. People may well have a growing
regional situations, as a result of the interplay ecological sensitivity but it has not sucbetween problems linked to environmental ceeded in changing their harmful habits of
pollution, transport, waste treatment, loss of consumption which, rather than decreasing,
resources and quality of life.
appear to be growing all the more. A simple
to human and social degradation. In fact,
51. Inequity affects not only individuals example is the increasing use and power of
the deterioration of the environment and but entire countries; it compels us to consider air-conditioning. The markets, which imof society affects the most vulnerable people an ethics of international relations. A true mediately benefit from sales, stimulate ever
on the planet: Both everyday experience ecological debt exists, particularly between greater demand. An outsider looking at our
and scientific research show that the gravest the global north and south, connected to world would be amazed at such behaviour,
effects of all attacks on the environment are commercial imbalances with effects on the which at times appears self-destructive.
suffered by the poorest.[26]For example, environment, and the disproportionate use
56. In the meantime, economic powthe depletion of fishing reserves especially of natural resources by certain countries over ers continue to justify the current global
hurts small fishing communities without long periods of time. The export of raw ma- system where priority tends to be given to
the means to replace those resources; water terials to satisfy markets in the industrialized speculation and the pursuit of financial gain,
pollution particularly affects the poor who north has caused harm locally, as for example which fail to take the context into account,
cannot buy bottled water; and rises in the in mercury pollution in gold mining or let alone the effects on human dignity and
sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal sulphur dioxide pollution in copper mining. the natural environment. Here we see how
populations who have nowhere else to go. There is a pressing need to calculate the use of environmental deterioration and human and
The impact of present imbalances is also environmental space throughout the world ethical degradation are closely linked. Many
seen in the premature death of many of the for depositing gas residues which have been people will deny doing anything wrong
poor, in conflicts sparked by the shortage accumulating for two centuries and have because distractions constantly dull our
of resources, and in any number of other created a situation which currently affects consciousness of just how limited and finite
problems which are insufficiently represented all the countries of the world. The warming our world really is. As a result, whatever is
on global agendas.[27]
caused by huge consumption on the part of fragile, like the environment, is defenseless
49. It needs to be said that, generally some rich countries has repercussions on the before the interests of a deified market, which
speaking, there is little in the way of clear poorest areas of the world, especially Africa, become the only rule.[33]
awareness of problems which especially affect where a rise in temperature, together with
57. It is foreseeable that, once certain
the excluded. Yet they are the majority of the drought, has proved devastating for farming. resources have been depleted, the scene will
planets population, billions of people. These There is also the damage caused by the export be set for new wars, albeit under the guise of
days, they are mentioned in international of solid waste and toxic liquids to developing noble claims. War always does grave harm to
political and economic discussions, but one countries, and by the pollution produced by the environment and to the cultural riches of
often has the impression that their problems companies which operate in less developed peoples, risks which are magnified when one
Laudao Si / B7
are brought up as an afterthought, a question countries in ways they could never do at

Whatever is fragile,
like the environment,
is defenseless before
the interests of a deified market,
which become the only rule.
lution caused by toxic emissions but also as
a result of urban chaos, poor transportation,
and visual pollution and noise. Many cities
are huge, inefficient structures, excessively
wasteful of energy and water. Neighbourhoods, even those recently built, are congested, chaotic and lacking in sufficient green
space. We were not meant to be inundated
by cement, asphalt, glass and metal, and
deprived of physical contact with nature.
45. In some places, rural and urban alike,
the privatization of certain spaces has restricted peoples access to places of particular
beauty. In others, ecological neighborhoods
have been created which are closed to outsiders in order to ensure an artificial tranquility.
Frequently, we find beautiful and carefully
manicured green spaces in so-called safer
areas of cities, but not in the more hidden
areas where the disposable of society live.
46. The social dimensions of global change
include the effects of technological innovations on employment, social exclusion, an
inequitable distribution and consumption of
energy and other services, social breakdown,
increased violence and a rise in new forms of
social aggression, drug trafficking, growing
drug use by young people, and the loss of
identity. These are signs that the growth of

the worlds population. This lack of physical


contact and encounter, encouraged at times
by the disintegration of our cities, can lead
to a numbing of conscience and to tendentious analyses which neglect parts of reality.
At times this attitude exists side by side with
a green rhetoric. Today, however, we have
to realize that a true ecological approachalways becomes a social approach; it must
integrate questions of justice in debates on
the environment, so as to hearboth the cry of
the earth and the cry of the poor.
50. Instead of resolving the problems of
the poor and thinking of how the world can
be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. At times, developing
countries face forms of international pressure
which make economic assistance contingent
on certain policies of reproductive health.
Yet while it is true that an unequal distribution of the population and of available resources creates obstacles to development and
a sustainable use of the environment, it must
nonetheless be recognized that demographic

ISACA

ing disease and other uses. Different species


contain genes which could be key resources
in years ahead for meeting human needs and
regulating environmental problems.
33. It is not enough, however, to think of
different species merely as potential resources to be exploited, while overlooking the
fact that they have value in themselves. Each
year sees the disappearance of thousands of
plant and animal species which we will never
know, which our children will never see, because they have been lost for ever. The great
majority become extinct for reasons related
to human activity. Because of us, thousands
of species will no longer give glory to God by
their very existence, nor convey their message
to us. We have no such right.
34. It may well disturb us to learn of the
extinction of mammals or birds, since they
are more visible. But the good functioning of
ecosystems also requires fungi, algae, worms,
insects, reptiles and an innumerable variety
of microorganisms. Some less numerous
species, although generally unseen, nonetheless play a critical role in maintaining the
equilibrium of a particular place. Human
beings must intervene when a geosystem
reaches a critical state. But nowadays, such
intervention in nature has become more and
more frequent. As a consequence, serious
problems arise, leading to further interventions; human activity becomes ubiquitous,
with all the risks which this entails. Often
a vicious circle results, as human intervention to resolve a problem further aggravates
the situation. For example, many birds and
insects which disappear due to synthetic
agrotoxins are helpful for agriculture: their
disappearance will have to be compensated
for by yet other techniques which may well
prove harmful. We must be grateful for the
praiseworthy efforts being made by scientists
and engineers dedicated to finding solutions
to man-made problems. But a sober look at
our world shows that the degree of human
intervention, often in the service of business
interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever
more limited and grey, even as technological
advances and consumer goods continue to
abound limitlessly. We seem to think that we
can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have
created ourselves.
35. In assessing the environmental impact
of any project, concern is usually shown for
its effects on soil, water and air, yet few careful
studies are made of its impact on biodiversity,
as if the loss of species or animals and plant
groups were of little importance. Highways,
new plantations, the fencing-off of certain
areas, the damming of water sources, and
similar developments, crowd out natural
habitats and, at times, break them up in such
a way that animal populations can no longer
migrate or roam freely. As a result, some species face extinction. Alternatives exist which
at least lessen the impact of these projects,
like the creation of biological corridors, but
few countries demonstrate such concern and
foresight. Frequently, when certain species
are exploited commercially, little attention is
paid to studying their reproductive patterns
in order to prevent their depletion and the
consequent imbalance of the ecosystem.
36. Caring for ecosystems demands farsightedness, since no one looking for quick
and easy profit is truly interested in their
preservation. But the cost of the damage
caused by such selfish lack of concern is
much greater than the economic benefits
to be obtained. Where certain species are
destroyed or seriously harmed, the values
involved are incalculable. We can be silent
witnesses to terrible injustices if we think that
we can obtain significant benefits by making
the rest of humanity, present and future, pay
the extremely high costs of environmental
deterioration.
37. Some countries have made significant
progress in establishing sanctuaries on land
and in the oceans where any human intervention is prohibited which might modify their
features or alter their original structures. In
the protection of biodiversity, specialists insist
on the need for particular attention to be
shown to areas richer both in the number of
species and in endemic, rare or less protected
species. Certain places need greater protection because of their immense importance
for the global ecosystem, or because they
represent important water reserves and thus
safeguard other forms of life.
38. Let us mention, for example, those
richly biodiverse lungs of our planet which
are the Amazon and the Congo basins, or
the great aquifers and glaciers. We know how
important these are for the entire earth and
for the future of humanity. The ecosystems
of tropical forests possess an enormously
complex biodiversity which is almost impossible to appreciate fully, yet when these
forests are burned down or levelled for
purposes of cultivation, within the space of
a few years countless species are lost and the
areas frequently become arid wastelands. A
delicate balance has to be maintained when
speaking about these places, for we cannot
overlook the huge global economic interests
which, under the guise of protecting them,

CBCP Monitor

STATEMENTS B5

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

relation between individual and community is a relation between one totality and
another [130].

IT is troubling that notwithstanding


the fact torture is now recognized as a
crimejure gentiumand international law
increasingly moves in the direction of
classifying the prohibition of torture as
peremptory norm, there are documented
reports that there still are victims of torture in the Philippines according to credible reports from Amnesty International.

Not only the Government


We cannot end without calling attention to the fact that it is not only government agents who perpetrate torture. There
are clear and undeniable reports of torture
inflicted by rebels, insurgents, separatists
and even bandit groups and organizations. The fact that they have taken up
arms against the government constitutes
no justification for the torture inflicted on
others. Nothing justifies torture, more so
when it is part of a scheme of lawlessness
and sheer brigandage.

CBCP Statement on Torture

File Photo

Contrary to Fullness of Life


In one very prophetic line of Evangelium Vitae, Saint John Paul II wrote:
All who commit themselves to following
Christ are given the fullness of life: the divine image is restored, renewed and brought
to perfection in them. Gods plan for human
beings is this, that they should be conformed
to the image of his Son (Rom 8:29). Only
thus, in the splendour of this image, can
man be freed from the slavery of idolatry,
rebuild lost fellowship and rediscover his
true identity.(n. 36)
The Church lives by this fullness of life.
The Church is its fullness. The Church
is its servant. And so, in the face of the
persistence of that culture of impunity by
which law-enforcers take it upon themselves to torture their victims, we must
speak out. We will also tend the wounds
of the victims, even as I ask all priests and
religious, and lay persons who have the
means to do so, to take it upon themselves
to extend every possible assistance to the
victims of torture.
It has often been argued that there are
urgent circumstances that call for the
torture of suspects, especially in cases
of the threat of terrorism when the
concealment of truth by principals and
accomplices in criminal activity may
make it impossible to save innocent others
from unconscionable deeds of terrorism.
It is well to recall the words of Pope
Benedict XVI, who wrote in Caritas in
Veritate: As a spiritual being, the human
creature is defined through interpersonal
relations. The more authentically he or
she lives these relations, the more his or
her own personal identity matures. It is
not by isolation that man establishes his
worth, but by placing himself in relation

Savagery of Torture
We appreciate the earnest efforts of
law-enforcers to keep the peace and to
spare the population from the ravages of
terrorists, but we cannot countenance the
torture of suspects even when motivated
by the noble end of ferreting out the
truth and sparing innocent victims. The
savagery of all acts of torture contradicts
all noble deeds.

There are clear and undeniable reports of torture inflicted


by rebels, insurgents, separatists and even bandit groups
and organizations.
with others and with God. Hence these
relations take on fundamental importance.
The same holds true for peoples as well. A
metaphysical understanding of the relations

between persons is therefore of great benefit


for their development. In this regard, reason
finds inspiration and direction in Christian
revelation, according to which the human

community does not absorb the individual,


annihilating his autonomy, as happens in
the various forms of totalitarianism, but
rather values him all the more because the

Christian Duty
Our Catholic laity must not only come
to the aid of victims of torture. We can
stomp out this scourge from our midst
by vigilance and discernment. When,
in the meetings of our basic ecclesial
communities, torture becomes an issue, let witnesses muster the Christian
courage to speak prophetically against
it even testifying in court against its
perpetrators.
When we act with resoluteness against
the perpetrators of torture, it is and
should be the incomparable dignity of
the human person that should be our end,
and the criterion of the rightness of our
advocacy and endeavors.
From the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines, June 23, 2015
+ SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
President, CBCP

Message of His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle to


welcome the encyclical Laudato Si
and peoples organizations to study
the encyclical and its proposals.
Pope Francis raised many items.
I propose that we pay close attention to the following aspects of the
Popes letter: 1) a restoration of a
contemplative view of creation, 2)
the importance of the belief in the
Creator, 3) the rediscovery of the
role of human beings as stewards
and not as pseudo-owners of the
earth, 4) the plan of God that the
goods of the earth be shared by all,
5) the vital connection between the
environment and human life and
6) a courageous review of political
and economic policies, business
practices, mindsets and lifestyles
towards the changes needed to care
for our common home, to uplift
the poor and to give glory and
praise to the Creator.

