CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 11

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MonitorVOLUME 19NUMBER 11PHP20.00

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE 

May 25 - June 7, 2015

CBCPMONITOR.COM [email protected]

CBCP

CBCP execlinks climatechange to PHpovertyCARIAS Philippines hasvoiced on Tursday its concernabout the way climate changeis hitting the country’s poorpeople.

 As the Caritas Internationa-lis general assembly reach theirsecond day in Rome, CaritasPhilippines executive directorFr. Edu Gariguez said thatimpact of climate change willtrap more Filipinos in poverty.

In the presentation of his

position paper, he stressed thatpoverty cannot be reduced

 without addressing the alarm-ing issues of climate change.

“Clearly, climate change andits ensuing extreme weatherimpact are hurting the mostvulnerable countries, like thePhilippines,” Gariguez said.

He said that in terms ofsocial groups, small farm-ers, fishersmen, indigenouspeoples, women and childrenare the “most vulnerable” sec-tors affected by climate change

‘One who lives theCaritas mission is not a

simple worker but indeed awitness to Christ’, B1

WHAT’S INSIDE 

Climate / A7

Church launches ‘zerohunger bill’ petitionBy Roy Lagarde

CARITAS Philippines hasurged President Benigno

Aquino III to certify as ur-gent a measure that seeks toend hunger in the country inten years.

 Archbishop Rolando irona, presi-dent of Caritas Philippines, said Aquinoshould certify the “zero hunger bill” asurgent to expedite and ensure its passagebefore his term ends next year.

 “Te early passage of the bill couldsave many of our brothers and sisters fromhunger and death, which is the numberone cause of mortality,’ irona said.

 Also known as HB 3795 or the Rightto Adequate Food Framework Act of2014, it aims to establish the right tofood as a government priority that willentail a comprehensive program to ad-dress hunger.

 “Te right to food is a basic right thatmust be upheld and fulfilled by the duty-holder, our government,” he said.

 Signature drive

 o show the church’s scale of supportfor the measure, Caritas has also launcheda petition to push for the passage of thepending bill in Congress.

 Te agency is tapping the help of allthe dioceses in gathering signatures intheir respective parishes in support ofthe bill.

 irona said they are also coordinat-ing with other civic-minded groups forthe passage of House Bill 3795 or theRight to Adequate Food Framework Actof 2014.

Church says PHL has ‘moral duty’to accept refugees MORE than its inter-national obligations toprotect refugees, thePhilippines has a moralimperative to help vul-nerable migrants who

 will seek sola ce at thecountry’s shores, theCatholic hierarchy said.

 After othe r Southeas t As ian nat ions tu rnedthousands of “boatpeople” from Myan-mar and Bangladeshaway, “refusing them

the comfort of even jus t a temporary sta y,CBCP president Arch-bishop Socrates Villegas

said there was a duty totreat the refugees withcompassion.

“While it may be truethat there is no legalobligation on the partof the Republic of thePhilippines or that ofany other country togrant asylum to everyrefugee or displacedperson, there is a moralobligation to protectthem from the harmthey flee from,” he said.

“here is a legal ob-ligation not to forciblyrepatriate them. And byall precepts of morality

and decency, there is anobligation not to leavethem to the merciless-ness of the elements onthe high seas,” Villegassaid.

he gove rnmentearlier said it is opento rescue these un-documented migrants,pointing out that thePhilippines signed the1951 Convention Re-lating to the Status ofRefugees.

he b ishops have welc omed the gover n-ment’s statement, even

Cardinal Tagle urgesCaritas to strengthenservice to poor

MANILA Archbishop Luis An-tonio Cardinal agle, the newlyelected President of Caritas Inter-nationalis, has called for a strength-ened service to the poor and themarginalized.

Speaking on the phone at theconfederation’s 20th general assem-bly in Rome to accept his new post,he said a united effort is needed inbuilding a ‘church of the poor’.

“Let us together strengthen the

church of the poor so our witnesscan help guide us to a world of un-derstanding justice, true freedomand peace,” agle said to delegatesfrom over 130 member organiza-tions from all over the world.

“Tank you for your trust. I’mlimited in my capacities but withall of you, with the love that Jesushas poured into our hearts and inthe name of all of the poor peoplein the world, I accept this election,”he said

Te cardinal was in the UnitedStates during the election where he

 was awarded “honoris causa” fromthe Catholic Teological Univer-sity in Chicago.

Fr. Edu Gariguez, executivesecretary of Caritas Philippines,said agle will fly to Rome and

 will join the assembly on May 16to formally assume the presidency

of the global confederation ofCatholic charities.

No politicsUnlike other polls, Gariguez said

there “there is not much fun fare orpoliticking or even campaigning”in the Caritas elections.

He said the nominees were givento present themselves and theirqualifications before the plenary aday before the election.

Cardinal agle, however, didnot have the chance to personallyappear before the assembly becausehe was still in the US. A video mes-sage from him was played instead.

Gariguez said he was a bit wor-ried that agle’s absence createdan impression “that he might notbe the best one for the positionbecause he is already given muchresponsibility”.

“I have been asked by the par-ticipants about his availability anumber of times,” he said.

 While not present, the priest saidthat Cardinal agle still won in thevoting, 91 out of 133 over the othercandidate, Maronite Archbishop

 Joseph Soueif of Cyprus .

‘Gift to the world’

“His pastoral zeal and leadership

Don’t pass BBL in haste – bishop

SAYING that the approval of theBangsamoro Basic Law should notbe rushed, a Catholic bishop saidmore time is needed to discussimportant points in the proposedmeasure.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broder-ick Pabillo said what is importantis for Congress to enact a law that

is acceptable to all if only to attainreal peace in Mindanao.

 After all, he said, the BBL willnot only affect those inside theBangsamoro, not only Mindanao,but the entire country.

“We need a law to achievepeace but it should be effective

IP coalition: ‘Mining prosperity’ a myth REPRESENING themajority of Mindanao’s 18ethno-linguistic groups,the largest alliance of in-digenous peoples (IP) inthe region has dismissed

anew the claim that min-ing brings prosperity, and

pushed for the repeal ofthe Philippine Mining Actof 1995.

  “Te bias for the un-bridled extraction of min-eral wealth by multina-

tional corporations hasonly fuelled violence in the

communities and broughtunspeakable destructionto the environment. Teso-called benefits of miningare just but myths createdby those who want to con-

trol the exploitation andutilization of our natural

resources,” shares the Ku-sog sa Katawhang Lumadsa Mindanao (KALUMA-RAN) in a recent state-ment.

People’s Mining BillGiven this reason, Dul-

phing B. Ogan, KALU-MARAN secretary-general,says the IP coalition andother other militant andprogressive organizationscall for the enactment of

the “People’s Mining Bill.”

Priest to husbands: Treat yourwife like St. Isidore did 

 WI H —the Chur ch’s rece ntremembrance of one of the mostpopular saints in the country,a priest reminded the faithful,especially husbands, about St.

Isidore’s powerful witness as amarried man.

“he greatest gift a husbandcan give to his wife is to lead her

Hunger Bill / A6

Caritas / A6

Refugees / A7

BBL / A7 Husbands / A6

Myth / A6

Newly-elected Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle speaks during “Caritas Day” where delegates embraced the “One Human Family, Food for All” campaign to end hunger, at the Expo 2015 world’s fair in Milan, Italy on May 19. “We are one human family united by hunger,” said the first Asian to head theconfederation of Catholic charities. “It is not just about food but it is the same hunger that unites us.” FR. EDU GARIGUEZ/CARITAS PHILIPPINES 

CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas FILE PHOTO 

 Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle of Manila CNA

GPH Legal Team head Atty. Anna Tarhata Basman listens to a young woman expressher thoughts about the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro during a publicforum, May 21, 2014. OPAPP 

SUPPLEMENT ISSUE UGNAYAN: THE NEWS SUPPLEMENT OF COUPLES FOR CHRIST

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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, May 23,2015—Some thought this day would neverarrive. Others hoped and some always knewit would.

On May 23, the Catholic Church, beatified Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galda-

mez, of El Salvador, who was assassinated in1980 while celebrating Mass, just a day afterpleading and ordering soldiers to stop killinginnocent civilians.

“Blessed Romero is another brilliant starthat belongs to the sanctity of the church ofthe Americas,” said Cardinal Angelo Amato,head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’Causes, during the ceremony in San Salvador.“And thanks be to God, there are many.”

 While those who persecuted him have diedor are in obscurity, “the memory of Romerocontinues to live in the poor and the marginal-ized,” Cardinal Amato said.

His homilies often pleaded for better condi-tions for the poor, for a stop to the escalatingviolence in the country and for brotherhoodamong those whose divisions ultimately led toa 12-year conflict.

He’s not a symbol of division but one ofpeace, Cardinal Amato said.

In a message sent Saturday on the occasion ofthe beatification, Pope Francis said that Arch-bishop Romero “built the peace with the powerof love, gave testimony of the faith with his life.”

Proof of that is the shirt he died in, soaked inblood, after an assassin’s single bullet took hislife. Eight deacons carried the blood-stainedshirt, now a relic, to the altar in a glass case.Others decorated it with flowers and candlesduring the Saturday ceremony. Several priestsreached out to touch the case and later madethe sign of the cross.

