CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 12

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MonitorVOLUME 19NUMBER 12PHP20.00

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE 

June 8 - 21, 2015

CBCPMONITOR.COM [email protected]

CBCP

Faithful urgedto help, seeGod in the poorGOD always does somethingfor the poor. What about you?

Inviting the faithful to com-mit themselves to serve thepoor each time they receiveCommunion, a Catholic priesthas pointed out poverty existsnot so much because the Lord

 wants it, but rathe r becausehumans refuse to live for oneanother, to care for one an-other, and to see the image ofGod which they all share.

“How do we see ourselvesin [the poor]? How do I see

 Jesus in them?” asked Fr. En-rico Martín F. Adoviso, headof the Archdiocese of Manila(RCAM)’s Commission onthe Year of the Poor, in a talkhe gave at Santa Cruz Churchon Sunday, June 7, for the So-lemnity of the Most Holy Bodyof Blood of the Lord (CorpusChristi).`

Deaf, numb“Brothers and sisters, God

has always listened the criesof the poor. It is only us who

‘Do not remove Christ from Missionary Work’, B1

WHAT’S INSIDE 

Poor/ A7

No rush in charter changeCBCP urges serious study

CBCP warns voters against election ‘spin-doctors’HE Catholic bishops have

 warned voters against “spindoctors” and their effortsto smear the reputations ofpolitical opponents.

 Wit h a yea r bef ore thepresidential polls, the Catho-lic Bishops’ Conference of thePhilippines (CBCP) issued apastoral letter on electionsamid “premature campaign-ing” by some politicians.

 Archbisho p Socrates Vil-legas, CBCP president, re-minded Filipinos to vote“for the right reasons” andnot allow “demolition jobs”to influence their decisions

to choose the deserving can-didate.

“Just as the discerning vot-er will not be easily won overby all the flattery in favor of

one candidate, neither shoulda voter allow demolition jobsto dissuade him from choos-ing a person who is truly fitfor office,” Villegas said.

“Reject the notoriouslycorrupt, but neither shouldone readily jump on thebandwagon of condemnationin the absence of incontro-vertible evidence, for, thesedays, one’s reputation, sopainstakingly built by sincer-

ity and honesty over the years,can so easily be tarnishedby the truly evil work of‘spin-doctors’ in the payrollof one or the other political

aspirant,” he said.Villegas then reminded the

faithful against a person whoaspires for high office but willonly be totally dependent onadvisers is “not the best pos-sible candidate” for nationalposts.

However, he said, “weshould be willing to reposetrust on those who, we areconvinced, are capable of

Pope reiterates Church’s

future is in Asia

 WIH Pope Francis’ recentvisits to Korea, Sri Lanka,and the Philippines train-ing a spotlight on Asia, thepontiff has reiterated that he

sees hope for the Church inthe region

For a church trying tofunction in a modern, globalsociety, the Pope said that“with its enthusiasm, suf -fering and with its manymartyrs, there is a future forthe Church in Asia .”

he pontiff relayed thismessage to Manila Archbish-op Luis Antonio Cardinalagle when they met overlunch at Vatican’s guesthouse,the Domus Sancta Marthae,

last week.Pope Francis made the same

statement when he visited SriLanka and the Philippines in

 January and was wowed by

Filipinos’ enthusiasm.agle said what the Pope

said in Manila “was not justflattery” but “has already be-come a conviction for him.”

Te cardinal, however, saidthat with the pope’s state-ment comes a “deep sense ofresponsibility for the great

 Asian continent”.“Yes, there’s a future for

us here and for the churchhere. Let us face the future

 wi th ho pe ,” ag le sa id .(CBCPNews)

Thousands attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at the Tacloban Airport, Jan. 17, 2015. AIRA PURIFICACION

DepEd, AFP hit for ‘militarizing’ schools for Lumad kids  AN int er fa ith al lia nce has de-nounced the government’s educa-tion department and the Armed

Forces of the Philippines (AFP)for closing three Lumad schoolsin Davao del Norte, and for re-placing these with a public highschool where alleged members ofthe military are slated to serve as“para-teachers,” saying this deci-sion not only violates the rightsof children and indigenous peopleguaranteed by international law,but also unnecessarily puts themin harm’s way.

 Absolute violation“Te move by the Department of

Education [DepEd] to close threehinterland schools for the Ata-Manobo tribe in alaingod, Davaodel Norte affects adversely almost3,000 Lumad children. Replacingthem with a public high school

using military personnel as para-teachers is an absolute violation ofthe Declaration of the Rights of the

Child and the Convention on theRights of the Child, as well as provi-sions of the International Covenanton Economic, Social and CulturalRight,” shares Rex B. Reyes, generalsecretary of the National Council ofChurch in the Philippines (NCCP)in a recent statement.

 Accordin g to him, these learn-ing centers, which are supportedby religious groups like the RuralMissionaries of the Philippinesand several Methodist churches,

 were establish ed preci sely in re-sponse to the government’s failureto provide basic social services inthe area.

Gov’t support for schools“he least the government can

do is support these schools and not

its tacit approval for their closure.he latter denies the rights ofindigenous people to education,”

notes Reyes .He points out that the insistence

of the AFP to occupy civilian facili-ties and militarize civilian functionsinstead of allowing mandated civil-ian government agencies like DepEdto take charge endangers the livesof children, and clearly violates theInternational Humanitarian Law

 which requires the military to ensureall civilian populations and civilianobjects such as schools are protectedfrom the effects of attacks.

Military pullout “In journeying with the Lu-

mads, NCCP has been prayerfullyundergirding and supporting theirstruggle for land, life, and self-deter-mination. We are compelled by theGospel to speak out and call upon

the Philippine government to pullout the military and paramilitaryelements in Lumad Schools and to

let these learning centers continuetheir operation free from militaryoccupation and intervention,”Reyes says.

“We also call upon the govern-ment to provide basic social servicesto the Lumad communities suchas adequate food and nutrition,healthcare, and affordable and qual-ity education,” he adds.

Biblical mandateCiting Psalm 82:3, Reyes explains

the Biblical mandate calls all those who believe in Christ to defend therights of the marginalized, especiallychildren, that they be given equalopportunities to develop their po-tentials, and to be protected fromharm. (Raymond A. Sebastián/ CBCP News)

Tagle: Care for environment

key element of disaster

preparedness 

CALAMIY and disasterpreparedness starts from one’sconcern for others and the

environment, said CaritasInternationalis President Luis

 Antonio Cardinal agle. According to the prelate,

along with disaster prepared-

ness, proper management of

Pope’s visit sparks more vocations – seminary headPOPE Francis’ recent visit tothe Philippines may have trig-gered an increase in priestlyvocations, a Catholic priestsaid.

 At the San Carlos Semi-nary in Makati City, thenumber of people training forministry continues to grow,its rector, Msgr. HernandoCoronel, said.

He said the number ofphilosophy and theology stu-dents has increased to 166 or13% more this year, slightly

higher than the 145 enrolleesfrom last year.

“Tere are more seminar-ians from the Archdioceseof Manila. here are alsoseminarians from as far asBorongan, Samar in theVisayas, and andag, Su-rigao del Sur in Mindanao,”Coronel said.

He explained the increasemay be attributed to thepapal visit in January along

 with the Church’s “intensifiedcampaign for vocations”.

Coronel said other possiblefactors include the “inspiring

role” of Manila ArchbishopLuis Antonio Cardinal agle

and the high trust levels ofthe Church as reflected inthe recent Philippine rustIndex survey.

 While he doesn’t have theenrollment figures of otherseminaries, the priest is op-timistic they have upwardtrends as well.