CNA

THE Archdiocese of Manila welcomes with joy the encyclical


letter of Pope Francis, Laudato Si,
mi Signore (Praise be to you, my
Lord) on the care of our common
home, the earth. Addressed to all
people of good will, the encyclical does not pretend to resolve
scientific questions related to the
environment and climate change.
Rather it offers a pastoral analysis
and appeal nurtured by the Bible,
the Catholic Social Teachings, the
pronouncements of Popes and a
reading of the current ecological
conditions we are facing.
With Pope Francis I invite the
faithful, the religious and the clergy
of the Archdiocese of Manila to
study, enrich, discuss and meditate
on the various points of the encyclical. We call on non-Christians,
families, educators, politicians,
business people, experts in science
and digital technology, media,
consumer groups, non-government

+LUIS ANTONIO G. CARDINAL TAGLE


Archbishop of Manila

Press statement on Laudato Si by the


Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc.
THE Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc.
(PMPI) celebrates joyously the release of
Laudato Si, the Popes latest encyclical on
environment and climate change. The document highlighted that climate change is real;
a global problem with grave implications, and
one of the principal challenges facing humanity - the people in general and especially leaders in governments. Yet, the same document
provided hope that the each one of us, are even
more powerful when united, and can make a
big difference in creating a better reality for
our generation and the next.
We are jubilant. We thank Pope Francis
because the document echoes and validates
our desires and calls for effecting change in
our society - from protection of the environment to uplifting the everyday life of our poor
people. To hear the Pope say that we are at
the brink of consuming the earths resources,
but still a long way to eradicating poverty
should serve as a wake-up call for all, said
Ms. Yolanda Esguerra, National Coordinator
of PMPI.
She further said that, the Pope being a man
of faith and integrity, lending a moral voice to
combat global warming and the consequences
of climate change can be a source of strength
for people who are in the receiving end of
the impact of climate change. Likewise, this
pronouncement is timely and extra special in
the light of the current negotiation of countries on climate change in Paris this coming
November.
Fr Edwin Gariguez, Executive Secretary of
the CBCP-NASSA and PMPI Co-Convenor
said that, to hear the cry of the earth and the
cry of the poor, as a new ecological approach
is appropriate in dealing with the current
ecological crisis. It brings home the point
that social justice is primordial in the climate
change discourse. Violating the rights of the
environment also means violating the very
rights of the poor. Worldwide, it is acknowledged that the poor (developing) and island
countries like the Philippines are among the

most vulnerable to climate change because


they have extremely low capacity and resources
to protect themselves from its adverse impact
despite their miniscule contribution to climate
change, Fr Gariguez added.
Ms. Baby Llavan, Executive Director of
Antique Human Development of Panay and
Co-Convenor from the Visayas said that the
publication is very timely for the 2016 national
election. Pope Francis is strongly challenging
politicians across the globe to decisively put
forward and implement policies that would
help minimize, if not totally reverse, the impact
of climate change. The Pope calls on the reduction of fossil fuel use, which is recognized as
the main contributor to changes in climate and

Violating the
rights of the
environment also
means violating the
very rights of
the poor.
for rich countries to take on the responsibility
of ensuring that poor countries can adapt to
the climates adverse impact. He boldly stated
that leaders should put effort to protect and
improve our world by transforming todays
political and structural powers into something
that will ensure sustainable development of
human race and the environment.
Edel Garingan, PMPI Project Officer for
Anti-Mining Campaign believed that the core
of the environmental encyclical is the call for
change in our perspective of the environment,
our home. To me this is a critique of how
people, businessmen and world leaders have
looked at the environment in a very utilitar-

ian way economics over ecology. Profit over


Needs. Businesses over Communities. Garingan added. The papal encyclical is proposing
a change in paradigm. Although not directly
addressing the issue of mining, the Pope emphasizes that humans need to slow down in
producing and use of technological products
that require metals derived from mining. He
calls for a change of lifestyle, consumption and
production pattern that is more sustainable.
The encyclical is comprehensive and
integrative. It drew heavily from the faith
tradition, the social and political context, and
even from the technical scientific perspective,
Sr. Cres Lucero, of the Task Force Detainees
of the Philippines (TFDP) and PMPI CoConvenor from Luzon said. She expressed
gratitude when Pope Francis, despite the
grave problem confronting the world, is able
to recognize seeds of hope through activities
like developing alternative energy sources
and the efforts of many communities and
civil society organizations to help reverse and
soften the climate change impact. He calls
unto everyone to make things better and as
human beings, while capable of the worst,
are also capable of rising above themselves,
choosing again what is good, and making a
new start. Moreover, he is telling the world
upfront that there is power in each of us to
make things better; that an individual can do
so much, stressed Sr. Cres.
Laudato Si is definitely good news not
only to organizations like us but also to the
rest of world as taking care of the environment is everyones business. It challenges the
core of our beings and once more highlights
the humans role as stewards of creation. Like
what Pope Francis stated in his publication,
protecting creation is first and foremost a
moral and religious issue. It is a response
to Gods ancient request that we as human
beings should preserve, protect, and sustain
creation, said Roldan Gonzalez, Executive
Director of GITIB and PMPI Chairperson
and Co-Convenor from Mindanao.

Praised be the
Lord.
An Encyclical on
the Environment
EVEN before Pope Francis released to the world his encyclical on
the environment and on climate change, some thought he was
venturing into a field best left to scientists.
But a Papal Encyclical is not teaching on science. To search
for scientific explanations to phenomenathat is the province
and the competence of science and of scientists, and while the
Church takes keen interest in scientific discoveries and studies it
is not a teacher of science.
This, however, is what Gaudium et Spes (of the Second Vatican
Council) says: The truth i that the imbalances under which the
modern world labors are linked with that more basic imbalance
which is rooted in the heart of man. For in man himself many
elements wrestle with one anotherThe Church firmly believes
that Christ, who died and was raised up for all, can through His
Spirit offer man the light and the strength to measure up to his
supreme destiny. (n. 10)

But the Popes letter will


remain nothing more than
ink on paper until we
all allow ourselves to be
won over by St. Francis
exaltation of all of
created reality...
This is why the Popes encyclical on the worrisome and truly
pressing environmental and ecological issues should be truly
EXCITING! We are still suffering from the sweltering heat of
this summer, and hardly anyone will contest the claim that this
was among the hottest of summers we have ever gone through.
We are also warned about more erratic weather systems including
more violent typhoons.
HOW DO WE RESPOND as human persons, and as sons
and daughters of God? What should all of this mean for us? If, as
scientists seem to allege, we are to blame to a large extent for ruining that delicate balance of our ecology, then how do we make up?
We are taught the science, and we are given various technologies
to cope, insofar as coping remains possible. But the roots of our
indifference to environmental and ecological concernswhich,
in the ultimate analysis, are concerns for the good of alland the
sinful dispositions in all of us that make us contributors to the
depredation of a world entrusted to our stewardship, these are
what scientists cannot teach us. All this, the Encyclical promises
to address. But the Popes letter will remain nothing more than ink
on paper until we all allow ourselves to be won over by St. Francis
exaltation of all of created reality.Praised be God for brother
sun, sister moon.praised be God for all that lives and moves
praised be God for grass and trees, flowers and plants in their
myriad forms! It is this joy that breaks out into songLaudato
Si. And rejoicing in creation, we adore, in gratitude, the Creator
of all and live his will to be wise and prudent stewards of His gifts!
From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, Dagupan
City, June 18, 2015
+ SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
President, CBCP

B6 REFLECTIONS

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB


BEING appreciated and accepted
is a basic human need. Rejection
always inflicts a moral wound
which hurts us all the more when
it comes from the people we love.
Most of the prophets of Israel,
especially Jeremiah and Ezekiel,
suffered several forms of rejection
at the hands of the very people to
whom God had sent them. (See
todays First Reading.)

And this distressed him so much.


(See Mk 6:6.)
But the rejection by the townsfolk of Nazareth was just a beginning, almost an acted-out
prophecy foreshadowing the
numerous other rejections Jesus
would suffer and which would
culminate in the one that brought
him to Calvarythe worst rejection orchestrated and spearheaded
by the religious authorities of the
people.
The rejection of Jesus as the

CBCP Monitor

A foretaste of rejections to come


14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mk 6:1-6 (B) July 5, 2015

The rejection of Jesus as the


Messiah by the majority
of the people of Israel
continues to this very day.
Such is their tragedy.

Messiah by the majority of the


people of Israel continues to this
very day. Such is their tragedy. To
his own he came. Yet his own did
not accept him (Jn 1:11)! Jesus
wept bitterly over the failure of
his people to recognize the time of
Gods visitation (Lk 19:41-44).
All these serve as a warning
addressed to the whole world (including us) today. It is not enough
to acclaim Jesus as Superstar,
wise man, friend of the poor.
We have to accept him especially
as Son of God and Savior of all
mankind. Refusal to acknowledge
him as such is the worst form of
spiritual suicide we could ever
commit, for there is no salvation
in anyone else (Acts 4:12)!

Caravaggio

Jesus Christ, the greatest of all


prophets, did not enjoy a better
deal. Old Simeon had prophesied
that Jesus would be a sign that
will be opposed (Lk 2:34). And
the Nazareansthe townsfolk of
Jesustook upon themselves the
sad task of beginning to fulfill that
ominous prophecy. (See Mk 6:3-6.)
They thought that they knew
Jesus well (see Mk 6:3). He had
been one of them for thirty years!
When he went back to them as the
bearer of the Good News, they
refused to see and accept him as
the Christ, the Anointed One of
God, the Savior of the worldtheir
Savior. Their prejudices blinded
them to the point of rejecting the
salvation Jesus had come to offer.

Empty hands and


hearts full of love

Amos and useveryday people


called to prophesy

Reflections on the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mk


6:7-13 (B) July 12, 2015

Caitlin Regan

By Fr. Joseph Pellegrino

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB


THE send-off of the Twelve was an act
of tremendous importance in Jesus apostolic life. After a whole night spent in
prayer, he called them one by one (see Lk
6:12f.), from various walks of life, to be
his assistants, the core group among his
disciples.
The number twelve was neither a negligible detail, nor a casual similarity with
the number of the tribes of Israel. It was
all part of a planChrists plan to make
of these twelve men the beginning and
the very foundation of the new people of
God, the Church. (See Rev 21:14.)
And now there came the first practical assignment: to go and do what Jesus
himself had been doing in his apostolic
life: to preach repentance, to cast out
demons, and to heal the sick. (See
Mk 6:12 ff.) Jesus took the initiative
of sharing with them his own mission.
For the time being, their apostolic activity would be limited to the people
of Israel, but after the Ascension, their
field of action would be widened to

encompass the whole world. (See Mk


16:15.)
But whether they exercised their mission among their own people or beyond
the borders of Israel, two things were to
characterize them: poverty and detachment. (See Mk 6:8.) After all, they were
the disciples and ambassadors of the One
who chose to possess not even a stone on
which to lay his head. Their only assets
were expected to be the Message they
were bringing, and the power to expel
demons and to cure the sick.
For all their power, however, they
would always remain vulnerable people.
Poverty and the danger of being rejected
would accompany them at all times. In
this aspect, too, they would resemble the
prophets of old (see the First Reading) and
Jesus himself, who had been rejected by his
very townsfolk.
And yet, in spite of their personal frailty
and the external oppositions, their mission
would go on until the end of time. And
they would overcome all obstacles, thanks
to the continuous presence and assistance
of the One who has overcome the world.
(See Jn 16:33.)

