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PASTORAL COMPANION

T H U R S D A Y , A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 0 9

Pastoral Guidelines and Core Values in NFP Promotion By Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J.

NATURAL Family Planning has paradoxically been described as

the “second best kept secret” of the Catholic Church (after its

Social Teachings). In contrast to government programs that offer a

value-neutral approach to all methods of family planning, the

Catholic Church has consistently articulated its moral principles in

advocating for Responsible Parenthood and Natural Family

Planning. Based on actual results, however, NFP has remained the

untried option. According to the latest surveys, less than one

percent of Filipino couples are adopting modern NFP methods!

On the other hand, the pastoral experience of many priests and

family life workers indicate that a growing number of couples

today have three felt needs: (1) They want to plan their families in

terms of family size and spacing of births; (2) They prefer natural

family planning, if they are given adequate information on fertility

awareness and NFP methods; and (3) They want to choose among

NFP methods according to their own circumstances and

preference. It is in this light that church communities, as well as

government entities, are challenged to promote all recognized

natural family planning methods today.

Before discussing the various NFP methods, however it would be

good to examine the core values that underpin the Church’s

advocacy for natural family planning—values that touch on the

sacredness of human life, marriage, and the family. Four pastoral

guidelines for All-NFP provide the framework for the local church’s

values formation and the parameters for critical engagement with

government and other groups.

I. We are Pro-Life

We uphold the dignity of human life from the moment of

ANTONIO J. LEDESMA,

SJ

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conception. We condemn abortion which is also proscribed by the

Philippine Constitution. All-NFP is a proactive program that helps

prevent the tragedy of unwanted pregnancies and recourse to

abortion. It also provides an alternative to contraceptive methods

that are considered as abortifacients.

The dignity of human life is directly linked to the dignity of the

human person.

1) The human person is created in the image of God. “God created

man in his image, in the divine image he created him; male and

female he created them” (Gen 1:27). The biblical perspective

states that man and woman have the same dignity and are of equal

value.

God’s creative act takes place from the moment of

conception: “You created every part of me; you put me together in

my mother’s womb. When my bones were being formed, when I

was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there – you saw

me before I was born” (Psalm 139: 13,15,16).

2) The human person is created by God in unity of body and soul.

The spiritual faculties of reason and free will are linked with all

the bodily and sense faculties. The spiritual and immortal soul is

the principle of unity of the human being, whereby it exists as a

person.

Man is an embodied spirit. “It is because of its spiritual soul that

the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and

matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union

forms a single nature” (CCC, 365).

3) The human person is open to transcendence: he is open to the

infinite and to all created beings. Through his spiritual faculties of

intellect and will, the human person reaches out to know the truth

and to love and choose the good and the beautiful.

Despite his limitation in attaining his finite ends in this life, man

tends towards total truth and the absolute good—i.e., union with

God, or the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and

the Life. What Christian philosophers call the Summum Bonum or

the Beatific Vision is premised on the promise of the resurrection

and eternal life. Pope John Paul II sums this up: “Human life is

precious because it is a gift of God—and when God gives life, it is

forever.”

4) The human person is endowed with a moral conscience that

enables him to recognize the truth concerning good and evil. Man’s

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exercise of freedom and responsibility implies a reference to the

natural moral law, of an objective and universal character, which

is the foundation for all rights and duties. “Living a moral life

bears witness to the dignity of the person” (CCC, 1706).

The dignity of the moral conscience as man’s “most secret core

and sanctuary” enables the person to acknowledge that inner law

which is fulfilled in the love of God and of one’s neighbor (GS, 16).

Love of neighbor, in the language of the modern world, can be

interpreted in terms of promoting and defending human rights. Fig.

2 locates the context of human rights and duties, understood as

access to the means that enable a person to attain his natural and

supernatural ends. In this light, human rights can be understood as

moral claims, and duties as moral responsibilities.

5) The human person is essentially a social and relational being.

