•A3 Pro-abortion Catholic

politicians should be
•B1 Message of the Holy •C1
Father on the The CROSS
denied Communion, Occasion of the XXIII Knights of Columbus Supplement
prelate says World Youth Day

Gov’t subsidies seen as www.cbcpnews.com cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net

tactic for ‘phantom-filled’
SONA
THE government’s new round of subsidies for
the poor is more of a tactic to build a “phan-
tom-filled” State of the Nation Address (SONA)
by President Arroyo this month, an outspoken
Catholic prelate said.
Apathetic with the Arroyo administration’s
recent efforts, Archbishop Oscar Cruz made the
warning after the government announced it is
going to release another P4 billion worth of
Gov’t / A6
Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace
July 21 - August 3, 2008
Prelate hits gov’t over
lack of openness about
JPEPA
A TRANSPARENT lack of transparency.
This was how a Catholic archbishop cried foul
against the Arroyo administration for constantly
invoking executive privilege over alleged
anomalous government projects.
The sentiment followed an outcry for the Ar-
royo government to allow its officials to fully
disclose terms of the controversial Japan-Philip-
Vol. 12 No. 15 Php 20.00 pines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
Prelate / A6

CBCP hasn’t ok’d condom use for HIV/AIDS patients

AN official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP) clarified there is no direc-
tive from the Vatican that married couples infected
with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and
those with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) can use condoms.
Fr. Melvin Castro, the executive secretary of the
Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL)
of CBCP denounced earlier media reports that CBCP
has given permission to use condoms for those with
HIV/AIDS.
“Media misinterpret Church’s teachings espe-
cially regarding contraceptives and abortion to suit
their political and media agenda and sensational-
ize it accordingly to increase readership and view-
ers and attract advertisers,” Castro told
CBCPNews.
Under no circumstances that both Vatican and
CBCP have ever made an official statement that
the use of condoms is okayed as a last resort, Castro
added.
However, there have been several clamors
among sections of the society, NGOs, political par-
ties and anti-life groups clamoring for use condoms
by HIV/AIDS patients, the priest said.
CBCP / A6

Solon assures bishop

Photo by Roy Lagarde / CBCPMedia

against support of
anti-life bills
SENATE President Manny Villar has assured
Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus Dosado, CM of his firm
At “The Forum, a weekly media discussion organized by Church-based media organizations, CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro rejected
stand against anti-life bills during their meeting as “morally unacceptable” the reproductive health bill now pending in Congress. Religious and pro-life organizations are locked in a struggle with some lawmakers over a legislative
on July 14 at the Archbishop’s residence, Banadero, initiative to institute a massive regime of population control that would employ contraceptives, sterilization and sex education.
Ozamiz City.

Church takes fight vs

Villar met with the Archbishop a day after the prel-
ate has issued a statement saying pro-abortion Catho-
lic politicians should be denied Holy Communion
unless they stop their pro-abortion campaign.
Dosado expressed elation upon knowing that
Villar is one of the three pro-life senators in the

birth control to the street

senate together with Senators Nene Pimentel and
Chiz Escudero.
At the meeting, Villar gave the assurance that
there is no threat the 14th congress may pass the
anti-life bills because majority of the Representa-
tives in the Lower House are pro-lifers.
Earlier, Dosado’s pastoral letter stating his un-
equivocal stand against anti-life politicians made
headlines.
Dosado said that in 2002 he issued the same pasto-
ral letter stating the case of pro-abortion Catholic
politicians that their parish priests should meet
them; instruct them about the Church’s teaching,
inform them that they should not receive Holy Com-
munion unless they stop their pro-abortion actions.
The prelate said he called and met with Misamis
Occidental first district Congresswoman Hermie
Solon / A7
By Roy Lagarde
PROPONENTS of the reproductive health and popu-
lation control measures will have to contend with
thousands of faithful marching in the streets in pro-
test.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philip-
pines said this will be a movement of Christian
believers opposing such “immoral” policies.
Fr. Melvin Castro, CBCP’s Commission on Fam-
ily and Life executive secretary, said they are gear-
ing for a possible protracted protest to ensure that
their respective positions are heard and considered.
Castro said the “prayer rally” this week is just a
tion against a proposed population policy.
The event will coincide with the CBCP’s celebra-
tion of the Humanae Vitae’s 40th year, the land-
mark encyclical issued by Pope Paul VI that deals
with Church’s uncompromising stand on birth con-
trol.
Castro said the rally will be started with a pro-
test march from Santo Domingo Parish Church in
Quezon City to the UST campus.
“It will be a bit festive because of the Humanae
Vitae’s 40th year but very militant as well,” Castro
said.
Consolidated
is now moving with “great speed” in the lower
House.
Provisions of the substitute bill include full fund-
ing for ligation and vasectomy and other family
planning methods considered as anti-life and anti-
family by the Catholic Church.
Atty. Jo Imbong, CBCP Legal Office executive
secretary, said these methods are to be part of
PhilHealth benefits and fully subsidized by the
same for indigent patients and identified sectors.
In the bill, she said, hormonal contraceptives,
intrauterine devices, and injectables which have
been identified as cancer-causing and hazardous to
women’s health by the World Health Organiza-

Islamic Council prelude of more rallies if Congress pushed through

in approving bills that allow the use of artificial
birth control methods in family planning.
The CBCP official said the gathering will par-
ticularly denounce the pending “Act providing for
a national policy on reproductive health, respon-
tion are proposed as “essential medicines”.
She added these birth control methods are also
proposed to be delivered by Mobile Health Care

condemns threats to Thousands of faithful are expected to join the rally

at the parade ground of the University of Santo
sible parenthood and population development.”
The Church official said it is a consolidation of
Service vans in all Congressional Districts which
will be paid for largely by Catholic taxpayers.

Basilan Catholics
Tomas in Manila on July 25 to show their opposi- various reproductive health bills and services which Church / A6

PROFESSOR Tajah
Basman, President of
the Philippine Is-
lamic Council, con- DOPIM SAC Directors Biking priest
demned the threats
won’t apologize
on Bishop Martin S.
Jumoad, the clergy
and the Catholic
fear violent ARMM polls for saying
boxing is brutal
faithful in Basilan
province. THE Social Action Directors of the Commander Bravo and the re-
In a statement sent ecclesiastical province of Dipolog, ported sighting of a “spy plane”
to CBCPNews, Pro- Ozamiz, Pagadian, Iligan and in the area.
fessor Basman said Marawi (DOPIM) expressed fears The DOPIM social Action Direc-
“they find the letter the coming ARMM election may tors’ meeting were attended by Fr. to be a better or more brutal fighter
funny and bizarre bring peace and order problems Albert Bael of Dipolog, Fr. REDEMPTORIST biking priest in the ring,” Picardal said.
because even the
Bishop Martin S. Jumoad, DD due to unsolved killings and the Zachariaz Montefalcon of Ozamiz, Amado Picardal clarified that he “Boxing is the modern day
Muslim leaders in Saudia Arabia, Brunei, Egypt, so-called unpredictable moves of Abeth Montiza of Pagadian, Fr. will not apologize to the irate fans equivalent of the gladiatorial com-
Malaysia, etc. don’t impose jizya (tax) or ask OFWs one MILF Commander Bravo. Albert Mendez of Iligan and Fr. of Manny Pacquiao who were an- bat in ancient Rome. These fights
to convert to Islam.” Fr. Zacharias Montefalcon, Jovit Malinao from the Prelature gry at him because of his comments among slaves were organized by
“Religious freedom is the rule of Islam and Mus- Ozamiz Social Action Director told of Marawi. about boxing as a brutal sport. the Emperors to entertain the
lims must not deviate from the true teachings of CBCPNews that DOPIM social ac- The DOPIM social action direc- Picardal bluntly stated in his masses so that they can forget their
Islam,” he further added. tion directors met on July 10 at tors urged the local government of blogspot recently that he is not problems. Of course, boxers don’t
He described the situation in Basilan as “a police Movers for Peace, Bañadero, ARMM including the PNP to inves- being thrilled about Pacquiao’s try to kill each other, but many
matter, which must not affect the good relations Ozamiz City where Marawi Social tigate the unsolved killings in the victory and he refused to hail him have been maimed or have even
among Filipinos.” Action director Fr. Jovit Malinao area and move to resolve current as a hero. died,” he added.
“Prophet Mohammad sent letters when he was said Marawi City residents ex- tension relative to the coming “I am probably one of the few “I believe that brutal sports such
Head of the Caluphate of Islam. The Basilan letter pressed fears due to the coming ARMM election. who is not rejoicing over as boxing have no place in civi-
senders are not even Barangay kagawads or Mayor ARMM election. Montefalcon added that as Pacquiao’s victory. I am appalled lized society. We should stop con-
so they don’t have any authority to impose any- Malinao reported that there agreed by the DOPIM social action at the sight of two boxers trying sidering boxers as heroes. If the
thing to the bishop and the Christians anywhere,” were unsolved killings and rare directors, they will regularly meet to hurt each other and knock each only thing we can be proud of is
Professor Basman explained. kidnapping in ARMM area and once every two months to assess other down. I cannot stomach nor our boxers like Manny Pacquiao -
After the threatening letters reached members people are afraid of a possible con- and evaluate their program of ac- can I glorify violence. I am never shame on us,” he further com-
of the clergy and religious of the Prelature of Isabela flict that may arise because of the tivities and discuss issues and con- impressed by anyone who proves mented. Biking / A6
Islamic / A6 unpredictable moves of MILF DOPIM / A6
 CBCP Monitor
A2 World News Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

Final Mass was largest

Next World Youth Day will be
in Madrid, Pope announces
SYDNEY, Australia, July 20, 2008—At the
Final Mass for World Youth Day in Sydney,
good response, so I think that it will be
good. We will try to do it as well as they
gathering of people in
Australia’s history
SYDNEY, Australia, July 20,
2008—The Final Mass concluding
World Youth Day celebrations
contained a number of distinctive
features. First and foremost
among the highlights is that it
was the largest gathering of
people in the history of Austra-
lia.
This Mass was the grandest and
most significant one in Australia’s
history, attended by twenty-six
cardinals, 420 bishops and thou-
sands of priests and religious.
Another extraordinary occur-
rence was the Confirmation of 24
people, including fourteen Aus-
tralians and Juan Martinez from
the U.S.A. It was a momentous
task to distribute Communion to
the masses, which involved 1,300
priests, Acolytes and Extraordi-
nary Ministers.
“This whole week has just been
a magnificent eye-opener to how
warm. Secondly I think it’s better for me
because it’s closer than Australia,” said
faith and God is alive among
young people and the Church in
Australia,” said Fr. Mark Podesta,
WYD08 spokesman.
“Never before has Australia and
Sydney seen such a mass gather-
ing of happy and exuberant
young people% it completely
transformed our city!”
Tomorrow, the Holy Father
will thank the 8,000 volunteers at
a special farewell party in the Do-
main beginning at 8:00 a.m.
The final farewell of the Holy
Father will be at Sydney Airport
when he boards his Qantas flight
to Rome at 10:00 a.m. on Monday.
Adrianna, one of the pilgrims
revelling in Spain’s chance to host
WYD11, invited all pilgrims to
Spain saying, “It’s a very beauti-
ful country, there’s lots to see.
People are very friendly, you’ll
make lots of friends and have fun
there with all of us.” (CNA)

Pope Benedict announced that the next
World Youth Day would be held in Madrid,
Spain in 2011.
Spanish pilgrims erupted into excited
chants of “Viva el Papa” “Estaes la juventud
del Papa” (Long live the Pope, We are the
youth of the Pope), waving a sea of yellow
and red Spanish flags when the announce-
ment was made.
Antonio, 30 from Madrid, Spain said, “I’m
very happy, very well, I’m happy that they
chose Spain. We had something in
‘CuatroVientos,’ it wasn’t a WYD but it was
a gathering of young people, and it had a
did it in Australia, but they set a high stan-
dard.”
“It was impressive when the Pope said
that the next WYD will be in Madrid, be-
cause I think that in Spain we need the
young people to be witnesses to Christ,
even when it seems that we are a very
Catholic country with a lot of faith, we need
to revitalize it, and rejuvenate it. We also
need it because as Spanish people we want
to give to others, the things we already re-
ceived,” said the 26 year-old Azucena.
“I love that it’s in Spain, firstly because I
think that Spanish people are funny and
Vatican requests
Flavio Lombardi, 17 from Madrid.
“I love to be here and I love Australia. I
think that the World Youth Day here was
fantastic,” he said.
“I am very happy because it is needed
and I’m really looking forward to being a
volunteer. I’m a bit disappointed that it’s
exhumation of Cardinal
not in another place because I will not be
able to learn about another country, but I’m
very happy that it’s in Spain.”
Newman’s remains
Later today Cardinal Antonio MaríaRouco dures surrounding the creating of
Varela will hold a press conference to dis- new saints by the Catholic Church
cuss the announcement that his Archdiocese concerns their earthly remains.
will host the next World Youth Day. (CNA) “These have to be identified,
preserved and, if necessary, placed
in a new setting which befits the
individual’s new status in the

President of Colombian bishops: ‘The Venerable John Henry Cardinal

Church.
“We hope that Cardinal
Newman’s new resting place in
the Oratory Church in Birming-
guerrillas have lost touch with reality’ Newman

LONDON, UK, July 16, 2008—The

BOGOTA, Colombia, July 17, 2008—In an in-
terview with the Colombian magazine
Cambio, the new president of the Bishops’
Conference of Colombia, Archbishop Ruben
Salazar, said the guerrilla rebels in the coun-
try “have lost touch with reality.” The bishop
encouraged the rebels to free all of the hos-
tages and to sit down for negotiations.
“The world has changed substantially dur-
ing recent years and the guerillas have re-
mained stuck in the past. They have lost
touch with reality. Violence can never be
the path for achieving a profound renewal
of society in justice and peace. The guerillas
must recognize that the moment has come
to free all of the hostages and to sit down at
the negotiating table. In this way they can
still make a contribution to the future of the
country,” the archbishop said.
He also noted that the Church neither sup-
ports nor opposes the government. “The
task of the Church is to be ‘salt and light.’
And she should help clearly to discover con-
crete paths that lead to what is good. We all
need to act with a greater sense of the com-
mon good. To do this one needs to be able
to renounce personal or group interests.
This should be a part of any decision,” the
archbishop stressed.
“One of the tragedies of the human be-
ing,” he went on, “is that he does not live
according to how he thinks, and therefore
he ends up thinking according to how he
lives. Without the strong experience of a
personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, it is
easy to choose the wrong path. The coher-
ence between faith and daily life is the fun-
damental condition for being a Christian,”
he said. (CNA)
exhumation of Venerable John
Henry Cardinal Newman has
been requested by the Vatican to
make veneration easier for his
devotees. The prominent nine-
teenth-century convert from the
Church of England is being con-
sidered for beatification, the last
step before he is declared a saint.
Cardinal Newman’s body was
buried in a small cemetery at
Rednal in 1890. According to the
Telegraph, the Vatican wants his
remains to be moved to a marble
sarcophagus in the Birmingham
Oratory.
Father Paul Chavasse, Provost
ham will enable more people to
come and pay their respects to
him, and perhaps light a candle
there.
“Many will surely wish to
honor this great and holy man.”
The exhumation and re-inter-
ment of Newman’s remains [will
be approved by the] Birmingham
City Council and the Ministry of
Justice, which was accused of “pro-
crastinating” but is expected to ap-
prove the action soon.
Newman, who became an
Oratorian priest after his conver-
sion, was involved in founding
the Birmingham Oratory. At his
funeral more than 15,000 people
lined the route to his burial place

Self-control, not condoms, is best HIV of the Birmingham Oratory, ex-

plained the reason for the request:
“One of the centuries-old proce-
located beside other deceased
members of his community.
(CNA)

preventer, South African cardinal says Canada’s 230,000 Knights

asked to call for revocation
on condoms would not change the rate of He cited the Uganda program against HIV
HIV infection in Africa. Rather, he argued, infection as a successful model. There, he said,
positive change would result from trusting the HIV prevalence rate was reduced from 29

Cardinal Wilifrid Fox Napier
SYDNEY, Australia, July 17, 2008—Cardinal
Wilifrid Fox Napier, the Archbishop of
Durban, South Africa, told an Australian news
program that a change in Catholic teaching
Boycotters protest McDonald’s support for ‘homosexual agenda’
WASHINGTON, DC, July 19,
2008—Some supporters of tradi-
tional marriage are protesting the
fast food corporate giant
McDonald’s over its decision to
join the National Gay and Les-
bian Chamber of Commerce
(NGLCC) and its spokesman’s
remarks suggesting those who
disapprove of homosexual acts
are driven by hatred.
The American Family Associa-
tion had organized a boycott of
McDonald’s for joining the
NGLCC, Cybercast News Service
reports. The boycott coalition also
objects to the corporation’s dona-
tion of $20,000 to the chamber and
the chamber membership of Ri-
chard Ellis, McDonald’s vice presi-
dent of communications.
The announcement of the boy-
cott prompted McDonald’s
spokesman Bill Whitman to say
in response “Hatred has no place
in our culture. That includes
McDonald’s, and we stand by and
support our people to live and
work in a society free of discrimi-
nation and harassment.”
of Morgentaler’s award
people to take control of their lives. to 6 percent in ten years with a program that
“You expect that because people are hear- promoted abstinence for unmarried Ugandans
ing from bishops, `You must use a condom’, and monogamy for couples. The program also
that they will do what the bishops say? the issued condoms only to married people. Car-
cardinal asked his interviewer. dinal Napier said the Church trusted in OTTAWA, Canada, July 19, 2008— the benefit of all.
“We have already been preaching all our people’s ability to control their own lives. Mr. Natale Gallo, President of the “Yet, shortly after your remarks,
lives, don’t have sex outside of marriage,” “At the moment, if you go on a policy of Canadian Association of Knights in a list published through your
Cardinal Napier told the SBS Dateline pro- condom distribution as the only solution to of Columbus, has called on office, we learned that one of the
gram, according to the Australian Associated HIV and AIDS, you are telling people that Canada’s 230,000 Knights to voice nominees for the Order of Canada
Press. they cannot take control of their own lives,” their opposition to the awarding award was Henry Morgentaler.
The cardinal, who is visiting Sydney for he said. of abortionist Hans Morgentaler Somewhere in between, you for-
World Youth Day, said South Africa has the “And, therefore, I think you are doing them with the Order of Canada and writ- got the hundreds of thousands of
highest rate of condom distribution, but still an injustice by saying: ‘You are so stupid. ten a letter to Governor General ‘links’ that over the last forty years
has one of the highest HIV infection rates in Even though this disease is a killer, you can- Michaëlle Jean asking for the deco- have been disposed of, thus break-
the world. not take control of your own lives.’” (CNA) ration to be “immediately re- ing that ‘human chain’ of which
scinded.” you proudly spoke.”
Gallo, the Canadian Knights of Gallo said the bestowal of the
Columbus president, accused the award upon Morgentaler “deni-
Governor General of forgetting the
hundreds of thousands of “links”
in the “human chain” that have
grates” the Order of Canada to the
point that it becomes “meaning-
less, futile and divisive.” He also
The comment was an “insult” Whitman’s comments. However diverse supply chain looks like died from abortion in Canada and wrote that he expected the award
according to Matt Barber, direc- a letter attributed to McDonald’s the customer and employee he urged all Canadian knights to to be rescinded immediately.
tor of cultural affairs at the Lib- chief diversity officer Pat Harris, bases they have, or the customer contact their government officials Writing in a separate letter to
erty Counsel, which supports the said: and employee bases they are try- to demand the revocation of the Canadian Knights of Columbus,
boycott “At McDonald’s, we respect ing to attract. honor. Gallo noted that the Order of
“He insulted tens of millions of and value everyone… Diversity “A company’s decision to be- Twelve of Canada’s 88 bishops Canada motto, from the Letter to
Americans who believe that the and inclusion are business im- come a corporate partner doesn’t are known to have also publicly the Hebrews, reads “desiderantes
historical definition of marriage peratives and integral parts of reflect its entrance into the so- criticized the honoring of meliorem patriam,” meaning
between one man and woman is our culture. We have a long and called ‘culture wars,’ as the con- Morgentaler, LifeSiteNews re- “those who desire a better country.”
important and crucial to society. proud history of leadership in servative AFA suggested, but ports. The critical bishops often “Indeed it is a sad day when this
He said that we’re haters and these areas and continually strive rather its commitment to diver- exhorted their flocks to witness to honor is bestowed upon such an
we’re motivated by hate. That, on to maintain a work environment sity in the workplace and in its the value of human life, to help individual as Dr. Henry
its face, is a bold-face lie,” he told where everyone feels valued and supplier relationships.” those tempted to abort their un- Morgentaler, who has brought
Cybercast News Service. accepted.” Labarbera challenged the state- born children, and to love and for- destruction to the helpless and de-
Peter LaBarbera, president of “We recognize and appreciate ment, saying the NGLCC is “a give those who have experienced fenseless unborn,” Gallo wrote.
Americans for Truth About Ho- the contributions diverse groups homosexual group which is abortion. He exhorted Knights of Colum-
mosexuality, also attacked the and individuals bring to our so- working to extend advances made Bishop Fougere said the decision bus state deputies and the more
comments. ciety, including McDonald’s. We by homosexual activist groups “belittles” the Order of Canada and than 230,000 Canadian knights “to
“This is a canard that the ho- stand behind and support over the last two decades or those who have received it in the stand united with our bishops” and
mosexual activists have been everyone’s right to live and work more” that also takes positions past. He asked Catholics to medi- to contact the offices of the Prime
pushing for years—that if you in a society free from discrimi- on legislation that concerns ho- tate on an important question, say- Minister, the Governor General,
oppose homosexual activism you nation and harassment.” mosexuality. ing: “In your prayer, ask yourself and their respective Members of
are somehow a ‘bigot,’ or a ‘hater’ A statement from NGLCC “McDonald’s paid $20,000 so the question: have we reached such Parliament to express their “revul-
or a ‘homophobe.’ It’s a scandal president Justin Nelson and CEO that one of its top executives could a stage of moral and ethical bank- sion” at presenting the award to
to see a spokesman for a seem- Chance Mitchell said the main have a seat on the (NGLCC’s) ruptcy?” Morgentaler.
ingly pro-family organization focus of the organization is to board of directors,” LaBarbera In a July 16 letter to Governor ”It is imperative for us to urge
like McDonald’s echoing the gay connect major corporations with said, according to Cybercast General Michaëlle Jean, Natale our Canadian government leaders
line like this,” LaBarbera said. “LGBT-owned (Lesbian/Gay/Bi- News Service. “How is that not Gallo referenced her Canada Day to ensure that this act of dishonor
McDonald’s did not respond sexual/Transgendered) busi- an endorsement of the homo- comments referring to each Cana- against our country and our fami-
directly to questions about nesses that want to ensure their sexual agenda?” (CNA) dian making a “human chain” for lies is revoked,” Gallo wrote. (CNA)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
Pro-abortion Catholic politicians should
be denied Communion, prelate says
REITERATING the Catholic
Church’s stand against abortion
Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus A.
Dosado, CM said pro-abortion
Catholic politicians should be
denied Holy Communion until
they bring to an end the objec-
tive situation of sin.
In a pastoral letter released
July 13, Dosado said a Catholic
politician who consistently cam-
paign and vote for permissive
News Features
sible, and the person in question,
with obstinate persistence, still
presents himself to receive the
Holy Eucharist, the minister of
Holy Communion must refuse
to distribute it.
Dosado added that this deci-
sion, properly speaking, is not a
sanction or a penalty. Nor is the
minister of the Holy Commun-
ion passing judgment on the
person’s subjective guilt, but
A3
present at Mass is an abuse that
Archbishop Jesus A. Dosado, CM
must be corrected.
Dosado stressed not all moral
issues have the same moral
weight as abortion.
“For example, if a Catholic
were to be at odds with the Holy
Father on the decision to wage
war, he would not for that rea-
son be considered unworthy to
present himself to receive Holy
Communion. There may be a le-

Photo by Wendell Talibong / catholicfaithdefender.blogspot.com

abortion should be instructed on
Church’s teachings and in-
formed by parish priests that he
is not to present himself for
Holy Communion until he
brings to an end the objective
situation of sin or otherwise he
will be denied the Eucharist.
Quoting from the Pontifical
Council for Legislative Texts
Declaration “Holy Communion
and Divorced, Civilly Remar-
ried Catholics” [2000], number
3-4, the prelate stressed that
when these precautionary mea-
sures have not had their effect
or in which they where not pos-
rather is reacting to the person’s
public unworthiness to receive
Holy Communion due to an ob-
jective situation of sin.
Citing the General Principles
of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
(now Pope Benedict XVI), June
2004, titled “Worthiness to Re-
ceive Holy Communion”
Dosado said taking Communion
should be a conscious decision,
based on a reasoned judgment
regarding one’s worthiness to
do so. The practice of indiscrimi-
nately presenting oneself to re-
ceive Holy Communion merely
as a consequence of being
gitimate diversity of opinion
even among Catholics about
waging war, but not about abor-
tion,” he added.
The local ordinary said apart
from an individual’s judgment
about his worthiness to present
himself to receive the Holy Eu-
charist, the minister of Holy
Communion may find himself
in the situation where he must
refuse to distribute Holy Com-
munion to someone, such as in
cases of a declared excommuni-
cation, a declared interdict, or an
obstinate persistence in manifest
grave sin. (Wendell Talibong)

Bishop tells Gov’t ‘to stop Diocese focuses on

killings of farmers in Masbate’ values through FEC
THE Diocese of Mati is now since the families are the ones
strengthening the preservation of who belong to the BEC.
Christian values through its for- FEC started three years ago
The death of Making a statement on the recently con- mation program dubbed as “fam- and is now organized in the five
Yusi, president of cluded Second National Rural Congress last ily ecclesial communities” (FEC). parishes in the diocese namely
the Ticao Farmers July 7-8, Ledesma said as Catholic bishops, According to Sr. Mila Arnado, Sacred Heart Parish in Mati, El
Federation and pastors, leaders, and teachers, they listened LGC the FEC is just like the Basic Salvador del Mundo in Caraga,
the Samahang with faith to voices of the rural poor. For Ecclesial Communities (BECs) Sto. Rosario Parish in Calapagan,
Anak ng many people in the country, farming is a way program where the formation is San Ignacio Governor Generoso
Magsasaka ng of life, not just another business and it helps centered on understanding and and St. Francis Xavier in
Famosa, Inc. feed the nation. appreciating the Word of God. Sigaboy, Davao Oriental.
(SAMFAI), oc- Despite the strong support from farmers and The FEC program is con- Meantime, in Davao City
curred barely two their organization, Comprehensive Agrarian ducted through prayer, worship there is an on-going seminar
weeks following Reform Program (CARP) funding was not ex- and listening to the Word of God which aims to help the faithful
the murder of tended last July 10, 2008. Since then, farmers and is being done inside the fami- grow in faith held at San Pedro
Photo by Dennis DAyao / CBCPMedia

Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ
IN a press conference July 21, Cagayan de
Oro Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, execu-
tive chair of the Second National Rural Con-
gress, appealed to President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo to “stop the killings in
Masbate” and “secure the lives and commu-
nities of farmers.”
“It is the landless, the exploited, the disad-
vantaged and the powerless who have the
single most urgent claim on the conscience
of the nation today. It is also the death of Ka
Bito and the 45 others who were also killed
in the name of agrarian reform, whose chil-
dren, families and fellow farmers seek jus-
tice for the lost lives and the rightful claim to
the lands they tilled and died for,” he said.
The latest victim was a peasant leader
Alberto Yusi, July 20. He is the fourth victim
in land-reform related killings in the prov-
ince in less than seven months.
peasant leaders
Rene Llabres and
Junrie Pagaspas.
The three were
reportedly killed
by armed men in
military uni-
forms.
Yusi was the
provincial chair
of Ugnayan ng
Mga Nagsasariling Organisasyon sa
Kanayunan (UNORKA) in Masbate.
In Dec. 2007, New People’s Army guerillas
allegedly killed peasant leader Mark An-
thony Vale, a village captain.
Vangie Mendoza, national coordinator of
UNORKA, said about 40 farmers have been
killed nationwide since 2001.
“Government and military are not doing
enough to stop killings of farmers,” she said
in a press conference at the CBCP.
Masbate bishop Joel Baylon earlier re-
ported that he, some priests and Catholics,
have been receiving death threats allegedly
from Muslim rebel groups, anti-social groups
and landlords.
Killings of farmers and landless peasants
are related to land dispute. The CBCP de-
manded for the immediate action on the kill-
ers and perpetrators of violence in Masbate.
are left on their own to hurdle grave threats in
their lives and communities. This is evident
in the recent killing of farmers in Masbate.
The farmers had earlier been dissuaded
from pursuing their land reform petition
because they were informed “CARP is al-
ready finished.” Farmers were also pre-
vented from farming and harvesting coco-
nuts. Their farm lots were also taken over by
people who were ‘loyal’ to the Hacienda
Batuan owner.
In Calatagan, Batangas, Asturias Industries
attempted to enter the 507 hectares that have
previously been granted Emancipation Pat-
ents to farmers through Presidential Decree
No. 27. Farmers are calling on government
to have the Mining Production Sharing
Agreement granted to Asturias Industries re-
scinded and the lands covered by CARP, as
these remain agricultural holdings.
Ledesma said, “The Second National Rural
Congress underlined an agreement that there
should be wider and equitable distribution
of land for the small farmers, that landless-
ness is a problem, that large landholdings
should be broken up, that farmers should
have secure tenure and assisted to produce
more and raise household incomes, and that
land-to-the tiller should continue to be the
underlying principle of the country’s agrar-
ian reform.” (Santosh Digal)
lies’ respective homes and fam-
ily members gather together as
one community.
Arnado as quoted by Davao
CATHOLIC HERALD also
stressed that being a domestic
Church the family should be
strengthened.
Arnado also believe that as
families are strengthened, the
Basic Ecclesial Communities
(BECs) will also be strengthened
Nuncio urges clergy to be
open to signs of the times
IN a meeting with the clergy of
the Archdiocese of Caceres and
Prelature of Libmanan, Arch-
bishop Edward Joseph Adams, ap-
ostolic nuncio to the Philippines,
urged the priests to remain open
to the changes of the times so as to
become effective men of God.
The apostolic nuncio met the
clergy at the Basilica Minore of
Our Lady of Peñafrancia, a day
after the installation of Libmanan
Bishop Jose Rojas, Jr. on July 2.
Cathedral Parish which started
July 14 to 18.
With the theme, “Christian
Growth Seminar,” the gathering
is intended for those who are
part of charismatic communities
and for those who have attended
the Catholic Life in the Spirit
Seminar held last summer.
The nightly seminar starts at
6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Registration is
free. (Mark S. Ventura)
message from the Holy Father,
Pope Benedict XVI.
Of the more than 300 priests
who attended the installation
rites, almost the same number
attended the meeting with the
papal nuncio.
The local clergy were happy
for the chance to meet with the
Apostolic Nuncio. Most of priests
who attended the meeting said
the nuncio’s message was timely
and relevant.