“We are glad that with thefervor of the laypeople, thereis also an increase in voca-tions. Now put to the test isthe level of perseverance ofthe seminarians and the qual-

ity of their commitment,” hesaid. (CBCPNews)

Election / A7

Environment / A7

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle RAYMOND SEBASTIAN

Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, and CBCP president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas hold copies of the newly-published coffee table book on Pope Francis’ recent pastoral visit to the Philippines during the launching ceremony held at the Arzobispado de Manila in Intramuros on June 4. The160-page book contains a wide collection of photographs during the 4-day papal visit last January and full texts of all the speeches and homilies of the Pope while in the country.ROY LAGARDE

By Roy Lagarde

THE Catholic hierar-chy urged Congressto hold off passingthe proposed measureto amend the Consti-tution until it can bestudied more seriously.

In a pastoral statement, theCatholic Bishops’ Conference ofthe Philippines (CBCP) said thereis no need to rush Charter changebecause rash decisions could putthe future of Filipinos and the na-tion at stake.

CBCP president ArchbishopSocrates Villegas is encourag-ing the conduct of wide-rangingstudies to ensure that proposedamendments are according to theprecepts of social justice.

“Before we rush into amend-ing the Constitution, we, yourbishops, urge all responsible toconduct serious studies in eco-nomics, sociology, the law, and

in related disciplines includingthe Catholic social teachings,”Villegas said.

he statement entitled “Letus be circumspect” was issuedon June 8 as the measure gainsground in Congress, guided bythe belief that it is the key toreviving foreign investment flowinto the country.

Charter Change / A6

SUPPLEMENT ISSUE  THE CROSS: A SUPPLEMENT PUBLICATION OF KCFAPI AND THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas FILE PHOTO

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Vatican Briefing

Pope Francis pays for 120 of Rome’s poor to v isit Shroud of TurinIn his latest act of papal charity, Pope Francis has donated fundsfor two busloads of homeless and sick pilgrims to visit the Shroudof urin. Tey will stay in two charitable centers that offer shelterto the homeless during the winter. Te trips will “prepare the

 way for the Pope’s visit which is scheduled to take place on June21: his poor arrive before him,” the papal almoner, ArchbishopKonrad Krajewski, told Italian newspaper La Stampa in an article

published June 3. Pope Francis himself is scheduled to veneratethe shroud during a June 21-22 visit to the northern Italianregion. (CNA)

War is the mother of poverty, Pope Francis saysIn his weekly general audience, Pope Francis lamented the suf-fering inflicted on families already struggling from poverty incountries torn by the “great predator” of war. “ruly, war is the‘mother of all poverty,’ the pontiff sa id on June 3, addressing thecrowds in Saint Peter’s Square. “War impoverishes the family,” hesaid. It is “a great predator of lives, of souls, and of the most sacredand precious loved ones.” Since late last year, Pope Francis has beencentering his Wednesday catechesis on the theme of family as partof the lead-up to the World Day of Families in September, as wellas October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family. (CNA)

Financial transparency serves the Church’s mission, says Vatican officialIn an exclusive interview with CNA, the director of the Vatican’s

financial watchdog stressed that the Holy See has pursued thegoal of adopting international standards for financial transpar-ency in accord with the Church’s mission, and not to merelyseek adherence to international standards. “Te Holy See’s pathtoward financial transparency has not been that of imitatingother countries, nor that of applying international standardsby analogy,” omasso Di Ruzza, director of the Authority forFinancial Information, stated. Te main goal, he added, “wasthe ambitious one of adopting international standards coher-ently with the nature and the mission of the Holy See in the

 world.” (CNA)

Indifference to migrants is unacceptable, Pope tells DominicanRepublic bishopshe Church in the Dominican Republic cannot be indiffer-ent to the plight of Haitian immigrants, Pope Francis saidlast week during a meeting with the Dominican Republic’sCatholic bishops. “Pastoral and charitable attention to im-migrants, especially those from neighboring Haiti, who seekbetter conditions of life in the Dominican territory, cannot

allow indifference on the part of pastor’s of the Church, “thePope said May 27 to the bishops who were in Rome for theirad limina visit. “It is inexcusable to fail to promote initiativesof fraternity and peace between the two nations that form thisbeautiful Caribbean island.” (CNA)

Encyclical named after St. Francis prayer to be released June 18Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Sii”(Praised Be), a line from St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of Crea-tures,” will be released June 18, the Vatican press office announced.“Te date foreseen for the publication of the encyclical of the popeis Tursday, June 18,” said the statement released June 4. Te headof the Vatican publishing house, Salesian Father Giuseppe Costa,had told reporters in Naples May 30 that publishers from aroundthe world had been asking for the rights to reprint “Laudato Sii”

 when it is released in mid-June. (CNS)

Cardinal Ortega says Cubans await pope with ‘open arms’Cubans are waiting for Pope Francis “with open arms,” said Car-dinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana. Te cardinal met briefly

 with the pope at the end of the papal general audience in St. Peter’sSquare June 3. Te cardinal was in Rome fine-tuning the programfor the papal visit to Cuba this September, according to the Vaticannewspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. Te pope will visit three citiesin the island nation, from Sept. 19 to 22, prior to his trip to theUnited States, which will conclude with a papal Mass Sept. 27 atthe World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Te Cuban bishopsissued an itinerary in mid-May for the pope’s visit, which includesHavana, Holguin and El Cobre, including the shrine dedicatedto the country’s patron, Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre. (CNS)

 Vatican ready to announce decision, guidelines on Medjugorje,pope saysPope Francis said the Vatican was ready to make an announce-ment concerning the alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje,Bosnia-Herzegovina. Te Congregation for the Doctrine ofthe Faith met recently to discuss the issue and “we’ve reachedthe point of making a decision and then they will say,” he told

 journalists on the flight back to Rome June 6. Te expectedannouncement will include “just some guidelines (the congrega-tion) will give to the bi shops,” he said in response to a reporter’squestion. (CNS)

War, greed, consumerism, ‘cult of appearance’ harm families,pope saysFamilies are weakened and destroyed by war, “the mother of allforms of poverty,” as well as by economies and policies that wor-ship money and power, Pope Francis said. “ It’s almost a miracle”that, even in poverty and crisis, the family can keep on going,safeguarding its bonds and staying intact, he said at his weeklygeneral audience in St. Peter’s Square June 3. Leaders who considerfamily ties and affection as something peripheral to the quality oflife “don’t understand a thing,” he s aid. “Instead, we should kneelbefore these families, who are a true school of humanity, who aresaving society from barbarity.” (CNS)

Archbishop: Ukrainian conflict isEurope’s biggest crisis since WWIIROME, Italy, June 7, 2015—Tehead of Ukraine’s Greek CatholicChurch said the country is facinga “humanitarian catastrophe” withglobal consequences that cannotbe ignored by the international

community.He called on participants of next

 week’s G7 Summit in Bavaria to work toward effective solutions.

“Te aggression against Ukraineis a challenge for preserving peacein the world which cannot pretendthat nothing happens in EasternEurope,” said Archbishop Sviato-slav Shevchuk, major archbishopof the Ukrainian Greek CatholicChurch, an eastern rite CatholicChurch in full communion withRome.

Conflict erupted in Ukrainelast year in February when thecountry’s former president wasousted following months of violentprotest, and a new governmentappointed. In March, Ukraine’seastern peninsula of Crimea was

annexed by Russia and pro-Rus-sian separatist rebels have sincetaken control of eastern portionsof Ukraine, around Donetsk andLuhansk.

More than 6,000 people havedied in the conflict in easternUkraine. Rebels have been sup-ported by both Russian arms andtroops, according to both Ukraineand Western nations.

 A ceasefire was brokered and of-ficially began at midnight Feb. 15,however fighting has continued.

 Archbishop Shevchuk told CNAMay 28 that the conflict in Ukraineis not simply an isolated dispute,but rather has “serious global con-sequences.”

He spoke of the Vatican’s diplo-matic commitment to helping find

a peaceful solution to the Ukrai-nian conflict, as well as a possiblevisit of Pope Francis to Ukraine.