He is a being—with others in the world. He is a person among other

persons, among equals—in the family, in the small community or in

the larger society.

He is also a being-through-others in the world. He is born from the

union of parents and grows up within the widening circle of

relatives, teachers, and friends. He too is a being-for-others in the

world, available in service to others, capable of loving others and

being loved in return. He is called to enter into communion with

others, and to forge bonds of solidarity for the common good.

In the web of relationships that surround him, the person learns to

interact “horizontally” with other persons and society at large. He

also deepens his “vertical” relationships with God as his Creator

and Father as well as with the world of nature.

In the process, he also relates to himself as a self-project with an

immensity of possibilities. He remains a subject, an “I” capable of

self-understanding and self-determination. In this sense, as a

center of consciousness and freedom, he exists as a unique and

unrepeatable being (CSDC, 131).

6) The Christian view of the human person balances the mystery of

sin with the universality of salvation in Jesus Christ.

The tragedy of original sin as well as personal and social sin has

brought about the consequences of alienation of man from God,

from his true self, from other persons, and from the world around

him.

Indeed, “Christian realism sees the abysses of sin, but in the light

of hope, greater than any evil, given by Jesus Christ’s act of

redemption, in which sin and death are destroyed” (CSDC, 121). In

this light, man is a being-unto-death-and-beyond, ultimately a

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being-unto-God. Life becomes a pilgrimage and death a graduation

to eternal life.

II. We are for Responsible Parenthood

This is our goal: to enable parents to be aware of their rights as

well as their duties in the procreation and education of their

children. Planning one’s family in order to adequately care for

every child that comes into the world is a responsibility that should

not be taken lightly by parents.

Pope Paul VI’s encyclical letter on the regulation of birth,

Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life), describes responsible parenthood

in terms of the parents’ deliberate decision in planning the size of

the family:

In relation to physical, economic, psychological and social

conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised, either by the

deliberate and generous decision to raise a numerous family, or by

the decision, made for grave motives and with due respect for the

moral law, to avoid for the time being, or even for an

indeterminate period, a new birth (HV, 10).

The Second Plenary Council of the Catholic Bishops of the

Philippines explicitates further this meaning of responsible

parenthood:

Christian parents must exercise responsible parenthood. While

nurturing a generous attitude towards bringing new human life into

the world, they should strive to beget only those children whom

they can raise up in a truly human and Christian way. Towards this

end, they need to plan their families according to the moral norms

taught by the Church (PCP II, 583).

Planning one’s family highlights the central value of the family in

human society. In particular, we can reflect on the role of the

Christian family in the modern world, in terms of four tasks

elaborated in Familiaris Consortio, Pope John Paul II’s apostolic

exhortation:

1) Forming a community of persons. As an “intimate community of

life and love” (GS, 48), the family reflects and is “a real sharing in

God’s love for humanity” (FC, 17). It is based on the indissolubility

of marriage and conjugal communion. It fosters the dignity and

vocation of all the persons in the family – husband and wife,

children, relatives. It underlines the equal dignity of women with

men, the rights of children, as well as care for the elderly. Indeed,

T H E 2 N D N A T I O N A L R U R A L C O N G R E S S

The year 2007 is the fortieth

anniversary of the National Rural

Congress of 1967. It was at this

Congress that the participants,

most of them diocesan and parish

social action workers, came to the

crucial conclusion that the Church

must go to the barrios. The reason

was the heavy realization that the

rural parts of the country were the

most neglected by both the

government's development

programs and the Church's pastoral

care.

To commemorate that crucial

event in our life as a Church--and

to make us meet in true Gospel

fidelity our present social concerns-

-we propose that we revive the

memory of that Congress by holding

one again this year.

But this time our farmers must do

that speaking by themselves, the

discerning, the proposing of their

own ideas, the planning of how we

must as a people come together to

work for the common good of the

country and of ourselves. Doing so,

they will be effectively asserting

the dignity that for so long has

been denied them. And the rest of

us, participating with them in their

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this communion of persons makes the family “a school of deeper

humanity” (GS, 52).