CBCP reiterates demand for

He stressed that priests should “We were like cellular phones
be happy in the work they do whose batteries are low and his
challenging them to continu- message helped us recharge,”
ously adjust to the changing said Father Granwell Pitapit, par-

CARP extension with reforms

needs of the times to become ef- ish priest of St. Joseph the Patri-
fective in their ministry. arch in Bahay, Libmanan,
He also conveyed to them the Camarines Sur. (Elmer Abad)

THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the reform is an obstacle to large-scale produc- Iñiguez.

Philippines (CBCP) appealed to the Arroyo-
government to extend the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) with re-
forms.
Speaking at a press conference on July 21
at the CBCP Media Office, Kalookan Bishop
Deogracias Iñiguez, chair of the CBCP pub-
lic affairs committee, said that agrarian re-
form, through a reformed CARP, be placed
at the center of the country’s agricultural de-
velopment, transformation and competitive-
ness.
CBCP also demanded that Congress
should approve House Bill 4077 for the ex-
tension of the CARP.
Poverty is mostly a rural and agricultural
phenomenon which has to be addressed to
for the sake of agricultural progress and sus-
tainable economic development, said
Iñiguez.
The prelate reiterated that studies provide
categorical evidence that agrarian reform
translated into faster agricultural develop-
ment, which, in turn, leads to sustainable
economic growth. In the Philippines, stud-
ies show that inequality in asset distribu-
tion, particularly land, is associated with
slower growth.
CBCP denied the argument that agrarian
tion efficiencies. Instead, the experience of
contract growing, cooperative farming, and
similar arrangements in the Philippines, and
in other countries, indicates that there is no
incompatibility between large-scale produc-
tion and small-scale ownership of land.
The bishops also wrote a letter to Presi-
dent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House
Speaker Prospero Nograles, Senate Presi-
dent Manny B. Villar, and Chief Justice
Reynato S. Puno urging them for the “direct
and physical distribution of all agricultural
lands as opposed to non-redistributive
schemes.”
The other concerns included in the bish-
ops’ demands are to “address policy and
implementation problems that are obstacles
to the completion of the CARP extension
program, the requisite appropriations of at
least P50 billion, ensure strengthened credit
and support services to farmer beneficiaries,
and Congressional monitoring and over-
sight with major CARP stakeholders of
CARP implementation and Department of
Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) performance.”
CARP extension with progressive reforms
would truly benefit poor farmers who re-
main landless, barely able to eke out a de-
cent living from one day to the next, said

The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Law was enacted as a social justice measure
Visit us online at
to address the inequality of over-concentra-
tion of land ownership. After 20 years, 1.3M cbcpnews.com
hectares of CARP lands remain undistrib-
uted, consisting mainly of large haciendas
that have been included in the CARP from
its inception. Poverty still exists in the coun-
try, not because of CARP but because it has
not been fully and properly implemented.
“There is no doubt that the manner in
which the DAR has been implementing the
program leaves much to be desired. Add to
this the perception of corrupt practices in
the department, especially in many deci-
sions on exemptions and conversions that
farmers have questioned and remain unre-
solved,” said Iñiguez.
In a letter to the President, the congres-
sional leaders and Chief Justice Puno, the
bishops sought the “direct and physical dis-
tribution of all agricultural lands as op-
posed to non-redistributive schemes.”
They asked Congress to act as a monitor-
ing and oversight body in the implementa-
tion of CARP and hold the Department of
Agrarian Reform for its less than satisfac-
tory performance. A total of 1.2 million hect-
ares are still to be covered. (Santosh Digal)

A4
EDITORIAL
Who’s spreading disinformation?
ALBAY representative Edcel Lagman bluntly accuses
the Catholic Church of “deliberately spreading ‘falsehoods’
about the government’s consolidated bills regarding
reproductive health and family planning,” as quoted by
national dailies.
He calls the upcoming prayer rally on July 25 as “this
vaudeville of misinformation” and blurts that “it is, however,
disheartening that those who claim to be purveyors of truth
are, in fact, peddling misinformation,” referring to the
contents of a document entitled “Manifesto of Filipino
Families” which was adopted liberally by the Episcopal
Commission on Family and Life.
And he laments that the manifesto “will only mire the
faithful in ignorance and shackle our women to a life of
unremitting pregnancies because it contains deliberate
falsehoods.”
Obviously used to derailing bigger issues on the floor by
swatting an iota of technicality, the gentleman from Albay
has nit-picked on the manifesto’s allegation that “congress
is railroading the family planning bills.” Lagman says this
is not true, and by virtue of it now calls the Catholic Church
as “spreading falsehoods”.
Whether the railroading of family planning bills in congress
is true or not, is definitely not the real issue. The big issues
are the bills themselves which are attractively and
euphemistically, and therefore, deceptively, called
“Reproductive Health and Population Management Bills.”
It is true, for instance, that in Section 3 of the substitute bill
approved by the Committee on Health, it states that
“nothing in this act changes the law on abortion, as abortion
remains a crime and punishable.” But in the same section
it talks about “post abortion complications” of women
“who shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-
judgmental and compassionate manner.” Simply put, if the
bill does not promote abortion, then why provide for “post
abortion complications”?
Without being too naïve, the bill actually promotes abortion
because in another section it gives women the right to
choose between the artificial and natural family planning
means of birth control and makes available a wide range
of contraceptives. And, Virginia, there is an unbreakable
link between contraception and abortion—otherwise, go
and tell it to the marines!
The bigger disinformation, of course, is to link the poverty
of Filipinos to the growing population as a cause to an
effect. Lagman pontificates, “An inordinately huge
population growth rate of 2.04 percent imperils family life
as a ballooning population impacts adversely on health,
education, food, security, employment, shelter and the
environment—the very essentials of sustainable family
life.” This is an old myth. Until today, population control
and reproductive rights movements have not produced a
single piece of evidence showing the direct connection
between family planning and economic development.
What is undeniably true is Filipinos are getting poorer
because of massive extravagance and endemic corruption
in Lagman’s government. If only congressmen are honest
with their pork barrels, which they are afraid to part with,
and forego of their expensive junkets abroad, and get dead
serious about running after their corrupt peers, the country
will have saved annually billions of pesos enough to buy
food, health, education and basic services to the
impoverished Pinoy.
But in fact the gigantic deception, disinformation and lies
are the regular modus operandi of the global conspirators
against life. These are the gods and the seemingly
inexhaustible fund sources of local hirelings in congress.
Without even backtracking to the NSSM 200 of Henry
Kissinger, already an organized platform of action against
life loomed in the United Nations International Conference
on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo on
September 1994. This was sealed in September 1995
during the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing,
China.
Aside from bullying, financing and massive media campaign,
these global conspirators against life has succeeded, or so
it seems, in equivocating the meanings of eugenics, health
and environment, maternal and child care, gender rights,
and reproductive health in a sweeter lexicon that is
otherwise grim and horrible.
So, who are telling lies? Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus Dosado,
CM, should be hailed for calling a spade a spade and
withholding Holy Communion to persistent public sinners.
ISSN 1908-2940
CBCP Monitor
P r o ta g o n i s t of Tr u t h , Promoter of
Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief
Pinky Barrientos, FSP Kris P. Bayos
Associate Editor Feature Editor
Melo M. Acuña Rosalynn Garcia
Managing Editor Marketing Supervisor
Dennis B. Dayao
Ernani M. Ramos
On-Line Editor
Circulation Manager
Roy Q. Lagarde Marcelita Dominguez
News Editor Comptroller
The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP
Communications Development Foundation, Inc., with
editorial and business of fices at 470 Gen. Luna St.,
Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO.
Editorial: (063) 404-2182. Business: (063)404-1612.
Email: cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net
Website: www.cbcpworld.net/cbcpmonitor
Opinion
Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS
Love Life
I WAS in the novitiate of the Good Shepherd
Sisters, Los Angeles, USA when it was an-
nounced to us that His Holiness Pope Paul VI
had issued an encyclical—”Humanae vitae”. Of
all the nuns and novices in the convent, I must
have been the one most interested in the pope’s
letter on the topic of human life. I had just
finished my BS Nursing and even then, in the
early 60’s we were already learning the names
of the different contraceptives. Since I gradu-
ated from St. Paul College, a Catholic school,
it was emphasized to us that we were being
taught about the contraceptives, not to pro-
mote it but to be aware of their side-effects.
The only method of natural family planning
then was the calendar rhythm method.
I did not give much thought about the en-
cyclical for the rest of my formation years in
the convent, until I returned to the Philip-
pines and was assigned to the Good Shep-
herd Home for Unwed Mothers. It was then
that I started to think of the situation of these
pregnant girls and women who opted to give
birth to their babies instead of abortion. And
I wondered how many other women must
have actually gone into abortion during their
earlier weeks of pregnancy because they did
not know where to go for help.
By God’s grace, I was invited to attend a
talk of a Benedictine priest, Fr. Paul Marx,
the founder of Human Life International. That
‘Heart’—a faith-based movement on
anti-Graft and Corruption is born
THE “HEART” Movement was born during
the initial gathering of faith-impelled and
church-based groups currently involved in
initiatives against graft and corruption.
Bishop Artemio Rillera, during the Dilaab
update in La Union last January 2008 saw the
need for those involved in the same advo-
cacy to get together. Taking this cue, Fr.
Carmelo Diola head of the Dilaab/Barug
Pilipino anti-graft and corruption group of
the Diocese of Cebu, and Fr. Albert Alejo, S.J.
of Davao, writer of the anti-corruption
conscientization modules, EHEM/AHA, ar-
ranged to convene the groups already doing
work on anti-graft and corruption and good
governance. Receiving this invitation last
June 15, Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes of the Epis-
copal Commission on the Lay Apostolate
decided to attend the session together with
Atty. Mia Zafra and myself to represent
CBCP-LAIKO’S Advocacy for Good Gover-
nance.
It was an audacious attempt on the part of
the two organizers to call a meeting that is
Peace
national in scope. Fr. Mel Diola confessed
that he had no resources (secretarial, finan-
cial, etc.) to support this undertaking. Fr.
Albert Alejo, inspite of his enthusiasm to act
as one of the convenors, has no office of his
own at all and relies only on his computer
(e-mail) and cellphone to inform would-be
participants. With the enthusiastic response
from national organizations and coalitions,
the two-day spirit-filled sharing session cul-
minated in the birth of a new movement—
the HEART Movement. Truly this was a gift
from the Holy Spirit! At first the venue men-
tioned was San Jose Seminary, Ateneo de
Manila University. The attendees were sup-
posed to take care of their meals, lodging
and transportation. A few days before the
scheduled meeting on June 26, we learned
that the venue was relocated to the Training
Room of the Communication Foundation of
Asia, Santa Mesa, Manila. The meals and sec-
Layout by Denz Dayao
retarial services as well as communication/
media services would be sponsored by Com-
munications Foundation of Asia, thanks to
its President.
The profiles of these participants foreshad-
Humanae vitae was
right
was in 1974, just a year after the US Supreme
Court passed the infamous Roe v. Wade case,
legalizing abortion up to the ninth month of
pregnancy. Fr. Paul quoted Humanae vitae on
the dignity of human life and warned us Fili-
pinos never to legalize abortion here. He
also showed the connection between contra-
ception and abortion, and pointed to us the
articles in Humanae vitae of the abuses and
devastation that a birth control/population
control movement could bring to nations.
I was very touched by his presentation.
Immediately, I asked for copies of the films
on abortion that he showed us. He gener-
ously gave me all the materials I needed in
order to begin a pro-life campaign. I went to
schools and parishes to show the films and to
talk on alternatives to abortion, services we
can offer to stop premarital sex, abortion and
to promote natural family planning. That was
the beginning of the Pro-life Movement in
our country.
Around that time, the government adopted
the population control program and set up
the Population Commission, receiving mil-
lions of dollars to distribute condoms, pills,
injectables, perform ligations and vasecto-
mies. Students in grade school were taught
that a “small family is a happy family” and
high school and college students were taught
family planning, with emphasis on the use
Jose B. Lugay
owed a mixture of conflicting outputs—a) Bish-
ops who with their authority could pose ob-
jection to any action violative of the “com-
mon good”; b) Priests whose theological
groundings are process oriented rather than
problem-solving and action-oriented; c) Non-
technical/legal lay people whose final aim is
to “catch the thief” and to protect
whistleblowers rather than system change for
the prevention of corruption; d) Professionals
who are fed up with the system of corruption
ranking this country as the most corrupt in
Southeast Asia which calls for agitating po-
litical reform; e) Lay leaders concerned about
the corruption existing at the level of the lo-
cal government and their support services in-
cluding that of the police force, f) Coalition of
organizations working at the national level
concentrated on providing trained observers
to government institutions. This mix of advo-
cacies of the participants made the convenors
avoid calling the affair a conference but only
as an exploratory gathering.
Two personalities who attended the ses-
sion are worthy of special mention since they
both represent the active fight against cor-
ruption within the present political system—
Former Tanodbayan Ombudsman Simeon
Marcelo and Governor Ed Panlilio. With
these diverse mix of highly involved advo-
cacy groups and individuals enlightened by
the homilies during the Eucharistic celebra-
tion of Archbishop Ramon Arguelles on the
first day and Bishop Broderick Pabillo on the
second day, we were assured that we would
follow one track of resolutions—our contri-
bution for the common good for the King-
dom of God and country. One may also ex-
pect that the outcome of this gathering will
not fall into the same demise as some great
Church conferences in the past—that is,
NATO (No Action Talk Only) according to a
high-ranking perceptive clergy.
Fr. Melo Diola started with these three
questions: 1) What is your group about? 2)
What blessings are you most grateful for? 3)
What are the hindering factors? One by one,
as the participants’ charisms and work accom-
plishments became known, progressively, we
realized the presence of a greater force that
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
of condoms, pills and IUDs.
Indeed, the sexual revolution had begun.
Pornography proliferated, pro-homosexual
groups demanded not only tolerance but their
own definition of gay rights, onset of pre-
marital sex started at younger years, and adul-
tery and infidelity became common. Humane
vitae described all that as stemming from a
contraceptive mentality—simply put—sex
but no baby at any cost.
As I write this, plans are being finalized
for the Prayer Rally for Life and Family on
July 25 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of
the encyclical Humanae vitae. We will gather
to affirm our fidelity to the Catholic Church
teachings on value of Life, Marriage, Family,
Sexuality and Fertility. We will also be ex-
pressing our strong opposition to the impend-
ing bills and ordinances that are contrary to
the teachings found in Humanae vitae such as
the Reproductive Health and Population
Management Act.
Often times I wonder, if Pope Paul VI had
not gone against the popular demand for the
Church to allow contraceptives, how many
millions of lives and families would have
been deprived of the graces received through
a faithful life within the sacrament of matri-
mony, practicing responsible parenthood
and natural family planning, and accepting
each child as a gift and not a burden.
Laiko Lampstand
propelled the group to act as one. Should we
organize and follow the traditional corpo-
rate way of organizing? Without much dis-
cussion nor any objection, each participating
member/organization agreed to retain its
own identity and continue with their advo-
cacy work. What is new is that each organi-
zation would be amenable to share their gift
of expertise/resources with others when the
occasion arises. It was the consensus to call
this gathering as a MOVEMENT. The partici-
pants approved it in no time. This collective
group, individually awakened by what was
shared by each participating group, realized
that working together as one will make a
great difference—probably the empowering
mechanism for the social transformation
longed for by CBCP since PCP II.
Fr. Gerry, as erudite as ever, proposed a
better and more apt acronym, HEART. In-
spired by the input of Bishop Arguelles who
admonished that we should not consider a
group like this as the “critical mass” a term
used as the motive force of the EDSA people
power revolution. Rather, Bishop Arguelles
asserts, it was the Spirit of EDSA—the
Epiphany of the Saints—referred to by the
late Cardinal Sin, as the motive force for
change during that time. This spirit lives on
today among us. Fr. Gerry recalled that the
Filipino people had a pre-EDSA experience
in welcoming the Spirit—the celebration of
the Marian Year in 1985. This culminated in
the National Marian Congress with “Educa-
tion in Faith” as the objective. Then in 1986
came the People Power Revolution. The Na-
tional Eucharistic Year was celebrated after-
wards. On this note Fr. Gerry proposed the
acronym HEART with the corresponding
platform for action:
H – Holiness - the call to all the People of
God.
E – Education in faith for social transfor-
mation
A – Advocacy – movement for communal
action
R – Resource mobilization
T – Transformation – truth telling and
whistle-blowing
Laiko / A6
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
Nicolo F. Bernardo
Lifeguard
LIFE begins at 40. That’s how to dub the 40th
anniversary of the papal encyclical On Hu-
man Life (Humanae Vitae) if only its message
could finally come across. Much as this docu-
ment on contraception is “papal,” many pro-
ponents of the “Reproductive Health” bill
dismiss it as parochial.
But even without doing theology, their
argument fails to hold water. Just the title of
this bill—”reproductive health”—institution-
alizing artificial birth control is misleading. I
remember the philosopher Voltaire saying
that the Holy Roman Empire (Germany) was
neither “holy” nor “Roman” nor “Empire.”
In the same way, I could just die laughing
that this “reproductive health” being pro-
posed is tagged as “reproductive” and for
“health.”
The proponents’ objective is to prevent
mortality rates among women not ready to
bear babies. So far so good. But their means?
Making women sick with contraceptive side
effects.
Oops! I understand that they find that “side
effect” argument incredulous. After all, the
contraceptive methods they are promoting
got the World Health Organization’s (WHO)
thumbs up. Simply because most medicines,
even the Paracetamol, have side effects. But
you can only include contraceptives among
the “essential medicines,” as the bill pro-
poses, if you think fertility and pregnancy
are “essential illnesses.” There’s the rub.
We’ll have a law implying that to be fertile
or to be pregnant is to be essentially sick!
Or maybe because they are just being in-
consistent, or they can’t admit they figured it
all wrong. After all, the same WHO through
its International Agency for Research on Can-
cer has labeled hormonal devices such as the
E-VAT is for the poor
TO disprove reality by indulging in fantasy,
to challenge the conclusion of common sense
with contrary technical jargon, to fill empty
stomachs with sterile statistics and pencil
pushing are sublime examples of defending
the indefensible%
these are the strange ways devotedly taken
by some people staying in “Cloud 9” while
living on earth. The understandable ap-
proach made by certain individuals vainly
trying to shield their big beneficent boss un-
der threat of losing bottomless E-VAT gains
to fool around with.
In other words, the claim that E-VAT is sim-
ply great for the poor as it is something nec-
essary for their misery alleviation and even
mandatory as an effective instrument of gov-
ernment national development efforts is fu-
tile and incredible. It is an official Malacañang
ridiculous and empty claim, which brings to
fore the following unnerving questions: Why
is it then that Filipinos in general are in fact
much poorer now than before? Why millions
of children are now in effect more hungry,
while millions too of the elderly are less able
to have the medicines they need? In other
words, where have the E-VAT government
multi-billion gains really gone?
There must be something fundamentally
Rev. Euly B. Belizar, SThD
By the Roadside
I REMEMBER my professor in Moral Theol-
ogy coming to class one morning and sol-
emnly dropping a bombshell. Boxing, he
said, is an immoral sport. How can it not be
immoral, he continued, when it involves two
people whose overriding aim is, at the least,
to outscore one another by power punches
that land (which is to say truly hurt) and, at
worst, to demolish each other by TKO? We
attentively listened and silently, if grudg-
ingly, agreed. And yet I saw a flaw in the
way he arrived at his declaration. He was
looking at boxing from the perspective of
someone coming from the affluent West (he
was a European) and worlds away from that
of someone coming from desperate condi-
tions in helplessly poor countries, such as the
Philippines or Mexico. For a special class of
young men boxing is a way out of grinding
poverty and hopelessness for themselves and
their families (despite Pacquiao’s rhetoric
hiding or belittling his earnings his boxing
victories have earned him enormous wealth
that’s the envy and dream of every poor Pinoy
young man). This is what primarily drives
them into the sport and which they unabash-
edly aim at. It would only be secondary, one
that they can’t help since, as the saying goes,
“it goes with the territory”, that they would
have to hurt or kayo an opponent. I wouldn’t
ask my professor to revise his position (I
share the same conviction after all) but I
would suggest that he expand his field of vi-
sion to adopt a more compassionate evalua-
tion of boxers, with no little help from the
gospel injunction not to be judgmental so as
not to be judged oneself.
On the other hand, I must admit that even
while I was cheering Manny Pacquiao’s bril-
liant performance in snatching the light-
weight title from David Diaz (in addition to
Opinion
Anti-reproductive, anti-
health
pill, injectables, and implants as type-1 carci-
nogenic (the worst category). See their July
2005 press release. Pills are said to induce
certain types of cancer (cervical, liver and
breast), while reducing some (endometrian
and ovarian). There you go, the woman is
given the choice what cancer to suffer. Oh,
that’s how pro-choice they can get!
Or maybe, the proponents are ignoramus
of history. They missed the fact that the very
first prescription drug to receive warning
labels from the US Food and Drug Adminis-
tration was the pill. It still has the warning
labels now.
Okay then, so let’s then drop the pill, and
the hormonal injectables and implants as
well. But how about the IUDs?
As to these IUDS (read “I, yoU, Deads”),
many products such as the Dalkon Shield,
Lippes Loop, Copper-7, Tantum-7, etc. ini-
tially approved for sale in the market had to
be withdrawn due to lawsuits, for reasons
like uterine perforation. The IUDs available
today work just the same. These may also
prevent the implantation of an already con-
ceived baby. It’s guaranteed try now, sue later.
What about the condoms? Well ask con-
dom users around—I mean the women—and
they’ll tell you that they do experience UTI
and vaginal irritation. Maybe they should
also get this report from the German and
Veterinary Investigation Institute in 2004:
there are traces of N-nitrosamine, a highly
carcinogenic substance, in 29 of 32 condom
types.
One thing more, although promoters call
condoms universal “protection” against STDs
and unwanted pregnancies, they can’t offer
protection for the “heart.”
How about sterilization? Now, that’s per-
Oscar V. Cruz, DD
wrong with why is there so much E-VAT in-
come for the government vis-à-vis so much
loss to the people. If any and all direct and
indirect taxes continuously paid by some 88
million Filipinos to the government are even-
tually meant for the common good and pub-
lic welfare of the same paying citizens, why
is it then that the government has substan-
tially nothing to prove it? Why is it that there
are more popular resentment and bigger
frustration towards the ruling administration
all over the country?
It is appalling to note that the huge
amounts of E-VAT charges are levied upon
practically anything and everything people
buy and pay for—from food to fuel, from
shoes to clothes, from housing materials to
coffins. It is even more outrageous what the
present government does with the “Katas ng
E-Vat,” viz. money dole outs here and there,
grocery grants to these and those people. This
must be something fundamentally distorted
with the mentality of the present govern-
ment—or something basically rotten with the
way the ruling administration looks at pub-
lic funds. In all probability akin to certitude,
there is something putrid why the national
leadership and its minions could not and
would not let go of E-VAT—even if all the
Lessons from Pinoy
phenomenon called Manny
three others in a historical first for an Asian
and a Filipino), I felt a tinge of guilt and sad-
ness over watching a ‘global gladiatorial con-
test’ (even if it involved one Filipino—‘our
gladiator’—against a Mexican-American). At
the same time I wondered how or why we, as
a people, could find more national pride in a
sensational boxer than, say, in someone like
my cousin Dr. Julius who decided to forego
being a nurse in America or the UK where he
could earn plenty more money for himself
and his family in order to serve some of the
country’s poorest of the poor in far-flung
Silvino Lobos in Northern Samar. Why are
Pinoys like him rarely get cheered as they go
through their sacrifice that definitely lasts
longer than a boxer’s seven to eight weeks of
preparation before a match?
To my mind the Philippines has no dearth
of real heroes but many of them remain un-
sung because we are singing mostly what
sensational media feed us. We need real he-
roes, too, who can inspire today’s Pinoys into
showing forth their true greatness in spite of
our tendency to, as it were, shoot ourselves
on the foot. As pundits and ordinary people
keep on watching, pondering and endlessly
analyzing Pacman’s exploits, let’s not, how-
ever, brush aside some real lessons that send
real messages directly to the Filipino
Everyman from the phenomenon that is
Pacquiao.
Pinoy, you are second to none. Centuries of
colonization under Spain and America have left
behind a deep scar in the Filipino psyche—a sense
of inferiority complex. At times any reflective Pinoy
realizes how he is, as it were, programmed to con-
sider Western cultures and races as his masters
and models. Even today there are traces of this
tragedy that continue to haunt our culture and
people like ghosts that we can’t shake away. Manny
manent surgery. Surgeries are best done for
therapeutic reasons, unless you can entertain
the idea of mutilation—cutting off a healthy
functioning body organ and still call that “re-
productive health.”
Finally, spermicides and creams? These
have gone to unpopularity not just because
of being cumbersome, but due to a tragic case
back in 1986. The US Supreme Court had Ortho
Pharmaceutical pay $5 million to Katie Wells,
who was born with a cleft lip, no left arm, a
blind right eye, and a deformed right hand,
left clavicle and shoulder. The reason was that
the spermicide chemicals were not able to
kill the sperm but so deformed it, thus the
baby named Katie. Just for you to know,
condoms are now being mixed with
spermicides for better sperm-killing. Once
the tandem fails, just read the case of Wells v.
Ortho suppose you need to sue.
The list of other complications and real-
life stories is endless that I find it hard to
believe that radical feminists and human
rights advocates find the argument uncon-
scionable. I blame their selective agenda. We
didn’t hear any feminist whining about the
contraceptive patch, the newest contraceptive
method, released in 2002 that caused 20 fa-
talities due to blood clots, strokes, and heart
attacks. Talk about safe and effective modern
methods!
It seems that our representatives, much as
our media, need an avalanche of these kind
of information, if only to give them a secu-
lar, informed choice on whether to give their
yeas or nays on artificial contraception. The
dissenting opinion of Justice Burger in the
US case Eisenstadt v. Baird could only be right:
“The actual hazards of introducing a particu-
Lifeguard / A7
Views and Points
heavens say so!
This must be why even the formal and pub-
lic call made by the CBCP for the govern-
ment to at least review the E-VAT law, espe-
cially that appended to fuel, is after all a shout
in the wilderness, a jab at the wind. Reason:
Without the overflowing E-VAT collections,
how could the government continue its stan-
dard graft and customary corrupt practices?
What would the administration pay for its
luxurious living and lavish spending? How
could the national leadership pay for its self-
serving programs and projects, buy the loy-
alty of its ally national and local public offi-
cials—in view of the coming critical 2010?
There are many images that come to mind
when a most corrupt, much distrusted and
very discredited national leadership is made
to handle and spend unlimited public funds
coming from taxes plus local and foreign
loans. It is like putting Dracula in charge of a
blood bank. It is like a wolf made to watch
the sheep. It is the exact picture of Alibaba
and the Forty Thieves at a treasury.
E-Vat in favor of the poor is hogwash. E-
Vat for the self-promotion of the administra-
tion is a hard-hitting truth. For, E-Vat is a
socio-economic curse among Filipinos after
all.
Pacquiao has, to a certain extent, successfully
struck a decisive blow on the usual reasons Pinoys
cite behind their sense of inferiority and, having
broken through an incredibly thick wall, he teaches
us to realize that we are just as gifted as any people.
We need to re-evaluate and pack away our sense of
inferiority.
Pray and work hard to attain your dreams.
No one in his right mind would call into question
Pacman’s work ethic. Many attest to his tremen-
dous capacity to practice and work out even be-
yond the required hours. But seldom has anyone
given enough coverage of his prayer habits, his
spiritual and Bible readings. In my view Manny
Pacquiao has, to a certain measure, applied to box-
ing the monastic rule of “Ora et Labora” (Pray
and work), something his fellow Pinoys could al-
ways do well to emulate so as to achieve the same
winning form against our personal, family or na-
tional crises and challenges.
Do your best for others too (not only for
yourself or family and friends but truly also
for God, country and especially the poor).
It’s certainly worth our while to consider what
drives Manny Pacquiao in his quest for boxing
success. The hunger for titles and making history
are a given. In addition, however, Pacman has de-
clared many times how he is fighting his best for
the sake of others—his fellow Pinoys (to give them
and the country a reason to be proud of) and vic-
tims of today’s calamities (to share with them part
of his winnings and organize ways, such as con-
certs—questions about his singing talent notwith-
standing—to inspire others into sharing part of
their devaluing peso too). Fortunately he backs up
his words with real winning deeds (beyond the
ring, that is). If only our political leaders could
follow suit, politics wouldn’t have such a bad name
anywhere but especially in the land of Lolo Jose
(Rizal).
Focus on your real gifts, not on self-made
A5
Michael Cook
Commentary
Catholic and cool in
Sydney
WORLD Youth Day 2008 in Sydney was a triumph for the Catho-
lic Church and its 81-year-old head, Pope Benedict XVI. About
400,000 people attended a final Mass on Sunday (July 20), briefly
making the pilgrims’ destination bigger than the nation’s capi-
tal, Canberra. Some baffled journalists described it as a Catho-
lic Woodstock—the 1969 orgy of, drugs and sex and rock ‘n roll
which became an iconic moment for baby-boomers. But 40
years later, the world has moved in an unexpected direction.
WYD, the biggest youth event in history, is an anti-Woodstock,
a repudiation of the materialism and secularism of the baby-
boomers.
After years of being booed offstage, the curtains have again
opened and God is being greeted with tumultuous applause.
As a young woman commenting the event on Australian TV
said, with unabashed confidence, it used not to be “trendy” to
be a Catholic in Sydney, but now “it’s become cool again”. No
wonder the news that Madrid will host WYD 2011 was greeted
with such jubilation.
The response of young people was stunning. About 125,000
pilgrims made their way from across the world, despite in-
creased air fares and the immense distance which isolates Eu-
rope and the Americas from Australia. After months of scrimp-
ing and saving many from overseas would have spent 20 to 30
hours in the air to reach Sydney. And despite negative reports
in the media and lukewarm support from many Catholic
schools, they were joined by another 100,000 Australian pil-
grims. On the last day, when Benedict celebrated a Mass at
Randwick Race Course, thousands more joined them.
The Vatican and Sydney’s Cardinal George Pell had planned
this event as a catechesis, a teachable moment, a festival of
Catholic culture, teaching and prayer. For pilgrims who came
early, dioceses around the country organized talks on contro-
versial topics like Catholic views on sexuality, bioethics, faith
and reason. During the week immediately before there were
addresses from Catholic bishops from around the globe.
In fact, one of the striking features of Sydney’s World Youth
Day was how naturally Gen Y slotted into traditional aspects
of Catholic devotion and doctrine which the Woodstock gen-
eration spurned as fossilized relics of the pre-Vatican II era.
Not so, said today’s youth.
Entering a new era
During the days leading up to the climactic Mass, young
people were queuing up for the Catholic sacrament of Recon-
ciliation, or Confession, and to spend time in prayer in churches
before the Eucharist. Thousands walked 9 kilometers to
Randwick across Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge—closed to
traffic for only the third time in its history—often singing
hymns or praying the Rosary if they were not kicking a foot-
ball or skylarking. Some carried huge banners saying, “We
love our German Shepherd”. A Saturday evening vigil was
followed by vast slumber party on the site where Mass was to
be celebrated the next day. Confessions continued throughout
the night and even at three in the morning, a tent with the
Blessed Sacrament exposed was full of young people praying.
And even the most churlish journalists had to admit that the
pilgrims were cheerful, high-spirited and ordinary, not the
scowling killjoy zealots some had expected. A group calling
itself the No to Pope Coalition—a collection of drag queens,
homosexuals, atheists and (believe it or not) lesbian Raelians—
showered passing pilgrims with condoms as they streamed
over the Harbour Bridge. But the stunt provoked only laughter
and pained perplexity. “They’ve all got their own opinions,”
remarked an 18-year-old New Zealand girl. “We’ve got our
own beliefs and we’re not going to change it because of them.”
Pope Benedict clearly enjoyed the celebration. Nowadays he
responds more spontaneously to the enthusiasm and affection
of crowds. But although he received a pop star’s welcome, he
had came as Pope “to the end of the world” determined to
reenergize the Church in Australia and to urge young people
to commit themselves to God.
Enormous challenges ahead
The task of rebuilding the Catholic Church, in Australia as
elsewhere, is an enormous challenge. Almost overshadowing
the exuberant welcome given to the Pope in the local media
were protests by victims of clergy sex abuse. It is claimed that
more than 100 Catholic clergy have been jailed for this in re-
cent years. There were insistent calls for an apology—and the
Pope apologized during a Mass with the bishops, seminarians
and young religious: “These misdeeds, which constitute so
grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation.
They have caused great pain and have damaged the Church’s
witness... Victims should receive compassion and care, and those
responsible for these evils must be brought to justice”.
Despite the shadows, Benedict’s rapturous reception in
Sydney shows that Christianity is far from dead, or even dor-
mant. Flags from dozens of countries were waving in the stiff
breeze which blew up as World Youth Day drew to a close.
Amongst them was the red star of the People’s Republic of
China. Even there, in an officially Communist regime, the Pope
has enthusiasts. Over the past five years a bitter secularism has
sought to push religion into a closet. Books by proselytizing
atheists have captured the imagination of the media. Now,
after a week of joyful, unashamed religious sentiment Down
Under, everyone knows that there is a viable alternative. God
is back in the game.
(Michael Cook is editor of MercatorNet)
ones. Remember Pacman’s doomed attempt at a political career? Has he
learned his lesson? Apparently not. But we can always see the undeniable
truth: The gift of political leadership does not always come with the gift to
excel in boxing or in anything for that matter. It’s always profitable to aban-
don dreams based on gifts that are more imagined than real. Then, we can
focus on our real gifts, as Pacman focused on boxing, and develop them too.
Remain humble or begin to crumble. Pacman is a certified crowd-
drawer because of his extraordinary boxing talent and charismatic personal-
ity. Part of his charisma as a person is his signature humility, one that a
person senses in the way he restrains himself from pointedly bragging about
himself or about his achievements and skills but also from disrespecting his
opponents (apparently there are exceptions, such as when he talks about
boastful ones). To my mind, humility marks the true champion. If Pacman
stays humble, should he lose (which could come as unexpectedly as his now
meteoric stature), that would keep him from making an embarrassingly hard
fall. Coming from humble beginnings and from a mother who prays hard for
him and his other siblings, Manny Pacquiao makes it a point to acknowledge
his Source before, during and after a fight. He reminds me of the Blessed
Virgin Mary’s declaration in the ‘Magnificat’ that “He (the Lord) has put
down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly” (Lk 1:52).
If pride goes before a fall, humility sustains a rise and eases up a
slip down.
 CBCP Monitor
A6 Local News Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