TODAYS first reading is from the Book


of the Prophet Amos. Amos was quite
different than most of the prophets we
come upon in Hebrew Scriptures. He did
not wear strange clothes like Ezekiel and
Jeremiah. He was not a prophet throughout his life like Isaiah or Samuel. He did
not even do strange prophetic actions like
Elijah, Hosea and most the prophets.
Amos was a shepherd and a dresser of
sycamore trees. These were every day type
jobs for an every day sort of a guy. He
lived just south of the border between
the Kingdom of Judah and the Northern
Kingdom, the kingdom of Israel. One day
he received the message from God that he
was to drop everything, cross the border
into the Northern Kingdom, go to the
holy city of the North, Bethel, and tell
the people that they were facing destruction unless they changed their lives. The
local priest of Bethel, Amaziah, was upset
that this foreigner was infringing on his
area and told him to go back to his home.
Amos responded that he didnt need
this. He didnt ask to become a prophet.
God sent him. But he had no choice but
to proclaim the truth of the Lord. In
another part of the book of Amos, Amos
says:The lion has roared; who will not
fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who
can but prophesy?
Amos concern was focused on the
message and the one who gave him the
message. He was not concerned whether
or not the people were impressed with
him as an individual or even whether or
not they wanted to hear what God told
him to proclaim.
We see the exact same action taking place in the Gospel reading for this
Sunday. Jesus sends his disciples out to
proclaim the coming of the kingdom
of God. These disciples were every day
people. Nothing special about them.
Jesus tells them to carry little luggage and

to just proclaim the word and then move


on. If people accept the word great, if they
dont, leave quickly, but bring the word of
God to the next village.
All of this goes very must against the
standard procedures of our information
age. Standard procedure of our time is to
get a test sampling of what people believe
or want to believe and then deal with that
as a truth. USA Today, CNN polls, Gallup
polls, all tell us what the majority is think-

We do not have
the right to walk
away from our
responsibilities
to the Truth. We
have to stand for
the truth of the
Lord, whether
it is popular or
not, whether it is
convenient or not.
ing and then treat it as though this were a
truth. For example, a number of years ago
a rather faulty sampling of Catholics was
taken and printed by the leading newspaper of our area saying that the vast majority
of Catholics do not believe in the presence
of the Lord in the Eucharist. I doubt the
credibility of the statement and certainly
doubt the credibility of the newspaper
involved, but I am deeply disturbed by the
concept that Catholics should determine

their faith and morals by what the majority


of people is believing or doing.
The truth is not dependent on the people
to whom it is addressed. The truth is dependent on the fidelity of the proclaimer
to the message received by God. There
was a time in history that two thirds of the
Church questioned the divinity of Jesus
Christ. That was the time of the Arian heresy. Two thirds of the church! The numbers
still didnt make the Arians correct. The
truth always wins. The Arians are forgotten,
buried in history and the Church lives on
believing in the divinity of Christ.
I am sure you come upon people in your
neighborhood or even in your families who
tell you that things have changed. Certain
things which were seen as immoral before
are not immoral now. Im sure you have
come upon people who tell you that it
is OK for people to live together if they
are not married, it is OK for people to us
certain drugs, it is OK for people to ignore
their responsibility to bring their children
to the Eucharist on a regular basis, etc.
Their message is that everyone accepts this
or that new way of living. They do not
want to hear someone telling them that
the majority does not determine the truth.
They do not want to hear the preaching
of Amos or Jesus if it goes against their
desires in life.
Faced with this, the temptation that
we have, you and I, is to keep quiet, not
make waves and just let things slide. Like
Amos, we can all claim: We dont need
this. Let the priests talk about morals
and attempt to practice them. Im just an
everyday person.
The readings today tell us that we do
not have the right to walk away from our
responsibilities to the Truth. We have to
stand for the truth of the Lord, whether it
is popular or not, whether it is convenient
or not. We have all received the mandate
of Jesus to go out and proclaim his Word.
Today we pray for the courage to proclaim
the truth at work, in our neighborhoods
and in our families.

Bo Sanchez

SOULFOOD

Bishop Pat Alo

ENCOUNTERS

Change of heart

IN the message of the gospel we know that


God understands our human weakness, but
He wants us to change to a new life. He
understands, but He is not a permissive or a
consentidor God. God wants us to change
for the better.
St. Peter betrayed Jesus three times but he
changed and was appointed first Pope by Jesus
Christ (Lk. 22:32). St. Paul was a Pharisee
persecuting the Church but he changed and became the Apostle to all the non-Jewish peoples
(see 1 Cor. 15:9-11).
Jesus cured a man sick for 38 years. After
curing him Jesus told him: Now you are well
again, be sure not to sin any more, or something worse may happen to you (Jn. 5:9-14).
When Jesus saved and forgave the adulterous
woman who was about to be stoned by the
Jewish scribes and Pharisees in accord with the
Mosaic law, He told the woman after the Jewish
elders left one by one in response to His challenge that the one without sin should be first
in throwing the stone at her: Woman, where
are they? Has no one condemned you? No

one sir, she replied. Neither do I condemn


you. Go and sin no more (Jn. 8:3-11).
With all the false propaganda on sex, love,
sexual permissiveness, and indecent apparel in
movies, television, and billboards, no wonder
the rise of unwanted pregnancies and abortion (which is murder) cases that reach the
staggering number of millions yearly in the
world today. Since its a sin calling for Gods
immediate punishment and vengeance, we
must implore Gods mercy, but remember too,
He is not a permissive and consentidor God.
He wants our concrete repentance telling us,
Go, but sin no more or something worse may
happen to you (Jn. 5:14-15). This too calls
for our social consciousness as Jesus told Peter,
the first Pope, who in his weakness had denied
Jesus three times: Simon, Simon! Satan, you
must know, has got his wish to sift you all like
wheat; but I have prayed for you, Simon, that
your faith may not fail, and once you have
recovered, you in turn must strengthen your
brothers (Lk. 22:32). Let us help one another
for a change of heart and sin no more.

Dont Aim For Zero

DONT focus on your problems.


Focus on your dreams instead.
Dan Baker gives a mathematical
explanation why focusing on our
problems doesnt work.
Imagine that because of your
problem, youre a -10.
In trying to fix your problem,
youre trying to move back to 0.\
From my experience, this is slow.
Because fixing problems is tiring.
Perhaps after a few months,
youd be able to raise yourself from
a -10 to an -8. And then after a few
months, youll be able to inch your
way to a -7. And so on.
Heres a better way: Dont focus
on your problem. Focus on your
dream.
When you do, you leapfrog from
a -10 to a +10. You bypass 0! Why?
Because dreams excite. Big dreams
attract more energy, more attention, and more resources.
I gave this message in a talk.
As props for my talk, I asked
my staff to get me a bunch of old
newspapers and divide them into

two piles. Based on their headlines,


I asked them to separate them into
Good News and Bad News
piles.
I guess you know what hap-

When you
focus on your
problems, you
have tunnel
vision. Like
a horse with
blinders.
pened.
I got a really tall pile of Bad
News, and an almost non-existent
pile of Good News. Because Media
sells Bad News.
Weve been trained to focus on

our Bad News.


Once, I gave a seminar to 200
Store Managers of a clothing
company. I told them to stop
reading the newspaper (figuratively). Because all they read are
about is negative: the financial
crisis, companies closing down,
and people losing their jobs Its
so depressing, theyll be opening
their stores saying, Oh boy, no
one will come in and buy our
clothes And when someone
does enter their store, theyll say
to themselves, Shes just going to
look. She wont buy
When you focus on your problems, you have tunnel vision. Like
a horse with blinders. You miss
out on the fantastic opportunities
for expansion and blessing outside
your narrow vision.
Heres a business tip for entrepreneurs: Dont just solve problems.
Focus on your dreams. Solving your
problems becomes part of reaching
for your dreamsbut you do it with
passion and excitement!

SOCIAL CONCERNS B7

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

By Fr. Benny Tuazon


THE news about Japanese fans doing a
classy act of gathering their and other fans
garbage after Japan lost to Ivory Coast (1-2)
at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, went viral
on the internet and had received praises,
applauds, and recognition from netizens all
over the world. It was more commendable
because Japan lost the game. Instead of
sulking, cursing, blaming or whatever way
of relieving themselves of their frustration
in defeat, they vented it on picking up
empty beer bottles, peanut shells, leftover
nachos, etc.
Classy indeed! Laudable too! This was
good news after environmentalists challenged
organizers of big events to be conscious of
their climate-damaging carbon emissions
and provide ways in which these emissions
would be matched. The World Cup was seen
to be a test bed of how a premier world
sports event should be staged. By 2018,
World Cup organizers had decided that future World Cups would require host nations
to include carbon emission reduction plans.
To the innocent and less environment
conscious fan, the following numbers may
not be obvious:
FIFA estimates that the Brazil event
will produce 2.7 million tons of emission as measured in carbon dioxide
equivalent (CO2e)
Gas emissions from flights by all
people participating and attending
the event
Tons of cables used in TV productions
Hours refrigerators, air-conditioners,
gadgets, generators, televisions, computers, and other electrical equipment will run is estimated to emit
100 million tons of CO2
Production of uniforms (made in
China and shipped to Rio) of players
and organizers will be 436 toNs
60,000 tonnes will be emitted for
accommodations, transport and
construction, and tournament operation.
FIFA organizers had committed to
do the following to offset the carbon
emissions:
Donations from local companies
and projects totaling 115,000 tons
carbon credits
FIFA initiated green projects (mostly from renewable energy) giving
251,000 tons carbon credit amounting to $2.5 million.
Clearly, the carbon credits are very much
below the projected emissions. These facts
even made the Japanese fans gesture not
only very noble but involved. What will be
spectacular and really felt is if most, if not all
the fans will do the same!

A class act worth imitating

There are twelve venues being used averaging 50,000 each in capacity. About six
million fans gathering their garbage are a lot
of carbon credits! Is it impossible? No. As
Christiana Figueres, UN Climate Change
Chief said: Big sporting events are increasingly
winning green medals for their environmental
performance.
And Frederic Chome, director of Belgiumbased carbon consultancy Factor X, realistically added with a lot of caution that: A
truly green sports event is a flight of fancy. The
best we can do is to have much stricter environmental criteria from the point of determining
candidate hosts.
This direction is good. The fight against
climate change is always a concerted effort.
Mitigation through making all events, not

Instead of sulking,
cursing, blaming
or whatever
way of relieving
themselves of
their frustration in
defeat, they vented
it on picking up
empty beer bottles,
peanut shells,
leftover nachos, etc.

Manilaspeak

CBCP Monitor

only sports, carbon efficient should be the


norm. Notable of these events in our country are: Christmas, fiestas, concerts, rallies,
campaigns and elections, etc. Thus, if we
take the Japanese fans class act further into
the whole world and in all events, we might
just reverse the already uncertain situation of
our environment.
The lesson of the broomstick should give
us the cue. One stick can only accomplish so
little. Bundled together, they do a whole lot!
And we are more than broomsticks. When
we act together, nothing is impossible.
Long ago, much had been said about this.
Why we have not learned and heeded those
calls, is a question we and all concerned
generations cannot escape to answer. Said
Franklin D. Roosevelt: The point in history
at which we stand is full of promise and danger.
The world will either move forward toward
unity and widely shared prosperityor it will
move apart.

Laudato Si / B4

considers nuclear arms and biological weapons. Despite the international agreements
which prohibit chemical, bacteriological and
biological warfare, the fact is that laboratory
research continues to develop new offensive
weapons capable of altering the balance of
nature.[34] Politics must pay greater attention to foreseeing new conflicts and addressing the causes which can lead to them.
But powerful financial interests prove most
resistant to this effort, and political planning
tends to lack breadth of vision. What would
induce anyone, at this stage, to hold on to
power only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and
necessary to do so?
58. In some countries, there are positive
examples of environmental improvement:
rivers, polluted for decades, have been
cleaned up; native woodlands have been
restored; landscapes have been beautified
thanks to environmental renewal projects;
beautiful buildings have been erected; advances have been made in the production

of non-polluting energy and in the improvement of public transportation. These


achievements do not solve global problems,
but they do show that men and women are
still capable of intervening positively. For
all our limitations, gestures of generosity,
solidarity and care cannot but well up within
us, since we were made for love.
59. At the same time we can note the rise
of a false or superficial ecology which bolsters
complacency and a cheerful recklessness. As
often occurs in periods of deep crisis which
require bold decisions, we are tempted to
think that what is happening is not entirely
clear. Superficially, apart from a few obvious
signs of pollution and deterioration, things
do not look that serious, and the planet
could continue as it is for some time. Such
evasiveness serves as a licence to carrying on
with our present lifestyles and models of
production and consumption. This is the
way human beings contrive to feed their
self-destructive vices: trying not to see them,
trying not to acknowledge them, delaying

the important decisions and pretending


that nothing will happen. (To be continued)
__________________
[1] Canticle of the Creatures, in Francis of Assisi:
Early Documents, vol. 1, New York-London-Manila,
1999, 113-114.
[2]Apostolic LetterOctogesima Adveniens(14 May
1971), 21: AAS 63 (1971), 416-417.
[3]Address to FAO on the 25th Anniversary of its
Institution(16 November 1970), 4: AAS 62 (1970), 833.
[4] Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis (4 March
1979), 15: AAS 71 (1979), 287.
[5] Cf. Catechesis (17 January 2001), 4: Insegnamenti41/1 (2001), 179.
[6]Encyclical LetterCentesimus Annus(1 May 1991),
38: AAS 83 (1991), 841.
[7]Ibid., 58: AAS 83 (1991), p. 863.
[8] JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei
Socialis(30 December 1987), 34: AAS 80 (1988), 559.
[9]Cf. ID., Encyclical LetterCentesimus Annus(1 May
1991), 37: AAS 83 (1991), 840.
[10]Address to the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to
the Holy See(8 January 2007): AAS 99 (2007), 73.
[11]Encyclical LetterCaritas in Veritate(29 June 2009),
51: AAS 101 (2009), 687.
[12]Address to the Bundestag, Berlin (22 September
2011): AAS 103 (2011), 664.