In a time of difficulty in El Salvador, Arch-bishop Romero knew “how to guide, defendand protect his flock, remaining faithful tothe Gospel and in communion with the wholechurch,” the pope said in his message.” Hisministry was distinguished by a particular at-tention to the poor and marginalized. And atthe time of his death, while celebrating the holysacrifice, love and reconciliation, he received the

grace to be fully identified with the one whogave his life for his sheep.”Te event, at the square of the Divine Savior

of the World in the capital city of San Salvador,saw the attendance of four Latin American pres-idents and six cardinals including: Oscar AndresRodriguez Maradiaga, of Honduras; LeopoldoBrenes, of Nicaragua; Jaime Ortega, of Cuba;

 Jose Luis Lacunza, of Panama; Roger Mahony,of the U.S.; and Italian Cardinal Amato, as wellas Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, postula-tor of Archbishop Romero’s cause.

Teir excitement couldn’t have been greaterthan that of those like Father Estefan urcios,pastor of El Salvador’s St. Anthony of PaduaCatholic Church in Soyapango and nationaldirector of the Pontifical Mission Societies inEl Salvador. Before El Salvador’s conflict, Fatherurcios was imprisoned for defending the rightsof the poor. Archbishop Romero helped free him.

“Tere have been people inspired by Romerofor 35 years. How do you think they feel rightnow?” asked Father urcios.

But just as he has devotees, ArchbishopRomero has had detractors.

 After his death, the Vatican received moundsof letters against Archbishop Romero, Arch-bishop Paglia, has said. And that affected hispath toward sainthood, which includes beatifi-

cation. But three decades after his assassination,Pope Benedict XVI cleared the archbishop’ssainthood cause.

In February Pope Francis signed the decreerecognizing Archbishop Romero as a martyr,a person killed “in hatred of the faith,” whichmeant there is no need to prove a miracle forbeatification. In general two miracles are neededfor sainthood—one for beatification and thesecond for canonization.

Father urcios said by studying BlessedRomero’s life, others will discover all the Gos-pel truths that led him to defend life, the poorand the church, and do away with untruthssurrounding his legacy.

During the country’s civil war that lastedfrom 1979 until 1992, some Salvadorans hid,buried and sometimes burned photos they hadtaken with or of Archbishop Romero, becauseit could mean others would call them com-munists or rebel sympathizers and put theirlives in danger.

Tough he still has some detractors, Fatherurcios said, the beatification can help othersunderstand the reality and truth that others haveknown all along: Archbishop Romero “was loyalto God’s will, was loyal to and loved his peopleand was loyal to and loved the church,” he said.

One of the offertory gifts during the MassMay 23 was the book “De la locura a la esper-anza” or “From Madness to Hope.” A documentgenerated during the peace accords that endedthe country’s 12-year war.

It chronicles some of the greatest humanrights atrocities committed in El Salvador dur-ing the conflict, including the killing and rape offour women religious from the U.S., the killingof priests, catechists, as well as massacres of un-armed civilians—more than 70,000 died in all.

Priests, bishops and cardinals wore someform a red vestment, signifying martyrdom.Teir stoles were emblazoned with ArchbishopRomero’s episcopal motto: “Sentir con la igle-sia,” or “feel with the church,” also translated

as “to think with the church.”Te ceremony culminated a week in San

Salvador that saw pilgrims, mainly from Latin America, but also from as far away as Singaporeand many from the United States, who wantedto celebrate the occasion. Flowers, music, tearsand happiness flowed at San Salvador’s Met-ropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Savior, wherethe archbishop is buried. He is officially BlessedRomero, but to others he already is and has been“San Romero,” or St. Romero of the Americas.

Father Juan J. Navarro, of Maracaibo, Venezu-ela, said he visited the archbishop’s burial place tovoice the many needs of his country. Food andfreedom of expression are lacking, he said, and

it’s a place with a similar situation to the one thatled to war in Archbishop Romero’s time.“I asked for (Archbishop Romero) to inter-

cede for our rights, to continue to inspire in usthe will to go forward when the reality of life isserious,” he said.

For 81-year-old Salvadoran Gregoria Mar-tinez de Jimenez, the beatification marked theofficial recognition of something she has knownall along: “We finally have a saint who is one ofours,” she said as tears flowed.

“He was a duplicate of Jesus,” added herdaughter Maria Elena Jimenez Martinez, 44.Both women attended Archbishop Romero’sfuneral, where smoke bombs went off and shots

 were fired. More than elation, they showed hap-piness mixed with sorrow that remains from apainful time.

 Jesuit Father Miguel Angel Vasquez Her-nandez, of Arcatao, said the archbishop wouldprobably have felt a little taken aback with sucha ceremony, which is expected to cost about$1 million and was attended by hundreds ofthousands.

Te best way to honor him, he said, is to work for peace and justice in El Salvador, andin other parts of the world afflicted by poverty,

 war, violence, oppression and economic injus-tice. (CNS)

WORLD NEWS

Vatican Briefing Blessed Romero ‘another brilliant star’

belonging to church of Americas

Vote to legalize gay marriage poses uncertain future for IrelandROME, Italy, May 22, 2015—AsIreland goes to the polls to vote on

 whether to legalize same-sex mar-riage, one Church official warnsthat the new law could bring yet-unforeseen consequences for futuregenerations.

“he importance of the votetoday cannot be underestimated,”said Msgr. John Kennedy, an of-

ficial of the Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith, in a May 22email to CNA.

If passed, the Dublin-native saidthe referendum “would signal asignificant alteration in how mar-riage is understood, appreciated ata societal level and taught to futuregenerations.”

More than 3.2 million peoplethroughout the Republic of Irelandare eligible to vote in Friday’s nationalreferendum on whether the constitu-tion should be changed to allow same-

sex couples to legally marry. Whi le 18 countri es have al-

ready legalized same-sex marriage,Ireland would become the first toadopt the law through popularvote, so long as the referendumpasses.

“If passed it would mark a sea-change that would, I imagine, beirreversible and have significant

consequences,” Msgr. Kennedysaid. “Not all of these conse-quences might be appreciated inthe present moment but will haveto be confronted in the future.”

He observed that while politicalparties and public figures havevocalized support for the “Yes”campaign for same-sex marriage,many others, particularly privateindividuals, “have preferred toremain silent on how they mightcast their vote.”

Coming from a country with

a long history of fidelity to theCatholic Church, shaken only inrecent decades by scandals amongthe clergy and religious, the May22 referendum is significant.

he proposed amendment tothe constitution to allow for same-sex marriage was introduced in

 January by the Fine Gael-LaborGovernment. Te proposal must

be voted on in a referendum beforeit can become law.

Friday’s referendum comes 22years after Ireland decriminalizedhomosexual acts. In 2010, thecountry enacted the Civil Part-nership and Certain Rights andObligations of Cohabitants Act,

 which allowed same-sex couplesto enter into civil unions.

Despite the consequences sucha law could have on future genera-tions, Msgr. Kennedy is confidentthat the Church’s message will

 withstand the challenges.“Te Church lives within the

structures of society,” he said, “and will continue to show respect forthe individual choices personsmight make.”

Regardless of the outcome of thereferendum, he continued: “Tenoble and beautiful teaching onsacramental union of a man and

 woman as taught by Christ theLord and as designed by God atcreation, will remain at the heartof the message that it brings tothe world.”

“While society continues tochange, the beauty and perma-nence of Christ’s teachings will per-haps shine all the more brightly.”

Polls throughout the Republicof Ireland were opened from 7amto 10pm local time on May 22.Te results will be announced onSaturday. (CNA)

Relics of Saints John XXIII, John Paul II light fires of faith in Thailand 

CHANHABURI, Tailand, May 24, 2015—Scores of Catholic faithful are taking part in theTailand tour of the sacred relics of St. John

 XXIII and St. John Paul II.“Te visit of the relic is a blessing of God for

us in our dioceses as the saints are visiting usand they light the fire of faith and hope,” BishopSilvio Siripong Charatsri of the Chanthaburitold CNA May 18.

Te reliquaries of St. John XXIII and St. JohnPaul II have been brought to various dioceses’parishes for over a year, with stops scheduledin ten Tai dioceses.

Te reliquaries’ latest stop is the Sacred HeartChurch Chapel in the Chanthaburi diocese.Te reliquary tour makes the relics available forexposition and veneration.

Bishop Silvio said hailand’s Catholicsare “very happy to welcome the saints, for

 we are part of the univer sal Chur ch, andthe popes, who lived with us, are now inheaven to intercede for us and empowerour people with their exemplary teachingsof faith and life.”

Father Francis Xavier Manokprechawut, theparish priest, presided over a thanksgiving Mass

 with a congregation of over 600 faithful, includ-ing over 20 priests, religious, and seminarians.Te Mass concelebrants included Bishop Silvio

and Bishop emeritus Lawrence Tienchai Sa-manchit of Chanthaburi.

Te May 18 Mass also marked the birthdayof St. John Paul II.

Bishop Silvio discussed Catholics’ close con-nection to the two canonized popes.

He said St. John XXIII “gave a new dimen-sion to church renewal” by calling the SecondVatican Council, and that St. John Paul II,during his long pontificate, “led the visionof the Church” and held “extensive apostolicvisits.”

Bishop Siripong noted the eagerness of theTai people, who participated with devotion inthe liturgy to venerate and ask the intercessionof the popular saints.