CBCP downplays Solon’s claims

FR. Melvin Castro, Executive Secretary of the
CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Family
and Life downplayed claims made by Albay
Congressman Edcel Castelar Lagman that the
Catholic Church is spreading falsehoods
about the controversial family planning bill.
In an interview with CBCPNews, Castro
said “while it is true one cannot find the term
abortion in the so-called family planning
bills, and we thank Congressman Lagman
for that, the problem lies in the word repro-
ductive health as defined in the United Na-
tions, includes abortion.”
“Though abortion is considered illegal in
the bill, experience tells us once contracep-
tive culture is promoted, abortion is not far
behind,” the executive secretary said.
Former Senator Francisco S. Tatad, Direc-
tor for Asia and the Pacific of the Interna-
tional Right to Life Federation, said to be the
biggest Pro-Life group worldwide and mem-
ber of the Governing and International Boards
of the World Youth Alliance actively lobby-
ing the United Nations and European Union
on issues on Human Life and Human Rights,
said he is willing to debate with anybody on
the issues involving reproductive health.
“I am willing to take on anybody, from
politicians to population control advocates
and NGOs from abroad, provided they would
guarantee the time and space to debate,” the
former lawmaker said.
Tatad said “it is the politicians who do not
understand the issues on family planning at
all.”
“We are saying the State can legislate on
politics, economics, business, sports, the pro-
fessions and allied activities but it can not
legislate on the rights of man as man; and
population has to do with pro-creation and
this is a human right that the state may not at
Retired Manila
all intervene,” he further said. (Melo Acuna)
priest found dead
RETIRED Monsignor Agerico
Galang, 61 years old, from the
Fr. Melvin Castro - Archdiocese of Manila, was
CBCP’s Episcopal Com-
mission on Family and found dead at around 11:25
Life, Executive Secretary a.m. on July 17, at 3rd Floor of
D-1 Celebrity Community
House, Zuzueregie St.,
Barangay Old Balara, Quezon
City.
Senior Supt. Magtanggol
Gatdula, Quezon City Police
District director said initial re-
ports indicate the fatality may
have been dead for the past
three days. Scene-of-the-
Crime-Operatives (SOCO)
have been dispatched to the
diagnosed to have heart ail-
ment but opted not to un-
dergo heart bypass proce-
dures.
Yamsuan described Galang
as a “quiet type of person.”
Retired Manila Auxiliary
Bishop Teodoro Buhain said
Galang was “not very outgo-
ing, for he was a bit reserved.”
Buhain, former district
bishop of Quezon City South
based at Santa Rita de Cascia
Parish church, said the last
time he met Msgr. Galang was
during his assignment in
Christ the King Parish at Vet-

Poverty is the real problem, not people says bishop area.

MANILA Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo
said the real problem facing the country to-
day is poverty and not the growing popula-
tion as some people may claim.
In an interview with Catholic-run Veritas
846, the prelate said the Philippines is saddled
with many problems, from unemployment
to rising prices of prime commodities, to
graft and corrupt practices, which continue
to keep the country and people poor.
“We should not blame the rising popula-
tion because it is the Filipino people who
sustain whatever gains we have today as
shown by the country’s human resources,”
Pabillo said in Pilipino.
“We should not even look at people as ex-
pense as people in government should put
an end to poverty,” he further added.
When asked whether the Catholic Church
is coercing lawmakers to abandon the pend-
ing reproductive health bill at the House of
Representatives, the CBCP Chairman of the
Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Jus-
tice and Peace said the Church hierarchy is in
a persuasive campaign.
“How can there be coercion?” the prelate
asked. He explained the proposed legislation
threatens medical practitioners administra-
tive sanctions should they refuse to involve
themselves in artificial birth control practices.
“This is in violation of a medical
practitioner’s human rights, especially if he
cannot take its provisions in conscience,” the
prelate said.
Pabillo said the Catholic Church is not
against family planning. “Parents should plan
their families through responsible parent-
hood [and] through education,” he further
explained.
Asked if Sex Education among the country’s
young would be of any help, Pabillo said
there is a very strong possibility such would
focus on techniques rather than values of sexu-
ality. He said “sex is sacred and that life is a
gift from God.” (CBCPNews)
Initial information gath-
ered from the scene said the
priest appeared not to have
had any external injury.
Galang was said to have re-
sided in the area for the past
two years but the Archdiocese
of Manila has kept his address
confidential because the
former wanted privacy.
In an interview with
CBCPNews, Archdiocese of
Manila’s Office of Communi-
cations Director Peachy
Yamsuan said Galang retired
some years ago after he was
erans Village.
“Once you get to know him
and he gets to know you, he
turns out to be a warm per-
son,” the retired prelate
added.
“He just came to the Arch-
diocese of Manila’s chancery
two weeks ago to get his iden-
tification card,” a source at the
Arzobispado de Manila said.
Prior to his retirement
Galang was assigned at the
National Shrine of the Sacred
Heart in Makati City and Our
Lady of Fatima at Galas,
Quezon City. (CBCPNews)

Church / A1 Islamic / A1

2 child policy
Bishops-Legislators Caucus of
the Philippines executive direc-
tor Fenny Tatad said private sec-
tor will be compelled, as pro-
posed by the bill, to provide free
delivery of ethically and morally
questionable family planning
methods and services.
She said Collective Bargaining
Agreements between employers
and employees are required to
include birth control and other
services in their agreements.
Though not “mandatory and
obligatory,” the bill also pro-
poses a 2-child policy.
“This and all the above-men-
tioned proposals are considered
gross violations of the pro-fam-
ily provisions of the Constitution
CBCP / A1
Although some claim that
with condom the number of
HIV/AIDS infected persons can
be reduced, it is a “myth,” Castro
said.
Citing an example from Thai-
land, Castro said Thailand intro-
duced mass distribution of
condoms in 1980s and 1990s, but
figures of HIV/AIDS infection in
Thailand have doubled since
then, he said.
People should be educated
and provided information on the
HIV/AIDS and how people can
Prelate / A1
The prelate said it’s disgrace-
ful that the government is con-
tinuously breaking its very own
rule which is to have transpar-
ency in the government.
“The victims of this ‘privilege’
when invoked by a much dis-
trusted administration are the
mandate of transparency in a
democratic society and the im-
peratives of honesty and integ-
rity on the part of elected public
authority,” said Cruz.
He said it’s but proper that the
public must be made well in-
formed about the details of the
bilateral agreement.
The former president of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines noted JPEPA’s al-
leged provisions concerning
toxic wastes from Japan being
sent to the Philippines in ex-
change of allowing the deploy-
ment of overseas Filipino work-
ers.
Asked what could be the gov-
ernment after in pursuing the
deal, Cruz said it could be in the
projected remittances to be sent
by would-be OFWs.
The Supreme Court yesterday
Biking / A1
His comments received a lot
of insulting remarks from
Pacquiao fans for the past days.
“I will not apologize to any-
one for expressing my opinion
nor will I tolerate any insult or
abusive language (in this blog),”
Picardal said in his recent post.
Instead, he moderated the com-
ments section.
“Speaking of heroes, we are
the only country who considers
our boxing champions as heroes.
and the universal right to health
of citizens,” Tatad said.
“Public funds coming from
Catholic taxpayers will fund
these programs which is oppres-
sive and in violation of their uni-
versal right to religious freedom
and the freedom to live their
faith in an environment that is
free of coercion and harassment,”
she added.
Tatad also said the bill proposes
the increase of government per-
sonnel to service the requirements
of the proposed legislation.
“In all these, the Catholic tax-
paying faithful will be made to
fund programs and projects con-
trary to their moral and religious
convictions and the teachings of
their Faith,” she said.
protect themselves from being
infected.
“What is demanded is self-dis-
cipline, and being faithful to one’s
partner would go a long way to
curtail the HIV/AIDS menace,”
Castro, who is also chancellor in
Tarlac diocese, said.
The Department of Health
(DOH) National Epidemiology
Center said there were 35 HIV-
positive and AIDS cases in May,
84 percent higher than the num-
ber reported during the same
period last year. The figure
Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, DD
upheld Malacañang’s invocation
of executive privilege in refusing
to fully disclose the terms of
JPEPA.
The 10-4 ruling in favor of
Malacañang is already the second
High Court decision allowing the
invocation of the executive privi-
lege, which allows members of
the Executive Department to
refuse questions involving their
discussions with Arroyo.
(CBCPNews)
Muhammad Ali, the black heavy-
weight champion, was never
considered a hero in the US, rather
it was Martin Luther King, the
civil rights leader,” he said.
“Heroes are not just object of
admiration, they are role mod-
els. I wouldn’t want our little boys
to grow up thinking they can be-
come heroes by using their fists
and beating up other boys,”
added Picardal. (Mark S.
Ventura)
‘Grave matter’
The CBCP is calling on the
faithful to participate in con-
demning a “grave matter” that
some government leaders are
pushing.
“It is our way of telling our
legislators strongly but respect-
fully that we are in opposition
of these bills,” Castro said.
Members of over 45 lay and
religious Church groups such
as the El Shaddai, Couples for
Christ, congregations of men
and women and students will
attend the rally.
The three-hour activity which
will start at 3pm on the theme
“Humanae Vitae 40” Biyaya ng
Buhay, Biyaya ng Pamilya” will
feature at least two parts.
brings to 212 the total number
of cases for the first five months
of this year.
Of the 35 cases, seven of them
involved overseas Filipino
workers.
As of 2005, a recorded 38.6 mil-
lion people were living with
HIV worldwide — 12 percent of
them were less than 15 years old
¯ and 2.8 million had died of
AIDS. Of those infected, 4.1 mil-
lion were new cases.
The Philippine Health Depart-
ment AIDS registry has recorded
Gov’t / A1
subsidies for the poor.
Cruz, the archbishop of
Lingayen-Dagupan, said the
government’s “Katas ng VAT
(value added tax)” subsidies are
just tools to show the govern-
ment is responding to the needs
of the people.
He said it could also be used
by the government to prop up
her “sagging” credibility in
time for her coming SONA on
July 28.
“When Malacañang an-
nounced the new Php4 billion
subsidy for the poor, in reality,
these are actually subsidies to
her sagging trustworthiness
and acceptability and are being
used in preparation as a prop
for the coming SONA that could
cite nothing truly positive,”
Cruz said.
The money will be ear-
marked from the VAT that came
DOPIM / A1
cerns of their respective areas.
Montefalcon added their
agenda yesterday included the
upcoming Catholic Social Ac-
tion Work on October 13-20 at
St. John the Baptist Church,
Jimenez, Misamis Occidental
with the concelebrated Mass to
be presided by Dipolog Bishop
Jose R. Manguiran, the prepa-
ration for Gender Sensitivity
for Men; the coming Mindanao
Social Action General Assem-
bly on October 27-30 in
Tandag, the National Rural
Congress Sub-region consulta-
tion to be held at Linamon,
Iligan City and the update of
farmers’ assembly.
(CBCPNesws)
Organizers said the first part
will feature testimonies and
talks from lay couples and
Church experts on the values
and message of the encyclical.
The second part will be a Eu-
charistic Celebration (Holy
Mass) with CBCP President and
Jaro Archbishop Angel
Lagdameo as main celebrant
with the cardinals, archbishops,
bishops and priests of the Phil-
ippines as co-celebrants.
Manila Archbishop
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales,
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philip-
pines Archbishop Edward Jo-
seph Adams, and San Fernando
Archbishop Paciano Aniceto,
ECFL chairman, will deliver
messages.
2,719 cases in the Philippines
from 1984 to 2006. Returning
overseas Filipino workers
(OFWs) accounted for 35 percent
of the cases, but the manual’s Re-
source Book points out that other
sectors do not have mandatory
HIV-antibody testing.
According to the National Epi-
demiology Center 68 percent of
HIV-positive people in the Phil-
ippines were infected through
sexual contact, 56 percent having
been involved in homosexual
activity. (Santosh Digal)
from oil products, which the
bishops have earlier sought to
be reviewed saying this only
result to even higher fuel prices.
The archbishop said the gov-
ernment should also refrain
making its people look like beg-
gars seeking for alms from their
government.
After all, he said, the money
being distributed by the govern-
ment actually came from the
people who are taxpayers.
“The few who could receive
the subsidies would again feel
like beggars much indebted to
their benefactor when in fact the
money comes from them
through the infamous VAT,”
Cruz said.
He reiterated that the better
solution in addressing the needs
of the people would be to just
scrap the VAT altogether.
(CBCPNews)
Laiko / A4
While we believe that their
work was accomplished success-
fully through the guidance of the
SPIRIT, we would like to con-
gratulate Rev. Fr. Carmelo Diola,
Rev. Fr. Albert Alejo and the
Communication Foundation of
Asia’s office staff and manage-
ment for making this first Spirit-
led Movement a success. In be-
half of LAIKO, we support to ad-
dress the problem of graft and
corruption as listed in the doables
volunteered by the members of
the HEART Movement, which
encompass all factors detailed in
the framework spelled by
HEART – Holiness, Education,
Advocacy, Resource Mobiliza-
tion, and Transformation.
(de Basilan), Bishop Martin S.
Jumoad said he will meet with
his 17 priests, five from the
Claretian and Franciscan mis-
sionaries tomorrow in time for
their monthly retreat tomorrow
together with 27 nuns from six
religious congregations.
In an interview with
CBCPNews, Bishop Jumoad said
“we will reflect on the recent
events, including the threatening
letters send to non-Muslims in the
prelature.”
He said many Catholics have
expressed fears after receiving
the letters purportedly from the
dreaded Abu Sayyaf who gained
notoriety for the kidnap-for-ran-
som activities and murder sprees.
The Provincial Peace and Order
Council already met last Friday
and discussed the issue but no defi-
nite plan of action has been
drafted to respond to the threats.
The PPOC meeting was chaired
by Basilan Governor Jum
Jainuddin Akbar, one of the wives
of the former governor and law-
maker Wahab Akhbar who per-
ished in an explosion at the House
Erratum:
In last issue of CBCP Monitor (July 7-20, 2008), portions of Abp. Angel Lagdameo’s
column In and Out of Season, and Jose Lugay’s Laiko Lampstand were inadvert-
ently deleted. We are reprinting here the deleted portion. Our apologies - Eds.
In and Out
to consider the moral legacy
of the servant of God, Pope
Paul VI in Humanae Vitae. The
Church has not ceased to pro-
claim with humble firmness
the moral law of which she is
faithful depositary and au-
thentic interpreter (HV 18).
While we consider popula-
tion growth as a valid concern,
which should be addressed
more directly with socio-eco-
nomic methods, all men of
goodwill are tasked to pro-
mote completely and clearly
the teaching of the Church con-
cerning the sanctity of mar-
riage and the regulation of
birth.
“Attacks on large families
stem from a lack of faith and
the product of a social atmo-
sphere incapable of under-
standing generosity, trying to
conceal selfishness and un-
Laiko
inefficiency of planning and
construction? Or is it due to
the fact that funds will come
from the pork barrel of the
congressmen of that province?
If so, more likely than not, his
budget allocation for infra-
structure is calculated by his
own chosen contractor. Tra-
ditionally this is where he gets
his share the additional “40
percent for the boys” indicated
in the published Approved
Budget for the Contract (ABC)
as required by the new pro-
curement law. As a result,
there is downgrading of the
material specifications. A
simple example will be a
school design with inadequate
toilet facilities as a result 51
students in one school share
of Representatives last year.
On March 20, 2000, the feared
Abu Sayyaf forcibly took
Claretian missionary Fr. Rhoel
Gallardo, some teachers and
about 40 students to Mt. Punoh
Mahadji. By May 3, 2000, the Abu
Sayyaf killed Fr. Gallardo.
Earlier, Fr. Bernardo Blanco
was kidnapped and held for 50
days. He, however, managed to
escape. Another priest, Fr.
Eduardo Monge, was kidnapped
and tortured and was instructed
to dig his own grave but survived.
Of the latest available popula-
tion survey, Basilan was reported
to have 390,000 residents, 105,000
of which are Catholics.
The Prelature of Isabela (de
Basilan) was established on Oc-
tober 12, 1963 and erected on Feb-
ruary 15, 1964 which comprises
all the territories that constitute
the entire Basilan province.
It’s Titular Saint is Sta. Isabel
de Portugal and its secondary
patron is the Immaculate Heart
of Mary. Its Cathedral was con-
secrated last June 21, 1970. (Melo
M. Acuna)
mentionable practices under
apparently altruistic motives”
(St. Josemaria Balaguer).
Countries which impose birth
control on the other countries,
like the Philippines, are now
themselves in need of growth
in their population and are
importing from Asian coun-
tries workers and caregivers
for their senior citizens.
“Our present-day world
will not be saved by those who
aim to drug the spiritual life
and reduce everything to a
question of economics or ma-
terial well-being,” (St.
Josemaria Balaguer).
May our recollection of and
reflection on Pope Paul VI’s
Encyclical Humanae Vitae
lead our couples and Christian
communities to be pro-family
and pro-life, and of course and
above all pro-God.
the use of one toilet. Or omis-
sion of a wash basin in the
design—as a result 102 stu-
dents have no place to wash
their hands before eating!
May I ask the question
again—is the Filipino family’s
investment in education as-
sured of a fair return? Is gov-
ernment doing enough? The
answer is, the investment to
education is worthy since
without it, there is no future
for one’s children. However,
the family must equally be
vigilant and must practice
their right to question
government’s flawed system
of governance. We, the Fili-
pino citizens must be involved
in advocacies now to correct a
corrupt system of governance.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008 Features A7

Diocesan News Briefs Tough tasks

BBC: Corruption remains major concern in agri programs
CAGAYAN de Oro—Corruption remains a major concern in agricultural
programs drawn up by the Bishops Businessmen’s Conference (BBC) awaits
Filipino Papal
here. The group had tried to respond to the economic crisis by setting up
agricultural projects. They particularly cited corruption, problem in col-
lecting money loaned to farmers as raised by Bank officials and the lack
of support for farmers. (Maryann Zamora)

Basilan Catholics get threats from Muslim group

envoy to Haiti
BASILAN—Fear and panic has descended among Catholics here follow-
ing fresh threats by a group claiming to be mujahidins (Islamic warriors),
Bishop Martin Jumoad said. He said that he and other Catholic residents
received letters recently from the group telling them to convert, pay up or
ship out. (Melo Acuña)
Archbishop Bernardito Auza

Prelate seeks review of LPG use in aircon PUVs

DAGUPAN City—Citing tales of deaths caused by their fumes, Arch-
bishop Oscar Cruz sought a review of the use of liquefied petroleum
(LPG) in closed air-conditioned public utility vehicles (PUVs). Cruz made
the call, in the wake of yet another round of fuel price hike and after
noting that LPG has been gaining popularity as an alternative fuel for
public utility vehicles. (CBCPNews)
Solon to church: Don’t work with Palace on ‘Katas ng VAT’
MANILA—A lawmaker tagged as a bribe the appeal of President Arroyo
to the religious groups to help her identify antipoverty programs that will
be funded by “Kat as ng VAT.” “We call on the Church to reject Pres.
Arroyo’s latest political maneuver outright. The Church must not be a
party to the Arroyo government’s continuing deception and oppression
of the poor,” Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano said. (CBCPNews)
Solons buck bishops on repro health bill
MANILA— Solons backing the Reproductive Health bill in Congress are
standing pat on their position in spite of threats by Catholic bishops to
deny them communion. Reps. Janette Garin (Iloilo), Rozzano Biazon
(Muntinlupa) and Riza Hontiveros Baraquel (Akbayan) maintained their
support for the consolidated bill that aims to institutionalize family plan-
ning methods and other means to manage the population. (CBCPNews)
NEWLY consecrated Filipino archbishop
Bernardito Auza has the least enviable job in
his latest pastoral mission.
As the new apostolic nuncio to Haiti, the 49-
year old Boholano prelate is faced with squar-
ing a tough circle of ever-growing challenges.
The latest reports from the international
media makes grim reading.
It highlights a never-ending conflict and
even bloodshed as its people are longing for
economic and political stability.
The words used by Papal nuncio in the
Philippines Archbishop Edward Joseph
Adams in describing Archbishop Auza’s work
are “not a small one.”
Haiti is one of the poorest countries on
earth with about 56 percent of its 8.2 million
populations live in extreme poverty.
Adams, in his sermon during Auza’s
thanksgiving Mass at the Manila Cathedral
yesterday, said the news from Haiti is not
very good.
The country, he said, is deeply in need and
the economy bleed dry, violence everywhere.
“There, a people wait to be helped in their
efforts of material and spiritual progress,”
said Adams.
At one time around 85 percent of the eight
million or so Haitians were Catholics. To-
day, they make up less than 50 percent of the
population.
And sadly, many of them only have a hazy
understanding of the teachings of the
Church— especially those unable to afford a
good education.
Adams said the situation in Haiti repre-
sents a major challenge for the Catholic
Church and needs to be countered with the
help of priests, religious and lay pastoral
workers.
Auza will celebrate Mass with Haiti’s
Catholic bishops on September 9 but he will
officially assume his post as Papal nuncio on
August 15.
He himself admitted the urgent issues he
has to face in his new assignment. “There are
many issues, I’m sure,” Auza said.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Auza as Nun-
cio to Haiti last May 8 but it was only last
July 3 when he was ordained to the episco-
pacy by Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone at the Basilica of St. Peter in
Rome.
The prelate is the fourth Filipino to be ap-
pointed to such a high diplomatic position in
the Catholic Church.
The first to be named apostolic nuncio is
Archbishop Oswaldo Padilla, now in Korea.
The third is his younger brother, Archbishop
Francisco Padilla, now in Papua New Guinea
and the Solomon Islands. The second is Arch-
bishop Adolfo Yllana currently in Pakistan.
(Roy Lagarde)