Below is part of CNA’s interview with the archbishop:

Q: In February a ceasefire inthe conflict zones of Ukraine wasagreed to, however fighting seemsto continue. Has the conflict im-proved at all since February, andare there signs on either side thatfighting could end by the 2016decentralization goal?

 A: We have received the newsabout a cease-fire agreement inMinsk with great hope. However, itis with sadness that we must admitthat these agreements have notbeen implemented. Te cease-fireis being violated. It’s true that theintensity of fighting on the occu-pied territories has decreased, but itdoesn’t mean that the fighting hasstopped at all. Every day we receivesad news that someone has beenkilled or wounded in the resultof continued fighting. Yesterday(May 27) we learned that our army

 was under sustained shelling nearMariupol. Te most alarming forthe Ukrainian society, however, isthe fact that over the last months,hundreds of pieces of heavy weap-onry have reached Ukrainian

territory from the side of the Rus-sian Federation. Tis equipmentincludes tanks (there are about 700of them in Donbass according tothe Ukrainian authorities), heavyartillery, mobile rocket launchersetc. Besides that, according to theinformation of the Ukrainian gov-ernment and international observ-ers, there is a massive accumulationof Russian troops in Ukraine andon the Russian border. Tese factsmake us believe that Russian side

 with its heavy military presence inUkraine is not seeking peace, theydon’t rely on the rule of law or onthe respect of the internationalagreements but they abide only tothe rule of force. Using the threatof arms, Russia is trying to dictateits will to Ukraine. In my opinion,as long as the fighting continues inUkraine and there is an increase inRussian military presence on theoccupied territories of Donbas,the true political process, which

 would lead to a peaceful solutionof the conflict, is unlikely to bringany results. So in this sense, theintended decentralization as a partof the constitutional reform of theUkrainian government will have noeffect on the peace process either.

Q: Pope Francis has shown

great interest in the Ukrainian con-flict, and is credited with havinghelped restore relations betweenthe United States and Cuba. Doyou think that the Vatican couldhelp in reaching a peace agreementin Ukraine?

 A: Holy Father Pope Francis hasstated on numerous occasions thathe will do everything possible toprevent the outbreak of a new warin Europe. During the last visit“Ad limina” of Catholic Bishops

of Ukraine to the Vatican (Feb. 20,2015), Pope Francis assured ourBishops that the Holy See will doits best to secure peace agreementsin Ukraine. How it will happen,

 what steps will be taken, we don’tknow. But the history of ourChurch teaches us that the peaceof Christ always wins over the war,and the truth of God is on the sideof those who are unjustly treated.Seventy years ago all our Bishops

 were impr iso ned by the Stali nregime, our Church structures

 were destroyed, our church prop-erty was confiscated. Our enemiesthought they put to an end thevery existence of our Church, butto their great surprise after manyyears of clandestine existence inthe underground, our Church has

risen to a full ecclesial existence25 years on the eve of Ukraine’sIndependence. We want to believethat today God is with Ukrainebecause our country is a victim ofunjust military aggression. We areconvinced that our Savior, who be-came a victim Himself on the crossfor the salvation of the humankind,

 will help us. And the Holy Father, who is Vicar of Christ on earth, isand will be our support and ourhelp in these difficult times. (CNA)

 An anti-government protestor stands on top of a barricade on Grushevskogo Street Jan. 29, 2014 in Kiev, Ukraine. ROB STOTHARD/ GETTY IMAGES NEWS

For Hong Kong bishop, it is time to heal the wounds of Tiananmen HONG KONG, June 6, 2015—At least135,000 people attended the candlelight vigilin Victoria Park to remember the victims ofthe iananmen Square massacre 26 years ago.

People from all walks of life, including families with children and young people, took part inthe event, which lasted more than two hours,in memory of the young students and workerscrushed by China’s might for demanding moredemocracy and less corruption.

Hong Kong’s rally is the only one inside thePeople’s Republic of China. Across the main-land, including the capital Beijing, many dis-sidents were arrested, communications cut, andactivists deported in advance of the anniversaryin order to prevent them from gathering.

 All messages that carried 6-4 (a reference to4 June) on the internet and in text messages

 were blocked.For the first time in 26 years, groups of

young students held their own small demon-strations in Pok Fu Lam and sim Sha sui,drawing thousands of young people, on themargins of the traditional vigil in VictoriaPark organised by the Hong Kong Alliance in

Support of Patriotic and Democratic Move-ments of China.

Tese groups have been labelled “localist”because they only want to work for democracyin Hong Kong and are not concerned aboutthe democracy movement in mainland China.Hong Kong’s bishop emeritus Card Joseph Zen,

 who attended the vigil, has criticised this posi-tion in the past.

Before the vigil, which saw the participationof lay people, priests and bishops, Catholics helda prayer meeting during which Mgr Joseph Ha,auxiliary bishop of Hong Kong, expressed histhoughts during the homily. Here is the reportfrom our correspondent.

“Te strength of the voice of conscience liesnot in its loudness or softness, but in its per-sistence and ceaselessly speaking out until it isheard,” Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shingof Hong Kong told a prayer gathering at the

Victoria Park heldan hour before thestart of the masscandlelight vigil

that saw a turnoutof 135,000 partici-pants.

Te prayer gath-ering, attendedby hundreds ofCatholics and oth-ers, had for theme“What is June 4 todo with me?” Terally listened to

 witn ess accountsof June 4 victims,activist Li Wangyang, and journalist Gao Yu.

Te gathering prayed the Rosary, sang hymnsand heard Bishop Ha shared his thoughts. Itended with a blessing and send-off prayer byCard Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of HongKong, and about 10 priests present. Te rallythen joined the mass candlelight vigil held inthe same park.

In his address, Bishop Ha mentioned theinjuries, small or severe, that people endured.Burns can affect the whole body and evenput one’s life in danger. Even so, some peopledid not seek medical advice, unaware of itsseverity, and had to be warned of the danger,he said.

“Tis evening’s gathering is like a reminder,a piece of advice, a voice, a voice of the con-science. Compared to a country of 1.3 billionpopulation, the voice of Hong Kong is verysmall. In comparison to Hong Kong’s 7 mil-lion people, the voice of the Church is also verysmall. However, as long as this voice comes fromone’s conscience, it has power and strength,”Bishop Ha said.

“Tis is the voice of conscience,” he added.“First, we ourselves must listen to it. I amhere, holding a lit candle, singing and praying,because I firmly believe people have the right

to pursue freedom, justice, democracy and therule of law. People have the right to live withdignity. Tere is not much I can do, but I doit, and will persist doing it. Tis is why I listento the voice of conscience”.

“We have to let this voice be heard by thecompatriots who sacrificed their lives in the June4 incident, their families, as well as all those whodefend human dignity and struggle for freedom,

 justice, democracy and the rule of law. Te voicesays to them, ‘You are not alone. We rememberyou! We thank you! We are with you!’”

“Finally, we have to let those who are inpower hear the voice of conscience. Tis woundneeds to be healed. More and more, this woundof 26 years demands that this increasinglypowerful country bear moral responsibility. Itis time to face it! Did it not say that people’slivelihood and economy would develop first,and then democracy and the rule of law? odayhas the country not emerged as a new power?Te [country’s] leaders should not be afraid!”he said.

In concluding, the bishop urged everyone to“listen to the voice of conscience,” which is “infact, the voice of God. It sounds very soft and

 weak. Its strength lies not in its loudness or soft-ness, but in its persistence, ceaselessly speakingout until it is heard.” (AsiaNews)

Catholics pledge full support for Boko Haram victims ABUJA, Nigeria, May 28, 2015--Many escapees of the terror-ist group Boko Haram include

 women and girls who are pregnantas a result of rape, and Nigeria’sCatholics have been swift to showsolidarity and support for thevictims.