[13]Address to the Clergy of the Diocese of BolzanoBressanone(6 August 2008): AAS 100 (2008), 634.
[14]Message for the Day of Prayer for the Protection
of Creation(1 September 2012).
[15]Address in Santa Barbara, California(8 November
1997); cf. JOHN CHRYSSAVGIS, On Earth as in
Heaven: Ecological Vision and Initiatives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Bronx, New York, 2012.
[16]Ibid.
[17]Lecture at the Monastery of Utstein, Norway (23
June 2003).
[18] Global Responsibility and Ecological Sustainability, Closing Remarks, Halki Summit I, Istanbul
(20 June 2012).
[19]THOMAS OF CELANO,The Life of Saint Francis,
I, 29, 81: inFrancis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 1,
New York-London-Manila, 1999, 251.
[20] The Major Legend of Saint Francis, VIII, 6,
in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 2, New
York-London-Manila, 2000, 590.
[21]Cf. THOMAS OF CELANO,The Remembrance of
the Desire of a Soul, II, 124, 165, inFrancis of Assisi:
Early Documents, vol. 2, New York-London-Manila,
2000, 354.
[22] SOUTHERN AFRICAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
CONFERENCE,Pastoral Statement on the Environmental Crisis(5 September 1999).
[23]Cf.Greeting to the Staff of FAO(20 November
2014): AAS 106 (2014), 985.
[24]FIFTH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE LATIN
AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN BISHOPS,Aparecida

Document(29 June 2007), 86.


[25]CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE OF THE
PHILIPPINES, Pastoral LetterWhat is Happening to
our Beautiful Land?(29 January 1988).
[26]BOLIVIAN BISHOPS CONFERENCE, Pastoral
Letter on the Environment and Human Development
in BoliviaEl universo, don de Dios para la vida(23
March 2012), 17.
[27]Cf. GERMAN BISHOPS CONFERENCE, Commission for Social Issues, Der Klimawandel: Brennpunkt globaler, intergenerationeller und kologischer
Gerechtigkeit(September 2006), 28-30.
[28] PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND
PEACE,Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the
Church, 483.
[29] Catechesis (5 June 2013): Insegnamenti 1/1
(2013), 280.
[30] BISHOPS OF THE PATAGONIA-COMAHUE
REGION (ARGENTINA), Christmas Message (December 2009), 2.
[31]UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS, Global Climate Change: A Plea for
Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good (15
June 2001).
[32]FIFTH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE LATIN
AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN BISHOPS,Aparecida
Document(29 June 2007), 471.
[33]Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24
November 2013), 56: AAS 105 (2013), 1043.
[34]JOHN PAUL II,Message for the 1990 World Day
of Peace, 12: AAS 82 (1990), 154.

Ecological Life / B3

and illumines all things. Human


beings, endowed with intelligence
and love, and drawn by the fullness of Christ, are called to lead
all creatures back to their Creator.
(Pope Francis, Laudato Si, no. 83)
From here, our praxis of caring for
our common home is grounded
on the formative development of
our faith-experience - that values
the sacredness of everything that
exists. Love the environment, it is
from God and love others because
your fellowman is the summit of
the Lords creation, said Cardinal
Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop
of Manila.
Integral Ecology: towards Conversion, Formation & Action
Quality of life in all elements of
ecology: environmental, economic,
social, cultural, behavioral, and
structural. In each, Pope Francis
creatively examined areas of failure
and proposed growth that will
seek comprehensive solutions
which consider the interactions
within natural systems themselves
and with social systems. (Pope
Francis, Laudato Si, no. 139).
Pope Francis highlights our human ecology by emphasizing
the relationship between human
life and the moral law, which is
inscribed in our nature and is necessary for the creation of a more
dignified environment. (Pope
Francis, Laudato Si, no. 155)
Doomsday predictions can no
longer be met with irony or disdain.
We may well be leaving to coming
generations debris, desolation and
filth. The pace of consumption,
waste and environmental change
has so stretched the planets capacity that our contemporary lifestyle,

unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those


which even now periodically occur
in different areas of the world. The
effects of the present imbalance can
only be reduced by our decisive
action, here and now. We need to
reflect on our accountability before
those who will have to endure the
dire consequences. (Pope Francis,
Laudato Si, no. 161) Thus, Pope
Francis demands an ecological
transformation:
The need of a global consensus,
Such a consensus could lead, for
example, to planning a sustainable
and diversified agriculture, developing renewable and less polluting
forms of energy, encouraging a
more efficient use of energy, promoting a better management of
marine and forest resources, and
ensuring universal access to drinking water. (Pope Francis, Laudato
Si, no. 164)
The need of a space for Dialogue for the sake of the Common
Good among Believers, Sciences,
Ecological movements, the majority of people living on our planet
profess to be believers. This should
spur religions to dialogue among
themselves for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor,
and building networks of respect
and fraternity. Dialogue among the
various sciences is likewise needed,
since each can tend to become enclosed in its own language, while
specialization leads to a certain
isolation and the absolutization
of its own field of knowledge.
This prevents us from confronting environmental problems effectively. An open and respectful
dialogue is also needed between
the various ecological movements,

among which ideological conflicts


are not infrequently encountered.
The gravity of the ecological crisis
demands that we all look to the
common good, embarking on a
path of dialogue which demands
patience, self-discipline and generosity, always keeping in mind
that realities are greater than
ideas. (Pope Francis, Laudato Si,
no. 201)
The need for immediate action:
we believers cannot fail to ask
God for a positive outcome to the
present discussions, so that future
generations will not have to suf-

fer the effects of our ill-advised


delays. (Pope Francis, Laudato
Si, no. 169)
The need for environmental
education, for the first time, the
Church offers a comprehensive
module that is both formative and
holistic: It seeks also to restore
the various levels of ecological
equilibrium, establishing harmony
within ourselves, with others, with
nature and other living creatures,
and with God. Environmental
education should facilitate making
the leap towards the transcendent
which gives ecological ethics its

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deepest meaning. It needs educators capable of developing an ethics


of ecology, and helping people,
through effective pedagogy, to
grow in solidarity, responsibility
and compassionate care. (Pope
Francis, Laudato Si, no. 210)
Thereby, creating an ecological
citizenship (Pope Francis, Laudato
Si, no. 211)
The need for ecological faith,
in the lights and shadows of our
climate action may our struggles
and our concern for this planet
never take away the joy of our
hope. (Pope Francis, Laudato Si,

no. 244) God, who calls us to


generous commitment and to give
him our all, offers us the light and
the strength needed to continue
on our way. In the heart of this
world, the Lord of life, who loves
us so much, is always present. He
does not abandon us, he does not
leave us alone, for he has united
himself definitively to our earth,
and his love constantly impels us
to find new ways forward. Praise
be to him! (Pope Francis, Laudato
Si, no. 245)
This encyclical is for all of us,
Praise be to him!

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B8 ENTERTAINMENT

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

PH yuppies read
14th-century poem for
Mercy Year
INSPIRED by the Holy Fathers
glowing praise for Dante Alighieri,
two young Catholic Filipinos have
recently began ransacking shelves for
copies of the Italians immortal threepart poem, The Divine Comedy,
ahead of the Year of Mercy set to
open on December, inviting others
to do the same.

of Beatific Love resides.


The Divine Comedy reminds us
that theres more to life than meets
the eye. Theres more to this world
that all these material things.
For Mark Lloyd Ranque, a civil
servant and a convert from Protestantism, reading Dante is a must if
one wishes to broaden ones cultural
horizon, as well as to understand
more deeply the relationship between faith and reason.

Lolo Kiko
Buhay San Miguel

Faith-reason
Dante did a great job showing
that faith and reason, in fact, do
complement, rather than dismiss,
each other and that together
they can both lead people to God,
he said.
According to Ranque, who was
introduced to the poem by a friend,
Dante made him a better person,
noting how humility runs through
much of the work.

Raymond A. Sebastin

Antidote for secularism


In Dante, we can find the antidote for the increasing secularization
happening in todays society. The
media, the education system, and
other institutions have already given
in to liberal-progressive ideas. Whats
more, the pagans are staging a comeback. Many are turning their backs
on their Christian roots. Appealing
to reason is a thing of the past. Emotions are all most people often resort
to, shared Reth Ellen Se, a Filipina
nurse working in Saudi Arabia.
Finishing the Divine Comedy

Buhay San Miguel

Pope Francis recommends reading Dante Alighieris early 14th-century masterpiece, the
Divine Comedy. in advance of the Year of Mercy opening this December.

over the weekend, she agreed with


Pope Francis that Dante indeed has
much to say to the present generation, especially to Catholics.
Dark forest
Imagine each one of us is in
Canto I of the Inferno. We all want
to get out of our own dark forest but
cant since we have no idea how. Add
this to the fact that the only way out
of that place is through hell. Do you
think we can do it all on our own,
without a guide? Can the poet see the
stars above using only his feels, his
own initiative, or by simply observing the norms of hell. Most likely,
he will find himself standing at the
bottom of the pit of selfishness and
feels. But can he go out? asked Se.
The Overseas Filipino Worker
(OFW) from Iloilo explained that
without this guidance, it is unlikely
anyone will know why it is necessary
to prepare for the end.
Finding Beatrice
With Virgil, who symbolizes
human rationality, the poetus
walks through hell, purgatory, and
the lower heavens. Finally, he finds
his hearts true desire in Beatrice
who, in turn, directs him to the
higher heavens, where the fullness

[And] what I like most about the


Divine Comedy is the arrangement
of the three books: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. I take this as
an allegory that the only way up is
by going down. The way to God is
by going down to the deepest roots
of who we are, with our virtues and
vices, acknowledging that the path is
crooked, and that change has to be
done and the way to change is a
journey from hell, purgatory, and to
paradise, he added.
Dante @ 750
In time for 750th anniversary of
poets birth last May 4, Pope Francis
suggested reading the Divine Comedy, stressing that Dante still has
much to say and to offer through his
immortal works to those who wish to
follow the route of true knowledge
and authentic discovery of the self,
the world and the profound and
transcendent meaning of existence.
More than a literary masterpiece,
the Holy Father said the poem
exhorts all to rediscover the lost or
obscured meaning of our human
path and to hope to see again the
glowing horizon on which the dignity of the human person shines in its
fullness. (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCP News)

Want love? Look at the


Sacred Heart priest

Great mystery
The Sacred
Heart shows us a
great mystery
Despite all the
pains He had been
through, Christ only
has love to give us.
Despite our unfaithfulness and our sins,
He loves us just the
same, he explained.
Valeza went on
to point out that
true love, the one
which Jesus has for
humans, does not
count the cost nor ask for anything in
return, but drives Him to give all that
He can for those He loves.
The love of Christ is perfect and
complete, he declared.
Invitation
Moreover, the priest stressed that in
baring His Sacred Heart to the world,
Jesus invites the faithful to resign

themselves totally to His Divine love


and compassion.
Notice how His Heart is always
aflame, and how It seems to be constantly bleeding. Let us be humble
enough to acknowledge our own
weaknesses. Let us immerse ourselves
in His love, he added.

Raymond A. Sebastin

THOSE who want to grasp the


meaning of true and eternal love
need only go see an image of the
Sacred Heart of the Lord and find
it there, a Catholic priest noted.
In his homily for the Feast of the
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fr. Jason
Bill Valeza reminded parishioners of St.
Andrews Cathedral
in La Huerta that
the Lords Heart as
popularly portrayed
in pictures affirms
the truth that God
is love.

St. Margaret Mary


According to Valeza, while forms
of the devotion existed as early as the
Middle Ages, what Catholics now
venerate as the Sacred Heart dates
back to 17th-century France where
it was revealed to a religious named
Margaret Mary Alacoque who later
became a saint. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Buhay Parokya

CBCP Monitor
Brothers Matias

Bladimer Usi
Brothers Matias

Look for the image of St. John the Baptist, St.


Luke, St. Peter. (Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

CBCP Monitor

C1

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

The News Supplement of


Couples for Christ

CFC at 34:

On Being Shepherds
One of the major activities of the CFC anniversary week was the Governance Team (GT)
Summit, held to clarify and define the roles and
responsibilities of governance teams in the Philippines and abroad, whether as individuals, as a
household and as governing bodies. The summit
was held on the morning of the last day of the
week-long anniversary celebrations, Sunday, June
20 at the MOA SMX venue.
As is usual with CFC conferences, the morning begun with the celebration of the Holy Mass,
officiated by Fr. Gerard Timoner, Head of the
Dominican Province in the Philippines. His
homily, taken from the Bible passage that speaks
of Jesus being awoken from his sleep and stilling
the storm that had caused so much fear in his
disciples, was particularly apt as he spoke of how
we should not be afraid as we do our work and
how we should be at peace because God and our
brethren are with us.
He said: When we know we are in it (the
mission) together, our fears are assuaged by the
people who we know are with us. When we know
God is with us, then we know He will never ever
abandon us and that is enough.
The hall was filled as leaders from all over
listened to ANCOP President Jimmy Ilagans
exhortation on how leaders can best govern
their flock. Chairman Joe Tale then spoke and
offered the participants the best way to lead to
be shepherds of the flock, to be true witnesses of
love and care.
The open forum that followed was lively as
the leaders spoke about their concerns in being
shepherds and how they can be more effective in
their mission.