Opus Dei official to visit RP

MANILA—A ranking official of the Opus Dei will visit the Philippines from
July 27 to Aug. 1, after taking part in the World Youth Day in Australia.
RP youth waves national flag at WYD Final Mass
Several activities had been lined up for the visit of Opus Dei personal
prelature Bishop Javier Echevarria. The activities include catechetical
gatherings on July 29 and a meeting with priests. (Santosh Digal)

Cebu Cardinal tells legislators to search their conscience

CEBU City—Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal urged legislators
who support the “Deaths” bills to search their conscience and decide
whether or not to receive communion. “If they think they have not sinned,
it is up to them. I cannot judge their conscience. It is only God who can
judge their conscience. I just tell them there is no such thing as a lesser
evil,” said the archbishop. (CBCPNews)

Jaro auxiliary bishop’s ordination set on Aug. 4

BACOLOD City —The newly-appointed auxiliary bishop of Jaro, Iloilo will
be ordained to the episcopacy on Aug. 4 here. Papal Nuncio Edward
Joseph Adams will ordain newly-appointed Bishop Gerardo Alminaza at
8 a.m. CBCP President and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo and Bacolod
Bishop Vicente Navarra will serve as co-ordaining prelates at the cer-
emony. (Melo Acuña)

Scapulars no fashion accessory—archbishop Photo courtesy of Howard Castillo and Carla Francesca Castro
DAVAO City— Scapulars, the brown length of cloth worn to show affili-
ation with a religious order, are not fashion accessories and should be
worn with reverence. On this note, Archbishop Fernando Capalla re-
minded the faithful to give reverence to the scapular, which he said is a
sign of “total consecration of one’s life to God and to the Mother of God.”
“Total consecration implies that one’s thoughts, desires, actions and
relationships are motivated, enlightened, and guided by one’s love for
God and the Blessed Mother,” he said. (Mark S. Ventura)

Filipino priest named new director of Paris-based institution

MANILA— A Filipino Vincentian priest has been named new director of a
key institution based in Paris, France run by the Congregation of the
Missions. Fr Marcelo Manimtim was named new director of Paris-based
Centre International de Formation (CIF). He will be the first Asian to hold
this office. The priest is expected to report to his new assignment on
October 2008, the CBCP said. (Santosh Digal)

An effective sex education should begin at home, says priest THE Filipino delegates here joined over contribute to it! Resist any temptation to walk fied and wanting. Are we not looking for an
NAGA City —Sex education, to be effective should begin at home, said 180,000 World Youth Day pilgrims waving away! For it is precisely the comprehensive- eternal gift? The spring that will never run
Fr. William Santiago, director of Caceres’ Archdiocesan Family Ministry. their national flags during the Final Mass at ness, the vast vision, of our faith- solid yet dry?”
“Sex education, in order to be effective should start from parents and the Randwick Racecourse. open, consistent yet dynamic, true yet con- “Inspired by the insights of Saint August-
this should happen in their regular interaction with children at home,” he Led by the official delegation of the CBCP stantly growing in insight- that we can offer ine, let unifying love be your measure, abid-
said. He called on parents to fulfill their obligation on their children by
Episcopal Commission on Youth, some 2,000 our world,” the Pope said. ing love your challenge, self giving love your
teaching them sex education properly. (Elmer Abad)
Filipino delegates and 10 bishops attended Relating the value of unity to the Holy mission! These gifts of the Spirit- each of
the two-hour solemn High Mass that in- Spirit, the Pope quoted Saint Augustine in which, as Saint Francis de Sales reminds us,
cluded music, liturgy and the testimonies of saying that the “Holy” and “Spirit” refer to is a way to participate in the one love of God-
Lifeguard / A5 seven young people from around the world. what is divine about God. It is shared by the are neither prizes nor rewards.”
In his homily, the Supreme Pontiff, Father and the Son. Hence, he said Saint Au- He ended the homily in challenging the
lar foreign substance into the Breastfeeding, Ovulation Moni- Benedict XVI, has called on the pilgrims to gustine concluded that the Spirit’s particular youth to carry on the Holy Spirit’s gift and
human body are frequently con- tors-whoa?) and how do they pray for racial unity and disparity reconcili- quality is unity. be unity initiators.
troverted.” Controverted for the work! Can anyone preach about ation. “The Holy Spirit is God eternally giving “The Spirit’s role is to bring Christ’s work
interest of the dispensers who what is evil but be clueless about During the vigil with the youth the night himself; like a never-ending spring he pours to fulfilment. Enriched with the Spirit’s gifts,
earn the bucks. what is good? Considering that before, the Pope also stressed on unity as a fourth nothing less than himself. In view of you will have the power to move beyond the
Come to think about it, it is many poor couples are resorting gift to be nurtured. this ceaseless gift, we come to see the limita- piecemeal, the hollow utopia, the fleeting, to
obvious to reason why contracep- to contraception and even abor- “Unity is the essence of the Church. It is a tions of all that perishes, the folly of the con- offer the consistency and certainty of Chris-
tives now or in the future can’t tion, can one restrict and at the gift we must recognize and cherish. Tonight, sumerist mindset. We begin to understand tian witness!” Benedict said. (Kris Bayos with
be any healthy. One can’t expect same time know not the expecta- let us pray for the resolve to nurture unity: why the quest for novelty leaves us unsatis- reports from CNA, WYD08)
any healthy result from terminating tions required from what
NORMAL reproductive functions. “ought”?
How can anything that inhibits a On issues of sexuality, there Solon / A1
healthy reproductive system be re- seems to remain a Manichean Ramero when he saw Ramero’s local church that coincided with communion without calling [their ing “no one among the members
productively healthy? Could any- hermeneutics of suspicion in dis- name as one of the endorsers of the 60th anniversary of Ozamiz attention] and instructing [them of the 14th Congress is espous-
thing be more illogical? cussing this God-given design of anti-life bills. The congress- as a chartered on July 16. first] about the Church’s teachings ing permissive abortion.”
That’s why the only reproduc- the reproductive system. One woman immediately withdrew because not all of them are aware “Lagman is innocent that he is
tive health is really natural fam- suspicion is that NFP might be her support of the bills. Saying it is not enough that they are supporting the anti- endorsing permissive abortion
ily planning (or “methods of fer- abused in a “contraceptive men- Dosado and Villar also tackled Meanwhile Chairman of Hu- life bills,” Bullecer said. because he is a politician and not
tility awareness” approved by tality,” or a religious might be during their 30-minute meeting the man Life International Dr. Rene Earlier, a Pro-life rally orga- a doctor, but for us doctors we
the WHO for those trying to be suspected of using it. improvement of Cotta Shrine Joseph Bullecer told CBCPNews nized and attended by thousands study and do research that con-
politically correct). There, the Well, in the first place, one can’t where the image of Nuestra Señora it is not enough for Villar to de- of youth leaders in Lipa City has traceptive is clearly an abortion
couples have to understand and effectively teach NFP without del Triumfo de la Cross the titular clare his being a Catholic and a left its mark. Congressman Mark per se,” added Dr. Bullecer.
work out each other’s body making people appreciate the patron of the local Church is pro-life senator, he must also Leandro of the 4th district of Bullecer appealed on the Catho-
mechanisms and cycles. The pe- value of abstinence and their re- placed, the Jun Lozada’s case and prove his claim by doing all his Batangas withdrew his support of lic Hierarchy to impose the same
riodic abstinence and charting productive powers. NFP brings the House inquiry on ill fated ship means to kill the anti-life bills. anti-life bills, thus shrinking the discipline to the Catholic doctors
that come with it would be a far about a balanced, temperate of M/V Princess of the Stars. Bullecer strongly supports number of politicians supporting who are consistently doing mas-
better relief than to expose one’s sexual lifestyle to couples. Just The Senate president was ac- Dosado’s stand to call the atten- the reproductive health bill to 33. sive ligation and vasectomy.
spouse to risks, or to take the pill how can the teaching of modera- companied to the meeting by tion of all pro-abortion Catholic But Bullecer clarified that this Compared to 33 pro-abortion
everyday, or to wear the IUDs or tion of sex be in itself vicious or Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo politicians. When these precau- is not the end of the pro-life war- congressmen, there are more
condoms always, or to get per- anti-baby? That doesn’t even come Parojinog Sr. and Vice Mayor tionary measures failed to get the fare because they will launch a Catholic doctors who are doing
manently sterile, with all the bills close to a moderation of greed! Carlos Patricio Bernand. He was intended effect, and still present series of pro-life rallies from vari- ligation and vasectomy, said
for taxpayers to shoulder. So perhaps both the govern- one of the prominent visitors who themselves to receive Holy Com- ous regions in the Philippines. Bullecer.
I only have one comment ment and our Church can go to- witnessed the Miss Ozamiz pag- munion, the Minister of the Holy He criticized Albay Rep.Edcel “If these doctors will disobey
though on those who propose the gether against past inactions. If eant on July 14 in celebration of Eucharist must refuse to distrib- Lagman, the principal author of the Church’s precautionary mea-
modern NFP methods. I met a few I’m correct, it’s a sin to be negli- the 253rd feast of Nuestra Señora ute it, said Bullecer. the reproductive health and sures they should be excommu-
who don’t even know what are gent. It’s also a crime. Let’s not del Triumfo de la Cross (Birhen “I’m not in favor that pro-abor- population management bill in nicated or interdicted,” Bullecer
these (Billings, BBT, STM, wait for another 40 years to act. sa Cotta), the titular patron of the tion politicians should be denied the house who was quoted as say- concluded. (Wendell Talibong)
 CBCP Monitor
A8 People, Facts & Places Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

Las Piñas Boys Choir wins

gold at world choral games

The 20-member Las Piñas Boys Choir in their winning performance during the 5th
World Choir Games, children’s category, held in Graz, Austria last July 12. The
choir also won the silver medal in the Musica Sacra Category.

THE 20-voice Las Piñas Boys Gabriel, and Samiley and Joe

First Diocesan Lay Congress held in Iligan

ALMOST 1,800 members from Lay Move-
ments, Mandated Organization and Devo-
tionals from 22 different parishes of the Dio-
cese of Iligan joined the First Diocesan Lay
Movements, Mandated Organization and De-
votionals (LMMD/DIOCESAN COUNCIL OF
THE LAITY) Congress held last June 28 at
Fort Almonte, Liangan East, Bacolod Lanao
del Norte.
With the theme “LMMD, Agents of GSK,
Padayon ta!”, Iligan Bishop Elenito Galido
challenged the delegates to “Go build the
Church and build the Church of the Poor.”
The Congress started with a Caravan from
Iligan City to Bacolod, Lanao del Norte.
The Eucharistic celebration was presided
by the Bishop of Iligan, Most Rev. Elenito D.
Galido, D.D., concelebrated by Fr. Nazer
Zaragosa, Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Movement Director of the Diocese; Msgr.
Jemar Vera Cruz, Diocesan Vicar General; Fr.
Jun Gualiza, and Rev. Glenn Almedolan.
Bro. Nicasion E. Rodas shared on Financial
Stewardship. Fr. Alberto de Lara, Inahan Sa
Kinabuhi Seminary Rector, presented the His-
tory of Fort Almonte and its significance in
building and promoting the Basic Ecclesial
Communities of the Diocese.
Fr. Nazer, parish priest of Sto. Nino Par-
ish, Bacolod Lanao del Norte and chairman
of the activity read the Resolution.
“We refrain from comparing and compet-
ing from each other and let solidarity, par-
ticipation and dialogue live so that our
dreams to promote the Church and the reign
of the kingdom of God here on earth. And
that we become faithful to the teachings and
laws of the Church, respectful and obedient
ministers of God so that we become one body
under one leadership and one herd under one
Shepherd. We strive to go with and work to-
wards the thrust of the Church to organize
and to promote Basic Ecclesial Communities
so that all Catholic Christians live a worship-
ping, witnessing, and serving life.”
The resolution was approved and accepted
by the LMMD Leaders, members and the Di-
ocesan Council of the Laity. (Metot Nillas)
Choir (LPBC) won a gold medal
and was declared “world cham-
pions” in the 5th World Choir
Games, children’s category which
ended July 14 in Graz, Austria.
They won the category against
70 other specially selected choirs
from around the world.
The LPBC, conducted by Prof.
Armando Salarza, also won a sil-
ver medal in the Musica Sacra
Category.
“This is a proud moment not
only for the Las Piñas Boys Choir,
not only for Las Piñas but for the
Filipino People! Once again, we
have shown the world that the
Filipino talent is world class!”
exulted Fr. Benjamin “Didoy”
Molina, who is part of the man-
agement team.
The choir members are:
George Angeles II, Bernard Paolo
Caro, Alvin Joshua Cayetano,
Josiah de los Santos, Justin
Sengson.
Present at the choir’s winning
performances were Alejandro
Consolacion II, accompanist; staff
and consultants January
Hernandez, Norie Salarza, Leo
and Donna Renier and managers
Msgr. Albert Venus and Molina.
The LPBC is a well-known
group in the Philippines and in
international youth choir con-
tests.
Under the artistic direction of
Salarza, the group is a regular
performer in the annual Bamboo
Organ International Music Festi-
val. It emerged champion at the
2005 Vivere Choral Competition.
The 5th World Choir Games,
which started July 9 has 441 reg-
istered choirs from 93 nations and
around 20,000 active participants,
including four choir groups from
the Philippines—Coro Ilocano,
Kilyawan Boys Choir, Himig

Cagayan de Oro marks Pauline Year

Claude Fernandez, Jadlae Aivan
Fernandez, Joseph Vincent
Gregorio, Carl Paolo Hernandez,
Japheth Juanillo, Herman
Manalang, Jhansseen Martinez,
Dhonel Martinicio, Alwyn Domi-
nique Panoso, Rupert Kim
Pastrana, Ramon Paolo Quintero,
Chazz Reyes, Karlo Reyes,
Francis David Salonga, Joshua
Singer and Las Pinas Boys Choir.
Held every two years in dif-
ferent countries, the competition
is the largest international choir
competition. Past competitions
were held in Xiamen, China
(2006); Bremen, Germany (2004);
Busan, South Korea (2002) and
Linz, Austria (2000).
(CBCPNews)

THE Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro launched
the Pauline Year with all the pomp and pag-
eantry of a Catholic High Mass worthy of “The
Apostle to the Nations” at the St. Augustine
Metropolitan Cathedral, July 15.
“The life and works of St. Paul show us three
things worth emulating, his conversion, mis-
sion and ecumenism,” said Archbishop Anto-
nio Ledesma, SJ who presided the celebration.
Ledesma cited the many similarities in the
lives and works of St. Augustine of Hippo, the
patron saint of Cagayan de Oro, and St. Paul. St.
Augustine was a sinner, while St. Paul was a
Pharisee who was responsible for the death of
many Christians during the early history of
the church. Yet, both became zealous evange-
lists of the Word of God upon their conversion.
The archbishop said St. Paul also gained
the moniker “Apostle to the Nations” because
where St. Peter focused on strengthening the
nascent Catholic Church in Rome, St. Paul
went abroad, traveling the Mediterranean
world, preaching the Gospel especially to the
Gentiles, founded churches and wrote letters
that would later become part of the Sacred
Scriptures.
ŒŒŒ³
Although ecumenical initiatives are usually
carried out in the level of church authorities,
Ledesma said the faithful could always appre-
ciate the universal and encompassing spirit of
the apostle Paul who exhorted all believers to
be of one mind and purpose in spreading the
Good News of the Gospel.
Inspired by the example of the Apostle to
the Nations, the Pauline Year will show “that
the action of Church is credible and effective
only to the extent that its members are will-
ing to personally pay for their fidelity to Christ
in every situation.” (Mike Baños)
Markings
ELECTED. Bishop Leopoldo C. Jaucian, SVD,
DD, as National Director of the Chinese Apostolate
of the Philippines by the Catholic Bishops Con-
ference of the Philippines (CBCP), July 5, 2008.
Jaucian, who took over the post from Auxiliary
Bishop-emeritus Teodoro Buhain, was the third
Director elected to the ministry. Jaucian’s first
exposure to the Chinese language and culture
was during his overseas training program as an
SVD seminarian. He took up Chinese language
and culture, specializing in Mandarin at Fu Jen
Catholic University in Taipei, Taiwan from 1982-
1984. He finished his theology in Mandarin in the same university four
years later. After ordination in 1988, Jaucian worked as Assistant Pastor
at St. Joseph Parish in Chai, Taiwan, followed by a stint in Campus
Ministry, in Fu Jen Catholic High School, Chai, Taiwan from 1989-1992.
Jaucian’s forebears originated from Mainland China and migrated to Iloilo
in the 18th century. The family later moved to Bicol during the 18th century
Abaca boom in Albay. Jaucian’s grandfather was a native of Ligao, Albay
while his grandmother hailed from Ilocos Sur.

CELEBRATED. Sr. Maria Gemma A. Victorino,

Catholic Social Scientists to host int’l conference

AN international conference
aimed to bring the social teach-
ings of the Church to the main-
stream of Philippine society will
gather renowned speakers in the
field of human rights and justice.
“The conference is intended to
complement the efforts of our
bishops to fight off [the] present
family life crisis in the Philip-
pines,” said Professor Emma R.
Roxas in a statement. Roxas is the
Regional Coordinator for Asia
and the Pacific for the Society of
Catholic Social Scientists.
The conference is themed “The
Holy See and Catholic NGOs in
the Areas of Human Rights and
Development.”
Resource speakers are Brian
Scarnecchia, J. D., president of the
International Solidarity and Hu-
man Rights Institute (ISHRI) and
holder of the Human Life Inter-
national chair, in favor of Fr. Paul
Marx at the Franciscan Univer-
sity of Steubenville in Ohio, USA,
and Terrence McKeegan, J. D.,
vice president of ISHRI and the
European Center for Law and
Justice, covering religious liberty
issues at the Human Rights Coun-
cil in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Both of them are stalwarts of
the Society of Catholic Social Sci-
entists based at the Franciscan
University,” Prof. Roxas said.
She added that the founder of
Youth Arise International and
Bibles for China Henry Capello
will also speak about his mission
to China with the blessings of His
Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
The conference will be held on
July 25 at 2:00 p.m. at the Telengtan
Hall, University of Asia and the
Pacific, Ortigas Complex, Pasig
City. (Melo Acuna)
25th anniversary of profession of vows among
the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM),
July 6, 2008; at Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Par-
ish, Santolan, Pasig City. Victorino entered the
congregation of the Pious Disciples in Antipolo
on May 7, 1978. She made her first profession
of vows on February 10, 1983 and professed
her final commitment on February 11, 1989. Cur-
rently based in Rome as the Vicar General of
the congregation, Victorino’s previous assign-
ments include Music Ministry and Formation
work. She was Regional Councilor from 1999
to 2005. She assumed the office of General Councilor and Vicar Gen-
eral at the same time in 2006. Victorino holds a degree in Biblical Theol-
ogy from the Gregorian University in Rome. The Eucharistic celebration
was presided by Fr. Gil Alinsangan, SSP.
CELEBRATED. Froilem Bonn S.
Barreto, Parang, Shariff Kabunsuan,
Archdiocese of Cotabato; Michael M.
Botacion, Bacolod City, Diocese of
Bacolod; Gerald P. Supranes, T’Boli,
South Cotabato, Diocese of Marbel and
Ronnie L. Torres, Bagumbayan, Sul-
tan Kudarat, Archdiocese of Cotabato;
first profession of vows among the
Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Philippine Province, May 9, 2008, De Mazenod
Auditorium, Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, Broce, Datu Odin Sinsuat,
Shariff Kabunsuan. Fr. Larry de Guia, OMI, Vicar Provincial received the
first vows of the new Oblates and Fr. Jun Matas, OMI presided the
Eucharistic celebration. The four new Oblates will join the scholastics
at the Our Lady of Assumption Scholasticate, Loyola Heights, Quezon
City for their theology studies.

CELEBRATED. Bros. Gerald Biñegas,

Ruel Desamparado, Herbert Magbuo,
Wesley Jay Taguibao, and Rey
Villamonte, Perpetual profession of
vows among the Rogationist Fathers,
at the Holy Spirit Chapel, Fr. Di Francia
Center of Studies, June 4, 2008. Rev.
Fr. Bruno Rampazzo, RCJ presided
the celebration of the Holy Mass
concelebrated by several Rogationist priests. Seventeen other religious
brothers also renewed their vows in the presence of confreres, rela-
tives, benefactors and friends. On the same day, Bro. Vincent Victor
Dumdum made also his Perpetual Profession of the Vows received by
Rev. Fr. Marcelino Diaz, RCJ at the St. Hannibal Formation Center, Cebu
City. Four other religious brothers renewed their vows at the same time.

Died. Fr. Cletus Ternes, OMI, 74 years old, July 15, 2008. Retired Mon-
signor Agerico Galang, 61 years old, Archdiocese of Manila, July 17,
2008; Fr. Candido Ersando, Diocese of Malolos, June 2008; Msgr. Delfin
V. Babilonia, Diocese of Lucena, June 2008; Msgr. Pastor Bolivar, Arch-
CWL National Officers and Board Members led by their President, Dr. Amelita D. Go were inducted last June 21, 2008 by His Eminence, Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales and His diocese of Capiz, July 2008.
Excellency, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP President, at the Archbishop’s Palace, Intramuros. Other officers elected were Caridad Rabuco, 1st National VP, Judge Corazon A.
Tordilla, 2nd National VP, Erlinda Gonzalez, Secretary, Fortunata B. O’Santos, Treasurer, and Lourdes V. Peña, Auditor.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
Pastoral Concerns
‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you will be my witnesses’
(Acts 1:8)
Message of the Holy Father, Benedict XVI to
the Young People of the World on the
Occasion of the XXIII World Youth Day, 2008
My dear young friends! principally by listening to the Word of
1. The XXIII World Youth Day God in the Revelation of the Bible; to
I always remember with great joy the become clearly aware of his continuous,
various occasions we spent together in active presence in the life of the Church,
Cologne in August 2005. At the end of especially as you rediscover that the Holy
that unforgettable manifestation of faith Spirit is the “soul”, the vital breath of
and enthusiasm that remains engraved Christian life itself, through the sacra-
on my spirit and on my heart, I made an ments of Christian initiation – Baptism,
appointment with you for the next gath- Confirmation and the Eucharist; to grow
ering that will be held in Sydney in 2008. thereby in an understanding of Jesus that
This will be the XXIII World Youth Day becomes ever deeper and more joyful
and the theme will be: “You will receive and, at the same time, to put the Gospel
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon into practice at the dawn of the third mil-
you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts lennium. In this message I gladly offer
1:8). The underlying theme of the spiri- you an outline for meditation that you
tual preparation for our meeting in can explore during this year of prepara-
Sydney is the Holy Spirit and mission. tion. In this way you can test the quality
In 2006 we focused our attention on the of your faith in the Holy Spirit, redis-
Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth. Now in cover it if it is lost, strengthen it if it has
2007 we are seeking a deeper under- become weak, savour it as fellowship
standing of the Spirit of Love. We will with the Father and with his Son Jesus
continue our journey towards World Christ, brought about by the indispens-
Youth Day 2008 by reflecting on the able working of the Holy Spirit. Never
Spirit of Fortitude and Witness that gives forget that the Church, in fact humanity
us the courage to live according to the itself, all the people around you now and
Gospel and to proclaim it boldly. There- those who await you in the future, ex-
fore it is very important that each one pect much from you young people, be-
of you young people ¯in your com- cause you have within you the supreme
munities and together w i t h gift of the Father, the Spirit of Jesus.
those responsible for your
education—should be able
to reflect on this Prin-
Agent of salvation his-
cipal
tory,
“I assure you that the Spirit of Jesus today is inviting
namely the Holy Spirit o r you young people to be bearers of the good news of
the Spirit of Jesus. In this
way you will be able to Jesus to your contemporaries. The difficulty that
adults undoubtedly find in approaching the sphere of
achieve the following
lofty goals: to recognize
the Spirit’s true identity,
youth in a comprehensible and convincing way could
be a sign with which the Spirit is urging you young
people to take this task upon yourselves.”
The World Youth Day
cross was erected at
the Barangaroo
site for the
opening of World
Youth Day in 2. The promise of the Holy Spirit in the
Sydney, Australia. Bible
The Catholic World
Youth Day event began
Attentive listening to the Word of God
last July 15 with an concerning the mystery and action of the
Opening Mass and ran Holy Spirit opens us up to great and in-
until July 20.
spiring insights that I shall summarize
in the following points.
Shortly before his Ascension, Jesus
said to his disciples: “And
behold, I send the prom-
ise of my Father
upon you” ( Lk
24:49). This took
place on the day
of Pentecost
when they were
together in
prayer in the Up-
© PaulMiller/epa/Corbis
per Room with
the Virgin Mary.
The outpouring
of the Holy Spirit
on the nascent
Church was the
B1
© PascalDeloche/Godong/Corbis
© PaulMiller/epa/Corbis
fulfillment of a promise
made much earlier by
God, announced and pre-
pared throughout the
Old Testament.
In fact, right from its
opening pages, the Bible
presents the spirit of God
as the windthat “was mov-
ing over the face of the
waters” (cf. Gen 1:2). It
says that God breathed
into man’s nostrils the
breath of life (cf. Gen 2:7),
thereby infusing him
with life itself. After origi-
nal sin, the life-giving
spirit of God is seen sev-
eral times in the history
of humankind, calling
forth prophets to exhort
the chosen people to re-
turn to God and to ob-
serve his commandments
faithfully. In the well-
known vision of the
prophet Ezekiel, God,
with his spirit, restores to
life the people of Israel,
even greater power the Holy Spirit de-
scended on the Apostles on the day of
Pentecost. We read in the Acts of the
Apostles: “And suddenly from heaven
there came a sound like the rush of a vio-
lent wind, and it filled the entire house
where they were sitting. Divided tongues,
as of fire, appeared among them, and a
tongue rested on each of them” (2:2-3).
The Holy Spirit renewed the Apostles
from within, filling them with a power that
would give them courage to go out and
boldly proclaim that “Christ has died and is
risen!” Freed from all fear, they began to
speak openly with self-confidence (cf. Acts
represented by the “dry bones” (cf. 37:1- news to the poor. He has sent me to pro- 2:29; 4:13; 4:29,31). These frightened fish-
14). Joel prophesied an “outpouring of the claim release to the captives and recov- ermen had become courageous heralds of
spirit” over all the people, excluding no ery of sight to the blind, to let the op- the Gospel. Even their enemies could not
one. The sacred author wrote: “And it shall pressed go free, to proclaim the year of understand how “uneducated and ordinary
come to pass afterward that I will pour the Lord’s favour” (Lk 4:18-19; cf. Is 61:1- men” (cf. Acts 4:13) could show such cour-
out my spirit on all flesh ... Even upon the 2). Addressing those present, he referred age and endure difficulties, suffering and
menservants and maidservants, in those those prophetic words to himself by say- persecution with joy. Nothing could stop
days, I will pour out my spirit” (3:1-2). ing: “Today this Scripture has been ful- them. To those who tried to silence them
In “the fullness of time” (cf. Gal 4:4), filled in your hearing” ( Lk 4:21). Again, they replied: “We cannot keep from speak-
the angel of the Lord announced to the before his death on the Cross, he would ing about what we have seen and heard”
Virgin of Nazareth that the Holy Spirit, tell his disciples several times about the (Acts 4:20). This is how the Church was
“the power of the Most High”, would coming of the Holy Spirit, the “Counse- born, and from the day of Pentecost she
come upon her and overshadow her. The lor” whose mission would be to bear has not ceased to spread the Good News
child to be born would be holy and witness to him and to assist believers by “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
would be called Son of God (cf. Lk 1:35). teaching them and guiding them to the
In the words of the prophet Isaiah, the fullness of Truth (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 25-26; 4. TheHoly Spirit, soul of the Church
Messiah would be the one on whom the 15:26; 16:13). and principle of communion
Spirit of the Lord would rest (cf. 11:1-2; If we are to understand the mission of
42:1). This is the prophecy that Jesus took 3. Pentecost, the point of departure for the Church, we must go back to the Up-
up again at the start of his public minis- the Church’s mission per Room where the disciples remained
try in the synagogue in Nazareth. To the On the evening of the day of resurrec- together (cf. Lk 24:49), praying with
amazement of those present, he said: tion, Jesus appeared to his disciples, “he Mary, the “Mother”, awaiting the Spirit
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be- breathed on them and said to them, ‘Re- that had been promised. This icon of the
cause he has anointed me to bring good ceive the Holy Spirit’” (Jn 20:22). With WYD / B4
 CBCP Monitor
B2 Updates Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

Position Paper on Freemasonry 1

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

IT is not the purpose of this paper to go into the theologico-historical

discussion of Freemasonry.2 It is rather the purpose of this paper to help
the CBCP formulate a canonical stance regarding Catholics who join
or foster (i.e., take positions of government and direction therein) free-
masonry.