“o the women who are victimsof the criminal actions by the BokoHaramists, we extend special con-cern and empathy,” the country’sbishops said in a May 25 letter.“We appeal to them to keep faithin God Almighty who has giventhem the uncommon strength toface the trials and travails.”

“Te trauma of sexual assault

and rape is enormous, and theCatholic Church in Nigeria in

cooperation with all people ofgoodwill is ever prepared to provideevery measure of support to ac-celerate the healing, rehabilitationand resettlement of the victims sothat they can swiftly be reintegratedinto the society.”

Te bishops noted that the Cath-olic Caritas Foundation of Nigeriaand diocesan structures are helpingsupport the pregnant women andgirls, as are government agencies,civil society groups and faith-basedorganizations.

 As of early May, Nigeria’s mili-tary had rescued more than 600

 women and girl s from a BokoHaram stronghold in the Sambisa

Forest, the Associated Press reports.Many of them have become resi-

dents of displacement camps.Te United Nations Population

Fund said May 6 that over 200 women and girls in displacementcamps in Nigeria’s Borno State a repregnant, though the agency didnot know how many of them areformer abductees.

Nigeria’s Catholic bishopsvoiced their prayers for thepregnant women and urgedthem “to take solace and drawencouragement from the com-fort that God has a purposein their motherhood role forthe innocent babies they nowcarry in their wombs.” heyencouraged the women to “show

maternal love for the Nigerianchildren they now bear.”

Te bishops advocated the estab-lishment of crisis pregnancy centersto help these pregnant women andother Nigerians.

“he children rescued fromterror and abortion would bepresented for adoption to themany generous Nigerians willingto accept abandoned, rejected ormotherless and fatherless babiesinto their families,” they said.

Te bishops lamented that someindividuals and groups are propos-ing “mass abortions” for the preg-nant women, saying this wouldmean “repaying violence with evenmore vicious violence.”

hey rejected the suggestion

that “killing the babies conceivedthrough rape by the terrorist is

the most humane action to take.”Te babies are “innocent of thecrimes” against their mothers andit is wrong to punish them for theirfathers’ sins and offenses.

“How can we accept to visitcapital punishment (death sentenceby abortion) on young Nigerianssimply because their fathers weremisguided religious and ideologicalbigots? God forbid!” the bishopssaid.

Since Boko Haram began itsinsurgency in 2009, over 15,000people have been killed and 1.5million people have fled theirhomes. Since 2014, the grouphas kidnapped more than 2,000

 women and girls, including a no-torious raid on a secondary school

in Chibok that abducted 276 girls.Of these girls, 219 remain unac-counted for.

Some Boko Haram captives areforcibly converted to the group’sstrict version of Islam.

he effects of Boko Haramon the Catholic population havebeen evaluated in a situation re-port on the northeastern NigerianDiocese of Maiduguri, where morethan 5,000 Catholics there havebeen killed and another 100,000displaced. Another 350 churcheshave been destroyed. About 7,000Catholic women have been wid-owed and 10,000 children havebeen orphaned, according to Aid

to the Church in Need’s accountof the report. (CNA)

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 The Eucharist teaches us to care for theweakest of society, Pope Francis saysVAICAN City, June 7, 2015—In his

 Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francisfocused on the recent feast of CorpusChristi, saying the Eucharist is a “schoolof solidarity and charity,” which inspires usto care for the most vulnerable.

Tis feast, the Roman Pontiff said June 7at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, “evokesthis message of solidarity, and pushes usto welcome the intimate invitation toconversion and to service, to love and toforgiveness.”

In our daily lives, we encounter Chris t, who nourishes us in the Eucharist, in thepoor, the suffering, our brothers, and “inevery human being, even the smallest andmost defenseless.”

he Roman Pontiff reflected on thefeast’s Gospel, which recounts the institu-tion of the Eucharist during Christ’s LastSupper before his crucifixion.

Tat night, Christ said that whoevereats his flesh and drinks his blood will“remain in me and I in him,” and willhave eternal life.

“With this gesture and with these words,he gives bread a function that is no longersimply physical nourishment, but that

 which makes present his Person amid the

community of believers.”Te Pope added that the Last Supper

marks the end of Christ’s life, lookingahead to his death on the Cross, but alsoto the synthesis of “a life offered for thesalvation of humanity.”

For this reason, it is not enough to affirmChrist’s presence in the Eucharist, the Popesaid, but recognize it as “the presence of alife given, and take par t.”

By receiving Christ in the Eucharist,taking part in his life and entering intocommunion with him, we in turn arecalled to promote unity among ourselves,transforming “our life into a gift,” espe-cially to a poor.

Te Eucharist is a “school of charityand solidarity,” the Pope said. “Whoeveris nourished by the Bread of Christ cannotremain indifferent to those who do nothave bread daily.”

Despite efforts by the internationalcommunity, this is an increasing problem,and requires proposals to resolve its causes,he said.

he Pope concluded his address byinvoking the intercession of Mary, thatshe may “awaken in everyone the joy inparticipating in the Mass, especially on

Sunday, and the joyful courage to give witness to the charity of Christ.”

 After leading the crowds in the recitationof the Angelus, Pope Francis spoke of hisapostolic visit to Sarajevo the previous day.

Once described as the “Jerusalem of the West” owing to the coexistence of variouspeoples and religious, the recent past hasmade it into a “symbol of destruction and

 war,” he said. Acknowledging the efforts toward rec-

onciliation, Pope Francis encouraged “this journey toward of peacefu l coexistencebetween diverse peoples; a hard, difficult,yet possible journey!”

Pope Francis’ visit on Saturday markedthe twentieth anniversary of the signingof the signing of the Dayton Agreement

 which brought an end to the Bosnian War. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, some

100,000 combatants and civilians werekilled and a million more displaced duringthe war, which lasted between 1992-1995.he fighting split largely along ethniclines, among the predominantly Orthodox

Serbs, the predominantly Catholic Croats,and the predominantly Muslim Bosniaks.

“May the Lord bless Sarajevo, Bosnia,and Herzegovina.” (CNA/EWTN News)

Rome, Italy - May 30, 2013: Pope Francis celebrates an outdoor Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateranfor the feast of Corpus Christi on May 30, 2013. CNA

Encyclical named after St. Francis

prayer to be released June 18VAICAN. June 4, 2015—PopeFrancis’ encyclical on the environ-ment, “Laudato Sii” (Praised Be),a line from St. Francis of Assisi’s“Canticle of Creatures,” will bereleased June 18, the Vatican pressoffice announced.

“Te date foreseen for the pub-lication of the encyclical of thepope is Tursday, June 18,” said thestatement released June 4.

Te head of the Vatican pub-lishing house, Salesian FatherGiuseppe Costa, had told reportersin Naples May 30 that publishersfrom around the world had beenasking for the rights to reprint

“Laudato Sii” when it is releasedin mid-June.

“Laudato sii” is the introductoryphrase to eight verses of St. Francisof Assisi’s famous prayer thankingGod for the gifts of creation.

“Praised be you, my Lord, withall your creatures, especially SirBrother Sun, who is the day, andthrough whom you give us light,”one of the first lines says.

Te prayer also praises God forthe gifts of “Sister Moon,” “Brother

 Wind,” “Sister Water,” “BrotherFire” and “Sister Mother Earth.”(Cindy Wooden/Catholic NewsService)

Pope Francis pays for 120 of Rome’s poor to visit VAICAN City, June 4, 2015—Inhis latest act of papal charity, PopeFrancis has donated funds for twobusloads of homeless and sick pil-grims to visit the Shroud of urin.Tey will stay in two charitablecenters that offer shelter to thehomeless during the winter.

Te trips will “prepare the wayfor the Pope’s visit which is sched-uled to take place on June 21:his poor arrive before him,” the

papal almoner, Archbishop KonradKrajewski, told Italian newspaperLa Stampa in an article published

 June 3.Pope Francis himself is sched-

uled to venerate the shroud duringa June 21-22 visit to the northernItalian region.