I Choose to Love More

GT SUMMIT, C2

By the CFC Docu Team

ening of relationships.
The week started with the
Liveloud Concert on Friday,
June 12 at the Ynares Stadium in Pasig. It was a celebration of youth, featuring
band music, testimonies,
and exuberant worship.

It was a full week of activities, fellowship, symposia,


recreation, introspection.
Despite its busyness, however, the 34th anniversary
celebration of Couples for
Christ was a perfect synThen it was time for sports as the
ergy of teaching and deep- CFC Bowling Tournament kicked off

on Sunday, June 14 at the Commonwealth Lanes in Ever Gotesco Mall.


Two days after that, the avid golfers in
CFC gathered at the Ayala Southlinks
Golf Club in Southvale Drive, Almanza
Dos, Las Pinas City, for the CFC Golf
Classic Tournament. The golfers had
fun as they not only showed off their
golfing skills, but had fellowship after,
capped by a raffle.
CFC leaders, many of them coming
from all the Philippine provinces and

CFC Elects New International Council

even from abroad, settled down for


the more serious task of listening to
enriching talks, testimonies and spiritual
direction beginning on Wednesday, June
17 for the ANCOP Global Summit. It
was a full day aptly begun with the Holy
Mass officiated by CFCs Spiritual Adviser Msgr. Allen Aganon. The talks were
riveting: Mission with the Poor (An
Encounter with Jesus) given by CFC
Chairman Joe Tale; All Aboard in ANCFC@34, C5

ANCOP is CFCs Mission to the Poor


Last June 17, 2015,the ANCOP Global Summit,
the first of the congresses for the 34th anniversary
celebration of Couples for Christ, opened with a
Eucharistic celebration, with Msgr. Allen Aganon
presiding, and members of the clergy from both
the provinces and foreign countries concelebrating. Four hundred leaders from the Philippine and
International Missions came to the MOA SMX to

participate in the summit.


Part I of the Summit set the tone for the days activities. CFC Executive Director George Campos, in his
introduction, walked back through the time when the
Lord planted the desire in Couples for Christ to bring
the Gospel to the poor. Campos enumerated events
which took CFC from ANGKOP (a word in Pilipino
ANCOP SUMMIT / C2

The CFC community has a new set of leaders nine men called by the Lord to be the communitys pastors
and shepherds for the next two years.
The new International Council members, also called the Board of Trustees of Couples of Christ, were chosen
by the Elders Assembly from a list of 27 nominees last June 19, 2015. They are: Joe Tale, Joe Yamamoto, George

The CFC Mission Symposium:

ELECTIONS, C3

Enriching what Personal Holiness, Building the Church of the Home,


and Building the Church of the Poor means for Couples For Christ
This was the tagline of the
first ever Mission Symposium of Couples for Christ,
statements meant to define
and clarify what these elements of our mission mean
for us as individuals and as
a community.
The symposium, held
on June 18, 2015 at the
SMX Mall of Asia, featured
concise and substantial
20-minute talks by three
speakers Jun Uriarte,
Chairman of the Couples for Christ Institute,
Rouquel Ponte, Head of
CFCs Church Integration

Office, and Arnel Santos,


Head of CFCs Pastoral Formation Office.
Organized by the Couples
for Christ Institute* (CFC-I),
the goal of the symposium was
to present three (3) papers that
will define the three mission
elements of CFC: Holiness,
Home, and Poor. Thus, the
topics were on Personal Holiness, delivered by Jun Uriarte,
Church of the Home, by
Rouquel Ponte and Church
of the Poor, by Arnel Santos.
One of the highlights of
the working document on
MISSION SUMMIT, C2

CFC Lay-Clergy Congress


Encouraging Vocations Among Todays Young
This years Lay-Clergy Congress
is a tad different from the past
congresses. Why? Because this
years Congress brought together
CFC leaders and men of the cloth
to be not just partners in pastoral
care, but partners in preparing
the young to embrace the religious vocation.
To date, there are more than a
hundred individuals, from either
Youth for Christ or Singles for
Christ, who have either entered
the priesthood or became nuns. A
good number are still in the seminary. And some of them came to
the congress to testify how being
part of the community has opened
them to the religious life.
LAY-CLERGY, C3

C2

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

CBCP Monitor

Homily of Msgr. Allen Aganon


ANCOP Global Summit
Today, our readings providentially are pointing to our conference on answering the cry of the
poor. The First Reading is about
Pauls fund-raising. He was not
only preaching the Gospel of Jesus,
he was trying to live what Jesus
was telling us. We should not close
our minds regarding the needs of
the people.
Jerusalem was in great need at
that time, so Paul patterned his
teachings to allow people to be
generous, to encourage them to
help other brothers in the faith.
There were others who did not
want to share their bounty with
the community. And so Paul was
telling them that our generosity,
the principle of being generous,
comes from God.

I think that is the first thing we


should understand about ANCOP.
We are doing this primarily because
God is being generous to us. Whatever we havematerial blessings,
essentials, talents, timeeverything comes from God. He gives
to us generously.
That is why God is a prodigal
God. He gives to us lavishly, without counting the cost. He is ever
gracious to us. That was what Paul
was telling the people when he
was asking them to help, not just
because people need it, but because
he wanted them to be like Christ.
And so answering the cry of the
poor, my dear brothers and sisters,
is really a grace that emanates from
the love of God. That is why our
theme Love More means to really

see beyond our needs. Despite having needs ourselves, we still have to
look to others, to go another mile,
as what Jesus said in scripture.
Because that is who God is. Loving
more is to be more identified with
our Lord.
That is why we in ANCOP
should try to be like Christ.
The Gospel, on the other hand,
is telling us what temptations we
could face. When we are working
with the poor and giving much of
ourselves, there are times when we
lose sight where these things come
from. Our temptation when we
do good works is to tell the people
we help that everything is from
us, forgetting that these provisions
come from God.
The evil forces will not rest until

they veer us away from our


source, and the one who gives
direction in life. While we are
doing the work of God, the
evil one will tell us, This is
not from God, its from you!
As we do these good works,
we should look to God, and
the people will look through
us and see God instead of us
thats how things are supposed
to be. When we cut ourselves
from the source, people will no
longer see God, they will see us.
And we will no longer see God,
but we will only see ourselves.
Then, the motivations change.
We still do the work, we still
help people, but no longer
because of God.
HOMILY, C5

MISSION SYMPOSIUM, C1

Personal Holiness was a proposal of seven


elements that characterize a members
quest for personal holiness: a life of prayer;
frequent partaking of sacraments; listening
and reflecting on Scriptures; proclaiming
the Word of God; actively serving others;
supporting the family in faithful love;
and observing the primacy of grace. Jun
Uriarte, Chairman of the CFC Institute,
shared during this talk that The vocation
to holiness . . . is the perfection of charity
(St. Pope John Paul II).
In the paper on Church of the Home,
the message of being true witnesses was
accentuated. Rouquel Ponte, with decades
of CFC leadership experience behind him,
affirmed the community in its identity as
Family Evangelizers and stressed that the
Church of the Home remains the one
place where children and young people can
receive an authentic catechesis (Familiaris
Consortio). Ponte added that In their
daily life, at work, in school, in leisure,
whenever and wherever, with hearts burning with zeal for Christ, every member of
the family evangelizes. In their personal
witness and when asked about the reason
for their joy, their words proclaim Jesus
and the Gospel of salvation.
The document on the Church of the

Poor underscored the Beatitudes: Being


the Church of the poor means that she will
speak the language of the Beatitudes to all
people, to all groups or professions, to all
ideologies, to all political and economic
systems (John Paul II). Arnel Santos
emphasized that Destitutionis not
the same as poverty: destitution is poverty
without faith, without support, without
hope (Pope Francis) and that Building
the Church of the Poor means a church
which shows special love, a love of preference for the poor (PCP II).
After the plenary session, opened by
CFC Executive Director George Campos
and the presentation of the three working
documents, the participants were divided
into three break-out workshop groups facilitated by Kirby Llaban, Bernie Cuevas,
and Leah Custodio of the CFC-I. Four
(4) reactors were assigned to each of the
workshop topics (12 in all). The panel of
reactors, deeply rooted CFC leaders from
Metro Manila, the Philippine provinces,
and the international areas, shared their
personal insights to enrich the working
documents.
For the workshop on Personal Holiness,
the reactors were Art Valdellon, Senen
Reyes, Hermie Vargas and Nina Ponte.

Joy Katigbak, Neil Balite, Vic Alvarez and


Nic Escalona shared their thoughts with
the group on Building the Church of the
Home while Rod Bustos, Eric de los Reyes,
Indette Gaspillo, and Joe Yamamoto were
the reactors for Building the Church of
the Poor. After the breakout sessions, the
workshop participants engaged in lively
discussion through an open forum. Many
articulated helpful ideas in the light of their
own backgrounds to enhance the papers.
The outputs of the Mission Symposium
will eventually result in the publication of

GT SUMMIT, C1

three books on the mentioned topics that


will guide the community into a deeper understanding of the Lords mission for CFC.
In the closing session, CFC Chairman
Joe Tale challenged the CFC-I to laymanize and globalize the documents in order
to serve the general membership and nonFilipino communities. He also said that
while others may become impatient with
the process of defining our own mission
when there is much work to be done, it
is important to take time to introspect on
the nature and principles of what we are

doing. In the same way, he said that we


shouldnt be paralyzed in doing our mission to continue moving forward as we
develop the self-understanding of CFCs
mission elements.
These three documents, in the spirit
of Instrumentum Laboris or a Working
Document, will undergo a communitywide review and feedback through the
CFC leaders. (Kirby S. Llaban)
*The CFC Institute (CFC-I) is a subsidiary of Couples for Christ with a vision
of becoming The leading Institution on dynamic Catholic learning, forming
the heart and educating the mind at the service of CFC, Church, and Society.

ANCOP SUMMIT, C1

that means apt or appropriate,


referring to the work as appropriate to CFCs mission) to ANCOP
(A Network of the Church of the
Poor) to ANCOP (Answering the
Cry of the Poor). He emphasized
that the lessons learned from the
past must remind the community
that evangelization and work with
the poor must not compete but
rather, complement one another.
It is important that we find important the connection between the
past and the present. Today, we need
to see a clearer view of what it means
when we say that we bring Gods
transforming love to the poor,
says Campos. He emphasized, If
not, how can we fully give life to
our twin mission of building the
Church of the Home and building
the Church of the Poor?
Exhorting the body with the
words of Pope Francis to the
bishops during the recent Synod,
Campos reiterated that CFCs posture must be to listen, gaze upon
His face, and to act.
Campos challenged CFC to
not only respond to the call of the
times, but more so to respond to
the call of the Lord.
Joe Tale, CFC Chairman, gave
the next talk entitled Mission with
the Poor: an Encounter with Jesus.
Tale explained, When we reach
out to those in need, we are doing so
as an overflow of our love for God,
an overflow of Gods blessings that
we would like the rest of the world
to experience. He added, This is
not just a work but a mission.
Tale further expounded that if
one takes away the poor from the
Gospel, then he takes away the
Gospel. The poor, he said, is at the
center of the story of Jesus. (Mark
14:6-9 You will always have the
poor with you.)
Our mission with the poor must
always begin with an encounter with

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of Couples for Christ

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Editor-in-Chief

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Circulation Staff

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Jesus, Tale stated, adding how the


Lord articulated His own mission,
as mentioned in the book of Isaiah.
He then challenged the plenary:
How can we respond concretely and
embrace this mission with the poor?
He offered this answer: We start
with simplifying our lives. To live simply, so that others may simply live,
Tale emphasized. Let us give our best
to them, not the scraps or excesses.
For the third session, ANCOP
Chairman Joe Yamamoto enjoined
all to go All Aboard ANCOP!
He encouraged the CFC leaders
to first and foremost understand
and respond to the social teachings
of the Church. The Church does
not require of us to be masters, but
to appreciate and reflect on these
teachings, he added.
He exhorted the delegates to exhibit these attributes in order to achieve
victory in the mission of ANCOP:
Unity
Subsidiarity, as being covered
by the CFC statutes, mission
and vision
Empowerment, which is not
synonymous to autonomy, but
rather taking the mission as part
of a global work
Interdependence
Accountability, or making
sure that the administrative,
operations and financial aspects
of ANCOP are complied, citing
Romans 14 which states that all
are accountable not only to community, but more so with God.
Excellence, or CFC working to
be pure and blameless in the eyes
of Christ.
We will be measured by how
much we love Christ; we cannot
love Christ without loving the
poor, Yamamoto stressed.
After a brief explanation by Kate
Deiparine on the ANCOP Management System, Bong Garrucho,
ANCOP Canada Training and