1. The legal iter of this matter can be
summarized as follows:
a) CIC 17 , c.2335 - specifically men-
tioned masonry and specified excommu-
nication latae sententiae.
b) CIC 83, c. 1374 now states: “One
who joins an association which plots
against the Church is to be punished with
a just penalty; one who promotes or
moderates such an association, however,
is to be punished with an interdict.”
c) S.C. pro Doctrina Fidei, Decl.
Quesitium est: de associationibus
massonicis, 26.XI.1983: Asked whether
the judgment of the Church regarding
freemasonry had changed due to the new
Codex not expressly mentioning it, as
in the previous Code, the S.C.D.F. re-
plies in the following terms:
1) Such non-mention of freemasonry
is due to a criterion of redaction followed
also as regards other associations equally
not mentioned insofar as they are in-
cluded in a wider category.
minimum, since it goes against juridic
stability and security, because of its au-
tomaticity and self-infliction due to lack
of sentence), and definitely not excom-
munication (since this was reserved for
the gravest of crimes only—again one
of the principles of the codification pro-
cess).
2nd: The position of the German Epis-
copal Conference —which had carried
out a lengthy study between 1974-1980,
in the form of a series of official dia-
logues between the Catholic Church and
the Freemasons—which concluded that
membership in freemasonry was inher-
ently incompatible with the Church.
Therefore, a return to the text of CIC 17,
c.2335.
b) Subjected to a vote of the Plenum—
actually two votations on successive
days—the 1st position won, albeit by a
small margin.
c) In the same month of full effectiv-
ity of the new Code (after the 6-month Illustration by Bladimer Usi

2) The negative judgment of the Church vacatio legis after its promulgation), the
regarding Masonic associations remains un- SCDF came up with the Declaration of sition—” may not receive…” needs to be promotes or moderates such an associa- (Footnotes)

changed, because their principles have
always been considered irreconcilable
with the doctrine of the Church.
3) Therefore inscription in them re-
mains prohibited, and the faithful who be-
long to a Masonic association are in a state of
serious sin and cannot be admitted to Holy
Communion.
4) It is not within the competence of
local ecclesiastical authority to pro-
nounce regarding the nature of a Ma-
sonic association in terms which go
against the aforementioned criteria.
2. To understand this, one has to go to
the history of c.1374, which I outline in
brief:
a) In the years of redaction of the CIC
83, two schools of thought emerged re-
garding the matter:
1st: Appreciate the reality that the na-
ture of freemasonry is different in dif-
ferent countries—so that it is not pos-
sible to lump them all under the category
26.XI.1983, which clarifies that freema-
sonry is not mentioned specifically in
c.1374, because of a criterion of redac-
tion which includes it in a wider category.
3. The CBCP Guidelines on Member-
ship in Free Masonic Associations
(14.III.1990)
1) It precisely belongs to particular
legislation (if the episcopal conference
wants a uniform treatment for the whole
country) to specify freemasonry as one
of those associations typified in c.1374
(the wider category) and include a just
penalty for it—but not excommunica-
tion, and not latae sententiae to follow
the mens legislatoris in this regard.
2) On the other hand, it is not the com-
petence of particular legislation to give
a judgment regarding Masonic associa-
tions contrary to the criteria contained
above (i.e., the CBCP cannot not say that
such associations are not inherently in-
compatible with the Catholic faith and
modified to be in accord with the quite
definitive tenor of the SCDF Declara-
tion: “They cannot receive…”
4) The CBCP Guidelines of 14.III.1990
also need to be modified to be more in
accordance with c.1374, which makes a
distinction between:
a) “One who joins an association which
plots against the Church (who) is to be
punished with a just penalty” — i.e., a
preceptive ferendae sententiae penalty,
with due attention to the general norms
regarding penalties (cc. 1344, 1347, 1349,
1350). 5
b) “One who promotes or moderates
such an association (who) is to be pun-
ished with an interdict” — i.e., a precep-
tive ferendae sententiae penalty of in-
terdict , again with due attention to the
general norms regarding penalties.6
4. Conclusions/Recommendations
1) The aforementioned criteria can best
be served by retaining the present CBCP
tion and refuses to amend his ways de-
spite repeated canonical warnings:
a) is not to be allowed to act as spon-
sor in Baptism, Confirmation and Mar-
riage;
b) is not to be admitted as members
of parish or diocesan structures or any
other religious organizations;
c) is to be denied funeral rites, unless some
signs of repentance before death has been
shown (cf. c.1184, §1); where such rites have
been allowed by the Ordinary, no Masonic
services shall be allowed in the Church or
cemetery immediately before or after the
Church rites in order to avoid any public
scandal (cf. cc.1184, §1 and 1374).8
3) Despite the seeming harshness of
the above dispositions, one must bear
in mind that the CBCP cannot really pre-
tend to issue Guidelines which in the
end have no “teeth” anyway. In any case,
such Guidelines must reflect the reality
that Freemasonry needs to be stamped
out as an evil. The catechesis—and re-
1
Originally submitted to the ECCL-CLSP work-
shop of 23.IV.2002, at the CBCP Secretariat in
Intramuros, Manila.
2 For a more in-depth investigation of the historical
aspects of freemasonry, cf. Pope Leo XIII’s encyc-
licals: Humanum Genus, 20.IV.1884, which pro-
vides a definitive statement on Freemasonry, its
opposition to the Church, and the response of Catho-
lics; Custodi Di Quella Fede, 8.XII.1892; Inimica
Vis, 8.XII. 1892; Dall’alto Dell’apostolico Seggio,
15.X.1890.
3 Cf. AA.VV., Comentario Exegetico al Codigo de
Derecho Canonico (2nd ed.), vol. IV/1, EUNSA
(1997), pp.512-517; Z. Suchecki, La Massonería,
pp.61-115.
4It is important to attend to the original Latin of the
SCDF Declaration of 26.XI.1983, the dispositive
part of which reads:
Christifideles qui associationibus massonicis
nomen dant in peccato gravi versantur et ad
sacram communionem accedere non possunt.
(N.B. The mood is declarative/indicative, not
subjunctive.)
5 The Latin of c.1374 reads iusta poena puniatur—
i.e., making the imposition of such a just pun-
ishment preceptive.
6 The Latin canon reads: interdicito puniatur—

of “an association which plots against
the Church”. According to this school, it
should be up to the episcopal conference
to determine in each country whether
masonry falls under that category. This
became the position of the coetus in
charge of this canon, which besides sup-
ported the thesis of E. Gomez O.P. (a
well-known canonist) that the penalty
should not be latae sententiae (following
one of the principles of the codification,
to reduce latae sententiae penalties to a
that those who enlist in them are in a
state of grave sin). This is the tenor of
the SCDF Declaration (26.XI.1983), par.
4.
3) The CBCP Guidelines of 14.III.1990
are in accord with Quaesitum est in
stipulating that any Catholic who is
publicly known as a mason—i.e., whose
membership in any Masonic Association
can be proven in the external forum—
”may not receive Holy Communion.”
However, the tenor of the CBCP dispo-
Guidelines from the beginning up to n.1,
but introducing modifications thereaf-
ter.
2) N.2 of the CBCP Guidelines can be
split and rephrased as follows:
1. Therefore, any Catholic whose member-
ship in any Masonic Association can be
proven in the external forum and who re-
fuses to renounce such membership after re-
peated canonical warnings, is not to be ad-
mitted to Holy Communion.7
2. Furthermore, any Catholic who
peated warnings in this regard—
coupled with the fact that each case must
be taken separately (hence the ferendae
sententiae penalty) means that in those
cases when such a penalty really has to
be imposed, it would be a case of proven
contumacy—hardly compatible with
the oft-cited general case of a mason who
is “a good Catholic”. If a mason cannot
renounce his freemasonry despite re-
peated warning from the Bishop, he is
not a good Catholic.
making the imposition of such an interdict pre-
ceptive for the Superior.
7 It is important to attend to the original Latin of
the SCDF Declaration of 26.XI.1983, the disposi-
tive part of which reads:
Christifideles qui associationibus massonicis
nomen dant in peccato gravi versantur et ad
sacram communionem accedere non possunt.
(N.B. The mood is declarative/indicative, not
subjunctive.)
8
This is a specification of the interdict stipu-
lated in c.1374.

Using Classrooms for Mass

Cohabiting brides and groom
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of lit-
urgy at the Regina Apostolorum university,
answers the following questions:)
Q: Many Catholic brides and grooms
acknowledge themselves as “living to-
gether” right up to the time of a sacra-
mental marriage, and/or they admit
that they have not followed the precepts
of the Church (Mass on Sunday, Easter
obligation, etc.). They decide to have a
“Catholic wedding.” Their marriage
preparation lacks the requirement that
they attend the sacrament of reconcilia-
tion to place themselves in a state of
grace. Must a Catholic bride and/or
groom be in the state of grace as they
enter into matrimony in order for them
to receive the grace of the sacrament? Is
their marriage valid if they are not in
the state of grace? — M.T., Bloomfield,
Connecticut
A: The present state of social mores is
a source of frequent consternation to
priests, deacons and others involved in
preparing couples for marriage.
Many pastoral agents feel caught be-
tween Scylla and Charybdis, fearing that
demanding the couple’s separation be-
fore marriage might dash any hopes of
re-evangelizing them during the mar-
riage preparation course. For this rea-
son some might be tempted to turn a
blind eye to cohabiting couples.
Here the Latin adage “Suaviter in
forma fortiter in re” (gentle in form,
firm as to principle) comes into play.
When a couple request a Catholic
wedding it is necessary to inquire as to
their motives. When the motives are
genuinely, even if imperfectly religious,
it should be gently but firmly explained
that being married in the Church, more
than a pretty social event, is a lifelong
binding pact between them and God. It
thus requires serious spiritual prepara-
tion, and the couple should be encour-
aged to take the commitment fully aware
of what is required.
Any diocesan policies should be explained
right from the beginning. While the Church
is almost always willing to conduct a sacra-
mental marriage so as to at least give the
couple the opportunity of returning to the
sacraments, many dioceses and pastors are
wont to refuse cohabiting couples the full
panoply of a religious wedding and insist
on a discreet private service.
This is done out of respect for, and to em-
phasize, the essentially religious nature of
the sacrament of holy matrimony so that it
is never reduced to the social sphere.
While marriage preparation courses have
several goals in preparing the couple for
married life, it is gravely incumbent that
the couple reaches a clear understanding of
the commitments toward fidelity, perma-
nence and openness to children. These com-
mitments are essential to celebrate a valid
wedding in the Catholic Church. Otherwise
the wedding should not proceed, since no
pastor should ever risk witnessing a prob-
ably invalid marriage.
It is also of very great importance that
the couple prepares for marriage by living
the state of grace. Cohabiting couples
should be gently but clearly told that their
situation is not conducive to an adequate
preparation for a Catholic wedding. Co-
habitation also risks the future stabil-
ity of their life together, as has been
shown by both pastoral experience and
formal scientific studies.
Marriage, just like confirmation, Eu-
charist, holy orders and, whenever pos-
sible, anointing of the sick, require the
state of grace for their fruitful reception.
With respect to validity, however,
someone who is married while in a state
of mortal sin may be validly married (as
they would be validly confirmed, or-
dained, or validly celebrate Mass). But
he/she would not receive the grace
proper to this sacrament and indeed com-
mits a further grave sin of sacrilege and
renders the sacrament objectively illicit.
Such a state hardly augurs well for
future marital bliss. It is therefore of ut-
most pastoral concern that couples be
prepared in such a way that they clearly
understand the beauty of Catholic teach-
ing regarding pre-nuptial chastity, sin-
cerely repent of any sins they may have
committed, and seek the sacrament of
reconciliation so as to enter into mar-
riage in the state of grace.
The challenges are immense and cer-
tainly exceed the possibilities of this
column to enter into details. This is why
we have limited ourselves to enunciate
some basic guiding principles.
Q: Should a school classroom be
used for the celebration of Mass
when the parish church is close
enough for children to get to eas-
ily, and the church (or a smaller
chapel within it) is available? —
S.H., Lancashire, England
A: The overarching principles
in question are quite clear as in-
dicated by the instruction
“Redemptionis Sacramentum,”
No. 108:
“The celebration of the Eucha-
rist is to be carried out in a sa-
cred place, unless in a particular
case necessity requires otherwise.
In this case the celebration must
be in a decent place. The diocesan
Bishop shall be the judge for his
diocese concerning this necessity,
on a case-by-case basis.”
This would indicate a clear pref-
erence toward using the chapel
as often as possible.
The first sentence of this in-
struction is a direct quote of
Canon 932.1 of the Code of
Canon Law.
The second sentence, referring
to the diocesan bishop’s judg-
ment on a case-by-case basis, for
all practical purposes harks back
to the situation found in the
equivalent canon of the 1917
Code which always required the
bishop’s permission to celebrate
outside of a sacred place.
Most comments on the re-
formed code had considered that
the decision now rests with the
individual priest but this, appar-
ently, was not the mind of the
legislator.
However, I believe that the
bishop’s case-by-case judgment
does not necessarily mean that he
has to grant permission for each
individual celebration. The
bishop could grant a habitual
permission covering certain fre-
quently occurring circumstances
in the diocese and allow pastors
and chaplains to decide when
these circumstances are met.
Such would be the case for
Masses celebrated in places such
as hospitals and retirement homes
that have no specific chapel.
In the case of classroom Masses
the bishop could discuss along
with pastors the relative advan-
tages and disadvantages of cel-
ebrating Mass outside of a sacred
space for the sake of the children.
While proximity to the church
is clearly a factor to be weighed,
it is not the only factor. Teachers
should be consulted as to
whether moving the children to
the chapel might cause disciplin-
ary problems. Another factor
would be if the children are more
likely to be distracted in unfamil-
iar surroundings such as the
chapel or more concentrated on
the Mass itself in their habitual
classroom.
The answer might vary even
within different age levels of a
single school. It might be more
profitable for some grades to go
to the church and for others to
remain in the classroom.
Another question to be taken
into account is the frequency of
the Masses. If the Mass is a spo-
radic or annual event, then I be-
lieve that classroom Masses cause
no special problem.
If, however, the children attend
Mass at school on a regular basis,
then it is better to habituate them
to go to a sacred space specifically
reserved for that purpose. I would
even say that if the parish church
is unavailable, then, as far as pos-
sible, a room should be set aside
as an oratory. Or at least the Masses
should be held in an especially
worthy space, rather than a regu-
lar classroom.
Therefore it is not just a ques-
tion of liturgical law but also a
pastoral question regarding the
best means of introducing chil-
dren to the Mass as well as to other
practices of genuine Christian
piety. (Zenit)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
By Msgr. Romeo Buenaobra
Historical Background
In 1950, Marbel was part of the dio-
cese of Cotabato. The Bishop at that time
was Most Rev. Gerard Mongeau, OMI,
DD. Marbel was created Prelature Nul-
lius on Dec. 17, 1960, with Most Rev.
Quentin Olwell, CP, DD as first bishop.
He was followed in 1970 by Most Rev.
Reginald Arliss, CP, DD. Most Rev.
Dinualdo D. Gutierrez, DD succeeded
Bishop Arliss in 1981 as 3rd Prelate Ordi-
nary. Marbel was elevated to a Diocese
on Nov. 15, 1982.
The Diocese comprises 2 civil prov-
of catechesis: the Catechetical Ministry
and the KRISKA Ministry. The
Catechetical Ministry is for the teaching
of catechesis to children in the public
schools on weekdays and in the barrio
chapels on Sundays. The KRISKA Minis-
try (Kristohanong Kasilinganan or
Christian Neighborhood) is for the
teaching of catechesis to adults and fami-
lies in neighborhood communities of 6
to 10 families which comprises a KRISKA
unit.
The biblical apostolate is being pro-
moted by the KRISKA Ministry, the BEC-
GKK Ministry and the Lay Liturgical
Leadership Ministry through Bible Stud-
ies, Bible Service, catechesis, prayer and
Diocese
and Life Ministry has 1,700 Family and
Life Workers. The Youth Ministry has
more than 2,000 Youth leaders. The Cam-
pus Ministry has about 300 campus min-
isters. The Lay Liturgists number about
5,000. The Extraordinary Ministers of
Holy Communion about 1,800 and the
Social Action Ministry has about 3,000
Social Action Workers.
Welfare Programs
Besides the Integral Evangelization
Programs, the Diocese has established
three welfare Programs for its priests and
lay Church Workers. These programs are
the Priests Welfare Program, the Sab-
batical Leave Program and the Lay
Church Workers Program.
The Priests Welfare Program was
started in 1998. Benefits: uniform
monthly allowance for priests, hospital-
ization and medicines, insurance, loans,
retirement pension and burial expenses.
The Sabbatical Leave Program was
launched in 2003. The program provides
financial assistance to priests who go on
a one-year Sabbatical Leave for rest and
renewal (R & R) after spending seven
years in the ministry.
The sources of funds for these pro-
grams come from personal contributions
of priest-members, the parish where
they are assigned and the diocese.
The Lay Church Workers Welfare Pro-
B3
gram was established in 2004. The pro-
gram provides financial assistance to
Parish and Diocesan Lay Church Work-
ers and Personnel. It provides loans,
hospitalization and medicine assistance,
insurance, retirement and burial assis-
tance.
Sources of funds for this program
come from personal contributions of
members, the parish where they work
and the diocese.
Control Mechanisms
The Ministries hold quarterly meet-
ings—Boards and Executive Committees
and annual / bi-annual Diocesan Gen-
eral Assemblies.

The Diocese of
inces: South Cotabato and Sarangani, the
City of General Santos and some parts
of the province of Sultan Kudarat. The
titular Patron of the Diocese is Christ
the King
Diocesan Vision, Mission, Thrust
In 1996 the Diocese has re-formulated
its Vision-Mission-Thrust in line with
PCP II. This V-M-T can be summarized
as follows: 1) Vision of Church: A com-
munity of disciples of Jesus Christ and
Church of the Poor; 2) Vision of Society:
A society which is God-centered
(makaDiyos), democratic (makatao), nation-
alistic (makabansa), just (makatarungan),
respectful of human life (makabuhay), and
integrity of creation (makakalikasan); 3)
Mission: To proclaim in word and deed
the message of salvation and liberation
(integral evangelization); 4) Thrust: The
building and strengthening of Basic
Ecclesial Communities (BECs) through
integral liberation and development to-
wards one, holy society (cf. Eph. 1:4-5; 9-
10).
Diocesan Programs
In 1997 the Diocese made a general
assessment of all its Diocesan Programs.
It was decided then to re-align all pro-
grams to correspond to the PCP II ele-
ments of Renewed Integral Evangeliza-
tion. Three Diocesan Commissions were
formed: 1) Commission on Christian
Formation (COCF)—cf. PCP II Renewed
Catechesis; 2) Commission on Worship
and Liturgy (COWL)—cf. PCP II Re-
newed Worship; 3) Commission on So-
cial Apostolate (COSA)—cf. PCP II Re-
newed Social Apostolate.
Various programs for integral forma-
tion and development were established
and old ones were strengthened. Pro-
grams under Christian Formation are
catechesis, biblical apostolate, family
and life, basic ecclesial communities,
youth, and campus ministry.
Two groups are involved in the area
reflection and celebration of the Na-
tional Bible Week.
The family life program is geared for
Marbel
the formation of strong Christian fami-
lies in the parishes. The program is be-
ing promoted by the Family and Life
Ministry and the BEC-GKK Ministry.
The BEC program is for the formation
of people and lay leaders in the Basic
Ecclesial Communities (BECs) in the
parishes. The program is being pro-
moted by the GKK Ministry.
Programs under Worship and Liturgy
are the Liturgical Formation Program
for lay liturgists in the BECs and par-
ishes and the Lay Liturgical Leadership
Ministry Program for Extraordinary
Ministers for Holy Communion and for RIGHT: Marbel
holding Bible Services in the BECs on Bishop Dinualdo
Sundays. Gutierrez
speaking at a
Programs under the Social Action rally. BELOW:
Apostolate are Justice and Peace, Health The Christ the
and Nutrition, Sustainable Agriculture, King Cathedral
Micro-Finance, Relief and Rehabilita-
tion, Alay Kapwa, Livelihood Assistance,
Indigenous People, Pastoral Care of IMPORTANT FACTS
Women and Children, Migrants and
their Families, Social Communications Bishop ……………...………………… 1
(Media), IRA Watch, Good Governance, Priests:
and Ecology Diocesan …………………….…….. 64
Religious ……………………..……. 20
Deacons ……………………….…… 4
Ministries and Lay Leaders
Brothers
Various ministries have been mobi- Filipino ………………………...……. 17
lized by the Diocese to be involved in Sisters ………………………….…… 112
these programs. These are the BEC Min- Seminarians:
istry, KRISKA Ministry, Catechetical Pre-College ………………………... 5
Ministry, Family and Life Ministry, College ……………………….…….. 20
Youth Ministry, Campus Ministry, Lay Major …………………………...……. 8
Liturgical Ministry, Lay Liturgical Lead- On Regency ……………………….. 2
ership Ministry, Social Communications Diocesan Divisions:
Vicariates …………………………... 5
Ministry and the Social Action Ministry.
Parishes ……………………...…….. 24
The Diocese has established more than Educational Centers:
1,600 BECs managed by at least 8,000 BEC University ……………………...…….. 1
officers. There are more than 4,000 Colleges …………………………….. 2
KRISKA units established with the same High Schools …………………...…. 22
number of KRISKA Alagads or facilita- Elementary ………………………… 38
tors. Population ………………..... 1,583,208
The Catechetical Ministry has about Catholics ………………..….. 1,220,356
2,000 volunteer catechists. The Family Area ………………………. 7,469 sq.kms
 CBCP Monitor
B4 Features Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

First Letter to the Thessalonians

By Fr. Paul J. Marquez, SSP
THE first letter of St. Paul to the
Thessalonians holds the distinction of
Paul in Thessalonia
Paul went to the city accompanied by
Silas and Timothy and stayed there for a
period of at least three weeks (cf Acts
17). The three-week period has to be
group of Greeks who worshiped God. But
some Jews were jealous and gathered worth-
less loafers from the streets and formed a mob.
They set the whole city in an uproar and at- Fr. Luis Supan
tacked the home of a man named Jason.”

The question box

being the oldest preserved document in
Christianity. The letter is one among
seven epistles judged undisputedly to be
authentic, together with Paul’s letter to
the Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2
Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians and
Philemon. The six other letters, regarded
understood as the beginning of their stay
in the city when the missionaries
preached to their fellow Jews. After-
wards, they would preach to the Gen-
tiles in that city and this presupposes a
longer period of time. The two letters
sent to the Christian community in this
Message to the Thessalonians
The first letter to the Thessalonians is
a letter of thanksgiving to the Christian
converts, remembering in particular
how they received the word “in the midst

as written by Paul’s colleague or student,
are as follows: 2 Thessalonians,
Ephesians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy and
Titus.
city indicates that an intimate relation-
ship had been forged between pastor and
flock, which included a large number of
Questions on
of so much suffering” (1 Thes 1:6). Paul
reminds the Christian converts of the
difficulties they encountered in the city
and their unfailing zeal to preach the

A backgrounder on Thessalonia
In Paul’s time, Thessalonia was a thriv-
ing military and commercial port city,
thickly populated where the citizens
engaged in lively commerce. Cassander
(brother-in-law and a general in the
army of Alexander the Great) was the
founder of the city and named it after
his own wife Thessalonike . It was made a
free city like Athens where no Roman
soldiers roamed or policed the city. The
Thessalonians ran their own affairs and
a group of elders chose the city magis-
trates, known as the ‘politarchs’.
Gentile converts. Also, St. Paul men-
tioned that, on two separate occasions,
he had received gifts from the church of
Philippi while in Thessalonica. More-
over, Paul had established himself in the
city in the practice of his trade, which is
tentmaking.
On his first day in Thessalonia, Paul
entered the synagogue and preached to
his fellow Jews about the living God.
Word spread fast and each time Paul
came to speak, more people were added
to the congregation. Acts 17:4 relates this
interesting development: “Some of them
were convinced and joined Paul and Silas; so
did many of the leading women and a large
good news about Jesus Christ. He offers
his prayers so that he might again see
the members of the fledgling young
Church. From his assistant Timothy,
Population Control
Paul had learned that the young com-
munity was undergoing persecution.
(TEN years ago, the Pontifical Council for the Family issued Declaration on
Thus, Paul’s letter is meant to encourage
the Decrease of Fertility in the World, dated February 27, 1998. It took occasion
and admonish the new Christians refer-
of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of
ring to them as his ‘child’ and to himself
1948. The answers in the following questions are taken from the text of the
as both their “mother and father”.
Declaration)
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians
is a letter of tenderness in the midst of
What are the human rights that are put in jeopardy when the State legis-
oppression, and it reflects the apostle’s
lates population control?
growing understanding of Jesus’ mes-
In this regard, the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Hu-
sage of new life amidst the experience
man Rights is a reminder to the world. To celebrate these rights is to cel-
of the cross.
ebrate man. This moment provides a unique opportunity for the human
community to strengthen the respect due to the essential values to which it

New face of hope for has subscribed, and on which it has committed itself to build its future.
These values must be safeguarded from all compromise on the part of
States, international organizations, private groups or individuals. These

HIV/AIDS victims
rights are identified as follows: the right to life, the right to physical and
psychological integrity, and the equal dignity of all human beings (cf. ar-
ticle 1). (Cf. Declaration, no. 6).