“Only a few people have the opportunity tovisit Rome and see the Vatican and the Popes,so the relics of the Popes visiting their parishesis like the Pope himself who is coming to visitthem,” he said.

“Tey can touch them … it’s the Bishop ofRome, the Vicar of Christ, the leader of the

Church who is coming to meet and bless hispeople.”

Te silver- and gold-plated reliquary of Saint

 John XXIII contains a small piece of his skin.Te relic of St. John Paul II is a vial of his blood,set in a similar reliquary. Pope Francis canonizedthe two Popes on April 27, 2014.

Tai Catholics also have a special regard forSt. John XXIII and St. John Paul II becauseof their meetings with the reigning monarch,Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the rest of the royalfamily. Te royals’ photographs adorn the wallsof most houses and institutions as a si gn of thepeople’s great respect and admiration.

St. John XXIII received Tailand’s king andqueen at the Vatican on October 1, 1960. St.

 John Paul II met the king on May 10, 1984during his apostolic visit to Tailand.

In May 2014, Archbishop emeritus of Bang-kok, Cardinal Michael Michai Kitboonchu andbishops of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference ofTailand attended a special audience granted bythe king. Te bishops brought the two relics ofSaint John XXIII and Saint John Paul II to the

monarchs, in order to pray for the good healthof the royal couple. (CNA)

 Archbishop Oscar Romero. JAVIER HIDALGO VIA FLICKR 

Pope names new Vatican consultantFr. imothy Radcliffe, a Dominican priest who led his order forten years and has stirred controversy in the past for his stance oncertain ecclesial issues, was appointed May 16 as a consultor ofthe Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Consultors to thepontifical councils are officially appointed by the Pope, and whileit is not formally acknowledged, such appointments are typicallymade at the suggestion of the heads of the councils. With Fr.

Radcliffe, the number of consultors of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace comes to 14. (CNA)

Could Mother Teresa be canonized during the Holy Year for Mercy?Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi has said that Bl. Mothereresa of Calcutta could be canonized during the upcoming

 Jubilee for Mercy, although he clarified that no concrete planshave been made. Fr. Lombardi said on May 19 that the possiblecanonization of Mother eresa during the Holy Year is “a workinghypothesis.” “Tere is no official date but you can say that theCongregation for the Causes of Saints is studying the cause.” Whenasked if there was a second miracle attributed to the nun’s interces-sion, the spokesman said, “Te cause is in the process.” (CNA)

Pope appeals for peace in BurundiOn Sunday morning, Pope Francis called for prayers for the peopleof Burundi, where violent clashes have broken out following afailed coup recently. “I also wish to invite you to pray for thedear people of Burundi, who are living in a delicate moment,”

the pontiff said in his May 17 address ahead of the Regina Caeliprayers. Violence broke out last week after a failed coup againstBurundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza. Around 20 people havebeen killed in the unrest, and tens of thousands have fled thecountry. (CNA)

Population control won’t solve climate change, Caritas official saysControlling populations is not the answer in fighting povertyand protecting the environment, says a leading official for theCatholic aid federation, Caritas Internationalis. “We do not seethat population control, the way it is being thought by many, isthe right way to go forward,” Caritas secretary general Michel Roysaid. Te question of sustaining the planet is not approached “bysuppressing people,” he said. Roy has been in Rome for CaritasInternational’s 20th general assembly which has been runningfrom May 12-17 on the theme: “One human family, care forcreation.” (CNA)

Pope Francis reminds Christians to have a festive faith

Speaking to vowed religious, Pope Francis said Christianity mustbe festive. He praised the special nourishing power of a nun’s smile.“Te feast is a theological category of life. And you cannot live theconsecrated life without this festive dimension. It’s a party. Butpartying is not the same as making noise,” he said May 16. Tisfestive dimension to life is “one of the things that we Christiansforget,” he said, according to Vatican Radio. (CNA)

Archbishop Romero was motivated by Gospel, not politics, cardinal saysSalvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero’s preferential love for thepoor “was not ideological, but evangelical,” said Cardinal

 Angel o Amato , the prefect of the Congre gation for Saints’Causes. he cardinal, who was delegated by Pope Francis topreside over Archbishop Romero’s beatification May 23 inSan Salvador, told Vatican Radio the martyred archbishop“was, in fact, a good priest and a wise bishop, but most ofall, he was a virtuous man.” “His martyrdom was not animprovisation,” he said, “but had a long preparation,” which

 went all the way back to Archbishop Romero’s preparationfor priestly ordination in 1942 when he consecrated his very

life to God. (CNS )

Pope says parents must not exclude themselves from children’s livesParents must not exclude themselves from their children’s livesand, despite what some “experts” may say, they must take anactive role in their children’s education, said Pope Francis dur-ing his general audience in St. Peter’s Square May 20. “It’s timefor fathers and mothers to come out of their exile—becausethey have exiled themselves from their children’s education—and to fully assume again their educational role,” he said.Continuing a series of talks about the family, the pope saidits “essential characteristic” is its “natural vocation to educatechildren so that they grow in responsibility for themselves andfor others.” (CNS)

Church needs women’s voices, input, experiences, pope tells religious Women can be appointed heads of some offices of the RomanCuria, Pope Francis said, but that will not be enough to “recoverthe role” women should have in the Catholic Church. “Womenshould be promoted,” he said May 16 during an audience withan international group of men and women religious working inthe Diocese of Rome. But assigning a certain number of womento leadership positions is “simply functionalism,” he said. What isimportant is to ensure that women have a voice and are listenedto, he said, because the church needs their specific contributions.(CNS)

Church continues to aid Nepal victims

KAHMANDU, May 22 2015—Father Silas Bogati, pro-Vicar

 Apostolic of Nepal, said that theCatholic Church continues withits aid to quake survivors in Nepal.

“Te Christian witness in Nepaltoday passes through the works ofmercy and compassion for people

 who have lost ever ything,” the

priest said.“he work of solidarity of

the Catholic Church continues,especially in the more remotedistricts. In recent days we had acoordination meeting with all thepriests, nuns, religious involvedin the rescue of victims, withrepresentatives of Caritas and withthe Bishop. We have developed a

 joint action plan to help peopleaffected by the earthquake withshort-term and long-term mea-sures. One starts thinking aboutreconstruction. Te Vicariate hasplanned interventions to helpas many families as possible andour goal is to meet the needs ofabout 2,000 families,” Fr. Bogatiinformed.

“I have just returned from

Gorkha district to monitor thesituation. Tere, there are the Sale-

sian Fathers who are assisting thehomeless. We have provided reliefsupplies to 2,235 families in thevillages of Mucchok and Sourpani.Te Catholic personnel, priests, re-ligious and lay faithful, are workinghard: many are also coming fromIndia to help us,” he added.

Te priest concluded: “Caritas,

thanks to international aid, is pro-viding aid in many villages. Peoplethank us and have expressed deepgratitude. Christian witness inNepal today passes through the

 works of mercy and compassionfor people who have lost their lovedones, who have lost their homesand all their properties. Tey haveto start from scratch.”

 According toNepal governmentestimates, the death toll of the

 April 25 earthquake has reached8,631, with 21,838 injured.

he Nepalese police have re-ported that the search continuesfor 346 missing people, including106 foreigners. As for the dam-age to housing, the main quakeand hundreds of aftershocks havedamaged 462,646 houses, half in

the central region of the country.(Agenzia Fides/UCAN)

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A3CBCP Monitor May 25 - June 7, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 11 NEWS FEATURES

Pope Francis to parents: Come out of ‘exile’

and educate your childrenVAICAN City, May 20, 2015—In his general audience PopeFrancis spoke of the essential roleparents play in educating their

children – a role he said has beenusurped by so-called experts whohave taken the place of parents andrendered them fearful of makingany correction.

“If family education regainsits prominence, many things willchange for the better. It’s timefor fathers and mothers to returnfrom their exile—they have exiledthemselves from educating theirchildren—and slowly reassumetheir educative role,” the Pope saidMay 20.

He gave harsh criticism to the“intellectual critics” that he saidhave “silenced” parents in orderto defend younger generationsfrom real or imagined harm, andlamented how schools now areoften more influential than families

in shaping the thinking and valuesof children.“In our days the educational

partnership is in crisis. It’s broken,”he said, and named various reasonsfor this.

“On one part there are tensionsand distrust between parents andeducators; on the other part, thereare more and more ‘experts’ whopretend to occupy the role of par-ents, who are relegated to secondplace,” he said.

he Pope spoke to pilgrimsgathered in St. Peter’s Square forhis weekly general audience. Hisfocus on the vocation of familiesto educate their children is part ofhis ongoing series on the family.

Since the end of last fall Francishas been centering his Wednesday

catechesis on the theme of familyas part of the lead-up to the WorldDay of Families in September, as

 well as October’s Synod of Bishopson the Family.

In his address he stressed thateducating and raising children inthe human values which form the“backbone” of a healthy societyis a responsibility that each fam-ily has.

However, many difficultiesoften impede parents’ ability toproperly educate their children.oday parents are spending lessand less time with their children,

and meeting their needs after along day of work can be exhaust-ing, he noted.

In off the cuff remarks, Francisalso highlighted the struggle facedby the increasing number of di-vorced or separated families. Manytimes children in these families are“taken as a hostage,” while theirmother and father speak badlyabout each other.

o do this “does so much bad”to children, the Pope noted, andstressed the importance for parentsin these situations to “never, never,never take your child hostage.”