Te Shroud of urin is amongthe most well-known relics con-nected with Christ’s Passion. Ven-erated for centuries by Christiansas the burial shroud of Jesus, it hasbeen subject to intense scientificstudy to ascertain its authenticity,and the origins of the image.

 A little more than 14 ft. long and3-and-a-half feet wide, the cloth isstained with the post-mortem imageof a man—front and back—who hasbeen brutally tortured and crucified.

In a rare exposition, the shroud ison display to the public from April19 to June 24, having most recentlybeen shown in 2010.\

Paid for by the archbishop withmoney donated to the Pope forhis personal charity endeavors,the buses of needy, homeless andsick pilgrims headed to urin aredivided into two groups.

Te first group of 50 left themorning of June 3 from the Romanparish of Santa Lucia in PiazzaleClodio, which is a meeting pointfor Rome’s needy to convene forhelp and a hot meal.

Once they arrive in urin, the“Pope’s poor” will stay at the Cotto-lengo and Maria Adelaide centers,

 which provide shelter for homelessduring the winter season.

Fr. Antonio Nicolai, the parish

priest, is accompanying the group.Teir visit to the Shroud is plannedfor June 4.

“Tis trip is a treat offered by

Pope Francis to our homeless broth-ers,” Fr. Nicoloai told La Stampa.“When he learned about this

pilgrimage, he wished, through hisalmoner, who is in charge of chari-table works, to give a contributionto these people living in a precariousstate. Tis is because he believes thatlike the Shroud, they represent thesuffering of the Lord Jesus,” he said.

 A larger group of 70 poor andhomeless is set to visit the Shroudnext week. hey are scheduledto set off from the Roman par-ish Sant’Eustachio on board adouble-decker bus, and will beaccompanied by the parish priestand a number of volunteers.

 Archbishop Krajewski was pres-ent at Santa Lucia June 3 to greet thefirst busload and offer them a smallamount of money on behalf of the

Pope, so they could buy themselvesa cappuccino or another drink dur-ing the several-hour bus ride.

“We must feed those in dif-

ficulty, not just with bread, butalso give them the chance to enjoybeauty – hence the visit to theSistine Chapel—or to join otherpilgrims in experiencing impor-tant moments like the Ostension(Showing) of the Holy Shroud,”the archbishop said.

He referred to a March 26 eventin which 150 of Rome’s homeless

 were invited for dinner and a pri-vate tour of the Vatican Museums,culminating in the Sistine Chapel.

In a March 30, 2013, videomessage sent out for the televisedshowing of the Shroud of urin,Pope Francis said: “Tis disfiguredface resembles all those faces ofmen and women marred by a life

 which does not respect their dig-nity, by war and violence whichafflict the weakest.”

It is because of this, ArchbishopKrajewski said, that the Pope de-cided to send two groups of pilgrimsthat are for him very special in order

to prepare for this own visit.In addition to a stop at theShroud, Pope Francis’ schedulefor his two-day trip also includesa visit to a juvenile prison, wherehe will have lunch with the youngdetainees, a group of immigrantsand homeless persons.

Other highlights of the trip willinclude Sunday morning Massin Piazza Vittorio, followed by ameeting with the sick and disabledin the afternoon at the Church ofCottolengo.

On Monday during his trip thePope will take part in an ecumeni-cal meeting a t the empio Valdese(Waldensian emple), followed byMass at the archbishop’s palace. He

 will depart for Rome by plane at 5p.m.  (Elise Harris/CNA/EWTNNews)

Turin, Italy - April 19, 2015. The Shroud of Turin, a centuries old linen cloth believed to have wrapped the crucified body of JesusChrist, in the Cathedral of Turin during the public opening of the Shroud of Turin on April 19, 2015. The Shroud will be open for publicviewing until June 2015. CNA

Benedictine still trying to be asaint at 100MANILA, May 24, 2014—Whileregretting he is not yet a “realsaint” at his age, a Benedictinemonk-priest who has celebrated his100th birthday recently now looksforward to the next hundred yearsof his life for the chance to makehimself “a little better each day.”

Gratitude, enthusiasm, hope“Summarized, all these little

things I have done in my long life;some unfortunately sinful, andsome good by the grace of God.

 As man and monk-priest, I lookback with gratitude. I try to livethe present with enthusiasm, andto the future I look with hope,”shared Fr. Benigno Benabbarein a short speech he gave beforeManila’s Benedictine communityand the San Beda College alumnion Saturday, May 23, at the Abbeyof Montserrat, Manila.

Eighty-four years a monk, 77years a priest, “Father B.B.” as heis fondly called, said that besidesthe will of God, a simple life is thesecret to his longevity.

“A simple life in everything. Noabuse of anything. No alcohol, nosmoking, not much sugar, no sexat all,” he quipped.

Son of St. Benedict Born on May 23, 1915 in Hu-

esca, Spain, a province near theFrench border, Benabarre becamea “son of St. Benedict” in 1931 and

 was ordained a missionary priestfor the Philippines in 1938.

“At the early age of 11, I wentto study at the former BenedictinePriory of El Pueyo de Marbastroas a postulant of this Benedictine

 Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat,Manila. At El Pueyo, I made myselfa simple profession as a Benedictinemonk in 1931 and, four years later,at the Benedictine Abbey of Samos,Province of Lugo, my solemn pro-fession, but both for the Manila

 Abbey,” he said.

San Beda Benabarre was ordained a priest

on April 1, 1938 and respectivelybecame San Beda’s prefect of disci-pline, superintendent of libraries,elementary department principal,

rector, and alumni moderator.But after so many years of ser-vice, the Spanish Benedictine leftthe Philippines, returning to thecountry only 23 years later, in2004.

“My returning to the Philippineson April 4, 2004 was a matter ofconscience. I made my monasticvows for this Abbey of Our Ladyof Montserrat, Manila in 1931 and1936, and I was ordained a priestto be a missionary monk in theseislands for life. My being out ofthe community for several years,

 with the permission of the HolySee, the reasons for which I givein my book ‘My First 100 Years,’

 were unfortunate and temporary.”he said.

Papal awardeeIn 2005, Benabarre was awarded

the prestigious papal award “ProEcclesia et Pontifice.”

On his birthday, he wished forthe Philippines to continue beinga great Catholic country, whichits neighbors may look up to as“an example of Christianity, social

 justice, and peaceful living.”He also reminded the youth to

be strong in true faith, vigorous invirtue, lovers of the country andthe whole world, as well as goodprofessionals.

Benabarre stressed he wantedto be remembered as a good andsincere friend, as a monk whotried to observe the Rule of St.Benedict, a priest who defendedthe Church, a lover of souls, anda writer. (Raymond A. Sebastián/ CBCP News)

‘Forever’ exists? Yes, in the Eucharist – TagleMANILA, June 8, 2015—Contrary to whatcynics say, “forever” indeed exists and thiseternity can be found where most people leastexpect it: in the Eucharist.

In his homily on Sunday, June 7, for CorpusChristi—the “Solemnity of the Most Holy Bodyand Blood of the Lord”—Manila ArchbishopLuís Antonio G. Cardinal agle remindedhundreds of Catholics gathered at Santa CruzChurch that Jesus is ever present in the Eucha-rist, noting how His Body and Blood are thereal and visible manifestations of His covenant

 with the Church.

Ever present  According to agle, t he mome nt the Lo rd

entered into a covenant with His people,it is as good as forever given that it is not

 jus t a mere con tract or an ordi nar y agr ee-ment, because it effects the union of heartsand lives.

“Tere is no [Catholic] church we can thinkof where the tabernacle displays a placard thatsays: ‘Te Lord is on a day-off’ or ‘Jesus is notin the tabernacle at the moment. He will comeback in an hour.’ People often fail to keep theirpromise, but never Jesus. We are like that, butnot Him,” he said.