Why is it crucial for the good of society that the State always respect these
By Roy Lagarde inclusion in their curricu- basic human rights whenever it is tempted to impose population control?
lum. As Pope John Paul II has declared: “Human rights transcend every consti-
Corros said the manual tutional order”. These rights are inherent in each man. They do not result
NOEL Pascual, an HIV-posi- was designed primarily to from a consensus which is open to negotiation depending on the forces or
tive, said he is pleased the assist victims and their fami- self-interests that may be present. The very existence of these rights, recog-
Church has long been in- lies suffering or found posi- nized and solemnly declared in 1948, does not depend on the relative qual-
volved and always on the tive with the HIV/AIDS. ity of the formulations which exist in constitutions and laws (cf. article 2.2).
move in the fight against the It contains instructional Every constitution, every law, which would attempt to limit the possession
deadly disease. materials which were de- of these declared rights, or to modify their meaning, should be immedi-
While the victim notes that signed to guide trainers, fa- ately denounced as discriminatory and, as suggested by the Preamble of the
the many of the people min- cilitators and educators in Declaration, as suspect of totalitarian ferments.
istering to Filipinos who de- enhancing the capability of It is on this common reference to values, defended at the price of so many
velop AIDS are religious, pastoral workers to mobilize tears, that the fabric of the nations can be restored, and that a city of the
boosting the Church’s re- a meaningful and effective world, open to the “culture of life” can be built. (Cf. Declaration, no. 6)
sponse is very significant. response to AIDS.
On July 12, the Catholic Bish- “We are doing it through Have there been cases when some States fell into the totalitarian tempta-
ops’ Conference of the Philip- proper education. We tell the tion in the area of population control?
pines has launched a training people how they can be infected cases. In recent years, mass sterilization, already mentioned, has been added to
manual that would help its and this could be through blood Deaths recorded due to like Thailand, Corros pointed these causes. One can recall the massive, scandalous campaigns of male and
parish workers including the transfusion, sexual intercourse, HIV/AIDS was placed at 309. that it is still alarming since female sterilization in India in 1954 and 1976, leading to the overthrow of
religious and laity how to etc.,” he said. The most popular mode of it is in the increasing side. Mrs. Gandhi’s government. In Brazil and in Mexico, 40 percent of the women
handle cases of the disease. Asked if the manual pushes transmissions includes sexual Of the total cases reported using a fertility-control method are sterilized.
Pascual said this new the use of condoms as a means intercourse [heterosexual, ho- about 1,116 or 34 percent of At the present moment, the media is reporting the sterilization campaign
Church initiative is surely a to stop the spread of the dis- mosexual and bisexual], peri- the total cases were overseas carried out last year in Peru by the services of the Public Health Depart-
big help so that more people ease, Corros said, “we don’t natal transmission, blood Filipino workers and about ment. This has provoked a worldwide reaction of indignation. Public health-
could offer help “at the bed- emphasize condom use but transfusion, injecting drug 74 percent or 827 are males. care employees put “pressure” on women who were mostly illiterate and
side of our peers in hospitals.” later on when you get infected use and needle prick injuries. Seventy seven (77) or 857 not informed about the real purpose of their “operation”. These procedures
Present during the launch- (we suggest) what should be From January to May 2008, were asymptomatic while 23 also resulted in a number of deaths. The Catholic Bishops of the region have
ing, held at the College of the the proper and right approach a total of 212 cases were re- percent (259) were AIDS cases. demanded an explanation. They have been joined by a large group of con-
Holy Spirit in Manila, were that the Church could do to ported, nine were full blown Like other victims of the gressmen who have asked that the Peruvian Congress investigate these
mostly nuns, social-action accompany those who are suf- AIDS cases and two deaths deadly virus, Pascual is hop- sterilizations (which number more than 100,000) in order to determine the
workers, priests, and workers fering.” recorded. ing the commitment showed medical and ethical conditions under which they were performed. These
in government and NGO-run Records from the National Majority or 68 percent by the Church in making the congressmen seek to reveal the full truth regarding violations of human
programs for people with HIV Sentinel Surveillance (2,211) of [the total 3,273] those training manual would be rights carried out during this governmental campaign. (Cf. Declaration, no.
HIV and AIDS. System (NHSSS) of the Health reported with HIV/AIDS are sustained, adding that the 4)
Fr. Edwin Corros, execu- department’s National Epide- males and the most age with fight against HIV and AIDS
tive secretary of CBCP’s Epis- miology Center showed that the number of cases ranged “does not lie in the book How are citizens led to think that population control is necessary?
copal Commission on Mi- there are 3,273 Filipinos between 25 to 29 years old. alone.” For too long, most of the discussions about population have developed a
grants and Itinerant People found with HIV/AIDS, where While the number of HIV/ “At the end of our journey, certain universal and erroneous popular vocabulary, according to which the world
said the book will also be 76 percent or 2,482 were “as- AIDS cases in the country re- we will face our creator; we is viewed as a prisoner of an “exponential”, even “galloping” demographic
made available soon to ymptomatic” and 24 percent mains low compared to our need you to help prepare us,” growth, which is causing a “demographic explosion”¯the so-called “demo-
Catholic schools for possible or 791 are full blown AIDS neighboring countries in Asia the 43-year old Pascual said. graphic time bomb”. The Pontifical Council for the Family, which has dem-
onstrated in one of its publications (Ethical and Pastoral Dimensions of Popula-
tion Trends, 1994) that this “popular vocabulary” really lacks all foundation,
WYD / B1
is pleased to note that, even in some agencies of the UN, the truth regarding
nascent Church should be a constant the Church through the working of the full. The Spirit impels us forward to- the demographic situation has begun to be recognized. Indeed, for 30 years,
source of inspiration for every Christian Holy Spirit. We carry within us the seal wards others, enkindles in us the fire of the conferences sponsored by this organization have provoked and nur-
community. Apostolic and missionary of the Father’s love in Jesus Christ which love, makes us missionaries of God’s tured unfounded fears about demography, especially in the southern coun-
fruitfulness is not principally due to is the Holy Spirit. Let us never forget charity. tries. On this alarmist basis, different agencies of the UN have invested and
programmes and pastoral methods that this, because the Spirit of the Lord al- I know very well that you young people continue to invest huge financial resources in order to compel many coun-
are cleverly drawn up and “efficient”, but ways remembers every individual, and hold in your hearts great appreciation and tries to institute Malthusian policies. It has been proven that these pro-
is the result of the community’s constant wishes, particularly through you young love for Jesus, and that you desire to meet grams, always imported from abroad, usually involve coercive measures
prayer (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75). More- people, to stir up the wind and fire of a Him and speak with Him. Indeed, re- of fertility control.
over, for the mission to be effective, com- new Pentecost in the world. member that it is precisely the presence In the same way, international aid for development is regularly granted
munities must be united, that is, they of the Spirit within us that confirms, con- on the condition of establishing programs of population control which
must be “of one heart and soul” (cf. Acts 5. The Holy Spirit as “Teacher of the stitutes and builds our person on the very include forced sterilizations, or sterilizations performed without proper
4:32), and they must be ready to witness interior life” Person of Jesus crucified and risen. So let informed consent. Local governments are also adopting such Malthusian
to the love and joy that the Holy Spirit My dear young friends, the Holy Spirit us become familiar with the Holy Spirit policies, and non-governmental organizations—of which the most impor-
instills in the hearts of the faithful (cf. continues today to act with power in the in order to be familiar with Jesus. tant is the well-known International Planned Parenthood Federation
Acts 2:42). The Servant of God John Paul Church, and the fruits of the Spirit are (IPPF)—are actively fostering these policies. (Cf. Declaration, no. 2).
II wrote that, even prior to action, the abundant in the measure in which we 6. The Sacraments of Confirmation and
Church’s mission is to witness and to live are ready to open up to this power that the Eucharist Who are the losers in these anti-population campaigns, specifically, steril-
in a way that shines out to others (cf. makes all things new. For this reason it You might ask, how can we allow ization?
Redemptoris Missio, 26). Tertullian tells us is important that each one of us know ourselves to be renewed by the Holy In the poor countries, the first victims of these programs are the innocent
that this is what happened in the early the Spirit, establish a relationship with Spirit and to grow in our spiritual lives? and helpless populations. They are systematically deceived and driven to
days of Christianity when pagans were Him and allow ourselves to be guided The answer, as you know, is this: we can consent to their mutilation under the false argument that it is, for them, a
converted on seeing the love that reigned by Him. However, at this point a ques- do so by means of the Sacraments, be- necessary antecedent to development. (Cf. Declaration, no. 2)
among Christians: “See how they love tion naturally arises: who is the Holy cause faith is born and is strengthened
one another” (cf. Apology, 39 § 7). Spirit for me? It is a fact that for many within us through the Sacraments, par- At present, is there a “population explosion” worldwide?
To conclude this brief survey of the Christians He is still the “great un- ticularly those of Christian initiation: These disastrous policies stand in total contradiction to the actual demo-
Word of God in the Bible, I invite you to known”. This is why, as we prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucha- graphic trends, as they are revealed in statistics and the analysis of avail-
observe how the Holy Spirit is the high- the next World Youth Day, I wanted to rist, which are complementary and in- able data. For 30 years, the rate of growth of the world’s population has
est gift of God to humankind, and there- invite you to come to know the Holy separable (cf. The Catechism of the Catholic continued to decline at a regular and significant rate. At this point, follow-
fore the supreme testimony of his love Spirit more deeply at a personal level. Church, 1285). This truth concerning the ing an impressive drop in their fertility, 51 countries in the world (out of
for us, a love that is specifically ex- In our profession of faith we proclaim: three Sacraments that initiate our lives 185) are no longer able to replace their population. To be precise, these 51
pressed as the “yes to life” that God wills “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord as Christians is perhaps neglected in the countries represent 44 percent of the population of the world. In other
for each of his creatures. This “yes to and giver of life, who proceeds from the faith life of many Christians. They view words, the total fertility rate (TFR) in these countries, that is to say, the
life” finds its fullness in Jesus of Father and the Son” ( Nicene- them as events that took place in the number of children born of each woman, is lower than 2.1. This is the
Nazareth and in his victory over evil by Constantinopolitan Creed). Yes, the Holy past and have no real significance for minimum level of fertility needed for the replacement of the population in
means of the redemption. In this regard, Spirit, the Spirit of the love of the Father today, like roots that lack life-giving a country which has optimum public health conditions.
let us never forget that the Gospel of and of the Son, is the Source of life that nourishment. It happens that many This situation is found to be the same on almost every continent. There is
Jesus, precisely because of the Spirit, makes us holy, “because God’s love has young people distance themselves from below-replacement-level fertility in America (the United States, Canada,
cannot be reduced to a mere statement been poured into our hearts through the their life of faith after they have received Cuba, and most of the Caribbean islands), in Asia (Georgia, Thailand, China,
of fact, for it is intended to be “good Holy Spirit which has been given to us” Confirmation. There are also young Japan and South Korea), in Oceania (Australia) and in almost all the forty
news for the poor, release for captives, (Rom 5:5). Nevertheless, it is not enough people who have not even received this countries of Europe. On this continent, the effect of aging on population
sight for the blind ...”. With what great to know the Spirit; we must welcome sacrament. Yet it is through the sacra- leads to depopulation, with the number of deaths surpassing the number of
vitality this was seen on the day of Pen- Him as the guide of our souls, as the ments of Baptism, Confirmation and births. This negative balance is occurring in 13 countries already, including
tecost, as it became the grace and the “Teacher of the interior life” who intro- then, in an ongoing way, the Eucharist, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, Spain and
task of the Church towards the world, duces us to the Mystery of the Trinity, that the Holy Spirit makes us children Italy. (Cf. Declaration, no. 3)
her primary mission! because He alone can open us up to faith of the Father, brothers and sisters of
We are the fruits of this mission of and allow us to live it each day to the WYD / B7
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008 Statements B5

‘We belong to God’

(Message delivered by His Excellency Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, at the Eucharistic celebra-
tion to mark the 40th anniversary of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae, on July 9, 2008, Manila Cathedral.)

MANY know of Pope Paul VI’s Encycli-
cal Humanae Vitae as the “Birth Control”
Encyclical. In fact, however, the encycli-
cal treats of control in another broader
sense. Humanae Vitae does not identify
the problem in the realm of sex, birth,
or the pill, but rather in modern man’s
arrogant desire to control, to control, to
play God. The Servant of God Pope Paul
writes at the beginning of his letter that
man has made great progress in the do-
minion of the forces of nature to the
point that he is indebted to extend this
control over every aspect of his exist-
ence. Even over the laws that regulate
the transmission of life. And here the
Pope is pointing to a wider vision of the
problem. We think everything belongs
to us but the reality is we belong to God.
Humanae Vitae means Human Life.
Human life comes from God. It belongs
to God. It goes back to God. You are not
your own, St. Paul tells us. Sex and hav-
ing children are aspects of a whole group
of realities that make up our existence,
the existence of human beings. But some
people labor under the illusion that all
these human activities belong to us. And
we can what we want with them. They
say this is my life; this is my body; this
is my choice. As if all these activities are
completely under our own control. But
are they? We know differently. This is
God’s life, God’s love, God’s freedom
given to me. I have been made in God’s
image and my life in its fullest, in its
freest and its most loving comes when I
seek to be like God, my creator after
whom I have been made. True love, true
life, true freedom, are found in doing
what God wants and in imitating closely
God’s life. That’s why sex is symbolic. It
is the language that speaks most elo-
quently of how human beings have been
made to be like God. It speaks of things
beyond sight and feeling. It is a language
that tells us of the other, of self-giving.
Many think of the Church’s teachings
about sex as you cannot do it, except in
marriage and when open to life. That is
true. But the fuller understanding of why
this is so comes when we can see that
sexual activity means so much more. Sex
belongs in the context of committed love,
sealed by marriage, open to life.
Why? Because this is the only context
to hold its message and reflect the
greater reality to which the gift of sexu-
ality points us and to which it commits
us. What is that greater reality? The God
of love. We are not our own because we
do not own ourselves. We do not own
our bodies. We do not own sex or have
sex, rather reflecting him and in imita-
tion of him in whom we are created, we
give ourselves away in love. Self-giv-
ing love. Self-sacrificing love. Sex is a
symbolic expression of that bigger real-
ity. And a reality it is.
Self-giving love is quite real when it
takes the form of a child. A child who
cries, who has to be fed, who has to be
educated. Children are experts in lead-
ing us to the meaning of sex and in lead-
ing us beyond ourselves, and upsetting
the control that we want in our lives.
Yet children are experts also in reveal-
ing to us the kind of life that would be
completely closed to us without them.
The sight of life that is love, the fruit of
our love loves us back just as in the trin-
ity. This is the reality that is bigger than
all of us. It is the self-giving that starts in
the God of love.
That reality of self-giving is revealed
in a startling way on the cross and chal-
lenges each of us in our daily interac-
tion with others, with God, and with our
own eternal destiny. Yes, we have been
made in the image of God for self-giv-
ing love. Sex is the proof. It is so real and
so big that it is frightening. That is why
so many people today are afraid of the
full and only meaning of sex. That is why
Pope Paul wrote Humanae Vitae to help
us understand.
The teaching expressed by the Encyc-
lical Humanae Vitae is not easy yet it is in
keeping with the fundamental structure
to which life has always been transmit-
ted since the world’s creation with its
respect for nature and in conformity
with its needs and the will of God who
wanted to share his love of life with us.
These last words are the words of
Benedict, our Holy Father. And I con-
clude my brief remarks in his name.
I greet and bless all here present as we
observe the 40th anniversary of Humanae
Vitae, the Encyclical that reminds us that
human life comes from the true God,
belongs to him, goes back to him. The
self-giving power of love. We belong to
him, we are not our own.

URBIS ET ORBIS DECREE

Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI
Special Indulgences are conceded to
faithful on the occasion of the to the Beloved People of Australia and
2000th anniversary of the birth of St.
Paul the Apostle the Young Pilgrims Taking part in
IN the imminence of the liturgical Solemnity of the Princes of
the Apostles, motivated by pastoral solicitude the Supreme
Pontiff intends to provide promptly for spiritual treasures to
World Youth Day 2008
be granted to the faithful for their sanctification, so that on
this pious and happy occasion, from First Vespers of the So-
lemnity mentioned, they may renew and reinforce with even
greater fervor intentions of supernatural salvation, principally
in honor of the Apostle to the Gentiles, the 2000th anniversary
of whose birth on earth is now approaching.
The gift of Indulgences which the Roman Pontiff offers to the
universal Church, truly smoothes the way to attaining a su-
preme degree of inner purification which, while honoring the
Blessed Apostle Paul, exalts the supernatural life in the hearts of
the faithful and gently encourages them to do good deeds.
Therefore, this Apostolic Penitentiary, to which the Holy Fa-
ther has entrusted the task of the preparation and compilation
of the Decree on the granting and obtaining of Indulgences that
will be valid for the duration of the Pauline Year, benevolently
bestows with this Decree issued in conformity with the desire
of the August Pontiff, the following graces listed:
I. Each and every truly repentant individual member of the
Christian faithful, duly absolved through the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and restored with Holy Communion, who de-
voutly makes a pilgrimage to the Papal Basilica of St Paul on
the Ostian Way and who prays for the Supreme Pontiff’s in-
tentions, will be granted the Plenary Indulgence from tempo-
ral punishment for his/her sins, once sacramental forgiveness
and pardon for any shortcomings has been obtained.
The Christian faithful may benefit from the Plenary Indul-
gence both for themselves and for the deceased, as many times
as they fulfill the required conditions but without prejudice to
the norm stipulating that the Plenary Indulgence may be ob-
tained only once a day.
In order that the prayer raised on this holy visit may lead
and invite the souls of the faithful to venerate more intensely
the memory of St Paul, the following has been established: the
faithful, in addition to raising their own supplications before
the altar of the Most Blessed Sacrament, each one according to
his own devotion, must go to the altar of the Confession and
devoutly recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding pious
invocations in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Paul.
And may this devotion always be closely united to the memory
of the Prince of the Apostles, St Peter. “You will receive power when the take the journey to Australia, and they too will be filled with hope until they rest in the Lord, as Saint
II. The Christian faithful of the various local Churches, hav- Holy Spirit has come upon you: I pray that they will be rewarded and with thanksgiving for all the Augustine says at the beginning
ing fulfilled the required conditions (sacramental Confession, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts abundantly. The parishes, schools good things they have received of the Confessions, the famous
Eucharistic Communion, prayers for the Supreme Pontiff’s in- 1:8) and host families have been most from God our heavenly Father. account of his own youth. My
tentions) and in a spirit of total detachment from any inclina- THE grace and peace of God generous in welcoming these Many young people today lack prayer is that the hearts of the
tion to sin, may benefit from the Plenary Indulgence if they our Father and the Lord Jesus young visitors, and they too de- hope. They are perplexed by the young people who gather in
take part devoutly in a sacred function or in a pious public Christ be with all of you! In a serve our thanks and our appre- questions that present them- Sydney for the celebration of
exercise in honour of the Apostle to the Gentiles; on the days of few days from now, I shall begin ciation. selves ever more urgently in a World Youth Day will truly find
the solemn opening and closure of the Pauline Year, in all the my Apostolic Visit to your coun- “You will receive power when confusing world, and they are rest in the Lord, and that they will
sacred places; on other days specified by the local Ordinary, in try, in order to celebrate the the Holy Spirit has come upon often uncertain which way to turn be filled with joy and fervour for
holy places dedicated to St Paul and, for the convenience of the Twenty-Third World Youth Day you: and you will be my wit- for answers. They see poverty spreading the Good News
faithful, in other places designated by the same Ordinary. in Sydney. I very much look for- nesses” (Acts 1:8). This is the and injustice and they long to find among their friends, their fami-
III. Lastly, the faithful prevented by illness or another le- ward to the days that I shall theme of the Twenty-Third solutions. They are challenged by lies, and all whom they meet.
gitimate and important cause, always in a spirit of detach- spend with you, and especially World Youth Day. How much the arguments of those who deny Dear Australian friends, al-
ment from any inclination to sin, with the intention of fulfill- to the opportunities for prayer our world needs a renewed out- the existence of God and they though I will only be able to
ing the usual conditions as soon as possible, will also be able and reflection with young pouring of the Holy Spirit! There wonder how to respond. They see spend a few days in your coun-
to obtain the Plenary Indulgence, as long as they spiritually people from all over the world. are still many who have not great damage done to the natu- try, and I will not be able to travel
join in a Jubilee celebration in honour of St Paul, offering their First of all, I want to express heard the Good News of Jesus ral environment through human outside Sydney, my heart reaches
prayers and sufferings to God for Christian unity. my appreciation to all those who Christ, while many others, for greed and they struggle to find out to all of you, including those
In order that the faithful may more easily share in these have offered so much of their whatever reason, have not rec- ways to live in greater harmony who are sick or in difficulties of
heavenly favours, may the priests approved by the competent time, their resources and their ognized in this Good News the with nature and with one another. any kind. On behalf of all the
ecclesiastical authority for hearing confessions prepare prayers in support of this celebra- saving truth that alone can sat- Where can we look for an- young people, I thank you again
promptly and generously to receive them. tion. The Australian Govern- isfy the deepest longings of their swers? The Spirit points us to- for your support of my mission
This Decree is effective for the whole of the Pauline Year. ment and the State Government hearts. The Psalmist prays: “when wards the way that leads to life, and I ask you to continue pray-
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary. of New South Wales, the orga- you send forth your Spirit, they to love and to truth. The Spirit ing for them especially. It re-
Given in Rome, at the Offices of the Apostolic Penitentiary, nizers of all the events, and are created, and you renew the points us towards Jesus Christ. mains only for me to renew my
10 May, in the Year of the Incarnation of the Lord 2008, on the members of the business com- face of the earth” (Ps 104:30). It is There is a saying attributed to invitation to the young people
eve of Pentecost. munity who have provided spon- my firm belief that young people Saint Augustine: “If you wish to from all over the world to join
sorship—all of you have will- are called to be instruments of remain young, seek Christ”. In me in Australia, the great “south-
Cardinal James Francis Stafford ingly supported this event, and that renewal, communicating to him we find the answers that we ern land of the Holy Spirit”. I
Major Penitentiary on behalf of the young people their peers the joy they have ex- are seeking, we find the goals that look forward to seeing you there!
taking part in World Youth Day, perienced through knowing and are truly worth living for, we May God bless you all.
Fr Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv. I thank you most sincerely. Many following Christ, and sharing find the strength to pursue the
Titular Bishop of Meta Regent of the young people have made with others the love that the Spirit path that will bring about a bet- From the Vatican, 4 July 2008
great sacrifices in order to under- pours into their hearts, so that ter world. Our hearts find no rest BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
 CBCP Monitor
B6 Reflections Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

God’s love knows no bounds

By Bishop Broderick Pabillo,
DD
MARINA feels palpably the love of God.
She got a promotion in her job and re-
cently her son passed the board exam for
teachers. Ted cannot doubt God’s care. He
got an all-clear result of his recent execu-
tive check-up. It is so easy to feel and to
believe that God loves us whenever good
things happen to us, or at least when noth-
ing bad takes place. But when sickness,
loss of a job, death or other sad and un-
fortunate things happen, doubts about
God’s love and providence take over.
Where is God? We can even ask. Is he in
control in the world? Does he love me? These
questions race into our minds. It is in
these moments of tragedy and misfor-
tune that we should be consoled by the
words of St. Paul in our second reading:
Can anything ever separate us from
Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer
loves us if we have trouble or calamity,
or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold
or in danger or threatened with death?
…And I am convinced that nothing can
ever separate us from his love. Death can’t,
and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the
demons can’t. Our fears for today, our
worries about tomorrow, and even the
powers of hell can’t keep God’s love
away. (Rom 8, 35.39 New Living Transla-
tion) This love of God is manifested and
revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ,
the Son of God made man is the sure sign
that we are loved by God. He also showed
us by his life how much he loves us.
In our Gospel story today Jesus took a
boat to withdraw from the people upon
hearing John the Baptist’s death. Prob-
ably Jesus was badly affected by his
death. He wanted to be alone or to re-
think his strategy. What happened to
John may already be a sign to what
would happen to him. Whatever the rea-
son may be, Jesus wanted that he and his
disciples be by themselves. But when
they found a large crowd clamoring for
him on the other side of the shore he
took pity on them. Not even his own
grief, or fear, or doubt kept him away
from the people. He stayed with them
the whole day, healing them, consoling
them, teaching them. That’s how much
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is 55, 1-3; Rom 8, 35, 37-39; Mt. 14, 13-21
August 3, 2008
he loved and cared for them, as a shep-
herd caring for his sheep.
When evening came his disciples
wanted him to send the people away so
they could each take care of their food.
That is not what the love of Jesus asked
him to do. Food should be provided for
them. “Give them something to eat your-
selves!” Jesus ordered them. When the
disciples placed before him the logistical
impossibility (they have only five loaves
and two fish and there are more than five
thousand people) the love of Jesus over-
came this hurdle too. Really nothing can
separate us from the love of Christ. He
broke the little they had to feed all—and
all were fed, with still a lot more to spare!
This is how much God loves us.
Of course we see in this miracle a fore-
shadowing of the Eucharist. Again the
Eucharist is another sign that nothing
can separate us from the love of God.
This is why the Eucharist is a memorial,
is a remembrance of how much God
loves us that he gave us his only Son and
how in turn Jesus, the Son of God made
man, offers himself for us. What more
can God not do for us then? God had
given us his all! We are reminded of this
in every Mass we celebrate. So no mat-
ter how difficult or unfortunate situa-
tions turn out to be, of this we can al-
ways be sure—God’s love is there and
because he loves us he cares for us. So
we are not alone and in the end “every-
thing turns out for the good.” Good can
come out of any situation if we trust just
long enough! Is this not also the mes-
sage of the cross and the resurrection?
Jesus trusted up to the end—he was obe-
dient up to death, and death on the cross.
And the result? God raised him. Not only
did he come out of the dead but he was
given the glory above every other name
and power. That is how strong and reli-
able God’s love for us is.
We badly need to be reminded of this,
because when we look around we cannot
but notice problems¯and endless of them.
There is the problem of hunger lurking
behind and threatening thousands. There
is the problem of mistrust because of lack
of truth and transparency. Violence
threatens peace. Nature is fighting back
after centuries of neglect and abuse. There
are problems galore! If we have no faith
we can easily fall into skepticism—is
there God after all?—or to plain individu-
alism. Let each take care of his own skin!
But no! In the midst of this we believe
and we affirm: Nothing can separate us
from the love of God. It does not mean
that God no longer loves when bad things
happen. God loves us always. His love is
everlasting. It is a strong rock that we can
always anchor ourselves on.
If we have this conviction then we can
go through any difficulty with confidence:
confidence that we are not alone; confi-
dence that in the long run things will turn
out well. Since we have confidence then
we do not focus only on ourselves in self
pity and in survival mode. No matter
how many and difficult the situations we
can still see others and also feel compas-
sion for them. In fact misfortunes make
us help one another more rather than
keep us away from each other. See what
the love of God can do for us? So, let us
ask the Good Lord to give us the grace to
be convinced of the depth and width of
the love of God for us—not only when
things go well, but also when problems
and difficulties come our way.

Fr. Roy Cimagala

Bo Sanchez

Year of St. Paul Only God is not a

POPE Benedict has just pro-
claimed the Year of St. Paul,
starting last June 29, the Solem-
nity of Saints Peter and Paul. He’s
asking us to listen to St. Paul, to
know what he is trying to tell us
today. The Pope assures us St.
Paul has a lot to say and show.
Yes, sir, this business of listen-
ing and talking to saints is an
idea we have to be more famil-
iar with and adept at. Saints are
no mere historical figures. They
are alive and are more relevant
to us now, albeit in a mysterious
but no less real way.
Try to visit the Christian doc-
trine on “communion of saints,”
and you’ll see how we continue
to get linked in a vital way with
every member of the Church, be
he in heaven, here on earth, or
still purifying himself in purga-
tory, sharing spiritual goods
among ourselves.
If we enter all out the world of
faith and spiritual reality, the
limitations of time and space
pose no problem. Death and dis-
tance do not separate us. We con-
tinue to get together in a phe-
nomenon called in theology as
“communion.”
Let’s remember that there’s
something spiritual in us, en-
abling us to go beyond our
physical, material and natural di-
mensions. With God’s grace, we
can enter a deeper and richer
universe.
We really have to be more con-
sistent in our thinking with faith.
Our tendency is still to be stuck
in some dichotomy. At one time,
season
we feel pious and religious, and
at another time, we are utterly
worldly. We have to bridge the
gap.
The Pope tells us that with the
fearless character, generous fidel-
ity and heroic ministry of St.
Paul, as recorded in the Bible, we
are taught to adapt ourselves to
his mind and spirit, because this
is how we can identify ourselves
with Christ.
“Be imitators of me, as I am of
Christ,” (1 Cor 11,1) he boldly
said. “It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me,” (Gal
2,20) he added. This identification
with Christ by all of us is what
the Church and the world need
today.
Our world is in crying need of
an effective evangelization, of
which St. Paul is the poster boy,
where Christ can be brought to
all our human affairs, and vice-
versa, where all our human ac-
tivities can be linked to Christ.
Christ cannot and should not
be confined to some people, to
some moments and events of our
life. Christ belongs to all of us,
just as we all belong to him.
St. Paul as the apostle of the
Gentiles highlights this truth.
And for this he was not afraid of
any suffering and pain involved
in the endeavor. “Who then shall
separate us from the love of
Christ? Tribulation or distress or
famine or nakedness or danger
or persecution or sword?” (Rom
8,35).
He knew how to be all things
to all men, bravely bringing the
word of Christ to friends and foes
alike. He contoured his teachings
according to the mentalities of
the people he preached to.
St. Paul represents a believer
who has grown “unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the
age of the fullness of Christ.”
(Eph 4,13) As such, he had no
business other than to do
Christ’s command for him to
reach out to the Gentiles, that
is, to everyone.
This is what we have to under-
stand well. After due thought, we
should realize we have no busi-
ness other than to do God’s will.
And this is none other than our
own sanctification and that of all
others. This is what salvation
means.
We have to leave behind our
childish ways, our pagan or in-
consistently Christian ways. We
have to update our knowledge
of the doctrine, bring to par the
state of our attitudes and virtues.
We have to embark in a sustained
apostolic work.
These duties should be ordi-
nary and commonplace, not eso-
teric. They are really no big deal.
And we should learn to carry
them out with competence. At
this age of super-advanced tech-
nologies, it’s a crime to be ama-
teurish in this much more impor-
tant aspect of our life.
Whether we are in business or
politics, in sports and entertain-
ment, at home or in public places,
we should know how to be like
St. Paul. We have to know how
to bring Christ to all.
FIVE years ago, I decided to live without a
salary.
Just because I felt…well, I felt God wanted
me to do it.
I didn’t care if people called me cookoo, or
screwball, or ding-a-ling. But I wanted to try
living in trust, waiting on Heaven for my next
meal, my next ride, my next hair-cut. Even
just for a season. So I told my organizations
NOT to give me a pay check.
So there were days when I, Chairman of
the Board, went past a Mcdonalds hungry, be-
cause my pockets were empty. There were
days when I walked home because I didn’t
have enough fare. There were weeks when I
was tempted to have a ponytail because I
couldn’t afford a hair-cut. (I recall that this
ponytail-ordeal came to an abrupt end when
I received ten thousand bucks from a total
stranger. I quickly ran to the barbershop and
asked for the most expensive hair-cut they
had, telling them, “You can die my hair
purple!”)
My season of comfortable poverty lasted
for almost three years.
But ironically, in those same years, I also
traveled to three cities in the US, five cities in
Canada, one city in Africa, four cities in Eu-
rope, two trips to Israel, and four cities in
Asia. All for free, because I was invited to
preach and to guide people in pilgrimages. (I
remember leaving for my foreign trips with
a nice coat and tie, so no one would think I
only had twenty dollars in my wallet.)
But like the way it began, I felt a surging
inspiration within me that my season of
happy poverty was to end. So three years af-
ter, I allowed my organizations to pay me a
salary again. (Would you believe? I have a
savings account now—something I had to
look into the dictionary to find out what the
word meant.)
I have no regrets entering into that season.
Because I believe I’ve learned one great les-
son of life: That seasons of famine are permitted
by God to give us deepened trust.
If we have everything—and everything
goes on smoothly in our lives—we will never
know what it means to really, really,
reeeeeeeally trust.
It’s easy to say, “I trust God” when you’re
vacationing in a Luxury Love Boat, dining in
one of it’s classy restaurants, napkin on your
chest, munching on shark meat dipped in
wasabe and soy sauce. But it’s not so easy to
say, “I trust God” when your Love Boat has
just capsized, and you’re now in the open sea,
surrounded by giant sharks with napkins on
their chests, bringing with them their own
wasabe and soy sauce.
But that’s the point! There’s really no dif-
ference between those two scenes! You need
to trust God fully, whatever the season you’re
in!
Two Questions
Are you going through a season of abun-
dance? Being paid a nice salary, huh? Don’t
trust it. Employed by a large multinational
company? I don’t care how secure you think
it is, I’m telling you: it’s not.
In the end, you know who will never fail.
Or are you going through a season of pov-
erty or hardship or trial?
Believe me. That will end.
Because they are simply that: seasons.
Only God is not a season.
Only He will never end.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008 Social Concerns B7