“You are separated because ofmany difficulties and reasons, lifegave you this trial, but may the

children not be the ones who bearthe weight of this separation! Maychildren not be used as hostages,against the other (parent),” he said.

 Although this importan t taskcan be very difficult for parents

 who are separated, the Pope saidthat it’s not impossible, and that“you can do it.”

Francis also observed how fre-quently parents are “paralyzed” bythe fear of making mistakes, andhesitate to correct their children.

He recalled an episode from hisown life when he had said a bad word to a teacher. Te next day

his mother came to the school andmade him apologize, and then cor-rected him at home.

Nowadays this wouldn’t hap-pen, because too often a teacher

 who tries to discipline a child iscriticized by the parents, he said.

“Tings have changed. Parentsshouldn’t exclude themselves fromthe education of their children…Te relationship between familyand school ought to be harmoni-ous.”

Pope Francis also cautionedparents against commanding ordiscouraging their children by

asking them to do what they aren’table to.

 When a parent tells their smallchild to run up the stairs without

taking them by the hand and help-ing them step by step, they are “ex-asperating” the child, and askingthem to do something they can’t.

Te relationship between par-ents and their children should bebalanced and founded on wisdom,he said. Children should be “obedi-ent to parents, which pleases God,and you parents, don’t exasperateyour children asking them to do

 what they aren’t able to. Under-stood?”

Francis said that the Churchand all Christian communities arecalled to accompany and supportparents in their educative role.He noted that this is done by liv-ing according to God’s word andcultivating the virtues of faith, loveand patience.

 Jesus himself was raised in afamily, he said, explaining that“when he tells us that all who hearthe word of God and obey are hisbrothers and sisters, he remindsus that for all their failings, ourfamilies can count on his inspira-tion and grace in the difficult butrewarding vocation of educatingtheir children.”

Pope Francis closed his audienceby praying that all parents wouldhave the confidence, freedom andcourage needed in order to fulfilltheir educative mission.

He then went on to greet pil-grims present from various coun-tries around the world, includingGreat Britain, Finland, Norway,South Africa, China, India, Ko-rea, Canada, the United States of

 America, Spain, Mexico, Argen-tina, Panama and Chile. (EliseHarris/CNA/EWN News)

 Archbishop Romero was motivatedby Gospel, not politics, cardinal says VAICAN City, May 22, 2015—Salva-doran Archbishop Oscar Romero’s prefer-ential love for the poor “was not ideologi-cal, but evangelical,” said Cardinal Angelo

 Amato, the prefect of the Congregation forSaints’ Causes.

he cardinal, who was delegated byPope Francis to preside over ArchbishopRomero’s beatification May 23 in SanSalvador, told Vatican Radio the martyredarchbishop “was, in fact, a good priest anda wise bishop, but most of all, he was avirtuous man.”

“He loved Jesus and adored him in theEucharist, he loved the church, he vener-ated the Blessed Virgin Mary and he lovedhis people,” Cardinal Amato said.

“His martyrdom was not an improvisa-tion,” the cardinal said, “but had a longpreparation,” which went all the wayback to Archbishop Romero’s preparationfor priestly ordination in 1942 when heconsecrated his very life to God.

Te Vatican Radio reporter asked about what many people refer to as ArchbishopRomero’s “conversion” from being ratherquiet and focused on internal church af-fairs to being more outspoken in defenseof the poor and the victims of his country’smilitary dictatorship.

“A change in his life of bei ng a meekand almost timid pastor” was themurder in 1977 of Salvadoran JesuitFather Rutilio Grande, who had lefthis university position to be a “pastorof the farmworkers, the oppressed andemarginated,” Cardinal Amato said.he murder “was the event that touchedthe heart of Archbishop Romero, whomourned his priest like a mother wouldher own child.”

 While his public words became muchsharper and more focused on the livedreality of his people, he said, “his words

 were not an incitement to hatred and re-

venge, but were the heartfelt exhortationof a father to his divided children, callingthem to love, forgiveness and agreement.”

For Cardinal Amato, Pope Francis sum-marized “the priestly and pastoral identityof Romero when he called him ‘bishopand martyr, pastor according to the heartof Christ, evangelizer and father of thepoor, heroic witness of the kingdom ofGod, the kingdom of justice, brotherhoodand peace.’”

 Archbishop Romero, he said, “is another

bright star shining in the American spiri-tual firmament.”

Citing saints from North, Central andSouth America, he said there are “many

 American saints and martyrs who pray tothe Lord for their brothers and sisters stillon the earthly pilgrimage. Blessed OscarRomero belongs to this impetuous windof holiness that still blows over the Ameri-can continent, a land of love and fidelityto the good news of the Gospel.” (CindyWooden/CNS)

Respect creation – this is

a must for every single

Christian, Pope Francis saysVAICAN City, May 24, 2015—PopeFrancis used Sunday’s feast of Pente-cost—the descent of the Holy Spirit—asan occasion to remind Christians oftheir duty to care for and respect theearth.

“he Holy Spirit whom Christ sent

from the Father, and the Creator Spirit who gives l ife to all thi ngs, a re one andthe same,” the Pope said.

“Respect for creation, then, is a re-quirement of our faith: the ‘garden’ in

 which we live is not entru sted to us tobe exploited, but rather to be cultivatedand tended with respect.”

Pope Francis, dressed in red vestmentstraditional for the solemnity of Pente-cost, made these remarks during Massin Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Reflecting on Adam, who himself was“formed from the earth,” the pontiffexplained, this respect for the earth isonly possible when man is renewed bythe Holy Spirit, and “reformed by theFather on the model of Christ, the new

 Adam.”In this way, “we will indeed be able

to experience the freedom of the sons

and daughters, in harmony with allcreation.”hese remarks about man’s responsi-

bility to care for the earth comes aheadof the Pope’s upcoming encyclical onenvironmental degradation and theglobal effects of climate change on thepoor.

Expected to be published in mid-late June, the document has alreadybeen written and is currently beingtranslated.

Reflecting on the day’s readings forthe feast of Pentecost, Pope Francis citedthe second letter Saint Paul to the Ga-latians, comparing those who allow theHoly Spirit into their lives with those

 who close themselves off to the Spiritthrough selfishness, “rigid legalism,”neglecting Jesus’ teachings, and so on.

“Closing oneself off from the Holy

Spirit means not only a lack of freedom;it is a sin,” he said.On the other hand, the Pope ex-

plained, the world is in need of those who a re open to the Sp irit.

“he world needs the courage, hope,faith and perseverance of Christ’s fol-lowers,” as well as the fruits of th e HolySpirit, as cited in the day’s readings:“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22).

Pope Francis turned his reflection tothe account of the descent of the HolySpirit on the Apostles and Mary fromthe day’s first reading.

Receiving this outpouring of the HolySpirit which filled “their minds andhearts,” the pontiff said, the Apostles“received a new strength so great thatthey were able to proclaim Christ’sResurrection in different languages.”

he Pope also how Mary, “the first

disciple and the Mother of the nascentChurch,” who was present at Pentecost,,“accompanied the joyful young Bride,the Church of Jesus.”

 With the coming of the Holy Sp irit ,the Apostles came to understand all that

 Jesus had said and done, especiall y with

regard to the “scandal” of his death andresurrection.“o the Apostles , who could not bear

the scandal of their Master’s sufferings,the Spirit would give a new understand-ing of the truth and beauty of thatsaving event.”

he Pope explained that the Apostleshad hidden themselves away in theUpper Room following Christ’s deathout of fear.

“Now they would no longer beashamed to be Christ’s disciples; they

 wou ld no lon ger tre mbl e bef ore thecourts of men,” he said.

“Filled with the Holy Spirit,” theHoly Father continued, the Apostles“would now understand ‘all the truth’:that the death of Jesus was not hisdefeat, but rather the ultimate expres-sion of God’s love, a love that, in the

Resurrection, conquers death and exalts Jesus as the Living One, the Lord, theRedeemer of mankind, of history andof the world.”

Pope Francis concluded his homilyby reminding the faithful of the re-sponsibilities which come from havingreceived the Holy Spirit.

“he gift of the Holy Spirit has beenbestowed upon the Church and uponeach one of us, so that we may live livesof genuine faith and active chari ty, that

 we may sow the s eeds of reconc iliat ionand peace,” he said. “

Strengthened by the Spirit and hismany gifts, may we be able uncom-promisingly to battle against sin andcorruption, devoting ourselves withpatient perseverance to the works of

 just ice and peace .”Shortly after the conclusion of Mass

in the Basilica, Pope Francis led thecrowds in Saint Peter’s Square in recit-ing the Regina Caeli address for the lasttime for the Easter Season.

In his pre-Regina Caeli address,he recalled the Church’s birth duringPentecost as universal, with a “preciseidentity” that is nonetheless “opento everyone,” and “which embracesthe entire world, without excludinganyone.”

By infusing the disciples with theHoly Spirit, the Pope said, a “newseason” of “witness and fraternity” wasopened.

“As on that day of Pentecost, theHoly Spirit is continuously poured outon the Church and on each one of useven today, in order that we might leavebehind our mediocrity,” and that whichkeeps us enclosed, “and communicatethe Lord’s mercy to the whole world.”(Ann Schneible/CNA/EWN News)

DOLE not off the hook in Valenzuela fire – bishopMANILA, May 20, 2015—Te Department of Labor and

Employment should be heldresponsible for the circum-stances surrounding the factoryfire that claimed 72 lives inValenzuela City last week, aCatholic bishop said.