Reason to hope“It is for this reason that the world has enough

reason to be hopeful. Tanks to this covenant,the sins of the world are washed away,” heexplained.

“Te covenant can be summed up in this way: I am your God and you are My people. Iam yours and you are Mine. Our life is one. We

are on the same journey. Wherever you will go,I will keep you company,” he added.

Full of joy In this regard, the prelate invited those who

partake of the Eucharist and frequent theBlessed Sacrament to allow themselves to befilled with heavenly joy.

agle went on to assure them that no matter what happens, even when they feel lonely andabandoned, they can always find comfort in thefact that Someone laid down His life and shedHis blood for their sake.

“It may come to a point when the world willbetray you, but always know that Jesus in the

Eucharist remains faithful to you. ake courage.If you are embarrassed to face God with a ll youriniquities and all your infidelities, fear not …

 Jesus is there to wait for you,” he stressed.

 ‘Be what you receive’Quoting St. Augustine, the recently elected

president of Caritas Internationalis invited thefaithful to “Be what you receive.”

“Whenever you receive Christ, strive to be-

come like Him,” he exclaimed. (Raymond A.Sebastián/CBCP News)

Knees bent in adoration. Vehicular traffic halts as the procession of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord led bythe Blessed Sacrament Fathers (SSS) inches its way from Santa Cruz Church to Manila Cathedral. RAYMOND A. SEBASTIÁN

What do young couples really need? PASIG, May 26, 2015 – Withseparated husbands and wivesgetting younger and younger,a family renewal community isoffering an accessible wellspringfor shared wisdom, care and for-mation for young couples whoare at one of the most crucialstages of their marriages.

“[Young couples] need a com-munity that will help them andin turn, [form them to] helpother couples as wel l . heyshould seek the guidance and the

 wis dom of the olde r couple s,”said Couples for Christ (CFC)

– Young Couples program coor-dinator Rommel Ancheta before

a Young Couples assembly atthe Unilab Bayanihan Centeron May 23.

Odds seem to be st ackedagainst young couples even be-fore they warm up to the idea of

 wedded b liss .

 Atta ck on you ng coupl es What Ancheta call ed an “at-

tack on young couples” is wors-ened, he believes, by modern,external influences like socialmedia, mainstream media, ad-vertising, and the like.

“hat’s why the individual is

highly affected when they makeYoung Couples / A5

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EDITORIAL

 WHILE Asia is home to a wide variety of cultures, values, and traditions,there are cultural elements that are common among them: close familyties, filial reverence, family meals, sacredness of God’s word (depositedin sacred writings), hospitality, and leadership exercised as service andreadiness to sacrifice, among others. In the concrete context of Asia, theEucharist is a potent starting point for the mission of reaching out to itsmany peoples, as well as the goal to aspire for in the same mission. Te

 Asian people will have no difficulty seeing in the Eucharistic Celebrationthe values they hold dear in common.Te Eucharist as meal very clearly upholds family relationship and

hospitality so highly valued by most Asian people. It will be fruitful topresent the Eucharist as the family meal where God gathers his childrentogether to feed them with his Word and with the Body of his Son, ameal where the children are able to thank and praise their Father for hisimmense love for them, where they can confidently express their needs,

 where they are in the company of their brothers and sisters, and manyothers who constitute their extended family.

Te Eucharist as sacrifice can be very meaningful for most Asiansconsidering how they usually perceive leadership, e.g., the leadershipexercised by parents towards their children, of elder brothers and sisterstoward their younger siblings, of village heads towards their constituents,by the host of a feast toward his/her guests. It is a leadership that isexercised in service and with readiness to sacrifice for the sake of one’scharge. Among the poor families in the Philippines, It is not uncommonfor parents to let their children eat first before they do, if there is hardlyenough food on the table, to be sure that no one among the children goeshungry. Nor is it uncommon that an elder brother or sister gives wayto the younger siblings for the opportunity to go to school if the family

does not have enough resources to send all children to school. Or theeldest may never get married, choose to work all his or her life, to sendall siblings to school.

Te Eucharist will mean much for most Asians because it expressesmany of the cultural values that they treasure very dearly. Te Eucharist,celebrated well as both meal and sacrifice, is the best way to proclaim theGood News of God’s offer of salvation though the sacrifice of his Son tothe point of self-sacrificing death, of God’s invitation to make us all partof his family, of God’s unending desire to enrich us all by his life-giving

 Word and Body broken and shared that we may live. Te Eucharist toois the best way to motivate a spirit and consciousness of mission in viewof sharing the same richness, meaning and life to others.

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

LAS week, the House of Representatives passed on second read-ing the so-called economic charter change bill, formally known asResolution of Both Houses 1 (RBH-1). Co-authored by SpeakerFeliciano Belmonte Jr., and Senator Ralph Recto, RBH-1 seeks toenable the removal of constitutional restrictions on foreign owner-ship of Philippine businesses and property through the insertion ofthe phrases “unless provided by law” into the pertinent provisions

of the Constitutions.Te Resolution that was well endorsed by administration lackeys

of both Houses of Congress provides “that a voice of three-fourths(3/4) of all its Members, each House voting separately, and pursu-ant to Article VII of the Constitution, to propose amendments to

 Articles XII, XIV and XVI of the 1987 Constitution of the Republicof the Philippines, with the following proposals…”

 Judging from posts in social media and from comments of inde-pendent groups and individuals, this move to change the Constitu-tion is emerging to be very unpopular. For one, this administrationand its party line is plunging into the pit of a serious credibility crisis.Tey never bothered even to approximate their promised legislationsthat could have substantiated their slogans and probably bolster thiscountry to real prosperity—the likes of the Anti-poverty bill, theFreedom of Information bill, the Anti-dynasty bill and a couplemore. Well-meaning citizens harbor suspicions of some sinister plotfrom somewhere in the corridors of power that stand to benefit oncethe country open wide its doors to foreign capitalists.

But granting that amendments to the economic provisions of the

Constitution happens, this will only be a formality of a “de facto”invasion of foreign capitalists that has been wreaking havoc on thePhilippine economy for some years now. Trough the labyrinth ofintricate corporate layering and dummies, foreign tycoons fromneighboring Asian countries are in control of the country’s economyby being the majority owners of the Philippines’ public utility en-terprise. Tese tycoons are presently the controlling stockholders ofthe country’s biggest public utility firms in electric power, commu-nications, water, transportation and, more so, other big businessessuch as mining.

Tanks to the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of thePhilippines, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, who rushed to pose thesequestions: 1. What do we, as a nation, stand to gain from relax-ing the provisions now deemed restrictive? 2. How are we assuredthat the resources of the country, both natural and human, benefitFilipino nationals principally? 3. What are the human, social andenvironmental costs of lifting present limits to foreign participationin Philippine economic and business affairs?

ruth to tell, whenever moves to amend the Philippine Constitu-tion are in the offing, one can be more or less certain that they aremeant to advance a political agenda that is not inclusive. Tis countryhas not yet reached a political maturity wherein the common goodis given prominence. Te Philippine political culture is what needschanging, not the charter.

The Eucharist in the Church’s

dialogue with cultures

Economic charter change

OPINION

Human and Christianconsistency in politics

MonitorPROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE CBCP

Pedro C. QuitorioEditor-in-Chief 

Nirva’ana E. DelacruzAssociate Editor

Roy Q. LagardeNews Editor

Kris BayosFeatures Editor

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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   I   l   l   u   s   t   r   a   t   i   o   n   b   y   B   l   a   d   i   m   e   r   U

   s   i

Candidly Speaking / A5

Oscar V. Cruz, DD

 Views and Points ‘BBL unlimited’

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDSAnd That’s The Truth

NO. Tis is definitely not about any businesscorporation with unlimited capitalists fundingit, with unlimited incorporators managing it,and other unlimited features. Yes. Tis is aboutsomething that brings about unlimited issues,

unlimited difficulties, unlimited contradic-tions—irrespective of whether BBL is approvedor disapproved by the Legislative department,confirmed or rejected by the Judicial depart-ment. Te supposedly Basic Law can readily bethe cause for otherwise law-abiding people toturn lawless. And this is a big predicament forthis country which is now, in fact, under threatfrom within and without.