NASSA intensifies relief operations

By Pinky Barrientos,
FSP
THE National Secretariat for So-
cial Action (NASSA) of the Catho-
lic Bishop’s Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) steps up mas-
sive relief operations in the wake
of the great destruction brought
by typhoon Frank (known inter-
nationally as Fengshen) lasy June
20 to 22.
Around 1,800 bags of NFA rice
have already been released to 15
Social Action Centers of the arch-
dioceses of Iloilo and Cotabato
and the dioceses of Capiz and
Kalibo. Ten thousand families
are targeted to receive partial re-
leases of relief packs
of assorted items that
NASSA volunteers
have been gathering
and putting together
for shipment for
weeks now.
Iloilo has
4,000 family-beneficiaries,
Cotabato, Capiz and Kalibo
with 2,000 each. NASSA said
the relief operations will go
on for a month but might ex-
tend if there is a need.
An Assessment team com-
posed of personnel from
NASSA, CRS and Social Ac-
tion directors of Cotabato
and Marbel identified the
needs that have to be given
priority: a) food security,
which include food avail-
ability and access, and loss
of crops and agricultural as-
sets; b) damaged infrastruc-
tures and fields; c) lack of es-
sential household items; and
d) health.
Typhoon Frank left the
country reeling in the af-
termath of enormous de-
struction in some parts of
Mindanao and the
Visayas displacing thou-
sands of families, and
leaving hundreds of
fatalities and billions

© Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media

of pesos in damages.
Reports released
by NASSA re-
vealed 10 prov-
inces and 12 in-
dividual
municipali-
ties are se-
riously af-
fected, majority ing. The typhoon destroyed Although a large number of Meanwhile, most severely af- nors include Caritas Hongkong,
of which are 301,642 houses (76,098 totally and communities have been affected fected areas in the diocese of Knights of Columbus and Bill
found in the 225,544 partially). Over all, the in the Maguindanao and Shariff Marbel are the Maitum, Maasim, Gates Foundation. Among the
V i s a y a s damages translated into billions Kabunsuan provinces in the arch- Alabel and Kiamba municipali- local donors are Caritas Manila,
(particulary of pesos (P7,317,188,568.21) con- diocese of Cotabato, it was the ties. The situation of the evacu- Green Cross, Caritas Novaliches,
Panay Island) and sisting of infrastructures, school Lambayong municipality and ees from Maitum is further ag- St. Paul University Manila,
Mindanao (envi- and other public facilities, and ag- other areas of Cotabato City that gravated by the intermittent con- Colegio de Sta. Rosa, St. Jude Par-
rons of Cotabato riculture assets. suffered greatly due to massive flicts between government forces ish, Philippine Charity Sweep-
and General Santos The typhoon triggered more flooding. Low lying areas of the and MILF rebels. stakes Office, NASSA Chair and
City). than 11 maritime accidents that municipality were submerged The cramped and unsanitary Manila Auxiliary Bishop
A situation report resulted to hundreds of fatalities, underwater when a major dike condition of evacuees is a major Broderick Pabillo, Dominican
from the National Disaster the most notable of which was along the Allah River broke on concern because of the possible School and the Diocese of
Coordination Council the sinking of passenger boat June 21. According to reports the outbreak of diseases. Among the Borongan.
(www.reliefweb.int) on June Princess of the Stars which was dike had been a problem even items NASSA have been sending The main priority at the mo-
29 said the impact of the typhoon carrying more than 800 people before the onslaught of typhoon to evacuees include antibiotics ment, as families return back to
had affected 718,457 families or on board when it sank off Frank because of its weak foun- and other medicines to prevent their former homes in trickles, is
3,662,958 persons; 15 regions, 49 Sibuyan Island at the height of dation. Until a new dike is built, the spread of infection. to re-launch livelihoods while
provinces, 48 cities, 401 munici- the storm. which is estimated to take sev- Catholic Relief Services (CRS) making ends meet. The affected
Soldiers load relief goods palities, and 5,140 barangays Families displaced by the ty- eral weeks if not months, the a major donor in the ongoing re- communities now have to deal
for North Cotabato and (communities). It also caused phoon are now cramped in evacu- more than 4,160 families or more lief operations is working hand with the challenges of having to
Maguindanao on a truck at
the CBCP compound in
540 deaths (identified and ation centers with lack of access than 24,000 individuals in evacu- in hand with NASSA in ensuring rebuild their lives in the face of
Manila. recovered bodies), with to potable water and sanitation ation areas will have to stay en- recovery assistance to affected great loss both in lives and re-
175 injured and 41 miss- facilities. camped. families. Other international do- sources.

WYD / B4

Jesus, members of his Church, capable
of a true witness to the Gospel, and able
to savour the joy of faith.
I therefore invite you to reflect on
what I am writing to you. Nowadays it
is particularly necessary to rediscover
the sacrament of Confirmation and its
important place in our spiritual growth.
Those who have received the sacra-
ments of Baptism and Confirmation
should remember that they have become
“temples of the Spirit”: God lives within
them. Always be aware of this and strive
to allow the treasure within you to bring
forth fruits of holiness. Those who are
baptized but have not yet received the
sacrament of Confirmation, prepare to
receive it knowing that in this way you
will become “complete” Christians,
since Confirmation perfects baptismal
grace (cf. The Catechism of the Catholic
Church, 1302-1304).
Confirmation gives us special strength
to witness to and glorify God with our
whole lives (cf. Rom 12:1). It makes us
intimately aware of our belonging to
the Church, the “Body of Christ”, of
which we are all living members, in
solidarity with one another (cf. 1 Cor
12:12-25). By allowing themselves to be
guided by the Spirit, each baptized per-
son can bring his or her own contribu-
tion to the building up of the Church
because of the charisms given by the
Spirit, for “to each is given the manifes-
tation of the Spirit for the common good”
(1 Cor 12:7). When the Spirit acts, he
brings his fruits to the soul, namely “love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, generos-
ity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-con-
trol” (Gal 5:22). To those of you who have
not yet received the sacrament of Con-
firmation, I extend a cordial invitation
to prepare to receive it, and to seek help
from your priests. It is a special occasion
of grace that the Lord is offering you.
Do not miss this opportunity!
I would like to add a word about the
Eucharist. In order to grow in our Chris-
tian life, we need to be nourished by the
Body and Blood of Christ. In fact, we are
baptized and confirmed with a view to
the Eucharist (cf. The Catechism of the
Catholic Church, 1322; Sacramentum
Caritatis, 17). “Source and summit” of the
Church’s life, the Eucharist is a “per-
petual Pentecost” since every time we
celebrate Mass we receive the Holy
Spirit who unites us more deeply with
Christ and transforms us into Him. My
dear young friends, if you take part fre-
quently in the eucharistic celebration, if
you dedicate some of your time to ado-
ration of the Blessed Sacrament, the
Source of love which is the Eucharist,
you will acquire that joyful determina-
tion to dedicate your lives to following
the Gospel. At the same time it will be
your experience that whenever our
strength is not enough, it is the Holy
Spirit who transforms us, filling us with
his strength and making us witnesses
suffused by the missionary fervor of the
risen Christ.
7. The need and urgency of mission
Many young people view their lives
with apprehension and raise many ques-
tions about their future. They anxiously
ask: How can we fit into a world marked
by so many grave injustices and so much
suffering? How should we react to the
selfishness and violence that sometimes
seem to prevail? How can we give full
meaning to life? How can we help to
bring it about that the fruits of the Spirit
mentioned above, “love, joy, peace, pa-
tience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control” (no. 6), can
fill this scarred and fragile world, the
world of young people most of all? On
what conditions can the life-giving Spirit
of the first creation and particularly of
the second creation or redemption be-
come the new soul of humanity? Let us
not forget that the greater the gift of
God—and the gift of the Spirit of Jesus is
the greatest of all—so much the greater
is the world’s need to receive it and there-
fore the greater and the more exciting is
the Church’s mission to bear credible
witness to it. You young people, through
World Youth Day, are in a way mani-
festing your desire to participate in this
mission. In this regard, my dear young
friends, I want to remind you here of
some key truths on which to meditate.
Once again I repeat that only Christ can
fulfill the most intimate aspirations that
are in the heart of each person. Only
Christ can humanize humanity and lead
it to its “divinization”. Through the
power of his Spirit he instills divine char-
ity within us, and this makes us capable
of loving our neighbour and ready to be
of service. The Holy Spirit enlightens us,
revealing Christ crucified and risen, and
shows us how to become more like Him
so that we can be “the image and instru-
ment of the love which flows from
Christ” (Deus Caritas Est, 33). Those who
allow themselves to be led by the Spirit
understand that placing oneself at the
service of the Gospel is not an optional
extra, because they are aware of the ur-
gency of transmitting this Good News to
others. Nevertheless, we need to be re-
minded again that we can be witnesses
of Christ only if we allow ourselves to
be led by the Holy Spirit who is “the prin-
cipal agent of evangelization” (cf.
Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75) and “the princi-
pal agent of mission” (cf. Redemptoris
Missio, 21). My dear young friends, as my
venerable predecessors Paul VI and John
Paul II said on several occasions, to pro-
claim the Gospel and bear witness to the
faith is more necessary than ever today
(cf. Redemptoris Missio, 1). There are those
who think that to present the precious
treasure of faith to people who do not
share it means being intolerant towards
them, but this is not the case, because to
present Christ is not to impose Him (cf.
Evangelii Nuntiandi, 80). Moreover, two
thousand years ago twelve Apostles gave
their lives to make Christ known and
loved. Throughout the centuries since
then, the Gospel has continued to spread
by means of men and women inspired
by that same missionary fervour. Today
too there is a need for disciples of Christ
who give unstintingly of their time and
energy to serve the Gospel. There is a
need for young people who will allow
God’s love to burn within them and who
will respond generously to his urgent
call, just as many young blesseds and
saints did in the past and also in more
recent times. In particular, I assure you
that the Spirit of Jesus today is inviting
you young people to be bearers of the
good news of Jesus to your contempo-
raries. The difficulty that adults undoubt-
edly find in approaching the sphere of
Missio , 90). Do not be afraid to become
holy missionaries like Saint Francis
Xavier who travelled through the Far
East proclaiming the Good News until
every ounce of his strength was used
up, or like Saint Thérèse of the Child
Jesus who was a missionary even
though she never left the Carmelite con-
vent. Both of these are “Patrons of the
Missions”. Be prepared to put your life
on the line in order to enlighten the
world with the truth of Christ; to re-
spond with love to hatred and disregard
for life; to proclaim the hope of the risen
Christ in every corner of the earth.
8. Invoking a “new Pentecost” upon the
world
My dear young friends, I hope to see
very many of you in Sydney in July
2008. It will be a providential opportu-
nity to experience the fullness of the
Holy Spirit’s power. Come in great
numbers in order to be a sign of hope
and to give appreciative support to the
Church community in Australia that is
preparing to welcome you. For the
young people of the country that will
host you, it will be an exceptional op-
portunity to proclaim the beauty and
joy of the Gospel to a society that is secu-
larized in so many ways. Australia, like
all of Oceania, needs to rediscover its
Christian roots. In the Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania,
Pope John Paul II wrote: “Through the
power of the Holy Spirit, the Church in
Oceania is preparing for a new evange-
lization of peoples who today are hun-
gering for Christ... A new evangeliza-
tion is the first priority for the Church
in Oceania” (no. 18).
I invite you to give time to prayer and
to your spiritual formation during this
last stage of the journey leading to the

CBCPMonitor
youth in a comprehensible and convinc- XXIII World Youth Day, so that in Sydney
Name _________________________________________________ ing way could be a sign with which the you will be able to renew the promises
(Family Name) (Given Name) (Middle Name) Spirit is urging you young people to take made at your Baptism and Confirmation.
this task upon yourselves. You know the Together we shall invoke the Holy Spirit,
SUBSCRIPTION RATES ideals, the language, and also the wounds, confidently asking God for the gift of a
Mailing Address ________________________________________ the expectations, and at the same time new Pentecost for the Church and for
________________________________________________________ the desire for goodness felt by your con- humanity in the third millennium.
temporaries. This opens up the vast world May Mary, united in prayer with the
The CBCP Monitor is published Phone No.: _________ Fax No.: ________ E-mail: ___________ of young people’s emotions, work, edu- Apostles in the Upper Room, accom-
fortnightly by the CBCP Media Of- cation, expectations, and suffering ... Each pany you throughout these months and
Mode of Payment
fice, with editorial and business of- one of you must have the courage to obtain for all young Christians a new
fices at 470 Gen. Luna St., Check/PMO enclosed Cash Payment promise the Holy Spirit that you will outpouring of the Holy Spirit to set their
Intramuros, Manila. PO Box 3601, (Payable to: CBCP Communications Development Foundation Inc.) bring one young person to Jesus Christ hearts on fire. Remember: the Church
in the way you consider best, knowing has confidence in you! We Pastors, es-
1076 MCPO
how to “give an explanation to anyone pecially, pray that you may love and
• Domestic ________________________ who asks you for a reason for your hope, lead others to love Jesus more and more
1 Year Php 500.00 but [to] do it with gentleness and rever- and that you may follow Him faith-
Signature
2 Years Php 900.00 ence” (cf. 1 Pet 3:15). fully. With these sentiments I bless you
• Foreign: Asia PLEASE SEND TO: In order to achieve this goal, my dear all with deep affection.
1 Year US$ 55.00 friends, you must be holy and you must
CBCP Monitor, P.O. Box 3601, Manila, Philippines
• All Other US$ 80.00 470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, Philippines | Tel (632) 404-2182 • Telefax (632) 404-1612 be missionaries since we can never sepa- From Lorenzago, 20 July 2007
Or e-mail this at cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.com rate holiness from mission (cf. Redemptoris BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

B8
Moral Assessment
JOHN Hancock (Will Smith) sleeps at
park benches, swears, is rude, drinks
heavily, and is in the words of a little boy
an “asshole”. But he is also a superhero
of sorts. He’s arrogant but he saves lives;
he’s a bum but he can’t tolerate baddies.
When on call he doesn’t hide and slip into
a signature costume, he simply skyrock-
ets himself, crashing through windows,
making a mess of the traffic, leaving
downtown Los Angeles like it’s been
rocked by a mega hurricane. Half the
people adore him; the other half has filed
over 600 lawsuits against him for dam-
aged property and injured bodies. One
day he saves from sure death a dreamer
of a PR man Ray (Jason Bateman) who is
stupid enough to get himself stuck on the
railroad track with a train zooming up.
Grateful for his life, Ray brings Hancock
home for a spaghetti dinner, and intro-
duces the superhero to his son (who idol-
izes Hancock) his wife Mary (Charlize
Theron) who can’t seem to stand the sight
of the boorish superhuman around the
house. What Ray really wants to do is
give Hancock an image makeover—to
make him look good to the public.
The movie’s trailer and poster claim there
are heroes and superheroes (and more
superheroes) and then there is Hancock.
Or something like that. Which leads the
viewer to expect a different kind of su-
perhero—but a superhero nonetheless.
So the story brings us this superhero with
an issue—or rather with unresolved is-
MAC en COLET
Buhay Parokya
Entertainment
Abhorrent
Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome
Exemplary
sues good enough to keep ten psychia-
trists employed for life. This movie which
is billed as an “action comedy” flick
seems two movies in one, but it confuses
its own plot, thus it won’t fit in a decent
genre. So there are action comedies and
action comedies, and then there is
Hancock, a hybrid that doesn’t know how
to categorize itself. Even the hero doesn’t
understand his powers, much less wield
them as a hero is expected to. Okay, okay,
they said this was not your ordinary su-
perhero movie—but at least give us some-
thing superior, so we don’t regret buy-
ing a ticket and having nothing left for
popcorn. Don’t give us an unidentifiable
species that’s half-hearted comedy turn-
ing into a half-baked Shakespearean trag-
edy with no rationale to engage our
brains. The CGI is passable, but worth-
less against all the questions directed at
the ethics of the hero.
Is there a race somewhere? A
supercontest of sorts where superheroes
out to save the world leave in their wake
bigger and bigger collateral damage?
Who gets to pay for all that mess this
sloppy superhero creates? Just count the
potholes caused by his landings. Where
is this superhuman coming from? Aren’t
superheroes supposed to be, at least, re-
spectful of the citizens of this planet? Is
it correct for a superhero to traumatize a
kid who’s just being a kid? Is it moral to
save one and let a hundred others die?
Did Hancock’s makers mean to say any-
Technical
Assessment
Poor
Below average
Average
Above average
Excellent
Title: Hancock
Cast: Will Smith, Charlize Theron,
Jason Bateman, Jae Head
Director: Peter Berg
Producers: Akiva Goldsman, James
Lassiter, Michael Mann, Will Smith
Screenwriters: Vincent Ngo, Vince
Gilligan
Music: John Powell
Editors: Colby Parker Jr., Paul Rubell
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Drama/
Fantasy
Cinematography: Tobias A.
Schliessler
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Location: Los Angeles , California ,
USA
Running Time: 92 min.
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment: .5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 up
one can be a superhero simply because
he happens to be superhuman? What do
they want our children to be? Will Smith
the actor became famous for being a
family-friendly rapper, a good kid in a
very popular TV series. Why are they
now shaking off his clean image? Do
they want our kids to follow this like-
able actor to perdition? Many are the
ways by which the evil one will try to
lure our children into decadence. Beware.
If you must allow your 14-year olds to
see this movie, tell them Hancock is fic-
titious, not to be emulated, idolized, or
taken seriously.
ni Bladimer Usi
By Bladimer Usi
There are three missing articles in this
cartoon. Find a chalice, veil and candle.
IN Wanted, the “Fraternity” is
a thousand-year old secret so-
ciety of assassins whose mis-
sion is to rid the world of bad
guys. “Kill one, save a thou-
sand” seems to be their motto.
Wesley Gibson (James
McAvoy) is a nondescript ac-
count manager in some New
York office ruled by an obese
woman with a razor tongue
and indefatigable vocal
chords. Besides being bullied
by this slob of a boss, Wesley
is also hen-pecked by his girl-
friend who incessantly com-
plains of the night trains chug-
chugging by their cheap apart-
ment. As if two ranting
women were not enough, the
nerdy Wesley also discovers
that his best friend and office
mate is also seeing his girl-
friend on the side. Too naïve
and cowardly to stand up for
himself, Wesley seems re-
signed to live a life that leads
nowhere. Until Fox (Angelina
Jolie) enters the scene—but not
to bring sunshine and flowers
to Wesley’s dead-end exist-
ence. She takes him to Sloane
(Morgan Freeman), the head
of the Fraternity, who reveals
to Wesley that he has the as-
sassin in his genes, being the
son of one of their murdered
members. It is to avenge the
death of his father then that
Wesley is to be recruited, mo-
tivated and trained.
The plot of Wanted, if a trifle
too bloody, vengeful and vio-
lent, is simple enough to fol-
low, and seen against the back-
drop of comic book fiction may
even come across as credible.
It’s not hard for everyman to
identify with the superbly acted
McAvoy character who turns
from weakling to super assas-
sin. Its credibility is further es-
tablished by having Morgan
Freeman in the cast—he who is
gifted with a hypnotic growl
and an aura of omniscience can
make poison sound like milk
and honey until you thirst for
it. And nobody but nobody
could have played Fox more be-
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
Title: Wanted
Cast: James
McAvoy, Angelina
Jolie, Morgan
Freeman,
Terence Stamp,
Thomas
Ketschmann
Director: Timur
Bekmambetov
Writer: Michael
Brandt, Derek
Haas and Chris
Morgan
Distributor:
Universal
Pictures
Location: USA
Running time:
110 minutes.
Technical
Assessment:
Moral Assess-
ment: .5
CINEMA rating:
R 14 (For viewers
aged 14 up)
lievably than Jolie—wielding
with elan fantabulous guns half
her weight. Her legendary sex
appeal needs no dominatrix cos-
tumes—it oozes through even a
no-frills white mini dress that
would have looked like a
nanny’s apron on a less stylish
actress. Her panache and her ex-
pressive face also project her as
the perfect “killer of few words.”
Kazakhstan-born director Timur
Bekmambetov ably pulls off this
thriller and succeeds in suspend-
ing the viewer’s disbelief with
the use of over-the-top stunts
and killer-ware: surfing atop
speeding trains, guns and bul-
lets with implausible trajecto-
ries, supercars that make James
Bond’s look like a Matchbox col-
lection.
There’s no stopping them
now—action movies that rival
computer games in adrenaline
stimulation and ingenuity of
inventions. It’s possible that
even very young children who
can wield the (computer)
mouse will enjoy the techni-
cal aspects of Wanted. Why,
even adult viewers would, as
long as it’s clear to them that
this movie defies the laws of
physics and dabbles in gray
areas of morality and mortal-
ity. Young viewers may not
be able to draw the line be-
tween fact and fiction, or may
be lost in seeing the bound-
ary blurred between right and
wrong. And even if there are
willing parents who can guide
them through this violent and
deception-ridden piece of art,
why titillate their imagina-
tion thus when there is so
much still to learn in school
and at home about real phys-
ics and real justice? For down-
to-earth education-cum-enter-
tainment that broadens their
horizons, there’s Nat Geo Jun-
ior, Animal Planet or Discovery
Channel. To help them with
their school work, there’s
Knowledge Channel. For good
old Sunday afternoon family
entertainment, put on The
Sound of Music DVD, please.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
KCFAPI joins GK build houses for the poor
THIRTY-SIX officers
and employees of
KCFAPI and Keys Realty
& Development Corpora-
tion began the first leg of
the construction of the
Knights of Columbus
GK Village at
Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del
Monte City, Bulacan last June 28.
Brother Knights from St. Joseph
the Worker Council 6745 of
Poblacion, San Jose del Monte
City, and San Isidro de Labrador
Council 13344 of Muzon, San Jose
del Monte, their Columbian
Squires, members of Couples for
Christ of Metro Manila North
Sector A and the housing benefi-
ciaries also came to the site.
In the spirit of the Filipino
tradition”Bayanihan”, the volun-
teers worked together to build a
cluster of ten beautiful and col-
orful houses that will be
a showcase model for 32
C1
of the construction consisting of
hauling of materials, excavation
and leveling of site, concrete mix-
ing and concrete hollow blocks
laying. Volunteers donned in
golden yellow camisa de chino
beat the heat of the sun, exca-
vated, and did the relay of hol-
low blocks and gravel.
Everyone took turns in taking

The Cross
more houses. breaks and enjoyed mouth wa-
The day began with a tering cassava, pancit bihon and
short program of praise ice candy donated by some gen-
and worship, and ac- erous people. Volunteers learned
knowledgment of par- the details of construction and
ticipants and the leaders began to understand the hard-
of each group. ships of a construction worker. It
Before plunging to was hardwork for everybody but
A Supplement Publication for KCFAPI work, Gawad Kalinga
coordinator, Mr. Beng
still we were all smiles in carry-
ing our tasks. KCFAPI employ-
and the
and the Order
Order of
of the
the Knights
Knights of
of Columbus
Columbus Garcia briefed the volun-
teers on the initial phase
ees were heard singing and danc-
GK / C3

KCFAPI
KCFAPI signs
signs Seed
Seed of
of
Hope
Hope Fund
Fund with
with CBCP
CBCP
THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal As-
sociation of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI) has renewed its full support
to the various social and spiritual con-
cerns of the Catholic Church in the Phil-
ippines through the creation of a Hope
Fund for the Catholic Bishops’ Confer-
ence of the Philippines (CBCP).
During the July 6 CBCP Plenary Fund together with its invest-
Assembly, KCFAPI president ment portfolio under one fund
Mr. Antonio Borromeo pre- and disburse the necessary remit-
sented to the bishops a symbolic tances of the net earnings of the
check of P10 million as seed Hope Fund to the CBCP. The
money for the Hope Fund estab- CBCP on its part will provide
lished for the Conference. KCFAPI a yearly report of its pri-
Called CBCP Seed of Hope ority projects and activities ben-
Fund, the endowment is meant efited by the donation.
to support the priority projects As a Catholic fraternal associa-
and activities of the CBCP. tion, KCFAPI recognizes the vari-
A memorandum of agreement ous social and spiritual undertak-
was signed by Mr. Borromeo, ings of the Church in the Philip-
KCFAPI president and Archbishop pines. The recently established
Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president CBCP Hope Fund is just one of
in the presence of the bishops gath- the many financial endeavors
ered for their bi-annual Plenary KCFAPI provides to the CBCP
Assembly, July 6, 2008, at the Pius and to the Catholic Church in
XII Catholic Center, Manila. general in pursuit of its corpo-
The agreement stipulates that rate social responsibility. (Pinky
KCFAPI shall manage the Hope Barrientos, FSP)

Knights join prayer march rally for Life

HUNDREDS of Brother Knights from
Metro Cebu and neighboring towns,
led by Visayas Deputy Dionisio R.
Esteban, Jr., joined thousands of stu-
dents, professionals, religious lay or-
ganizations and families in a prayer
march rally for life last July 12.
Organized by the Archdiocese of
Cebu and Human Life International
the march started from different
points in uptown and downtown ar-
eas and converged at the Pilgrim
Center of the Basilica del Santo Niño
for the afternoon activity.
Prayer for the enlightenment of the
CBCP SEED OF HOPE FUND. CBCP President and Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo signs the Memorandum of Agreement between the Catholic congressmen-proponents of the “Re-
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and the KCFAPI, represented by its President, Mr. Antonio B. Borromeo, establishing the Seed of Hope Fund productive Health Care” bill now
meant to support various priority projects and activities of the CBCP. The signing was done during the CBCP Plenary Assembly last July 6 at the Pope
Pius XII Catholic Center, Manila. W itnessing the signing are Cebu Archbishop Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, Chairman Patrocinio R. Bacay, Msgr. Pedro pending in Congress was the order
C. Quitorio, EVP Ma. Theresa G. Curia, SK Alonso L. Tan, SK Antonio T. Yulo and other KCFAPI Officers. of the day. Proponents of the bill say
that adoption of a national popula-
Abortion, Total Population Control,
Homosexual Union, Sex Education).
His Eminence, Ricardo J. Cardinal
Vidal, DD, Archbishop of Cebu called
on the faithful to withhold support for
the bill. He said “contraception deval-
ues conjugal love and cannot be a licit
means for responsible parenthood.”
The Cardinal also asked the two
Cebuano legislators supportive of the
bill (Reps. Nerrisa Soon Ruiz – 6th Dis-
trict of Cebu and Benhur Salimbangon
– 4th District of Cebu) to reconsider
their position on the issue.
To demonstrate that having many
children is a blessing and responsible
parenthood is most of all about nur-
turing them to be good individuals,
Dioscoro and Arceles Cabahug, a
couple from Liloan, Cebu shared how

KCFAPI Enhances College Savings Plan

ON June 5, the Insurance Commission ap-
proved the offering of the KC Enhanced
College Savings Plan for children of
members of the Knights of Columbus.
The children scholars must not be over
10 years old and the KC member must be
between 21 and 55 years old to be eligible
for coverage under the Enhanced CSP.
Insurance contribution shall be for a
period of 6 years and the payback will
be for 10 consecutive semesters starting
at age 16 of the scholar with a cash gradu-
ation gift at age 21.
The sales group beamed with enthu-
siasm when the good news was an-
nounced. Key management officers and
staff immediately conducted an orienta-
tion of the product. A commitment to
bring in 250 ECSP benefits certificates
up to year end was made by Fraternal
Counselors nationwide. By the end of
June 30, 2008 underwriting department
has received 14 Enhanced CSP applica-
tions. (Joseph P. Teodoro)
tion policy is not necessarily pro-
abortion but simply opens up av-
enues for Filipinos to explore in
terms of reproductive health, and
aims to address better distribution
of food and other resources as well
as better health care for families.
Human Life International’s Dr.
Rene Josef Bullecer discussed the anti-
life effects of the bill. There is an ap-
prehension that the bill’s passage
could open the floodgates to
D.E.A.T.H.S. (Divorce, Euthanasia,
they raised their 12 children as good
Christians. Their eldest child is now
an Overseas Filipino Worker in Qatar
while the youngest is two years old.
They said that the power of prayer,
coupled with hard work to earn an
honest living, sustained their family.
The Knights of Columbus is a
staunch advocate of programs that
promote LIFE. In the Visayas, the Pro-
Life Advocacy Program is one of the
Order’s main trusts. (Bro. Junjie
Navales Cruz)