San Carlos Bishop Gerar-do Alminaza said the agency“should be held liable” for giv-ing the Kentex ManufacturingCorp., an occupational healthand safety standard compliancecertificate in September 2014.

He said the Church seesviolations of occupationalhealth and safety standards thatresulted in the workers’ deathsas “criminal acts”.

“We thus call on all relevantgovernment agencies includingthe Valenzuela local govern-

ment unit and the Bureau ofFire Protection to deeply inves-

tigate the incident, includingthe compliance of the factory

 with existing safety standards,”he said.

“If violations are found, theremust be accountability andcriminal punishment for justiceto be attained for the victims andtheir families,” said Alminaza.

he bishop chairs theChurchpeople-Worker’s Soli-darity, a group that aims topropagate the social teachingsof the Church on labor andto promote improvement of

 workers’ conditions. Yest erd ay, sev era l pri es ts

from CWS held Mass in frontof the footwear factory for thevictims and their families.

Te group said the incidentpoints to serious occupationalsafety issues and highlights

the hazards faced by workersin many factories nationwide.

 Vatican City - May 4, 2015. Pope Francis greets the children of the Swiss Guard families in the Vatican, ahead of the May 6 swearing in ceremony for new Guards. Pope Francissaid the meeting was an opportunity to “strengthen a significant friendship,” noting the words of Christ who said “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life forone’s friends,” according to Vatican Radio. CNA

Blessed Archbishop Oscar Romero CENAR EL SALVADOR 

“It is truly tragic that somany perished in a fire ap-parently because they weretrapped inside the workplace,”

 Alminaza added.

“he death of so many workers shows that the gov-

ernment’s mechanism forlabor assessment is seriouslyflawed and has exposed theabusive conditions for mil-lions of poor and desperate

 workers across the nation,” healso said. (CBCPNews)

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza FILE PHOTO 

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EDITORIAL

I was by introducing the devotion to the Santo Niño and to theBlessed Mother that the Spanish missionaries had a considerably easytime making the Filipinos accept the Christian Faith and embraceit in great numbers. Popular religiosity has always been the strong-hold of Catholicism among the Filipinos. Because of the Filipinos’attachment to their religious devotion, they did not abandon theChristian Faith even when they rebelled against the Spanish friars

 who introduced to them. When the educational system in the country was controlled by

 American Protestant teachers, the Filipinos did not turn away fromRoman Catholicism. Tey proselytizing activities of fundamental-ist sects among Catholics were largely unsuccessful because thesesects have no sympathy for their devotions. It is a fact that “muchof what Filipino Catholics know of Catholic doctrinal truths andmoral values is learned through the sacraments and devotionalpractices. (Cf. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,New National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines, 2007, n.308). Moreover, the practice of certain forms of popular devotionshave always provided occasion and structure for organized works ofcharity for the poor.

On account of this and many other similar mission stories, theChurch encourages a sympathetic stance toward popular piety: “toapproach it with the gaze of the Good Shepherd, who seeks notto judge but to love; to recognize and appreciate the theologicallife present in the piety of Christian peoples, especially among

the poor.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 125). It is to be promoted andstrengthened because it possesses an evangelizing power that shouldbe underestimated, for to do so is to fail to recognize the work ofthe Holy Spirit. In practice, this sympathetic stance may mean theintegration of aspects (linguistic and ritual) of popular religiosity

 with the liturgy especially for those communities with longstandingtradition of popular religiosity. Te result is that the people are ableto experience something familiar during the liturgy and popularreligiosity becomes an authentic vehicle of the Gospel. Inculturationin this case, a healthy dialogue between liturgy and culture, givesah human countenance to the liturgy and a more solid foundationto popular religiosity.

-- From the Teological and Pastoral Reflections in preparation for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress

DURING his May 24 Regina Caeli address at St. Peter’s, PopeFrancis trongly called on the international community to helpseveral boat loads of refugees that are reportedly still stranded afterattempting to sail across the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

“I continue following with great concern the events of the manyrefugees in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. I express myappreciation for the efforts made by those countries that have ex-pressed willingness to welcome these people who are facing great

suffering and danger. I encourage the international community toprovide them with the necessary humanitarian assistance,” exhortedthe Pontiff.

 According to reports, these “boat people” who are still beingtossed about at sea were transported by human traffickers and laterabandoned amid crackdowns by the Tailand government. TeU.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports thatsome 2,000 people are presently stranded in the Bay of Bengal andanother 1,500 in the Andaman Sea. Indonesia and Malaysia havecommitted to take in some of these asylum -seekers that are mostlyRohingya Muslims escaping persecution in Burma. But other Asiancountries are still adamant against allowing them to land on theirshores, for one reason or anoother.

Te president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philip-pines, Archbishop Socrates Villegas lauded the Philippine govern-ment for opening its doors to our Asian brothers who have sufferedenough in their homeland and who have been suffering at sea forseveral weeks now. Villegas refers to them as the “Anawim of theLord today”. Tey are “refugees in flimsy boats, making their way

to our shores, having endured appalling conditions aboard thesevessels… many of them lost their lives in the attempt to find somehaven. Tey navigate to our waters tired, famished, desperate—manyof them carrying the dead bodies of their children in their arms.”

Says Villegas, “While it is maybe true that there is no legal obliga-tion on the part of the Republic of the Philippines or that any otherany other country to grant asylum to every refugee or displaced per-son, there is a moral obligation to protect them from the harm theyflee from. Tere is a legal obligation not to forcibly repatriate them.

 And by all precepts of morality and decency, there is an obligationnot to leave them to the mercilessness of the elements on the highseas.” For sure the Filipino will always welcome refugees. It is partof the Filipino culture that gladly transcends even legal requisitesthat other Asian countries find so hard to surpass.

Te Philippine has a happy track record of being hospitable torefugees. From the 70s until the 90s, this country has hosted hun-dreds of thousand refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.It may be good to know that the CBCP has already issued fourpastoral statements in pursuit of the cause of “boat people”, namely:“Because I was a

stranger and you made me welcome” in 1975; “I was a stranger….”in 1979; “Statement of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of thePhilippines on refugees” in 1980; and “Refugees—the ‘Anawim’ ofthe Lord today” in 2015.

Popular piety in the

mission of the Church

The new “anawim”

OPINION

Body care and discipline

 Fr. Roy Cimagala

Candidly Speaking

MonitorPROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE CBCP

Pedro C. QuitorioEditor-in-Chief 

Nirva’ana E. DelacruzAssociate Editor

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The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the AreopagusSocial Media for Asia, Inc. with editorial and business officesat Ground Flr. , Holy Face of Jesus Center & Convent, 1111F. R. Hidalgo Street, Quiapo, Manila. Editorial: (632) 404-

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Candidly Speaking / A5

 Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM 

Living Mission

“Year of the Poor” Reections

The “Poor” Jesus andHis Teaching

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

And That’s The Truth Peace in a greedy world

Amd That’s The Truth / A5

 JESUS of Nazareth, as portrayed in the Gospels,is a poor man. Tough he belonged to a familythat was not poor (Joseph, his legal father, wasa skilled laborer), Jesus and his parents encoun-tered several situations wherein they faced the

same life circumstances as the poor.Te Holy Family was forced by the decree of

Caesar Augustus to make the arduous journeyto Bethlehem. “While they were there the timecame for her to have her child, and she gavebirth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped himin swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,because there was no room for them in the inn”(Lk 2:6-7).

Te family had to flee into Egypt, becauseKing Herod was searching for the child to de-stroy him. “So Joseph got up and, taking thechild and his mother with him, left that nightfor Egypt” (Mt 2:14). Tey lived as exiles in aforeign land until Herod died. Only then didthe family finally return to Israel and settle inNazareth.

Facing difficult life situations beyond one’scontrol is a common experience of the poor;the Holy Family was not spared such hardships.

Indeed, their faith—and ours—is often testedthrough life’s daily trials.

 Jesus’ Public Ministry. Jesus voluntarily leftthe modest comforts of his family in Nazareth;his goal was to preach the coming of God’s reign.

Tus, when John the Baptist sent his disciples toinquire about Jesus’ identity as the messiah, Jesustold them to return to John and report the signsthey saw. One clear sign was that “the GoodNews is proclaimed to the poor” (Mt 11:5).

 As Jesus began his public ministry, he enteredthe synagogue in Nazareth and read from theprophet Isaiah: “Te spirit of the Lord has beengiven to me, for he has anointed me. He hassent me to bring good news to the poor” (Lk4:18). Jesus goes on to claim that “this text is be-ing fulfilled today even as you listen” (Lk 4:21).

Tese Gospel texts indicate the great impor-tance of the poor in the development of Jesus’ministry. In a special way he announces theKingdom of God to the poor. One author hascalled this the privilege of the poor; God willnever forget the poor and needy.