Tis is in effect saying that the present ad-ministration under the baton of the incumbentMalacañang occupant with its obedient andeven subservient allies in the Executive depart-ment, has formally started a big socio-politicalpredicament in thecCountry—something that

 will continue to haunt the peace and tranquilityof people of the Philippines even after the samepublic official is long gone from the sight and

attention of the general public in the post-May2016 era. Instead of bringing about a solution,exactly the same Chief-in-Command is insteadleaving behind a legacy of confusion and pursu-ant dissension.

Once approved by the Legislature and af-firmed by the Judiciary, considering that theBBL covers but a small portion of both thepeople and the land of Mindanao, anythingand many things can happen through oneafter another disconcerting or even dissentinginitiatives of those not benefited by it – espe-cially so when their interests and concerns,their common good or public welfare are, ineffect, undermined by the said law. In other

 words and saying it from the heart, BBL spellsneither definitive unity nor defining peace.Te standing fact is true even now during itspolitico-constitutional evaluation, both loudpro and anti BBL camps are already beingheard repeatedly, here and there.

 When disapproved by the Legislative andthus silencing the Judiciary, taking into account

that those avidly proposing and endorsing itfrom within the Philippines, as well as fromanother country—who are not exactly knownas promoters of public harmony and much lessare they looked upon as moderates—to expect

but their submission or acquiescence to such adisapproval is but a dream. Tey are not exactly“fighters” for peace. Tey do not manufacture,own and carry guns and ammunitions just forpicture-taking. What they say, they do. And

 what they have, they use. What a serious and dangerous national

predicament this present administration hasbrought about and is leaving behind to the fearand uncertainty of the people in terms of theBBL—in addition to the “Pork Barrel” institu-tion, the redefinition of “Savings”, the exampleof being “Busy” while doing nothing, etc., etc.

 What is more strange is hearing the one behindall the above hullabaloo—and more—repeat-edly saying that he wants a successor who willcontinue what he has done, come May 2016!Tis is hallucination—to say the least!

POLIICS, of course, is an unavoidable con-

cern for us. As social beings, we cannot helpbut get into politics. Tat’s simply because wehave to organize ourselves as a people. And it’sa need that will always be an on-going affair.

 We need laws to govern the way we live, we need peace and order, we need a workingeconomy. We need leaders on whom we investsome authority. Tese and a lot more is whatpolitics is all about.

In all of these, we have to find ways of how tomeet them. Tat’s why we have elections, amongmany other others. Of course, the conduct ofour elections is also subject to some agreed rules.

Now, with the elections coming up, the politi-cal fever is upon us, and the big challenge nowis how to maintain our human and Christianconsistency—some say, sanity—in politics.

 What we are seeing now, even while quiteearly yet in the game, is a gathering storm ofpolitical attacks. Tere’s a lot of mudslinging,fault-finding and muckraking, reckless branding

and stereotyping.If not these, then they go to the other extreme

of unmitigated praises and alleluias of personali-

ties whom they practically portray as completelysinless, the savior of the world, while the op-ponents are pictured as the devil incarnate, theultimate villain deserving instant death and hell.

Some say this is normal. I say it’s not. It’sinhuman, let alone, unchristian. Tere seemsto be an unspoken understanding that when itcomes to politics, we can behave like animals,fighting each other over ideas and opinions.

Some say we need not distinguish betweenthe persons of the candidates, officials and sup-porters, and the different positions they hold.Everyone and everything is fair game. Killingcan even be resorted to.

 We have to say that this c annot be. We aresupposed to be ruled always by something in-dispensable even in our most contentious affairs.

Everyone seems to forget that charity is whatkeeps us human and Christian in politics as itis in every aspect of our life. But especially inpolitics where, by its nature, things can be messy

and tricky. Precisely the complexity of politicsmakes charity most indispensable.

Charity is what enables us to respect and love

one another in spite of our sharp differencesand conflicts, thereby following Christ’s newcommandment of loving one another “as I haveloved you.” He even went on to say that wehave to love our enemies. For this love, Christultimately had to die on the cross.

 All these for the simple reason that first andlast, we are brothers and sisters, creatures of thesame God even if we call him by different namesand describe him in a variety of ways.

ruth is we are all members of the same fam-ily. Whether we like it or not, we are obliged tolove one another no matter what. Tis is a basictruth that we should never forget, especially

 when we do politics.Some say that charity dilutes, if not dissolves

many important values like truth, justice, fair-ness, etc. Tat’s why many politicians do notgive much attention to charity. At best, theyrender only some lip service to it.

But hardly anything can be farther than the

truth, since charity, in fact, holds the highest

A listening heart

COMELEC reportedly will allowcampaign season to begin “early”this year, around October, before

 which politica l advertising wouldbe judged “premature” and there-fore a violation of law. But, cometo think of it—is anyone reallykeeping track?

Political campaigning happens wit hou t act ual advert isi ng. Aperson aspiring for political of-fice need not say “Vote for me”to express his intention. Footageon television or in movie housesshowing him/her in a favorable

light—for example, as “championof the masa”—tells the public“I am worthy of being a publicservant; remember me in 2016.”Keeping a high profile, frequentappearances in talk shows or me-dia fora, or even glowing wordsof praise from his/her friends allconstitute indirect campaigning.Even seemingly amusing but snideremarks in social media aimed at

potential rivals are in a way adver-tising of a kind—like allusions to arival’s tarnished reputation or lackof experience.

In this light, I find very timely what Pope Emeritus Benedict XVIsaid to the Parliament in Berlin onSeptember 22, 2011. He beganby recounting the story of KingSolomon when God invited himto make a request, on his accessionto the throne. Would the youngking ask for success, wealth, longlife, or the destruction of his en-emies? Solomon chose none of

the above, and instead asks for alistening heart that he may governGod’s people and discern betweengood and evil.

Benedict said that through thislittle story “the Bible wants to tellus what should ultimately matterfor a politician. His fundamentalcriterion and the motivation forhis work as a politician mustnot be success, and certainly not

material gain. Politics must be astriving for justice, and hence ithas to establish the fundamentalpreconditions for peace.”

Quoting St. Augustine, “With-out justice, what else is the Statebut a great band of robbers?”Benedict went on to say thatpower divorced from right couldturn politicians into a “highly or-ganized band of robbers, capableof threatening the whole worldand driving it to the edge of theabyss. o serve right and to fightagainst the dominion of wrong is

and remains the fundamental taskof the politician. At a moment inhistory when man has acquiredpreviously inconceivable power,this task takes on a particularurgency. Man can destroy the

 world. He can manipulate himself.He can, so to speak, make humanbeings and he can deny them theirhumanity. How do we recognize

 what is right? How can we discern

between good and evil, between what is truly right and what mayappear right? Even now, Solomon’srequest remains the decisive issuefacing politicians and politics to-day… How would it be if we, thelaw-makers of today, were invitedto make a request? What would weask for? I think that, even today,there is ultimately nothing else

 we could wish for but a listeningheart—the capacity to discernbetween good and evil, and thus toestablish true law, to serve justiceand peace.”

Solomon’s story is a gentlereminder during these times ofmudslinging and preening thatit’s never enough to have profes-sional competence, cleverness,years of experience, popularity,or even a good reputation. Alistening heart is at the core ofthe matter—particularly whenthe heart listens in silence. Andthat’s the truth.