2) Serving life. The fundamental task of the family is to serve life –

i.e., “transmitting by procreation the divine image from person to

person” (FC, 28). Fecundity is seen as the fruit and the sign of

conjugal love. The Church stands for life and stresses that “love

between husband and wife must be fully human, exclusive and

open to new life” (HV, 11).

Educating children in the essential values of human life is an

integral part of serving life. These values include a sense of true

justice, of true love, and of service to others. Parents are “the

first and foremost educators of their children,” while the family

itself is “the first and fundamental school of social living” (FC, 36-

37). Education for chastity as well as education in the religious

faith of the parents, are other essential values that must be

respected and supported by the state.

3) Participating in the development of society. As the “first and

vital cell of society,” and the “first school of the social virtues,”

the family is “by nature and vocation open to other families and to

society” (FC, 42). Hence, the family also plays a social and

political role. Its members in their various capacities are called to

contribute to the development of the wider community. Christian

families should strive to live out the values of truth, freedom,

justice and love—the pillars for building peace on earth, envisioned

in Pope John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris.

4) Sharing in the life and mission of the Church. The family is seen

as the “domestic church” (FC, 49). In this light, it partakes in the

threefold role of Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King. The

family is seen as (a) a believing and evangelizing community, (b) a

community in dialogue with God, and (c) a community at the

service of man (FC, 50).

Christian marriage itself is seen as a “profession of faith” and it is

this journey of faith that continues throughout the life cycle of the

family. The Christian family educates the children for life that

enables them to discover the image of God in every brother and

sister.

In sum, responsible parenthood gives birth to a Christian family

that is a community of love and is at the threefold service of

nurturing life, developing society, and continuing the mission of

the Church.

III. We are for Natural Family Planning

reflections and deliberations, we

will be honoring their inborn

dignity as children of the same

Father in Heaven.

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If responsible parenthood is the goal for married couples, natural

family planning is the means deemed morally acceptable by the

Church. Pope John Paul II underlines “the difference, both

anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to

the rhythm of the cycle” (FC, 32). It is in this light that we can

discuss the nature of natural family planning and ten reasons for its

adoption.

a) What is Natural Family Planning?

Natural family planning is an approach for regulating births by

identifying the fertile and infertile periods of a woman’s cycle. As

an educational process and a way of life, there are four elements:

It involves the observation of a naturally occurring body sign or

signs

• in order to identify the woman’s fertile and infertile periods.

• It involves the timing of intercourse

• to avoid or achieve pregnancy.

In contrast to artificial contraceptives, NFP means No DIDO − i.e.,

no Drugs, Injections, Devices, or Operations at any time. It also

means no withdrawal.

b) Why Natural Family Planning?

1. Normal intercourse is preserved. Couples can plan the size of

their families and space births the natural way. They do not resort

to artificial means.

2. NFP is morally acceptable to people of all religions and cultures.

It does not separate the love-giving and life-giving dimensions of

the marriage act. The unitive and procreative ends of marriage are

kept whole.

3. There are no inherent health risks in NFP methods. No pills,

drugs, injections, devices or operations are used. A healthy body

does not need this kind of “medical” treatment.

4. Modern NFP methods are effective and reliable. They are based

on scientific studies and are time-tested. Simplified methods are

easy to learn. Some NFP methods may be combined to reinforce

each other.

5. There is no cost involved once the method has been learned.

Couples are empowered not to rely on health centers, donor

agencies, or drugstores. NFP is pro-poor, and not for profit of

outside companies.

6. NFP becomes sustainable from generation to generation.

Mothers can readily pass on the practice of NFP to their daughters.

7. NFP involves a joint decision by the couple. Neither partner



feels being used by the other. It is an ideal way of exercising

shared parenthood. A “contraceptive mentality” is avoided.

8. NFP engenders sexual discipline for the spouses through periodic

abstinence. The practice of NFP manifests a conscious familiarity

with the natural rhythm of the human body, mutual caring

between the spouses, and the development of self-control that is

carried over in the upbringing of the children.