For Jesus, the Poor are Blessed. Te Gospelscontain two versions of what is known as the

Beatitudes. Both begin with a declaration ofthe blessedness of the poor. In Luke (6:20) onereads: “How happy are you who are poor; yoursis the Kingdom of God.” Matthew (5:3) states:“How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the

Kingdom of Heaven.” We should not think that these beatitudes

call actual material poverty a good thing. Jesus would never have called blessed a situation where people live in the slums and do not haveenough to eat. Such poverty is an offense againsthuman dignity, and Christians must work toalleviate it.

Te only poverty that is blessed is the povertyof spirit, an attitude which realizes that one can-not rely on his own material, physical resourcesto live a full human life. rue poverty of spiritaccepts that the only genuine source of strengthand happiness is found in God alone.

Poverty of spirit opens one to the values ofGod’s Kingdom: sharing, forgiveness, neigh-borliness, joy, and peace. Indeed, one is blessedonly when one realizes his own “poverty,” one’sutter helplessness without God. rue joy isfound in God alone.

“PEACE” is a big word thesedays, all over the world. Te wordsaturates media and the news, notbecause the world has learned toembrace the peace that the RisenChrist brings, but precisely because

 world powers pay mere lip serviceto His brand of peace.

Even though presidents, primeministers, and kings swear alle-giance to the cause of peace, warpersists—ironically, in the nameof peace. Peace pacts and treaties

continue to be signed, yet thearms industry keeps on churningout war weaponry, efficient killingmachines that get more and moresophisticated with each new inven-tion. “Every gun that is made, every

 warsh ip launch ed, every rocke tfired, signifies in the final sense atheft from those who hunger andare not fed, those who are cold andare not clothed”—these are sensible

 words from Dwight Eisenhower. At bes t war brings a false peace;

at worst, it makes murderers ofmen. Either way, it is the Princeof Deception that wins in war, notnobility of heart.

In our own country, barely fourmonths ago, we witnessed theugly aftermath of a war that pitsFilipinos against Filipinos andunsettles innocent civilians. Tebotched Mamasapano operationcast aspersions on the presidentand his friend, the suspended PNPchief, and uncovered loopholes in

the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)that point to bad faith and stealthamong the contracting parties.Mamasapano has been snowedunder with one bad news afteranother, so that now it seems justlike one faintly remembered night-mare; meanwhile, the BBL is beingdoggedly pushed by Malacañang.

 Why the rush? Pray tell, whostands to benefit from a “peaceagreement” that is apparently mo-tivated by a desire for something

other than true peace? Is it worthpursuing a peace agreement thatdubious assumptions have doomedfrom the start? If the BBL were ascommendable as its authors andpromoters claim, why are therestill so many voices reasonably op-posing its passing? Tat even thereligious leaders seem divided onthe issue makes one suspect theymay be reading different versionsof the draft. How many versionsare there, anyway? Te issue is yet

 wrapped in obscurity, but why isthe Palace bent on passing it?

 As of press time, a Senate hear-ing has revealed that the Sultan-ates were not consulted at all inthe crafting of the BBL—what amonumental faux pas! Again, why?Don’t the Sultanates count at all inthe peace process? Passing the BBL

 will definitely affect the future notonly of some Mindanao residentsbut also that of the whole country,so why exclude anybody? Why

 were the sultanates ignored, andyet Malaysians have their fingersin the BBL pie. Why? If Govern-ment sincerely believes BBL is forthe good of the country, the least itcan do is to translate the BBL draftinto the vernacular in order to beunderstood by every Filipino, espe-cially the youth who will reap theeffects of this “peace agreement”.

ruth to tell, I have never re-ally believed politics alone canbring us peace. As a citizen of this

predominantly Catholic nation in Asia, though, I believe that faith in Jesus Christ can bring us peace. Allanomalies, injustices, chaos, trag-edies—indeed, all the evils displac-ing peace in our midst stem fromthe fact that despite our Christianposturing, our leaders’ bumblinginterventions prove that Christ isnot in the equation. Overly self-assured in their knowledge, power,and ability to control things, these

 WHILE it’s true that Chris tian life puts alot of emphasis on disciplining the body, weshould all be reminded that the body actu-ally has to be taken care of very well and thepotentials of its masculinity or femininityhave to be developed as fully as possible, butalways at the instance of the spirit of faith,hope and charity.

Let’s always remember that our body is anessential part of our humanity. It’s meant tobe animated by a spiritual soul whose life isalways a participation of the life of God. Asour catechism would put it, our body “partici-pates in the dignity of the image of God.” If

 we know how, we can and ought t o see Godin our body!

he danger our body poses to our spirituallife happens only when it is left on its own,ruled simply by instincts and emotions, andby the purely worldly values and condition-

ings. Otherwise, it should be all-systems-gofor taking care of it and developing it to the

max, not only in terms of health but also interms of physic al beauty.

 We, of cou rse , sho uld be war y of tha tdanger, since because of the effects and conse-quences of our sins, we are always vulnerableto it. So we cannot over-emphasize the needfor bodily mortification and discipline.

In fact, to be realistic, we always need tosubject our body to some discipline, some-times of the severe kind because our body isalways weak no matter how strong it looksphysically. It will always tend to indulge itselfto madness, often falling into some formsof addiction and bondage. It’s our built-inpotential traitor.

But when properly guided by faith, hopeand charity, our body care and discipline

 would stay away from any occasion and temp-tation to fall into things like vanity, pride,sensuality and the like. It would become an

instrument of giving glory to God and ofloving and serving everybody else.

 A pertinent prayer I like so much is thefollowing: ‘Let flesh and heart and lips andmind sound forth our witness to mankind,and love light up our mortal frame till otherscatch the living flame. Amen.”

 Yes, ind eed , our body mat eri ali zes thespiritual love proper to us. he impulses offaith, hope, and charity should somehow beexpressed in it, in spite of its limitations. Itcan be a most effective instrument to attractothers to God, and to transmit to others allthat is true, good and beautiful that in theend come from God. In fact, the body is oftenreferred to as the temple of the Holy Spirit,the house where God dwells in us.

It’s not true that our body, per se, is bad,as some people in the past and even in thepresent think. A group in the past, called theManicheans, considered the body as intrinsi-cally bad. Nowadays, we have some sectors

of the puritan moUld that think along the

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 Michael Cook

Commentary

 Fr. Francis Ongkingco

Whatever

Letting go

 Rev. Eutiquio ‘Euly’ Belizar, Jr., SThD

By the Roadside

Gay study a “mountain of

fabrication”I is once more reshuffling time in my diocese.Priests have been given new assignments andall of us are busy packing up or, like me, partlysorting out stuff to bring with me from stuff to throw or burn away. Quite frankly it is noeasy task. As I survey my room, the rectory, thechurch and everything directly or indirectly

linked to my present assignment, the one I amabout to leave, a flood of memories, both pleas-ant and challenging, rush through my mind.Tis place has become my home for six years.hese parishioners have become my familyon top of my family. I faced and survived twosuper typhoons with them, apart from otherchallenges that had to do with parish programsand ministries as also with family, and personaltragedies and triumphs I had witnessed in them.Insofar as a place and people become home, itis by no means easy to leave.

 When the stakes are higher in mundane mat-ters, letting go becomes doubly hard. Te VP ofthe land, for instance, has been at the receivingend of extremely serious corruption allegationsthat cast aspersions on himself and on membersof his family. Considering his once sky-highlead in the surveys recently plummeting downto an almost statistical tie with a presumptive2016 presidential candidate, the VP’s latest in-

sistence on going ahead with his long-declaredpresidential ambition surprises no one. Lettinggo of ambition that defines one’s self-esteem isas easy to do as refusing to inhale air.

But this quandary is not exclusive to the VP.

Even the President himself has had notablemanifestations of the inability to let go of cabi-net members or close friends or pride that turnsdown acceptance of wrong decisions (rememberthe outcry over his decision to miss the arrivalceremonies of the Fallen 44?) despite publicclamor that he part with them. And who would

forget the loud thoughts he once expressed aboutrunning again for the presidency, something hisown DILG Secretary once espoused, so as to as-certain the continuance of his ‘reformist’ legacy?Quite remarkable, if I may say so, for someone

 who once openly rejected the idea of becomingpresident before his mother’s death changed thepolitical atmosphere and later his own agenda.

Of course, the more classic example is theGreat Apo himself. He left us more than twentyyears of a strongman’s rule (there has been other

 worse names for the experience) to underline thedifficulty of letting go especially of power that

 was almost absolute. o further dramatize thispoint we only have to recall how his successors,save perhaps President Cory Aquino (but not ex-cepting her own son), had variously entertainedthe idea of charter change to, among others, liftterm limits on the president’s and other electivepublic servants’ positions. Only constant publicvigilance, instigated by “prophets in our midst”,

stood in their way and kept them from realizingtheir plans. Indeed, as a song once said, lettinggo is one of the hardest things to do.

But it was also a song which said that lettinggo is just another way of saying ‘I love you so’.

Romantic love does not have exclusive rightsto this kind of loving. A disciple’s love of theMaster expressive of his love of the Father andimitating the Master’s love himself cannot ig-nore how the same Master let go of heaven tobecome “a slave, being born in the likeness ofmen, and it was thus that he humbled h imself

by being obedient even unto death, death on across” (Phil 2:7-8).

 Ah, the cross. Tat is the single biggest reason why we hesitate to let go. We fear the cross, we wish to avoid the cross or to, at least, postpone theagonizing instance of its being placed on our shoul-ders. We take pride in joining the Master’s prayerthat the Father “take this chalice away from me”,but we stop short of the prayer’s conclusion about“not my will but your will be done” (Mt 26:39).