Development Director, explained


the strategic planning process, which
was designed to lead to a shift of perspective from ANCOP being a fund
mechanism to becoming a genuine
response of Christian love.
During lunch, the plenary broke
into their respective groups in order
to flesh out the five phases of the
planning framework. After four
hours, the plenary convened and
the summary of the output for each
phase was presented.
After a brief open forum, the body
agreed that at the end of six months,
the draft of the output must be finalized and presented to the body.
ANCOP President Jimmy Ilagan,
in his final words, reiterated that work
in ANCOP is a work in progress.
Ilagan quoted Pope Francis in
Evangelii Gaudium, Gods word
teaches that our brothers and
sisters are the prolongation of the
incarnation for each of us: As you
did it to one of these, the least of
my brethren, you did it to me (Mt
25:40). The way we treat others has
a transcendent dimension: The
measure you give will be the measure you get (Mt 7:2). ~EG 179
He likewise mentioned, From
the heart of the Gospel we see the
profound connection between
evangelization and human advancement, which must necessarily
find expression and develop in every work of evangelization. Accepting the first proclamation, which
invites us to receive Gods love and
to love him in return with the very
love which is his gift, brings forth
in our lives and actions a primary
and fundamental response: to desire, seek and protect the good of
others. ~EG 178
These two citations reinforced
his final statement that the success
of ANCOP cannot be attributed to
ANCOP alone. It is truly a mission
of CFC. (Alma Alvarez)

CBCP Monitor

C3

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

The CFC Family: Seedbed for Vocations

My parents became members of Couples for Christ in


the early 1990s, and I followed
suit in Youth for Christ 1994.
I am most honored to be here
to share my thoughts on the
topic. I realized that I am in
a situation where I am able to
share my vocation story, as well
as to influence families, on how
we can make our families truly
a seedbed for vocations.
In whatever vocation we are
called, we are always called to holiness. And we owe 90% of whatever
decision or path we take to our
parents. We are always told that the
family is the first school, the family
is the first Church, the family is the
first society that we are born into.
Our first impression of this school,
this Church, this society influences
us greatly. What our parents model
to us becomes a pattern of our lives
as well. For the parents here, your
actions, manners, words become
your childrens actions, manners
and words.
I once saw a video of a cute little boy sitting on his mothers lap.
The boy was in his early stages of
forming words and making sense
out of these words. Somewhere in
the middle of the video, the boy
used the F word, and his mom
just laughed at him. Surely, the
boy didnt know what that word
meant, but I am sure too, that he
heard it from either of his parents.
And that is how powerful the
influence of families is.
As I share my family experience, I must say my family is not
perfect. Please do not think that
because there is a priest in the
family, that my family is holy. We
still argue, minsan nagkakaninisan. I also realize that what I am
about to share is not something
new to many of you, and some
of you may already possess these

values. But hopefully my experiences


will help everyone understand how
we can adopt these values in our
families.
How do we make our families a
seedbed of vocations, more specifically a seedbed for the priestly and
religious life? First is to foster a life of
common prayer. When my parents
joined CFC in the early 90s, I was
about 8 or 9 years old. My family is
not religious. We go to Mass every
Sunday, but that was it. We didnt
belong to any community in the
Church. We just went there to fulfill
our obligation.
One funny story is that when we
go to Church and arrive at any part
of the Mass, we just finish that Mass
and like in a movie house, we wait for
the next Mass and leave at the exact
part we came in. That was the kind
of understanding of the Eucharist we
had as a family.
But when my parents joined CFC,
we began to have a common prayer
time. This was something I truly appreciated. First, we would pray the
Rosary in front of our little altar. And
since we were not really religious, the
first few months were just really funny
and awkward. Of course, we would
encourage our father to lead, but he
didnt know the mysteries by heart.
My father worked as a banker then,
and sometimes he would be so tired
that he would jumble the responses
while we prayed. This would bring us
to fits of laughter, that the 15 minutes
for praying the Rosary sometimes
became 30. Sometimes we would
laugh so hard that we would be made
to take a break to go to our respective
bedrooms and asked to come back
composed. Otherwise, we wouldnt
be able to finish praying.
But that common prayer time
became very important to me, especially when I became a member of
Youth for Christ. It was important
because when I signed my Covenant
Card, the first thing I took to heart
was the promise to pray for at least
15 minutes daily.
That common prayer time developed in me a personal prayer time.
As a priest, you cannot not have a
prayer life! Our homilies will sound
like canned homilies, containing
things that you learn from the School
of Theology, which perhaps only one
person in congregation would be able
to understand.

It would be difficult for me to


guide people, to know God, to
understand God and His will if I
had no prayer life. That common
prayer time in the family nurtured
my prayer life just as your common
prayer time will nurture your childrens prayer life.
The second point would be communication, the ability to talk to one
another. Today, in the age of technology and connectivity, it seems it is
easier to communicate. People anywhere in the world can be a friend.
But this is where the irony lies. The
technology that is supposed to bring
us closer together is the technology
that separates us. Given the chance,
people would rather look down at
their gadgets than look up to talk to
people around them.
And so the challenge for families
today is to communicate, to be
genuinely interested in the life of
their children. When a child goes
into his room and closes the door, the
challenge is for parents to reach out
to them, because truth is, they also
want to reach out to you. But even if
they do not manifest that gesture of
reaching out, at least let them know
that you are there.
At first it was difficult for me to
tell my parents, when I was 23 years
old, that I wanted to continue my
discernment at the Novitiate of the
Society of Jesus, as that meant I had
to leave Cagayan de Oro to go to
Novaliches. They were reluctant to
let me go at first, but because we
were open to one another, it became
easy for me to lay down my options.
I told them that I believed this was
where the Lord was calling me. I even
kidded, Actually, this was your fault.

unfolding at the altar always made


me excited and filled with awe.
We were also part of the choir, the
steering committees, involved with
decorating the Church, etc. The
religious experience one derives from
all these have deepened my faith, and
my understanding of the sacraments
brought me to an appreciation of
them.
Serving in Church also gave me
an opportunity to know a priest up
close. I also saw the priest not only as
presider of the Eucharist, but also as
counselor, listener, pastorsomeone
who is truly concerned for his flock.
I was blessed to know such a priest,
whom I met early in my life. I saw him
again a few months after my ordination, and somehow he was reluctant
in accepting my thanks. Had I not
met this priest, and had he not made
an impression on me, had I not been
active in Church, I would not have
entertained the vocation of priesthood.
My college degree is nowhere
near Philosophy. My background
is on Management of Information
Systems. I was already teaching for
three years in a local high school
when I started discerning. But the
seed of that discernment had been
planted in me early on in my life,
as I became immersed in the life of
my parish.
The fifth and last point is commitment. My parents werent married in
Church until I was 12 years old. They
were already in their second year in
CFC, and their household heads
thought that they had to do something about their lack of Church
recognition. And so we organized
our parents wedding. The wedding
was 12 years overdue, so my siblings

and I were fortunate to have had


front row seats as they took their
vows.
When life became difficult
and uncomfortable, they stuck
it out. Although both threatened
to leave the other, nobody left. It
was not an option. Life as a priest
is also a lifetime commitment.
It is not an option. My parents
have shown me how it is to be
truly committed to something
they believe in, even if the future
looked bleak.
As a 13-month-old priest, this
is my experiencea daily Yes to
the Lord.
Discernment does not start
when we are invited to try out the
religious life. Discernment starts
at home. It is not induced, nor
forced. But you can pray over it.
You can dream about it.
As Pope Francis addressed
families last January, To dream
how will your daughter or son be,
it is not possible to have a family
without such dreams. When you
lose this capacity to dream, then
you lose the capacity to love, and
this energy to love is lost. I recommend that at night, when you
examine your consciences, ask
yourselves, Today, did I dream
about my sons and daughters?
It is so important to dream, and
to dream in the family, please
dont lose this ability to dream
in this way.
When we dream for our families, we also begin to fashion our
homes into seedbeds of vocations. (Fr. Neo Saicon, SJ Assistant Director, Jesuit Retreat
House, Malaybalay, Bukidnon)

Young seminarians from the SVD religious congregation, all former members of the Youth for Christ and Singles for Christ, introduce themselves to the audience.

LAY-CLERGY, C1

In his talk titled Families of Faith and Vocations,


Church Integration Office Head Rouquel Ponte
highlighted four elements that promote the home
as a cradle of vocation and the consecrated life, as
illustrated by this section from Familiaris Consortio:
The family that is open to transcendent values, that
serves its brothers and sisters with joy, that fulfills
its duties with generous fidelity, and is aware of its
daily sharing in the mystery of the glorious Cross
of Christ, becomes the primary and most excellent
seedbed of vocations to a life of consecration to the
Kingdom of God.
Testimonies from YFS and SFC members who have
embraced the call to priesthood gave life to Pontes
discourse. The first one, Noel Custodio, a seminarian
from Australia, shared how his family helped him
discover his vocation.

You always brought me to mission


trips, and always encouraged me
to serve.
Show your children the value of
hidden service. In any CFC gathering, my family and I always found
ourselves in the service team. Whether
it was cooking meals for thousands,
serving sandwiches, or any way we
can serve, we would always find ourselves in that scenario. And Ive always
observed my parents, how joyful they
always were in doing whatever task
they were doing. I never heard them
complain, even if I knew they would
rather listen to the talks than be in
the service team. They taught me that
serving the Lord doesnt always have
to put one in the limelight.
And that is what I came to realize
now that I am a priest, and a retreat
master. As a new priest, I recognize
that yes, we are at the forefront most
of the time, but most of what I do is
hidden from the public eye. I think
my parents took to heart what the
Lord said in the Gospel of Matthew,
Do not let your left hand know
what your right hand is doing, so
that your giving will be in secret. And
your father who sees what is done in
secret will reward you.
Immersing your children in the
service of the local Church and the
observance of the sacramentsthis
is the fourth point. Even if my parents were members of Couples for
Christ, we never forgot that we were
also members of the local Church,
thus we were active in the life of the
parish. Even when I became a leader
in YFC, I was still an altar server, a
sacristan. And there, my love for the
Eucharist started.
To be up close as the mystery was

ELECTIONS / C1

The second, Fr. Ruper, who is a regular Mass celebrant at the CFC Global Mission Center in Manila,
also came from Youth for Christ. He brought with
him several of his seminarians, all from YFC and SFC
themselves, to thank the Lord for planting the seed of
vocations in their hearts.
The main speaker, Fr. Neo Saicon, SJ, was also a
YFC leader when the desire to discern for priesthood
came. (See his story on page 3.)
As a response, Isaac Santos of CFC, father of Fr.
Abner Santos, a former SFC member, likewise testified how he and his wife supported their sons call to
become a priest.
It is truly a blessing that Catholic families, including
those in CFC, are being blessed to be co-formators
of young men and women who consider the religious
vocation. (A.M. Alvarez)

Campos, Jimmy Ilagan, Rouquel


Ponte, Lito Tayag, Michael (Shok)
Ariola, Manny Garcia and Bong
Arjonillo. Of the nine, Ariola and
Arjonillo are first-termers.
Elections of the IC since 2011
have followed the amendments
introduced in the same year,
wherein only three (3) members
are elected every year, to serve for
a term of three (3) years. According to the amended by-laws, the
terms are staggered such as each
year, three are elected and three
end their terms.
However, to address concerns
raised regarding the frequency of
elections and to harmonize the
by-laws, the Elders Assembly, by
overwhelming vote, elected to
amend the by-laws again during a
general meeting held on May 17,
2015. In addition to provisions
related to the functions of the of-

ficers, the elections this year called


for the election of all the nine IC
members, all to serve for a term of
two years. All would be eligible to
be nominated for election in 2017.
Those who will be elected in 2017
and who would thus have served
two full terms by 2019 will not
be eligible for nomination. They
will have to go on service break of
two years.
This year, the elections adhered
to a fully spiritual and reflective
approach. Beginning with Mass at
10 AM on election day at the chapel of the Lay Force compound in
Guadalupe, Makati City, the Elders
Assembly members went into quiet
mode as the Blessed Sacrament was
exposed. The rosary was said and
soft hymns were sung throughout
the day, further deepening the
spiritual mood of the exercise.
After lunch, Fr. Benedict La-

garde of the Missionaries of Jesus


exhorted the EA members to
choose wisely and to actively
listen to the leading of the Spirit.
He stressed that all 27 nominees,
because they had been chosen after
much reflection and discernment,
are eminently qualified, but the
big question is who among them
are being called by the Lord at this
particular time. He spoke of the
need to have the wisdom of the
experienced leaders as well as the
exuberance and novel ideas of the
young in the mix.
The mix Fr. Lagarde spoke of was
evident in the final results. There
was much rejoicing as each name
was read, as each and every member of the EA realized that indeed,
God had worked His grace among
the assembly and truly, the men
who had been chosen were those
He has called.