9. Couples who use NFP seldom or never resort to abortion. They

manifest an innate respect for human life. They welcome every

child as a gift from God – even in the eventuality of an unexpected

pregnancy.

10. Couples who use NFP seldom or never end up in separation or

divorce. NFP enhances communication between spouses and

promotes a wholesome family life.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the nature and

rationale of NFP:

Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based

on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in

conformity with the objective criteria of morality. These methods

respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between

them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom (CCC,

2370).

IV. We are for enabling couples to make an Informed and Morally

Responsible Choice, according to the dictates of a Right

Conscience “The education of an authentic freedom” constitutes

our fourth pastoral guideline. Within the context of a pluralistic

society, the government’s focus is to refrain from coercion and to

provide information on all family planning methods that it deems

necessary for couples to make an informed choice. On the other

hand, the Church’s focus should be to provide information on all

NFP methods and to help couples form a right conscience so that

they are able to make not only an informed but also a morally

responsible choice.

Three kinds of freedom are implied in this pastoral guideline.

There is first the ontological freedom of every human person,

endowed with reason and free will. Innate in his human dignity is

the person’s freedom to choose good or evil—even to say “no” to

his Creator, or to go against his very nature by doing what would

be considered inhuman acts.

From the societal perspective, governments promote the civic and

political freedoms of their citizens by safeguarding the exercise of



their rights and duties within the bounds of public order. Thus the

freedoms of speech, of assembly, of religion, of economic

enterprise, of responsible parenthood itself, etc. are hallmarks of

a democratic society. A dictatorial government, on the other hand,

suppresses by superior force the basic freedoms of its citizens.

A third kind of freedom is what we call authentic freedom—i.e.,

the freedom to do what ought to be done. “Man’s dignity,”

according to the Vatican II Council Fathers, “demands that he act

according to a knowing and free choice that is personally

motivated and prompted from within…” (GS, 17). This inner

prompting is what we mean by conscience which calls man to

acknowledge the natural moral law given by God.

“For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God,” cite the Council

Fathers. “His dignity lies in observing this law, and by it he will be

judged… By conscience in a wonderful way, that law is made

known…” (GS, 16). Thus the individual assumes personal

responsibility for all his human acts that are knowingly and

willingly done, heeding the dictates of his conscience.

However, conscience itself needs to be formed and guided by the

objective norms of moral conduct. Ignorance or sinful habits pose

as obstacles to the formation of a right conscience. It is in this

light that values formation is an integral part of our All-NFP

program − to enable parents as well as their children to acquire “a

truly responsible freedom” (FC, 21).

This includes providing information on all scientifically-based NFP

methods as a pastoral imperative. Corollary to this would be

presenting the positive motivations for NFP and its integral

attractiveness, instead of simply attacking the agencies promoting

contraceptives. “Proclamation is always more important than

denunciation,” notes Pope John Paul II, “and the latter cannot

ignore the former, which gives it true solidity and the force of

higher motivation” (SRS, 41).

In summary, these four pastoral guidelines provide the core values

for our All-NFP ministry. Couples, indeed, have to consider several

crucial factors: the good of their children already born or yet to

come, their own situation at the material and spiritual level, and

the over-all good of their family, of society, and of the Church. “It

is the married couple themselves,” note the Council Fathers, “who

must in the last analysis arrive at these judgments before God”

(GS, 50).

For its part, the local church can carry out its servant role by

reaching out to as many couples as possible with the good news of



various natural family planning methods today that are proven to

be safe, reliable, practicable and adaptable to the various

circumstances of family life. Instead of resorting to condemnation

or confrontation, we find that for concerned couples, authentic

values can best be formed with charity, compassion, and the

formation of conscience.

References:

CCC - Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II, 1994.

CSDC - Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,

Pontifical Council for

Justice and Peace, 2004.