If only we could just as instinctively graspthe liberating stroke of letting go. Te Master isactually teaching us when he asks the rich manto “go sell what you have and give the money tothe poor, and you will have treasures in heaven”(Mk 10:21). For that man it is his possessions thatkeep him away from truly living. For each of us itcould be some other things, such as blind ambi-tion in politics, career or work, a bad or sinfulhabit, an overriding attitude, lifestyle or decisionthat is as morally as it is practically wrong. It

could be anything that this world considers bestbut which renders our relationship with God in Jesus Christ and with neighbor at its worst. Andthere is only one way toward liberation.

Letting go.

“HANK you very much, Father, for comingto say the Mass for mom,” Kate said.

“I’m sure, after what I heard from you andyour siblings that Cathy is in a much betterplace.”

“Yes, Father. Tere’s just so much that shehas done and left for us to cherish that we cannever repay her for.”

“By the way, Kate, what would you considerto be your most treasured memory of mom?”

“Memory, Father? I believe that the mosttreasured thing I received from her are thesepamana written in her last will.” She opened

an envelope and unfolded a handwrittenletter.

I was a bit surprised because I felt that Kate would have put more importance on spiritualinheritance over the material ones.

Ten Kate slowly read:“o my beloved and God-given children, I

 would like to leave you the following things asmy only inheritance…”

She picked up a brown paper bag and pulledout the items that her mom had left behind forher. Tey were: 1) oothbrush; 2) Lipstick;3) Mirror; 4) Dog leash.

  “Kate?” I was totally stunned! “You’renot pulling my leg, are you?”

I couldn’t believe it! Tis was my first timeto see such items left as an inheritance. I was

expecting something like a lot, a house, a car, abusiness or something valuable.

“No, Father. Mom really left me these things.In fact, she always carried a spare toothbrush

 when she travelled, in case someone forgot tobring one. And this is the lipstick she used tocarry in her bag and also this mirror.”

“And the dog leash?” I said. “Don’t you hatedogs?”

Kate literally laughed out loud.“Mom’s letter explains all of these items,

Father. Allow me to read them to you. (1) Atoothbrush to keep cavities away but to remind

you to always SMILE; (2) a lipstick, sorry, it’sslightly used, to keep you beautiful but mostof all, always have GOOD and POSIIVEthings to say about everyone; (3) a mirror, tocheck yourself, but above all before God inyour personal self-EXAMINAION…” Katestopped reading as if purposely holding mein suspense.

“…and the leash?” I was eager for an expla-nation.

“It’s kinda personal, Father,” she gave me amischievous look.

“Hey, if it is so, then no problem. I guess….”“Of course I’m just joking,” Kate continued

reading. “Dearest Kate, I know you would be won-

dering why, of all things, I’m leaving behind a

DOG LEASH. Aren’t you allergic (at least notbiologically) to dogs? First, I just thought thatit’s a good reminder for you, as it was for me, toallow ourselves to be always GUIDED in life.I always saw myself on a leash held by God.He simply led me to the best things in life and

 with the best persons, like your dad and all ofyou my children!

Second, I also thought that (only if you wish)you could use it to find your future husband.Naturally, I’m not implying you find someone

 who will obey your will to the last whisker. I’minclined to think of something more romantic.

Let me explain: After my usual grocery routineson Fridays, I would often stop by the park nearour condo. I would just sit there enjoying themorning sun, finishing off my prayers andsometimes my Rosary.

One day, I noticed a fine-looking youngfellow. He sported a young, bubbly Golden Re-triever. He seemed very patient and kind, afterall, watching him trying to train his dog mademe conclude that he possessed some wonderfulqualities (also his dog).

So how will you catch this man? I leave it toyour creativity. But if you allow me to suggest,

 why don’t you go to the park with the leash andact as though you lost your dog. I am confident,that the leash will help you catch your Romeo.Love and prayers, Mom.”

RESPECFUL conversation and smiles steal homophobes’ hearts away.Tat was the message of a much-ballyhooed article in America’s leadingscience journal, Science , last December.

Michael J. LaCour, a PhD candidate at the University of California,Los Angeles, and Donald Green, a political scientist at Columbia Uni-versity reported that hostile attitudes towards gay marriage could bechanged by a single face-to-face conversation with a gay person. “Teselarge, persistent, and contagious effects were confirmed by a follow-upexperiment,” the authors wrote.

Betsy Levy Paluck, professor of psychology and public policy at Princ-eton, tweeted that it was “the paper with the most astounding results &rigorous methods this year”—an opinion which cropped up again andagain in the US media. Te study confirmed that it was possible to dimin-ish prejudice with personal contact . In other words, “coming out” works.

Tese results ought to have been welcomed, because they supported avery optimistic view of human nature. Tey suggested that it is possiblefor cordial dialogue and rational argument to change minds. Prejudice isnot engraved in stone, but etched on the sands of a beach. What workedfor same-sex marriage could also work for pro-life arguments.

Unhappily, it now appears that LaCour, the junior partner in the study,faked all the data. Professor Green had to ask Science to retract the paperafter it was brought to his attention that the results could not be repro-duced and that the survey firm used in the study had never heard of it.“I am deeply embarrassed,” says Professor Green. He told the Huffington

Post that “Tere was a mountain of fabrication”.So far LaCour has not responded to the allegations. “I’m gathering

evidence and relevant information so I can provide a single comprehensiveresponse,” he tweeted.

In a sense, this incident is no big deal. Research fraud happens all thetime. One of the internet’s most popular and entertaining blogs, Retrac-tion Watch, trawls scholarly literature for retractions because of fraud andplagiarism. Tere is never a shortage of examples.

But the LaCour scandal ought to be a warning shot across the bow ofLGB research. As flies are drawn to honey, brilliant, highly-competitiveand dishonest academics are drawn to dynamic, high-profile, and fash-ionable research projects. And ratings-hungry journals are all-too-eagerto publish amazing results.

Occasionally those amazing results have an amazing back story. In2004 Hwang Woo-suk, a Korean stem cell scientist claimed that he wasfirst to clone a human embryo. He was feted at home and abroad as agenius. In 2005 he was unmasked as an out-and-out fraud. Last year, asif stem cell researchers and science journals had learned nothing at all, ayoung Japanese researcher, Haruko Obokata, faked the results of a widely-reported stem cell study which was published in Nature. Her researchinstitute’s prestige was badly tarnished and a colleague committed suicide.

Te problem is growing, not shrinking. A scientist who has studiedresearch fraud, Dr Ferric C. Fang, points to familiar problems: genderimbalance, the imperative of publish or perish, cheating and blatant fraud,selective reporting of results, the race to publish first, celebrity scienceand so on. “Te present system,” he writes, “provides … potent incentivesfor behaviors that are detrimental to science and scientists.”

 And another scientist has written passionately in Nature: “Alarming cracksare starting to penetrate deep into the scientific edifice. Tey threaten the statusof science and its value to society. And they cannot be blamed on the usualsuspects—inadequate funding, misconduct, political interference, an illiteratepublic. Teir cause is bias, and the threat they pose goes to the heart of research.”

Te problem is not restricted to biomedical research. Tere have beensome startling scandals in social psychology recently, especially in thefield of social priming. Last year a prestigious German researcher, JensFörster, was charged with data manipulation. And in 2012, the careerof a Dutch professor, Diederik Stapel, unraveled when it was foundthat he had been faking results for years. He had to relinquish his PhD.

In a somber assessment of the Stapel case, Dutch investigators foundfundamental flaws in the scientific process both in the Netherlands andinternationally.

“Virtually nothing of all the impossibilities, peculiarities and sloppiness

mentioned in this report was observed by all these local, national and inter-national members of the field, and no suspicion of fraud whatsoever arose…

 from the bottom to the top there was a general neglect of fundamental scientificstandards and methodological requirements.” 

Tey also criticized the editors and reviewers of leading international journals. “Not infrequently reviews were strongly in favour of telling aninteresting, elegant, concise and compelling story, possibly at the expenseof the necessary scientific diligence.”

 A couple of years ago, the journal Perspectives on Psychological Sciencepublished a special issue on the field’s crisis of confidence. It focused onthe key issue of replicability. John P. A. Ioannidis, of Stanford University,pointed out that the authority of science depends upon its ability toself-correct errors. But as the Dutch report observed, results are seldomreproduced. Researchers are far more interested in producing startling newpapers which will attract more funding. “Te self-correcting paradigm… seems to be very uncommon,” Ioannidis wrote.

 What does this mean for the burgeoning field of LGB research? It would be both rash and arrogant to say that it means nothing at all. LGBresearchers are clever and passionate and journals are eager to publisharticles which support a socially progressive agenda: conditions whichmake research fraud all but inevitable. Is LaCour the first and only or

only the first? ime will tell. (Michael Cook is editor of MercatorNet)

leaders regard Christ as a superflu-ity in men’s affairs.

How can faith in Jesus not bringabout peace when Christ is Love?

 And Love does not exclude thegentiles, the pagans, the sinners.

 We must challenge ourselves—wemay be baptized Christians but do

 we (as Sunday’s Gospel Mt 28:16-20 says) observe all that Christhas commanded? Lasting peacecomes at a price, of course—andthat is dying to our self in orderto become authentic followers of

Christ. If it seems an impossibleideal, perhaps it is because we haveyet to validate it in our own privatemicro-cosmos.