Philippine Deputies receive circle of honor award

THE Knights of Columbus
Philippine State Deputies for
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
were granted the Circle of
Honors Awards by the Su-
preme Council for attaining the
target of membership recruit-
ment 100 per cent.
Luzon State Deputy Alonso L.
Tan, Visayas Deputy Dionisio R.
Esteban Jr., Mindanao State
SK Alonso Tan SK Dionisio Esteban, Jr. SK Sofronio Cruz Deputy Sofronio R. Cruz, Mem-
bership Director for Luzon, Jo-
seph P. Teodoro, Membership
Director for Visayas, Ricardo F.
Urot, and Membership Director
for Mindanao, Cresente C. Dal
were cited for hitting the re-
quired target of membership
for the Columbian Year 2007-
2008.
The Supreme Council grants
the Circle of Honors Awards to
those who were able to attain 100
per cent of the required mini-
mum recruitment set for the
Columbian year.
However, credit also goes to
district deputies who worked for
the recruitment of members un-
der the leadership of their mem-
bership directors.
Likewise, the Grand Knights
are recognized for their efforts in
expanding membership in their
councils. (CBCPNews)
 CBCP Monitor
C2 The Cross Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

KC Mindanao Jurisdiction ushers in

new Columbian Year
By Sofronio R. Cruz commitment and renewed resolve New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A., and instituted 14 new Councils,
to face more challenges in achiev- last June 4-7, where the goals, this year’s goals and priorities
ing higher membership growth thrusts, and action plans for the of the Jurisdiction are as fol-
EVERY month of July, the Order rates, and in undertaking more new Columbian Year were delib- lows:
of the Knights of Columbus ev- and better service programs, com- erated and assigned, the natural 1 .
erywhere ushers in a fresh year, pared to the previous years. first order of business is to cas- Mem-
called a Columbian Year, with After attending the Order-wide cade these down to the bership
high enthusiasm and expectancy. State Deputies’ Orientation and Jurisdiction’s key point officers— Growth
This mindset is anchored on a firm Organization Meeting held in the District Deputies. Target is
Three regular District Depu- t o
ties’ Orientation and Organiza- achieve
tion Meetings were held in the
Jurisdiction.
The first meeting was in Ipil,
Patrocinio R. Bacay Zamboanga Sibugay, last June
13-15, which was attended by
Chairman, KCFAPI 28 District Deputies, together
with 15 Regional and Provin-
cial Secretaries, belonging to
THE start of each Columbian Regions 9A and 9B.
Year always ushers a fresh be- Forty-two District Deputies,
ginning in the life of every together with 16 Regional and
Knights of Columbus council. Provincial Secretaries, of Regions
We see new ideas on how to 9C, 10, and 11 attended the second a
recruit Catholic gentlemen meeting in Cagayan de Oro City. 10%
into our Order. We witness Koronadal City in South N e t
novel ways to execute the Cotabato was the venue for the Gain. Aim Exemplification
“Surge with Service” pro- last regular meeting on June 27- for Zero Sus-
team and should
gram. 29, where 62 District Deputies at- pension of mem- conduct at four exem-
Congratulations to all in- tended together with Regional bers. Develop
plifications this year; to
coming district deputies and and Provincial Secretaries of Re- members into more have a Third Degree Exem-
council officers for earning the gions 11A, 11B, and 12. enlightened, alert, and
plification team in every dio-
mandate of your membership A special meeting was orga- active Catholic Knights by cese; and, last, ceremonials must
to assume the mantle of lead- nized on July 5 at the advancing them to higher
be conducted and performed ac-
ership for Columbian Year Jurisdiction’s office in Davao City membership degrees and cording to our guidelines.
2008-2009. In behalf of the for District Deputies from Region through conduct of spiritual for-
tance 7. Provide more opportunities
Board of Trustees, Officers and staff of KCFAPI, I humbly ap- 11A for those who were not able mation seminars. for leadership development to
o f mem-
peal for your active promotion of KCFAPI as the sole provider to attend the meeting held in 2. Balanced Activities Program-
bers of the clergy more members by appointing
of the affordable and second-to-none life insurance program Koronadal City. ming in a Council’s five service and rotating them to more coun-
serving in the Armed Forces as
for all our members and their immediate family members. Another special meeting is areas of Church, Community,
Chaplains. cil officer and official positions.
We also wish to express our sincerest appreciation to all out- scheduled in Surigao City on July Council, Family and Youth. As- 8. Hold an annual convention
4. Sound Financial Management
going officers. You deserve our snappy salute for a job well done. 28-29 for participants from Re- pire for achievement awards such
to achieve stability through the of Columbian Squires and of
VIVAT JESUS! gion 13 who were not able to at- as the Star Council Award, Star College Council members to bet-
support and resources of mem-
tend the meeting held in Cagayan District Awards, and any of the
bers. Aim for no new Council sus- ter and effectively guide and de-
de Oro City. Council Grand Order-wide awards for Member- velop future Knights and young
pensions and for reactivation of
Knights and Financial Secretar- ship and Service Programs. Estab-
30 long-suspended Councils. Knights to learn more about the
ies near Surigao City were also lish at least 20 new Columbian Order’s works and about each
Antonio B. Borromeo 5. Prompt submission of prop-
invited to attend. Squires Circles and ensure that
erly accomplished Council Re- other.
“Follow me. Help us build up our existing Squires Circles are active There are a lot of goals to
President, KCFAPI ports to inform Supreme Coun-
Church!” is adapted as this and nurtured because the Squires
cil and the Jurisdiction about the achieve this year but we are con-
Columbian Year’s theme for all are the Order’s future Knights. fident and assured that Mindanao
accomplishment of fiscal, mem-
ON behalf of the Board and conferences in the Jurisdiction. Share “the Experience of a Life-
bership, and service program Jurisdiction’s Knights and
Officers of KCFAPI, we would This was inspired and taken from time” by initiating 30 new Parish Columbian Squires will support
goals.
like to congratulate Brothers the words of Pope Benedict XVI Round Tables.
6. The Order’s Ceremonials and give their best to all the
Alonso L. Tan, Dionisio R. during his recent visit to the 3. New Council Development planned activities as they have
goals are as follows: all Councils
Esteban, Jr., and Sofronio R. United States of America. Target is to institute 20 or more
must have an accredited First consistently done in past years.
Cruz, State Deputies of the Following a very fruitful 2007- new ones, including College “Follow us. Help us build up
Degree Exemplification team and
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao 2008 Columbian Year during Councils, Councils in military
should conduct at six exemplifi- our Order of the Knights of Co-
Jurisdictions, respectively, of which the Jurisdiction achieved camps, and Councils in cultural lumbus!”
cations during the year; all Dis-
the Order of the Knights of a 126% Net Gain in Membership communities. Enlist the assis-
tricts must have a Second Degree Vivat Jesus!
Columbus, for each winning
the Order-wide Circle of
Honor Award given by the
Supreme Council for achiev-
ing more than required Mem-
Visayas District Deputies Organizational Meeting held
bership Growth during the
Columbian Year 2007-2008. THE annual Regional, Provincial and District ADVOCACY, aside from setting annual goals all, with Bro. Alejandro Ceniza as in-charge.
I would also like to take this Organizational Meeting on June 27-29, at the on membership growth (with Bro. Wilfredo This is aimed at supplementing the financial
opportunity to welcome and congratulate the new sets of State, DepEd ECOTECH Center, Lahug, Cebu City, Lauron – State Membership Director), coun- sustainability of councils and, by extension,
Regional, Provincial, District, and Council elected officers and signaled the start of Columbian Year 2008- cil retention and reactivation, new council the community-at-large as part of a particu-
appointed officials of the Columbian Year 2008-2009. Your 2009 for the Visayas Jurisdiction. development (with Bro. Cenon Sasan), effec- lar K of C council’s service activities.
volunteerism and enthusiasm to serve Church, Council, Com- During the 3-day meeting, Visayas Juris- tive and relevant service programs and ac- Bro. Cres Tadlip, Visayas State Auditor, also
munity, Family and Youth truly exemplifies the virtues of diction servant leaders from Western Visayas tivities (with Bro. Ricardo Urot – State Pro- discussed compliance and submission of pre-
Columbianism. I know you will be an example of true Knights. (led by Regional Deputy Pete Cuyos), Cen- gram Director) as well as creation of more scribed K of C forms to the Supreme Council
At this time, please allow me to report the significant accom- tral Visayas (led by Regional Deputy Gaspar Columbian Squires Circles (with Bro. Wency and State Office as well as council fiscal man-
plishments and milestones of KCFAPI during the past month. Sudario) and Eastern Visayas (led by Re- Canete – State Squires Chairman). agement.
First and foremost, I am pleased to announce that the Office gional Deputy Dalmacio Grafil) participated Visayas Deputy Esteban appointed Bro. The meeting was not only educational but
of the Insurance Commission has renewed KCFAPI’s Certifi- in the recollection, Mass, as well as lectures Rudy Kintanar as Visayas State Spiritual For- very lively and interactive, with district depu-
cate of Authority to operate as a Mutual Benefits Association. and discussions on how to sustain the pro- mation Chairman whose primary task is to ties given the chance to air their views and
This is especially memorable because it came at a time when grams and activities of the Knights of Co- ensure that all knights throughout the juris- queries on the various topics discussed.
KCFAPI is celebrating its 50 th Foundation Anniversary on Sep- lumbus at the district and council levels. The diction will go through Spiritual Formation Since many Knights of Columbus leaders
tember 9, 2008 and at a time when I am serving as President. programs are anchored on the Ten Thrusts of sessions (a series of sessions that will reflect from Panay Island were not able to attend
The second milestone is the signing of the Memorandum of the Visayas State set by Visayas State Deputy, on the teachings of the Church and the role the Organizational Meeting owing to the ca-
Agreement between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Bro. Dionisio R. Esteban, Jr. of the Knights of Columbus) prior to the 1st lamity brought by Typhoon “Frank”, Visayas
Philippines (CBCP) and KCFAPI last July 6 that established the For Columbian Year 2008-2009, the degree exemplification and as pre-requisite Deputy Esteban scheduled a separate Orga-
P10 Million “Seed of Hope Fund”. KCFAPI has established the Visayas Jurisdiction will adopt the theme: for the knights’ advancement to the 2nd and nizational Meeting in Iloilo City last July 5.
Trust Fund so that CBCP will be the sole beneficiary and will be “Follow me: Help us Build up the Church”, 3rd degrees in the Order. In view of the devastation brought by the
guaranteed yearly earnings to finance its various projects. This in reference and response to the Apostolic On the other hand, the Pro-Life Advocacy, typhoon and in solidarity with the brother
is a first between CBCP and KCFAPI. Call of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, dur- to be spearheaded by Bro. Antonio Valle, will knights in the affected areas, the Visayas Ju-
The third milestone is the P100,000 financial assistance ex- ing his recent visit to the United States of be given more emphasis during this risdiction leaders unanimously passed a reso-
tended to the victims of Typhoon Frank which devastated in- America where he specifically cited the ef- Columbian Year 2008-2009, in the light of lution calling on all councils to provide re-
habitants and infrastructure in the island of Panay of Western forts of the Knights of Columbus in support various anti-life programs that tend to pro- lief assistance, in cash or in kind, for the vic-
Visayas. The donation serves as manifestation of KCFAPI’s so- of the Church. mote D.E.A.T.H.S. (Divorce, Euthanasia, Abor- tims of the typhoon in Panay and Bantayan
cial concern to alleviate the plight of victims of calamities and To further boost the district deputies’ lead- tion, Total Population Control, Homosexual Island, Cebu.
disasters. The P100,000 check was turned over to His Excellency ership confidence and capability, Bro. Allan Union and Sex Education) some of which The formal installation of State Officers,
Most Reverend Angel N. Lagdameo, DD, President of the CBCP Nicolas Ouano, the new Visayas State Secre- have reached the national legislature in the Regional, Provincial and District Deputies
and Archbishop of Jaro, Iloilo. tary, shared his expertise by making a com- form of congressional bills. (See related presided by Bro. Alberto Solis Sr. – Worthy
The fourth milestone is the start last June 28 and the second prehensive presentation on the Duties and story). Supreme Director and Bro. Dionisio R.
sortie last July12 of the construction of ten houses that will Responsibilities of District Deputies. The Visayas Jurisdiction also launched its Esteban, Jr. – Worthy Visayas Deputy, capped
serve as showcase model for the project’s target number of Highlighted during the meeting were LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM, in response to the the three-day Organizational Meeting. (Bro.
houses that will form the Knights of Columbus – Gawad Kalinga SPIRITUAL FORMATION and PRO-LIFE needs of the economic challenges that face us Junjie Navales Cruz)
Village located at Barangay Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del
Monte City, Bulacan by volunteer employees of KCFAPI and
its subsidiaries Keys Realty Development Company and Mace
Insurance Agency, Inc. Employees were led by KCFAPI’s EVP,
Ma. Theresa G. Curia; and myself. The partnership with Gawad
Kalinga to build houses for the poor in San Jose del Monte City,
KEYS REALTY &
Bulacan was inked last month with the Knights of Columbus
Philippines Foundation, Inc. which is one of the two founda- DEVELOPMENT, CORP.
tions that serve as the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
arms of KCFAPI. Brother Knights belonging to councils in San 3RD Floor, Fr. George Willmann S.J. Center
Jose del Monte City, namely St. Joseph the Worker Council No. General Luna cor., Sta. Potenciana Sts.,
6754 of Poblacion and San Isidro Labrador Council No. 13344 of Intramuros, Manila Tel Nos: 527-2221/527-2238
Muzon, heeded our invitation to join in this noteworthy chari-
table community project. We have set September 6, 2008 as the
completion date of the project and have scheduled construction
“AVAILABLE BRAND NEW OFFICE SPACE”
sorties on July 26, August 9 and 23, and September 6. Volunteer
members of Couples for Christ Metro Manila North Sector A Knights of Columbus Building, Captain V. Roa Ex-
and housing beneficiaries from this and other Gawad Kalinga tension, Cagayan De Oro City
sites form the regular construction force of the project.
In closing, please accept my sincerest gratitude for the contin- For inquiries: Please call
ued support and patronage of KCFAPI’s unique fraternal insur- MR. REYNANTE “BONG” BRAGAT
MS. ADRONICA “NICA” GOSE
ance protection benefits and services by many Brother Knights 3 RD Floor, Fr. George Willmann S.J. Center Branch Service Administrator
and their familes. It is my honor and pleasure to serve you. General Luna cor., Sta. Potenciana Sts., Intramuros, Manila KC Fraternal
VIVAT JESUS! Tel. No: (02) 527-2221 Knights of Columbus Building, Captain V. Roa Extension, Cagayan De Oro City
Fax No: (02) 527-2238 Tel. #: (0882)-854-3274; Fax #: (0882)-272-1005
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008
‘Follow me – Help us
build up the Church’
GK / C1
ing to the tune of the “Hands of Love” to relax
their tired bodies. By noon, Gawad Kalinga
Foreman checked the progress of our work
and informed us that our assigned task was
almost complete and that we can now rest. It
was time for lunch. Everybody thanked God
for the successful 1st day of work and for the
delicious food laid on the table. After which
it was time to call it a day and everybody
went home tired but happy.
Second leg
July 12, was the 2n d leg of the Knights of
Columbus GK Village “Bayanihan” Chal-
lenge. Sixteen new faces joined the sixteen
2 n d time volunteers and beat the 6:30 a.m.
call time at Robinson’s Fairview. Armed
with long sleeves and hat, 32 volunteers zest-
fully got on the jeepney to Tungkong
Mangga thinking of what was waiting at the
site.
The Cross C3
Follow us
By Carl A. Anderson
Supreme Knight
AS a result of his visit, Pope
Benedict XVI has given the
Knights a great opportunity
to help build up the Church
On April 24, 2005, during
SUPREME Knight Carl A. Ander- programs for people with intel- the Mass inaugurating the
son said, “We live out our Chris- lectual disabilities, or hold a fam- Petrine Ministry of Pope
tian witness as the Holy Father ily picnic, through the example Benedict XVI, the deacon read
has called us to do.” We do that they are setting, they say “Fol- these famous words from
by witnessing to love in every low Me—Help Us Build Up the chapter 16 of Matthew’s Gos-
aspect of our lives—from our Church.” Our councils do this pel: “You are Peter, and on
families, to our work, to the over and over again as they work this rock I will build my
charitable projects we under- to meet the needs of their com- Church.” The awe-inspiring reality of these words was appar-
take Orderwide. And, he munities and Church. Building ent to us this past spring when, for a few days in April, Peter
added, we do this by asking on this foundation of service to was with us in the United States.
qualified Catholic men to Church and community is our The Lord chose St. Peter as the rock of his Church because of
join us and help us strengthen challenge. Peter’s witness. Jesus had asked his disciples, “Who do people
our Church. We constantly need new en- say the Son of Man is?” (Mt 8:27-30). And the disciples an-
The theme for the 2008-09 ergy and fresh ideas. We must swered that some said John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah.
membership campaign “Fol- constantly expand our reach. To In other words, a prophet, a teacher, a wise man—someone
low Me — Help Us Build Up grow in membership we must proposing a new and better ethical way of living. The Son of
the Church” follows this personally ask every eligible Man is all these things. But Peter acknowledged a different
charge. Catholic man to join the Order. reality. Peter recognized not only words of good counsel, but
When our members sponsor Recruiting new members is es- also the words of eternal life.
blood drives or youth sports sential to the continued growth In the days before Pope Benedict’s visit there was great in-
teams, raise funds and volunteer and well-being of your council terest in the media and elsewhere about what the pope would
for Special Olympics and other and the Order. say. Would he be critical of certain practices among Catholics,
policies of the government or trends in American society?
Instead of criticism, we heard the same theme each day, albeit
in a slightly different way: “God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world
might be saved” (Jn 3:17).
The response of the American people, and especially Catho-
lics, to Pope Benedict’s message went beyond what anyone
As expected, the beneficiries and CFC vol- lunch. expected. In this issue of Columbia we report on a national
unteers were present to help in the construc- Although the group and the community public opinion poll commissioned by our Order and under-
tion. Later that morning, five officers led by had separate dining areas it was heartwarm- taken by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. We
GK Noel Lacanilao of Manila Council 1000 ing to see everybody sharing whatever food title this report on public reaction to the pope’s trip “Success
came. they had. The “ thank you’s” exchanged by ev- by Any Measure”—and it surely was that.
The day started with short praise and wor- eryone was really something that can melt • The poll found that among Catholics:
ship songs and a prayer. While some took the heart and remove weariness. After lunch • 66 percent say they are now more likely to appreciate
their breakfast first, others opted to sweat it it was time to bid Tungkong Mangga being a member of the Catholic Church.
out at once in the field. Workload for the day goodbye and go home with a promise to come • 50 percent say they now plan to make family a bigger part
included excavation and leveling of the next back again. of their life.
row of houses, cement pre-casting and clear- For the volunteers this was really some- • 50 percent say they now plan to lead a more moral life.
ing of the remaining part of the site. Some thing worth the body aches everyone felt af- • 45 percent say they now plan to attend religious services.
volunteers went around offering water and ter working. An experience that will not be • And 39 percent say they now plan on becoming more
“kakanin” donated by a generous person and forgotten. Something to share with friends active in their community.
others started preparing the food for lunch. and acquaintances. Truly an experience of a This is Pope Benedict’s great gift to us: millions of Catholics
Looking at them from the distance, it was lifetime. more willing to actively live the Catholic life. It is up to us, the
certain they were enjoying what they were For anyone who wants to volunteer and Knights of Columbus, to offer these men and their families a
doing despite the heat, the difficulty, and experience an event that will surely change proven and true way to live more deeply their Catholic life—
their disheveled look. Since the scheduled one’s perspective, the schedules are July 26, the way envisioned by the Venerable Servant of God Father
work for the day was almost finished by August 9 and 23 and September 6, 2008. Michael J. McGivney. Pope Benedict has offered us a great
noontime, the group decided to stop and take (Denise C. Solina) opportunity for renewal of the Church, and it is the responsi-
bility of every Knight to accept and act upon this great gift to
help build up the Church.
In his homily at the funeral Mass of Pope John Paul II, Car-
dinal Ratzinger kept repeating Christ’s words, “Follow me.”
He said they were “the key to understanding the message that
comes to us from the life” of Pope John Paul II. Now we see
that they are also the words that are the key to understanding
the papal ministry of Benedict XVI. Indeed, “Follow me” are
words that speak to us in a special way through the life of
Christ’s vicar on earth. Now is the time for the Knights of
Columbus to respond with a resounding “Yes!”
Vivat Jesus!
Dear BC Holders,
You can pay your insurance contributions and loans
through the following outlets:
1. Banco de Oro Branches
2. Philippine National Bank Branches
3. Banco Filipino Branches
4. Bills Payment Counter of SM branches
5. Cabanatuan Service Office - Knights of Columbus
Bldg., 578 Burgos Ave., Cabanatuan City
6.Cagayan de Oro Service Office - 3rd Floor, KC
Building, Capt. V. Roa Extension, 9000 Cagayan
de Oro City
7. Cebu City Service Office - 2nd Floor, KC Building,
36 Archbishop Reyes Ave. Cor. Molave St., Lahug,
6000 Cebu City
8. Davao Service Office - Knights of Columbus
Building, C.M. Recto Ave., 8000 Davao City
9. Iloilo City - 2nd Floor, Carolina Building, 106 M.
Jalandoni St., Jaro, 5000 Iloilo City
10. Zamboanga City - Room 4, 2nd Floor, Park
Pavilion Building, La Purisima St., 7000
Zamboanga City
To all Fraternal Counselors
Get your allowances daily by opening an ATM account
with BPI. How?
1. Request from Financial Management Account-
ing Services (527-22-23 loc. 214) a letter to BPI –
Dewey Branch to instruct your preferred BPI
branch to open an individual BPI ATM account
for you under the APCS.
2. With the letter, go to your preferred BPI branch
and present two (2) valid identification cards (e.g.
driver’s license, postal ID, SSS, GSIS or Knights
of Columbus ID). You also need two (2) colored
pictures either 1x1 or 2x2 in size.
3. With your ATM you can withdraw your credits
leaving only P100.00 as your balance.
If you have an existing BPI account, just request FMAS
to prepare a letter to BPI – Dewey Branch to enroll
your BPI account under the APCS.
 CBCP Monitor
C4 The Cross Vol. 12 No. 15
July 21 - August 3, 2008

KCFAPI DONATES TO TYPHOON VICTIMS . Our brothers in the island of Panay particularly in Iloilo suffered so much during the rampage of the recent typhoon “Frank”. Moved by the plight of our brothers in the area, KCFAPI donated P100,000.00 to
help ease the burden the victims have experienced. The donation was handed over to the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Archbishop of Jaro, Most Rev. Angel N. Lagdameo, DD. (From left) KCFAPI Treasurer Antonio
T. Yulo, Luzon State Secretary Arsenio Isidro G. Yap, Mindanao Deputy Sofronio R. Cruz, Visayas Deputy Dionisio R. Esteban, Jr., KCFAPI Pres. Antonio B. Borromeo, Vice Supreme Master Panfilo O. Pacubas, Sr., Luzon State Deputy Alonso L. Tan, KCFAPI
Spiritual Director Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III and KCFAPI External Legal Consultant Atty. Sabino Padilla, Jr. (Magdalene G. Flores)

Francisco Villarica Tankiang Tourism Association. He was in-

strumental in having the World
Association of Travel Agents or
WATA to hold its first ever Con-

A man of many facets

THE current Corporate Secretary
and Trustee of the Knights of
Columbus Philippines Founda-
tion, Inc. is a man of many facets.
He is a Certified Public Accoun-
tant, a Lawyer, a distinguished
diplomat, a prominent business-
man, a philanthropist, a respon-
sible head of the family and a
deeply religious man. He is none
other than Dr. and Worthy
Brother Francisco Villarica
Tankiang.
Bro. Tankiang was born in
Marilao, Bulacan on June 4, 1925
to the late Eduardo del Rosario
Tankiang and Luisa Villarica
Tankiang. He was married to the
late Natividad Almeda and their
union was blessed with five chil-
dren (three girls and two boys).
He studied and finished Grade
School and High School at the
Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Graduating with the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Commerce
Major in Accounting and Bach-
elor of Laws from Arellano Uni-
versity Bro. Tankiang took up
further studies and was conferred
the Diploma of Doctor of Laws
“Sobresaliente” by the
Universidad de Madrid.
Bro. Tankiang passed the Board
Examinations for both the Certi-
fied Public Accountants and the
Philippine Bar. While in Europe,
he attended the Hague Academy
of International Law Summer
Course. To further enrich his
knowledge and perspective, he
has attended several conventions,
conferences, seminars and work-
shops both here and abroad.
He practiced Accounting and
Law and was a Professor in the
Arellano University before he
was appointed as the First Phil-
ippine Commercial Attache’ in
Madrid, Spain by the late Presi-
dent Ramon Magsaysay. During
his stint in Spain, he was able to
improve the trade between the
Philippines and Spain. He per-
sonally supervised the loading of
Portuguese rice in Lisbon on a
barter trade with Portugal for
Philippine Sugar and for which
accomplishment he was com-
mended.
However, due to the untimely
demise of his father, he resigned
from his post in Madrid and went
back home to the Philippines to
assume the management of Far
Eastern Surety & Insurance Co.,
Royal Travels, Inc., Tankiang
Development Corporation,
Fensat Inc., Kaleen Realty, Inc.,
and other family businesses.
He is a former District Deputy
(District M-46) and a Past Grand
Knight of Our Lady of Remedies
Council 5681 in Malate, Manila,
of the Luzon Jurisdiction of the
Order of the Knights of Colum-
bus in the Philippines. He was
awarded the Plaque of Honor and
other special awards by his Coun-
cil while the Padre Burgos As-
sembly of the Fourth Degree
honored him by conferring a Life-
time Membership Award and the
Faithful Services Cross with Lau-
rel for his invaluable contribu-
tions to the good of the Order.
He served as Director of Board
of Keys Realty & Dev’t. Corpora-
tion and of Mace Insurance
Agency, Inc., subsidiary compa-
nies that are 100% owned by the
Knights of Columbus Fraternal
Association of the Philippines,
Inc. (KCFAPI), the insurance arm
of the Order in the Philippines.
A humble and deeply spiritual
person, Bro. Tankiang is also an
Extraordinary Minister of Holy
Communion. He is an active
member of other religious and
charitable institutions such as the
Philippine Association of the
Sovereign Military Order of
Malta, Men of the Sacred Heart,
and Secular Franciscan.
At present Bro. Tankiang occu-
pies the following corporate po-
sitions: Trustee of Casino
Español de Manila and Makati
Tourism Foundation; Chairman
of FENSAT, Inc.; President of
Kaleen Realty, Inc. and Royal
Travels, Inc.; Vice President &
Board Secretary of Philippine
Hospitalier Foundation of the
Order of Malta, Inc.
He served as the last President
of Philippines Society of Travel
Agents, the charter President of
the Philippine Travel Agencies
Association, and, also, the first
Filipino President of the ASEAN
vention in the Philippines and in
the Asia Pacific Region. He also
had a hand in the Golden Anni-
versary Celebration of the
American Society of Travel
Agents or ASTA’s first World
Congress held here in Manila.
Bro. Tankiang is the recipient
of the Most Outstanding Alumni,
Citation Award and Jubilee
Award for Past Presidents, all
from the Arellano University
Alumni Association and the Out-
standing Professional Alumnus
Award by Colegio de San Juan
de Letran. Dr. Tankiang is a re-
cipient of a Plaque of Apprecia-
tion, President’s Award and
Bronze Award from the AISC
Amical d’Tourism Skal Club of
the Philippines and a Plaque of
Appreciation from the Philippine
Society of Travel Agents Associa-
tion.
He is also a member of civic
and professional organizations
like the distinguished Rotary
Club of Manila and was granted
lifetime membership in the Phil-
ippine Bar Association, the Phil-
ippine Institute of Certified Pub-
lic Accountants and the Philip-
pine British Society. (Denise
Solina)

On July 4, 2008, the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) was issued the Certificate of Authority to transact business as a Mutual
Benefit Association by Insurance Commissioner Eduardo T. Malinis (center). KCFAPI will be celebrating its 50th Year Anniversary on September 9, 2008. With him in photo
are Deputy Insurance Commissioner Vida T. Chiong, Executive Vice President Ma. Theresa G. Curia, President Antonio B. Borromeo, and Treasurer Antonio T. Yulo.

KC Fraternal introduces its newest product offering—the

KC Super Saver Plan.

KC Super Saver Plan—Gold Series is a peso-denominated

single-pay ten-year endowment plan. The proposed Assured
has to pay only one time. He will, in as short as 10 years,
recover more than his contributions or an amount equiva-
lent to the Sum Assured.

The plan’s life insurance coverage is increasing. It starts

from 110% of Sum Assured on the first year and increases
uniformly by 10% of the Sum Assured every year until it
reaches 200% on the tenth and final year. The plan is
available for issue ages 1 to 75.

Super Saver Plan is ideal for our Brother Knights or their

immediate family members who have seasonal income or
earnings, such as members in the agricultural or aquacul-
tural sectors. The flexibility offered by the plan’s single con-
tribution scheme and small issue limit of P10,000 Sum
Assured make Super Saver perfect for Overseas Filipino
Workers. Because they, our modern day heroes; deserve
no less that the best.

KC Super Saver Plan.

Superior Family Protection. Plus Return on
your Single Contribution!
Build your own Benefit Portfolio. When you
want it. As you want it!