FC - Familiaris Consortio (The Role of the Christian Family in the

Modern World), Pope John Paul II, 1981.

GS - Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the

Modern World),

Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, 1965.

HV - Humanae Vitae (Of Human life), Pope Paul VI, 1968.

PCP II - Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, Catholic Bishops’

Conference

of the Philippines, 1991.

SRS - Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (The Social Concern of the Church),

Pope John

Paul II, 1987.

POSTED BY ANTONIO J. LEDESMA, SJ AT 5:14 PM 1 COMMENTS

T U E S D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 0 9

Bishops’ Consensus on NFP and SDM LAST January 21, 2009, at the end of the bishops’ seminar on

peace- building at Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila, Archbishop

Angel Lagdameo, CBCP President, convened a dialogue meeting on

Natural Family Planning and the Standard Days Method. The

dialogue was opened to all the bishops. Twenty-nine bishops

attended or roughly half of all those who had just finished the

peace-building seminar. These included Archbishop Lagdameo and

bishop members of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life.

Bishop Gabriel Reyes of the Commission on the Laity facilitated the



dialogue.

The dialogue group first listened to the impressions of bishops

whose dioceses were already including SDM in their NFP program –

i.e., Cagayan de Oro, Ipil, Isabela (Basilan), Jolo, Digos, and

Cotabato. In general, the bishops did not find anything

objectionable with SDM being included as an added option in the

local church’s NFP program, except that there may be need for

more training and monitoring.

The group then listened to objections and reservations brought up

against SDM as an NFP method – e.g., that it was not natural and

appeared too mechanical with the use of beads; that the

information on the internet included the use of back-up

contraceptives; that it was as ineffective as the old calendar

rhythm method. The third part of the dialogue consisted of a

general discussion and clarifications that led towards the

formulation of the consensus statement.

At the CBCP Plenary Assembly three days later on Jan. 24, the

consensus statement was included in the report of Archbishop

Paciano Aniceto, ECFL Chairman. The consensus statement was

drafted and read by Bishop Reyes. This was distributed to all the

bishops. The full statement reads:

According to the Analytical Index of CBCP Pronouncements (87th

Bishops’ Plenary Assembly, July 2003, page 25), “The Body gave an

affirmative indication on the issue whether or not the Standard

Days Method (SDM) without any of the contraceptive component

and without collaboration with government could be used by a

diocese in its program of Natural Family Planning.”

This decision or ruling has never been abrogated.

Basing themselves on this CBCP decision, the bishops during the

above-mentioned dialogue, agreed on the following:

1) The Standard Days Method, provided it is not mixed with

contraceptives, is a natural family planning method and is

consistent with the moral teaching of the Catholic Church. The

bishop should inform the priest or lay faithful who thinks otherwise

and should stop him from spreading his error.



2) It belongs to the bishop to decide whether his diocese will

promote or not the SDM, in accordance with his pastoral

discernment.

3) The bishop may not prohibit any couple in his diocese from using

SDM as their method of natural family planning.

The bishops strongly reminded themselves of the saying:

“In necessariis, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.”

After some discussion on the floor of the plenary assembly, this

consensus statement was affirmed and left unchanged by the body.

This is now part of the minutes of the CBCP Plenary Assembly.

As I review the consensus statement, three salient points can be

noted:

1) Recalling their earlier consensus vote in July 2003, the bishops

merely

explicitated their view that SDM in itself, without mixing with

contraceptives, is

consistent with the moral teaching of the Church.

2) The statement asserts the responsibility of each bishop to

decide whether or

not to include SDM in his diocese’s pastoral program at the present

time.

3) On the other hand, it also asserts the right of any couple to

adopt SDM as an

NFP method in any diocese.

Pope John XXIII’s statement aptly describes the spirit of the

bishops’ dialogue and consensus statement: “In whatever is

necessary, unity; in whatever is doubtful, liberty; in everything,

charity.”