C4

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

CBCP Monitor

A Night to Remember
The members of the Governance
Teams of Metro Manila, the Philippine
Missions and the International Missions let their hair down, so to speak,
in an evening of dining and dancing
at the MOA SMX last June 18, 2015.
Everyone enjoyed the meal and
each others company, as well as the
great music courtesy of the West of
Bethany Band. A special number from
the brethren from China was one of the
evenings highlights.

Past and Present


Missionaries Honored
The CFC Missionaries Night, held on
Tuesday, June 16, honored fulltime missionaries who have served, or are currently
serving in Philippine and foreign mission
areas. They were honored for giving their
selfless Yes to the call to mission work.
The evening started with music, followed by the opening worship led by CFC
Chairman Joe Tale. A series of personal
mission testimonies from some of those
who have gone near and far to spread the
Good News followed.
Missionaries who have moved on to
new mission areas outside of fulltime
pastoral work were likewise given tokens
of recognition for their contribution to the
evangelization work of Couples for Christ.
It was an evening of fellowship, where the
young and not-so-young broke bread, prayed
for one another, and exchanged experiences
which make missionary life colorful.

CFC USA Holds DCM Workshop in NorCal

Caption: Fr. Brian Soliven expounds on poverty of the West. (Photo by Feddie A. Espiritu)

The Copacabana Hall of the


Clarion Hotel in Concord, California was jam-packed as missionaries from CFC USA came
to listen to Fr. Brian Soliven,
keynote speaker for the recent
Discipleship Mission in the
Church Conference. In his discourse, Fr. Soliven spoke about
the poverty of the West and New
Evangelization, reminding the
participants about St. John Paul
the IIs pronouncement in 1990:
I sense that the moment has
come to commit all the Churchs
energy to a New Evangelization.
No believer in Christ, no institu-

tions of the Church can avoid the


supreme duty to proclaim Christ to
all people.
Fr. Soliven issued the challenge of
evangelization to the participants, a
challenge that he called particularly
difficult amid what he described as
the poverty of the West, referring
to poverty in Christian devotion
brought about by the Wests preoccupation with achieving affluence
and power. He said, What the
Church has been seeing especially
in the West that includes West
Europe, United States and Canada,
is a decline in Christian identity.
Painting a grim scenario, Fr. So-

liven cited a study that showed that


Americans who identify themselves
as Christians dropped from 80 %
to 70 % in the last seven years.
The study found that rather than
transferring to other religions, these
Christians have morphed into the
so-called non-affiliateds or those
who do not want to be associated
with any particular group but to create their own spirituality or religion.
What we are seeing now is
entirely new in Christian history:
Christian nations are becoming deChristianized, stated Fr. Soliven. He
added, This is what the Church sees
as the New Evangelization that is not
much about proclaiming the Gospel
to non-Christian people, but going
to Christian nations for witnessing
and bringing the love of Jesus Christ
to their people.
The Honolulu-born but California-raised priest of Filipino parentage
warned that as globalization and the
powerful cultural values of the West
spread, We have to be mindful of
cultural colonization as Pope Francis
would say. A first generation Filipino
who spent his formative years in
Elk Grove, California, Fr. Soliven
cautioned that children are not immune from losing their faith when
they come and grow in the United
States unless their parents fight for
their childrens souls.
The American culture is alluring

for any immigrant, even those with


strong Catholic background. Thus
with each passing generation, the
faith is waning, opined Fr. Soliven.
Fr. Soliven pursued undergraduate
studies at University of California in
Davis, but answered the call of priesthood when he entered the seminary for
the Diocese of Sacramento in 2004. He
was ordained in 2011 after two years in
Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon.
What probably struck deep into
the sublime consciousness of the
conferees was a prognosis Fr. Soliven
shared from his appreciation of a jolting declaration of Reverend Daniel
Robert Jenky, the eighth Bishop of
Peoria, Illinois. The bishop is quoted
as saying that The age of Cultural
Catholicism is over. Just like Bishop
Jenky, Fr. Soliven believes that We
need Catholics of conviction. Those
who made a decision for Christ and
His Church have to live up to that
decision. But Fr. Soliven warned
that this is indeed a difficult task in
a Western world that is now steeped
in secularism and materialism.
The day-long conference reverberated with the challenge of Fr. Soliven
to the missionaries: As Christians, they
have to go around the globe espousing
a culture that supports Catholicism.
CFC USA National Council Director for Church Relations Office and
ANCOP Executive Director Roger
Santos responded by citing that CFCs

response revolves around the following:


a) taking a giant step in evangelization
effort; and b) entering into a new stage
of missionary dynamism.
He suggested a three-dialogue
approach to the New Evangelization: inter-religious, inculturation
and, socio-economic involvement
or dialogue with the poor. Santos
reported that CFC is proceeding
vigorously toward diocesan collaboration and providing both fulltime
and volunteer-missionaries with adequate and appropriate preparation
and training. He reported that out of
the 192 dioceses in the USA, CFC
is already recognized in 46 Dioceses
as of 2014. He said the challenge lies
in increasing CFCs current presence
in 67 dioceses and 325 parishes.
CFC USA still has a long way to go,
considering there are 17,483 parishes
throughout the United States.
The CFC USA National Director
for Evangelization and Missions Rod
Bustos likewise enumerated the steps
to strengthening CFC Missions,
namely: Establishment, Enrichment
and Empowerment. Bustos defined
that the strategy to energize missions
is to strengthen Regional Missions
Centers and develop mission areas
into mission centers.
The afternoon session started off
with a role-playing workshop to
brief the participants on the best
practices in interacting with bishops

and priests. CFC SoCal Leader


Ricky Coronel facilitated the
workshop. The participants were
divided into eleven groups of
11 members each. After brainstorming, random reports and
dramatization were presented
during the plenary period. The
group leaders were Raffy Estrera,
Ding De Guzman, Don Fernandez, Nestor Mercado, Nonong
Marquez, Boy De Loyola, Neme
Cayabyab, Rod Yumul, Mel
Cruz, Dan Francisco and Vince
West.
The conference was capped
by CFC USA National Director
Eric Villanueva exhorting on
The Call to Mission. His wife
Pat, on the other hand, shared
about The HEART of One
Being Sent, with the acronym
HEART standing for Heedful,
Enthusiastic, Available, Ready
and Trust in Godall qualities
of a missionary. In conclusion,
Villanueva reminded, We are
on a mission from God because
CFC has families in the Holy
Spirit renewing the face of the
earth. He added, If you are
a Christ follower, you are a
missionary. Whether its next
door or across the globe, it is
our mission to share the love of
Jesus! (Feddie A. Espiritu, CFC
APC SOLD)

CBCP Monitor

C5

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

CFC India Love More


National Conference Held

Pastoral Formation Programs


Conducted Across Cfc India
Several pastoral formation programs were conducted in five states of India in April and May 2015.
Hector Poppen, CFC India head, and his wife Garnet, together with Mon Santiago, CFC India country
coordinator and his wife Tita traversed the entire length of country, starting from the south and going
through to the central, east and north territories of the country.

Kannamaly, Kochi, Kerala

The Second National Conference


of CFC India was successfully held
at St. Josephs High School, Bhubaneswar, Odisha in East India last
May 2-3. The weekend, anchored
on the theme Love More, was
hosted by CFC Bhubaneswar and
supported by His Grace Archbishop John Barwa, SVD of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.
A total of 58 participants from
the states where CFC has been
established since 2012, plus three
from the Philippines, attended.
Attending the conference together
with Archbishop Barwa were four
other priests: Fr. Sugayaraj SVD
from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh;
Fr. Joseph Raj from Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu and Frs. George
Anthony and Francis Cheerang of
Kohima, Nagaland.
There were also 24 volunteers
from the family of CFC members
and parishioners that looked after
the logistical arrangements, choir,
and cultural program.
Hector Poppen, CFC India
head, led the opening worship
on Day 1, and welcomed the
participants. Poppen pointed
out how much the Lord had
tremendously blessed the mission
in India, especially in Odisha
wherein the members grew from
just 44 members in 2012 to 1,226
in December 2014. He attributed
this to the strong support from

Archbishop John and the clergy


in the state, the sacrifice of Francis Almeida who resigned from
his good paying job in Canada
to serve one year full time in the
state, and also the commitment of
the local leaders in Bhubaneswar
to establish CFC in other areas
in the Odisha and even up to
another state in Chattisgarh.
Archbishop John welcomed
the conference delegates, exclaiming that he considered it a great
privilege to host the conference in
Bhubaneswar, the Temple city
and in Odisha, the land of martyrs
of our faith. He exhorted everyone
to continue what has already been
started by CFC in their areas and
to share CFC with more families.
The video messages of Joe Tale,
CFC Chairman and International
Missions Director; George Campos, CFC Executive Director and
Jimmy Ilagan, Continent Overseer for West, South and Central
Asia were aired. The three CFC
International Council members
praised God and thanked the CFC
India leaders and brethren for
their steadfast commitment to the
vision and mission of CFC. They
likewise congratulated them for
having brought CFC to six states
from just two states in 2013. They
extended their warm regards to all
the delegates and their families and
exhorted them to continue with

the same zeal and dedication in


2015 and beyond.
Conference speakers were Mon
Santiago, Erick Abad, SFC Regional Coordinator for South Asia,
and Hector Poppen.
One highlight of the activity
was the interactive meeting with
the clergy facilitated by Poppen.
Fr. Paul Raj of Palayamkottai, Fr.
Sagayaraj of Hyderabad, Fr. George
Anthony and Fr. Francis Cheerang
of Kohima. Peter TD of Hyderabad
and Michael of Palayamkottai
shared their experiences with,
and expectations of CFC in their
respective areas and recommended
that full time pastoral workers be
sent to India to ensure that the
CFC life and culture be imbibed
by its members.
The conference ended with a
Holy Mass officiated by Archbishop John and Frs. Sagayaraj,
George, Francis, Paul and the
assistant parish of St. Vincent parish, Bhubaneswar. In his homily,
Archbishop John said that CFC is
not just a movement, but a divine
plan of God in the world today for
families which will continue for
eternity. He reminded everyone of
the Gospel message saying that in
order to bear much fruit, Christians should be always connected
to Christ, remain in His love, the
true vine, because without Him,
nothing can be achieved.

Eighteen couples belonging to CFC Kannamaly,


which was established in April 2014 by a team from
CFC India, completed the MER 1 program conducted on April 18-19 at the St. Anthonys parish
church. Hector gave all the 7 talks and conducted
the healing session, all in Malayalam. The couples
actively listened to the talks and participated well
in the couple dialogue, and made the plans for
building our homes for God". Fr. Josey Kandanattuthara, the parish priest, expressed his elation
that all the couples who completed the CLP last
year also attended this years weekend retreat. He

officiated in the renewal of marriage vows during


the Holy Mass. All the couples, reinvigorated and
renewed in their love by the weekend activity,
voiced their excitement at the scheduled MER
II next year.
Talarkulam, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu

Over 20 couples attended the Covenant Orientation on April 22nd conducted by Hector
Poppen, who was assisted by Michael Rovalanche
and Fr. Paul Raj, CFC Spiritual Adviser in the area.
CFC was established in the area in July 2014 by a
team from CFC India and CFC Singapore.

CFC ANCOP Scholars Excel


this SY 2014-15

Agustin, Primrose

Soria, Fredielyn

School year 2014-15 was a banner year for the Child Sponsorship
Program (CSP) of CFC ANCOP, as
the CSP produced one (1) magna
cum laude, five (5) cum Laude and
seven (7) elementary/high school
valedictorians and salutatorians. A
large number of the scholars were
also included in the college Deans
List, were among the top ten in their
class and/or cited for academic and
non-academic performance.
Leading the pack of outstanding
graduates is Ruby Kailing, who
completed her BS Education degree, Magna Cum Laude, from the
Visayas State University, a premier
state-funded school in the Visayas.
Rubys parents only managed to
reach grade school and currently earn
their living as farmers, but this did
not deter them from providing good
education for their seven children.
After graduating from high
school, Ruby was out of school for
four years, enrolling in college only
in 2010, when she received funds
from the Give Love activity of
CFC ANCOP. The Leyte ANCOP
Global Walk (AGW) provided
annual funding for Ruby until she
completed college in 2015. As
Ruby now shares, I never lost hope
despite the eight long years I had to
wait to fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher. I trusted that the Lord
would provide for my needs and He

Beso, Jovie

Kailing, Rubie

did, through ANCOP.