Lasting peace is possible. Hum-bly we seek Him, and in His prom-ise find the courage to follow Him:“I am with you always, even to theend of the world.” Christ’s peaceis the only the peace we can trustand must desire, not the “peace”being peddled by the princes of ablind and greedy world. And that’sthe truth.

Amd That’s The Truth / A4

same lines. No, the body is notintrinsically bad, though it can bebad if we are not careful.

 We should then have constantconcern for the care and disci-pline that is appropriate for ourbody. We cannot underestimatethe danger our body is alwaysexposed to. We should be wellguarded against such danger,training our body instead to befilled with love for God and forothers that is proper to it.

It would indeed be good thatevery time we see or consider ourbody, we should be reminded ofthese basic truths about it andcome up with an appropriate planto bring these truths into reality.

 We have to develop a certain

sense of dominion over it, not onlyin the sense of controlling and pu-

rifying it only by way of discipline,but also of enhancing its potentials,especially guiding it to learn howto love God and others. It has toradiate a certain joy proper to us.

 We actually cannot afford to becasual about this concern. If we arestill in the dark about strategiesand programs to put our bodyin its proper state, then it’s abouttime we start learning by studying,consulting, and seeking advicefrom those who can help us.

 We should try our best to avoidbeing at the mercy of purelybodily impulses and worldlyconditionings insofar as our bodyis concerned. his is also anothertopic that has to be ventilatedmore openly so that we can de-

velop a global culture of bodycare and discipline proper to us.

Candidly Speaking / A4

 Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc In AltumExtraordinary Jubilee

Year of Mercy

HE Vatican formally announcedthe celebration of the Extraordi-nary Jubilee Year of Mercy to starton December 08, 2015 (Solemnityof the Immaculate Conceptionduring which Te Holy Door of St.Peter’s Basilica will be opened) and

 will conclude on November 20,2016 (Te Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe).Te motto of the Jubilee is “Merci-ful Like the Father”.

o avoid misunderstanding,the Jubilee Year of Mercy does notintend to be the Great Jubilee of2000. Pope Francis’ intention is tocelebrate the Jubilee in Rome andin local churches. Each diocese willhave an opportunity to open a HolyDoor—the Door of Mercy—eitherin the Cathedral or in the church ofspecial meaning or a shrine of par-ticular importance for pilgrimages.

 Another original characteristicof this Jubilee, the designation ofMissionaries of Mercy, where PopeFrancis will give them their man-date on Ash Wednesday during the

celebration at St. Peter’s Basicilica.Te Logo represents the summa

theologiae of the theme of mercyand the motto which accompaniesit. “Te motto serves as an invitationto follow the merciful example of theFather who asks us not to judge or

condemn but to forgive and give loveand forgiveness without measure.”Te official website of the Jubilee

is www.iubilaeummisericordiae.vaand can also be accessed at www.im.va. It is available in 7 languagesand indicates the official informa-tion, calendar of activities withPope Francis and official com-munications regarding the Jubilee.It also uses a number of socialnetworks like Facebook, witter,Instagram, Google Plus and Flickr.

Pope Francis wrote: “In this Jubilee Year, may the Church echothe word of God that resoundsstrong and clear as a message anda sign of pardon, strength, aid, andlove. May she never tire of extend-ing mercy, and be ever patient inoffering compassion and comfort.

May the Church become the voiceof every man and woman, and re-peat confidently without end: ‘Bemindful of your mercy, O Lord,and your steadfast love, for theyhave been from of old.’”

***

he Mass Media Ministry ofthe Diocese of Kalookan, headedby Fr. Jerome Cruz, thanks Msgr.Pepe Quitorio, the Editor-in-Chiefof this newspaper, for granting therequest to give a very informativeand enlightening orientation onhow to handle and manage newsmagazine and newsletter, website,social media and radio ministry ofa diocese. We also thank his staff Raymond and Sky. Also presentduring the orientation were PriestCoordinator for Radio Ministry Fr.Romy uazon, Social Media Co-ordinator Fr. Benedict Cervantes,Lay Radio Anchor Atty. AuroraSantiago and Radio Production

 Assistant Gigi de Lara.***

 Archbishop Oscar Romero of

San Salvador was beatified on May23. He became a symbol of churchleaders’ efforts to protect the peoplefrom the abuses of military dicta-torships. He was assassinated onMarch 24, 1980, while celebrat-ing Mass in the Chapel of Divine

Providence Hospital in San Sal-vador. He had his Sunday Massesand homilies broadcasted over theradio so that the citizens wouldknow what was happening in theircountry and what should they doin return. Pope Francis signed thedecree recognizing ArchbishopRomero as martyr, meaning, thereis no need to prove a miracle for hisbeatification. A miracle is neededfor canonization.

***Let us pray unceasingly for those

 who are persecuted in Asia and inthe Middle East because of religion.

 We condemn the killing of 47 in-nocent Ismaili Shias in Karachi,Pakistan because of their faith. Tepersons responsible must be brought

Duc in Altum / A7

P.O.G.I. (Presence Of God Inside) Rev. Fr. Alan Gozo Bondoc, SVDJoseph, the Good Person

 ACION S spe ak lou der tha n words.

Tere were no records of mes-sages, not even a single word,spoken by St. Joseph, the husbandof Mary, from the four Gospels.

However, there were four eventsrecorded about St. Joseph thatcould describe him as a person.In other words, he spoke throughhis actions.

First, upon learning that Mary was pregnant before marriage, hehad planned to divorce her quietlybecause he did not want to put herto shame, accuse her of adultery

and have her sentenced to die. Hestill cared for Mary even thought

he found out that she was alreadypregnant. He was a true man, hedid not want to add what seemedto be the many troubles of Mary.

Second, God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to assure himthat the child to be born had beenconceived by the Holy Spirit. Sohe made Mary his wife. He wasobedient to the plan and will ofGod even though he had his ownplan to be a father of his ownchildren.

hird, he and Mary went toBethlehem for the census. He didnot leave her but took her to his

own town. He sought refuge forhis pregnant wife. He was with

her while she gave birth, in hermoment of pain. He acceptedher child and took baby Jesus ashis own child. He was a just andrighteous man.

Lastly, the flight to Egypt, whe rei n he took his wif e andbaby Jesus to Egypt for protectionagainst the King Herod’s plot to killthe child. He took them under hisprotection. He was a good fosterfather, caring and protecting thechild of God.

From these four events we couldsay that St. Joseph was a true man

 with a heart of gold; a heart of pure

love. He was a great provider; heknew how to care for his wife, espe-

cially during her pregnancy. He wasobedient to God and knew how tomake great sacrifices for others. Hedid not mind himself. Instead he

 was willing to take personal risksto protect others. He did not speaka single word yet he acted boldly

 with faith and courage.Let us emulate St. Joseph by

doing a lot of good deeds andactions without saying a word ofcomplaint.

 A worse person has more wordsbut no actions. A common personhas more words but less action. Agood person has more actions but

no words. St. Joseph, by his goodactions, praises God.

Pamana

8/9/2019 CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 11

6/20

A6 CBCP MonitorMay 25 - June 7, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 11LOCAL NEWS

CBCP head to parishes: Be‘guardians’ against slavery

HE head of the CatholicBishops’ Conference of thePhilippines has called forconcrete action from parishesand the laypeople to fight“modern-day slavery”.

CBCP president Arch-bishop Socrates Villegas ofLingayen-Dagupan said thepeople must not be indiffer-ent to tragedy of exploitation.

“We therefore ask our par-ish priests and our laity toconstitute themselves intoguardians of our brothers andsisters against modern-dayslavery,” Villegas said.

 Acc ord ing to hi m, therecent fire at a footwear fac-tory in Valenzuela City thatkilled 72 people “has rousedthe nation to the reality ofmodern-day slavery” in thecountry.

Te incident, he said, haveuncovered more sites of ex-

ploitation where Filipinos“are worked to death” underthe “most appalling circum-stances”.

Villegas added that ware-houses and factories withpoor safety standards must beshut down to avoid a repeat ofthe Valenzuela fire incident.

“Te warehouses and fac-tories that are in fact sweat-shops for our countrymeneager to eke out a livingshould be subject to relent-less inspection and monitor-ing and where it is foundthat they are in fact sites ofexploitation, these should beclosed,” he also said.

“Tere is hardly anythingmore repugnant to the Gos-pel’s law of love than theheartless exploitation of thepoor and to make capitalfrom their want,” said Vil-legas. (CBCPNews)

Bishop urges Aquino

to prosecute corrupt

allies  A C A H O L I Cbishop reiteratedhis call for PresidentBenigno Aquino toprosecute all offi-

cials, including hisown allies, allegedlyinvolved in the porkbarrel scam.

Manila AuxiliaryBishop BroderickPabillo said Aqui-no should use hisremaining time aspresident to fulfillhis promise of “tu-

 wid na daan”.He sa id po rk

scandal should notbe used to pin downonly the membersof the political op-position but also the

Foundation helps Bajau kids live their dreams BELIEVING that education is a wayto help end poverty, a foundation inBasilan has been helping Samal Bajauchildren make their dreams a reality.

Te Claret Samal Foundation, Inc.,a foundation run by the ClaretianMissionaries has been funding thef