Bishops’ Consensus on NFP and SDM LAST January 21, 2009, at the end of the bishops’ seminar on

peace- building at Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila, Archbishop

Angel Lagdameo, CBCP President, convened a dialogue meeting on

Natural Family Planning and the Standard Days Method. The

dialogue was opened to all the bishops. Twenty-nine bishops

attended or roughly half of all those who had just finished the

peace-building seminar. These included Archbishop Lagdameo and

bishop members of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life.

Bishop Gabriel Reyes of the Commission on the Laity facilitated the

dialogue.

The dialogue group first listened to the impressions of bishops

whose dioceses were already including SDM in their NFP program –

i.e., Cagayan de Oro, Ipil, Isabela (Basilan), Jolo, Digos, and

Cotabato. In general, the bishops did not find anything

objectionable with SDM being included as an added option in the

local church’s NFP program, except that there may be need for

more training and monitoring.

The group then listened to objections and reservations brought up

against SDM as an NFP method – e.g., that it was not natural and

appeared too mechanical with the use of beads; that the

information on the internet included the use of back-up

contraceptives; that it was as ineffective as the old calendar

rhythm method. The third part of the dialogue consisted of a

general discussion and clarifications that led towards the

formulation of the consensus statement.

At the CBCP Plenary Assembly three days later on Jan. 24, the

consensus statement was included in the report of Archbishop

Paciano Aniceto, ECFL Chairman. The consensus statement was

drafted and read by Bishop Reyes. This was distributed to all the

bishops. The full statement reads:

According to the Analytical Index of CBCP Pronouncements (87th

Bishops’ Plenary Assembly, July 2003, page 25), “The Body gave an

affirmative indication on the issue whether or not the Standard

Days Method (SDM) without any of the contraceptive component

and without collaboration with government could be used by a

diocese in its program of Natural Family Planning.”



This decision or ruling has never been abrogated.

Basing themselves on this CBCP decision, the bishops during the

above-mentioned dialogue, agreed on the following:

1) The Standard Days Method, provided it is not mixed with

contraceptives, is a natural family planning method and is

consistent with the moral teaching of the Catholic Church. The

bishop should inform the priest or lay faithful who thinks otherwise

and should stop him from spreading his error.

2) It belongs to the bishop to decide whether his diocese will

promote or not the SDM, in accordance with his pastoral

discernment.

3) The bishop may not prohibit any couple in his diocese from using

SDM as their method of natural family planning.

The bishops strongly reminded themselves of the saying:

“In necessariis, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.”

After some discussion on the floor of the plenary assembly, this

consensus statement was affirmed and left unchanged by the body.

This is now part of the minutes of the CBCP Plenary Assembly.

As I review the consensus statement, three salient points can be

noted:

1) Recalling their earlier consensus vote in July 2003, the bishops

merely

explicitated their view that SDM in itself, without mixing with

contraceptives, is

consistent with the moral teaching of the Church.

2) The statement asserts the responsibility of each bishop to

decide whether or

not to include SDM in his diocese’s pastoral program at the present

time.

3) On the other hand, it also asserts the right of any couple to



adopt SDM as an

NFP method in any diocese.

Pope John XXIII’s statement aptly describes the spirit of the

bishops’ dialogue and consensus statement: “In whatever is

necessary, unity; in whatever is doubtful, liberty; in everything,

charity.”


T H U R S D A Y , J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 0 9

Catechetics and the NNCDP DURING the clergy meeting on January 12 in Cagayan de Oro, we

discussed the summary of the Catechetical Review and Strategic

Planning started by a core group earlier. We then recommended

that the process of reviewing and planning our catechetical

program should be continued and brought down to the parish level.

In this regard, each priest/deacon received a copy of the New

National Catechetical Directory for the Philippines 2007. We

suggested that the district priests discuss the contents of this book

during their monthly meeting over the next six months. They could

discuss one chapter at a time—e.g., for one hour, like a BEC

session. The priests could take turns in facilitating the discussion.

A written summary would be presented at the next clergy meeting

for consolidation with the other reports.