Jovie Beso of ANCOP Metro
Manila South A, a scholar funded by
ANCOP USA since 2011, obtained
her BS Computer Science degree
from the Cavite State University. She
was hired by a large multinational
bank immediately after she completed her on-the-job training (OJT)
with the same company.
Frieldyn Soria is one of the
students supported by a partnership between CFC ANCOP and
Caritas Manila, with funding
support from ANCOP USA. She
completed her BS Biology for
Teachers at the Philippine Normal
University. Like the other scholars,
Frieldlyn never lost hope that she
would go to school even though
her parents are separated and her
mother earns a meager salary as a
housemaid.
ANCOP Canada has been supporting the education of Diane
Obillos since 2008 until her graduation at the Systems Technology
Institute where she obtained a
degree in Information Technology.
Dianne was an academic scholar
for the four years she was in college, with the support she received
from the CSP used mainly for
transportation, food and schoolrelated expenses. Another recipient
of the proceeds of AGW Leyte,
Jessa Ruales, completed her BS

Obillos, Diane

Ruales, Jessa

Economics at the Visayas State


University while Primrose Agustin
sustained her education as an accountancy student at the Antique
State University with support from
the provincial AGW funds.
Jovie, Friedlyn, Dianne, Jessa
and Primrose are all Cum Laude
graduates, a testimony to their
zeal, dedication and commitment
to excel despite the obstacles in
obtaining tertiary education.
The ANCOP scholars in elementary and high school levels also
excelled. Grace Olar (Southern
Leyte), Ruby Saludes (Ilocos Sur),
Josie Tirao (Camarines Sur) and
Angela Marie Lucero (Surigao del
Norte) all completed high school
as valedictorians. Anilov Martin
from MM Central A graduated as
valedictorian in elementary level,
while John Patrick Delima (Camarines Sur) and Diane Bacurin
(Camarines Norte) were cited as
elementary salutatorians.
For the past five (5) years since
2010, the CSP has been providing educational support to a total
of 6,939 poor and marginalized
students, among them members
of indigenous people, healed
Hansenite families, street children, abandoned orphans, sons
and daughters of farmers, fisherfolk, urban poor and calamity
victims. (Efren Tompong)

Hyderabad, Andhra Padesh

The Covenant Orientation for CFC members


was held at St John's Church (SJC), Ramachandrapuram, in the afternoon of Saturday, 25 April
2015 and on Sunday, 26 April, after the Mass.
Thirty-two parishioners (couples, singles, youth)
including the four couples who took the CFC
covenant in Oct 2014, attended the Covenant
Orientation Weekend. CFC Hyderabad was established in October 2014.
Ramon Santiago and his wife Tita conducted the
program with assistance from Rev. Fr. P. Sagayaraj,
parish priest, and a CFC sister. Talks 1, 2 and 4
of the CO were delivered by Mon, and Talk 3 by
Hector Poppen who came, along with his wife
Garnet, on Sunday morning. Fr. Sagayaraj and
Veronika did simultaneous translation of the talks
into Telugu, the local language, as there was a good
number of Telugu speaking participants. Singing
of hymns, praise, worship, and thanksgiving and
limited experience sharing formed part of the CO.
On the evening of 27 April, Mon, Tita, Hector
and Garnet, along with Fr Sagayaraj and Peter
T.D., CFC Hyderabad leader, and nine CFC
members gathered at the residence of Richard
Burgos, in Icrisat, 5 kilometers from St. John
parish, for the CLP Training program that was
conducted by Mon (Talks 1 and 3) and Hector
(Talk 2). Thereafter, the Lord's Day Celebration
was explained, demonstrated and led by Hector
and Garnet, assisted by Tita. All those present
participated in the thanksgiving prayers, breaking
of bread, and sharing of wine. Mon and Hector
then laid their hands on Richard Burgos and conducted the dedication ceremony that admitted him
into Servants of the Lord (SOLD). The gathering

wished Richard Godspeed as he was going back to


the Philippines after three years in Icrisat.
Bhubaneswar, Odisha

On April 29th, a household meeting was held


with the leaders of CFC Bhubaneswar at the
grounds of St. Vincent de Paul Pro Cathedral. The
12 local leaders and members shared how the Holy
Spirit has used them in spreading the mission of
CFC in other parishes of the diocese and other
dioceses. CFC Bhubaneswar was established in
November 2012 by a team from CFC Canada.
The following evening, Mon gave a talk on Pastoral Leadership, and Hector on Financial Stewardship to 14 members at the parish hall. Nabor,
CFC head in Bhubaneswar, did the translation in
Oriya, the local language of the state.

Nagaland

On May 5th Mon and Tita, with Hector and


Garnet and Fr. Thomas Toretkiu, secretary to
Bishop James Thoppil, travelled more than six
hours on 295 kilometers of mostly winding, rough
and dusty roads to Lumami to meet around a
dozen SFC members in Nagaland University,
Lumami campus. The SFC was established here
in November 2014.
A household meeting was conducted with four
members of CFC Kohima at one of the chapels of
the Mary Help of Christians Parish, the Catholic
Cathedral of the Diocese. Members shared the
challenges they face in sustaining the members
that joined the CLP in August 2014 but at the
same time were very optimistic about the potential growth of CFC in Nagaland, being the only
Christian state in India.

HOMILY, C2

The Gospel is very clearwe should always go back to the source, to always be connected to the One
who is the source of everything that we have. We should always have these attitudes, my dear brothers and
sisters, when we answer the cry of the poor.
First, humility. We have been called by God to participate in this holy work. We are not worthy, but
God called us. That is what Paul always tells the community in Corinthit is a chance for us, when
someone poor is calling out for help, to participate in self-giving love. Because giving is natural, and will
make us more human, more spiritual.
Secondly, when we participate in the self-giving love of God, we must always pray the prayer of
gratitude. When we always thank God, whether for victories of failures, because it is a realization that
everything we do is because of His grace, then whatever we do becomes holy.
And so, as we talk about and do our work with the poor, let us not lose our footing, to where we are
rooted. If we do, this becomes our work, not Gods work anymore.
Let us always remember that this is a call from God, the God who said, I hear the cry of the poor,
and I will answer them.

C6

June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13

The International MC Gathering A Homecoming

Liveloud 2015:
Tearing Down Walls
God is here. He is searching for us. He
wants to meet us but, because we have
built walls around and within us, it is
hard for us to receive that precious gift.
The good news is He wants to tear down
the walls between us and in us.
This was how Noli Manuel, International Coordinator of Singles for
Christ, exhorted the 11,000 young
people who came to the World Trade
Center in Manila last June 12, 2015
for Liveloud, an extraordinary Catholic
worship experience.

Members of the International Mission


Core from Metro Manila, the Philippine
Missions and International Missions were
welcomed by colorful balloons and photo
walls in a homecoming-themed assembly
last June 17, 2015 at the MOA SMX.
To complete the homecoming effect, the
CFC leaders were asked to come in colors
representing the decade when they joined
the community. Those from the 1981 to
1990 era came in blue, while those from
1991 to 2000 wore green. The graduates of
2001 to 2010 came in yellow, while those
who joined CFC from 2011 to the present
were asked to wear red. Everybody had
fun posing and taking photos with their
households and batch mates on the walls

bearing their color and decade.


CFC Chairman Joe Tale presided over
the prayer assembly. After the moving
worship and words of inspiration, the
MC posthumously honored two men,
both CFC leaders and movers in their own
rightsthe late Joey Arguelles and Bob
Serrano. They were accorded the Apostolic
Zeal Award to honor their contributions to
the mission of Couples for Christ.
Joey Arguelles was one of the pioneers
of Couples for Christ, who, with his wife
Tessie, joined the community in the late
80s. In his more than three decades of
serving the Lord through CFC, he had
raised many leaders and left a lasting legacy
of faith, devotion to Our Mother Mary,

CBCP Monitor

The two-hour worship concert has


been compared to Hillsong of Australia.
Liveloud, like Hillsong, tore down that
night walls of despair, hatred, pride, and
anger to allow the healing power of God
break through, via the Mass celebrated by
Fr. Ruper, the moving songs of victory and
praise and the powerful testimonies.
One touching moment was when everyone was asked to approach and hug the
person whom God used to help them tear
down the walls in their lives.
Indeed, singing was twice praying
at Liveloud.

service and love for brethren.


Bob Serrano, on the other hand, was a
spirited leader, a creative musician and a
loving father not only to his children, but
to all who he took under his wing. He was
the genius behind the 29 AD Musicionaries, as well as two of the most celebrated
musical plays born in CFCSelpie and
Teen Saint Pedro, the Musical.
The medals were given to their widows,
Tessie and Aileen, respectively.
The evening may have been a mixture of
joy and sorrow, but one thing is surethe
reminiscing of memories will always bring
CFC members back to the very reason why
each one responded to the call of the Lord
to serve in CFC.

CFC@34, C1

COP given by BCOP Chairman


Joe Yamamoto and Understanding
Corporate Social Responsibility
delivered by CFC Institute Chairman Jun Uriarte. The workshop
that followed was facilitated by
Bong Garrucho who came all the
way from Canada for this purpose.
In the evening of the same day,
all the leaders gathered at the SMX
Function Room 5 for the International Mission Core Gathering. The
leaders had fun as the night, themed as
Homecoming welcomed members
from the different decades in the history of CFC. Those who joined CFC
in the decade of 1981, when CFC
started, to 1990 came to the gathering in blue while those who joined in
1991 to 2000 wore green. Members
who trace their roots in CFC to the
decade covering 2001 to 2010 were in

yellow. The more recent joiners, from


2011 to the present, were resplendent
in their red outfits.
Although the leaders were up till
late in the night, this did not deter
them from attending the Mission
Symposium held at the SMX MOA
the following morning or the LayClergy Congress held at the same
venue in the afternoon. The highlight
of the day was the celebration of the
Eucharist by Bishop Elenito Galido.
The day was far from over. That
same night, everyone remained at
the venue for the Fellowship Night,
a dress-up occasion and time for simply enjoying each others company.
Friday, June 19, was an important
day for the CFC community. On
this day, the members of the Elders
Assembly, a 274-strong group of
leaders the International Council,

the Board of Elders, the Regional


Coordinators of the various continents, Philippine Mission leaders
including Regional Heads and
Provincial Area Heads, Metro Manila Sector Heads, heads of Family
Ministries and some social development programs, as well as their
wives - trooped to the chapel of the
Lay Formation Center of San Carlos
Seminary in Guadalupe, Makati,
for the election of the International
Council or the Board of Trustees.
(see related story on page 1)
Saturday, June 20, dawned bright
and sunny, auguring well for the
grand anniversary celebration slated
that day at the Rizal Park. As early
as 8 AM, CFC members and their
families began gathering at the park,
colorful in their CFC t-shirts. This
year, the venue was moved from the

Quirino Grandstand to the park


right in front of it. A gigantic stage
was set up at the center of the park,
with four huge monitors set up to ensure that everyone would get a good
view of the proceedings at the stage.
Food tents were set up all over
the park, adding to the festive atmosphere. Tents were also set up
for all the provinces and countries
represented, in anticipation of the
expected rains that had been earlier
been announced.
The stage was the venue for continuous entertainment, from dances
presented by Kids for Christ, Youth
for Christ, Singles for Christ and
Handmaids of the Lord, to songs
by the 29 AD Musicionaries.
The much awaited parade of
floats began at 3 PM and ended at
almost 5 PM, a long line of people

walking and showing solidarity with


their respective countries, areas, sectors and provinces.
The end of the parade signaled
the start of the culminating activity of the day the celebration
of the Holy Eucharist officiated
by Bishop Romulo de la Cruz
and three other bishops. Prior
to the Mass, CFC Chairman Joe
Tale delivered his anniversary
message, congratulating CFC for
reaching 34 and exhorting them to
continue, with greater vigor, with
the mission. George Campos,
Executive Director, honored those
who go on mission, especially
to difficult areas and exhorted
everyone to contribute to the
community effort.
By the time the Mass started, the
rain threatened to fall, with strong

gusty winds blowing away the bishops caps, leading Bishop de la Cruz
to joke that he was in the exact same
situation as Pope Francis whose
cap blew off amid the strong winds
that came as he was saying Mass at
the Tacloban, Leyte airport. But
the rains did not fall, much to the
delight of the huge crowd.
As dusk fell, after the Mass, the
crowd was led to full celebratory
mode by the Kids Praisefest led by
Ablaze President Rommel Ancheta.
Fireworks lit up the sky after the
praisefest, a fitting and colorful
ending to a tiring but truly enjoyable day.
Photos courtesy of John Paolo Bautista, Inigo
Buenaventura, Jason de Leon, Art del Rio, Jamie
Laguio, Jaen Manegdeg, Micah Melecio, Macky
Pasco, John Johriel Rosarda, Caloy Rubio, Ahyan
Talisic, Joey Tomas, Deo Oliveria, Jerry Tanigue,
Ruel Tenerife, Jay Umali, Carol Wong,

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