There were five reasons why we invited everyone to read and

reflect on the NNCDP together.

1. This is a concrete follow-up of our Archdiocesan Pastoral

Assembly held last December 12-13. The Second Plenary Council of

the Philippines (1991) considered catechesis as the most

fundamental area of renewal. The National Pastoral Consultation

on Church Renewal (2001) affirmed this by making “Integral Faith

Formation”—through catechesis—as the first of its nine pastoral

priorities.

2. The NNCDP incorporates and integrates all our ad intra

ministries—i.e., Catechetics, BEC formation, Liturgy, Bible

Apostolate, Family Life, Youth, etc. It also points out their



intimate relationship with our ad extra ministries—i.e., the social

apostolate and works of charity.

3. Parish priests are the primary “educators in the faith” and “the

key source for the parish catechetical ministry” (NNCDP, nos. 441-

442). Without the support of the parish priest, the catechetical

program in the parish will be hobbled and may become moribund.

4. Concretely, the NNCDP gives us a comprehensive framework for

evaluating our current catechetical program – as we approach the

end of the school year, and prepare for the coming school year.

5. For the individual priest, the NNCDP can serve as a pastorally-

oriented synthesis of our theology courses in the seminary. For

instance, the threefold pattern of Christian Faith indicated in No.

213—in terms of Creed, Code, and Cult; or Jesus as the Truth, the

Way, and the Life—can give us a manner of envisioning the

interconnection among our various parish ministries.

To start off the discussions on Chapter One of the NNCDP at their

next district meeting, three guide questions were proposed to the

priests:

1. What are the expressions of religiosity (devotions) in your parish

today?

2. What are the core values behind these expressions of religiosity

(devotions)?

3. How do you include these core values in your catechesis?

They were of course free to focus on other matters of relevance to

your local communities. In due time, members of the catechetical

core group would be suggesting guide questions for the other

chapters. We proposed that this collective effort at catechetical

renewal would be our way of starting off the next 75 years of the

archdiocese after our jubilee celebrations last year.

POSTED BY ANTONIO J. LEDESMA, SJ AT 10:59 AM 0 COMMENTS

M O N D A Y , J A N U A R Y 1 9 , 2 0 0 9



A pastoral call for environmental protection To our brothers and sisters in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro:

During this period of calamity I would first like to express my

solidarity and prayers for all those families who have been

displaced by the sudden floods. These first occurred on January 3

with the swelling of the Cagayan de Oro river. Then on January 11

until now flash floods have taken place more extensively

throughout various parts of the city and several municipalities in

Misamis Oriental.

As of the latest reports more than 75,000 persons have been

displaced and 44 barangays in the city have been affected.

In visiting some of the displaced families that have been forced to

seek shelter in chapels or formation centers of the church or

community centers in the barangays, I see the faces of children

with their mothers waiting patiently for some assistance.

On the other hand, I am also heartened to see many parish

communities mobilizing to distribute relief goods among those

displaced communities.

Many individuals, companies and organizations have also sent their

assistance in goods or in cash to the Bishop’s House or directly to

the parishes affected by the floods. These are indeed signs of

solidarity and brotherhood regardless of religious or cultural

differences.

Even as we attend to the immediate needs of displaced families,

we must not lose sight of the long term factors that have

aggravated the effects of natural calamities. Among these man-

made factors are:

• Continued logging operations in the upstream areas of the city;

these include the more remote areas of the city and watershed

areas in the ARMM region and Bukidnon

• Hydraulic flush mining that have caused the heavy siltation of

Iponan river and its tributaries

• Small scale and large scale mining in other upland areas of the



city

• Lack of solid waste management that has led to clogging of the

city’s drainage canals

• Similarly housing developments that have obstructed the natural

flow of water

These and many other factors have to be reviewed carefully by

public officials with the participation of civil society groups. The

church and other parish communities are ready to join and support

all these efforts for a safer, cleaner and brighter Cagayan de Oro

and surrounding areas.


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