 Fr. Roy Cimagala

Candidly Speaking

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 Fr. Wilfredo Samson, SJ 

Pitik-Bulag

 Fr. Carmelo O. Diola

Spaces of Hope

S.P.A.C.E.

Candidly Speaking / A4

P.O.G.I. (Presence Of God Inside) Rev. Fr. Alan Gozo Bondoc, SVD

standards insofar as these valuesare concerned. What is oftenconveniently forgotten is that

 while chari ty requi res the moststringent criteria of truth, justice,fairness, etc., it goes much furtherto include mercy and compassion.

It’s charity that would enableus to have a certain openness toall views and positions, including

those we do not agree with or evenconsider as objectively wrong. It’snot so much because of the viewsthat we are open as to the persons

 who hold them.If, in the worst scenario, we be-

lieve that they are in error, we cantry to correct them with utmostdelicacy, strictly following dueprocess that governs the proper

resolution of issues. We should avoid ad hominem

attacks, rash judgments that oftenare a product of an orchestratedmob rule, assertions, and ac-cusations that hardly have anystrong basis or are simply basedon hearsay.

 We should try to tame our pas-sions that often blind us and push

us to do uncharitable things. While we inevitably have our bias es andpreferences, let’s also be open andfair to those who differ from us.

In the end, we should be guidedby a well-formed conscience, al-

 ways attentive to God’s will and ways in doing politics, and espe-cially when choosing our publicofficials.

Mercy

I WAS giving a homily in a chapel when I hearda commotion on my left. I momentarily stoppedto inquire what it was about. It was then thatI was told that a friend who had accompaniedme to the Mass had actually fainted and they

 were frantically taking care of her. Tey werebringing her to a nearby hospital.

I did not panic, thanks be to God, but contin-

ued with the liturgical celebration just trustingthat all will go well. By God’s grace, Joy (nother real name) recovered from her ordeal. It wasa case of sheer fatigue and work-related stress.

Sam and Gladys, my two other companions,later recounted how the people of the place sponta-neously lent a helping hand when they noted that

 Joy was having a dizzy spell. One woman started tofan her, followed by another one who did it fromthe opposite direction. A third brought a glass of

 warm water. Ten a woman called her son who was a registered nurse by cell phone. He arrivedvery soon after and supervised first aid.

Te spontaneity of help of the people wasstriking. It displayed a depth of mercy whichPope Francis writes is essential if we are to“become a more effective sign of the Father’saction in our lives...it is absolutely essential forthe Church and for the credibility of her mes-sage that she herself live and testify to mercy.”

I am grateful for those who preceded us in theChristian formation of our Christian faithful.Our culture is Christian, despite our quirks anddysfunctions, as was shown recently in our open

 welcome to Rohingya refugees.***

Not too long after this incident, I was having

a chat with a journalist. We were exchangingnotes about newsworthy stories. Suddenly sheturns to her friend and says, “Father, my friendhere wants to join the Catholic Church.”

It turns out her friend had been born into a re-ligious cult known for its affinity to Arianism andfor making acerbic attacks against the CatholicChurch. One day, she gave birth out of wedlock.

Soon her name was being announced in pulpitsannouncing her sin to the whole world. She wasbeing humiliated in public and formally excom-municated! I felt very sad for her and assured herthere is room for her in the Church.

Servile fear and coercion are contrary tomercy. Tese are forms of violence. Tey have noplace among Christians and people of good will.

Recently, Bishop Leo umulak facilitated thecoming over to the Philippines of a team fromGermany to conduct seminars on non-violentcommunication or NVC. Te one-day seminarheld at the major seminary in Cebu featuredrole playing, power-point presentation, groupdiscussion, and lectures by very experienced andknowledgeable individuals.

Te NVC is the brainchild of the late Dr.Marshall B. Rosenberg a clinical psychologistfrom Detroit who died last February 7, 2015.Te website of the Center for NVC says thatthe approach “contains nothing new. It is basedon historical principles of nonviolence—thenatural state of compassion when no violenceis present in the heart.” Furthermore, “NVCcan be seen as both a spiritual practice thathelps us see our common humanity, using ourpower in a way that honors everyone’s needs,

and a concrete set of skills which help us createlife-serving families and communities.”

Tere are four steps in NVC: clarify Observa-tions, express Emotions, share Needs, and makea Request. I use the acronym OFNR. It takespractice and discipline to put things in properorder where we “no longer need to use thelanguage of blame, judgment or domination.”

NVC is another expression of mercy. “Blessedare the merciful, they will be shown mercy”(Matthew 5:7).

***UBAS (Ugnayan nga Barangay at Simba-

han) is an official DILG program, a legacyof the late Jesse Robredo. It is the comingtogether of servant leaders (i.e. barangayofficials, police, and parish priests) at thegrassroots level for good governance and ef-fective delivery of services.

One early adopter in UBAS Cebu is ChairmanErnie Manatad of Barangay Subangdako in Man-daue City. Every Sunday morning, he gathersstreet children in his area of responsibility to begiven baths, given a haircut and newly-washed t-shirts, to be fed, and to be given catechesis. Someof the 500 street and other very poor children

 who will receive First Communion during theInternational Eucharistic Congress in January2016 will come from Subangdako.

“Before, I have this bias, thinking these streetkids are such a nuisance. Now that we alwaysmeet on Sundays, I fell in love with them. Teyare like my own children,” admits Ernie abouthis transformation.

I can see Pope Francis smile.

 Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc In AltumProductive Asset

Management in the Church

HE Catholic Bishops’ Confer-ence of the Philippines-PensionPlan Committee invites the fi-nancial administrators to the 17th

 ADFAP (Arch/Diocesan Financial Administrators of the Philippines).he convention will be held at

Hotel Essencia, Real Street, Duma-guete City, Negros Oriental from

 June 15 to 19, 2015.Te convention theme is “o-

 wards a Product ive Asset Man-agement in the Church”. heconvention will start with a recol-lection and Most Rev. Gerardo

 Almi naz a, Bishop of San Car -los, Negros Oriental, will be therecollection-facilitator. His Excel-lency Archbishop John Du, CBCPreasurer and CBCP Pension PlanChairman, will deliver a message.Lectures will be given to updatethe knowledge and skills of fi-nancial administrators and theirstaff regarding corporation sole,management accounting, lease ofchurch properties, accreditation ofdonee institutions, and land titling.

Main celebrants in the dailyEucharist are Most Rev. Alminaza,Most Rev. Julito Cortes of Duma -guete, Most Rev. John Forrosuelo

Du of Palo, Leyte, and Most Rev.Patricio Buzon of Kabankalan,Negros Oriental.

 We wish the success of the 17th ADPAF Convention.

***Te Girl Scouts of the Philip-

pines had just celebrated its Dia-mond Jubilee Anniversary. Duringthe occasion, 75 Girl Scouts youth

 were awarded the Pilar Hidalgo Ach ievement Awa rd for the irexemplary service in their respec-tive field of endeavor. Tere wasalso the ground-breaking of theNational Heritage Center and thelaunching of the GSP Diamond

 Jubilee—“Te Legacy GSP His-tory” Book Part II. Tere was alsothe Diamond Jubilee Songwrit-ing Contest. Te GSP NationalPresident now is Ms. Susan Locsin,

 who will take over after Ms. SaludBagalso, M.D., effective July 1.

Te GSP is also a member of the World Association of Girl Guidesand Girl Scouts, which will holdits convention in the Vatican this

month.***

 We cond ole wit h the familyand parishioners of Rev. Fr. Lauro

Chavez Mozo, MSC, the parishpriest of Sta. Quiteria and St.Francis of Assisi Parish in ulla-han Road, Baeza, Caloocan City.Fr. Lauro passed away on June 2,2015 due to severe heart attack.His funeral will be on June 13 at

Eternal Garden, Baeza, CaloocanCity after the 7a.m. RequiemMass at his parish church. MostRev. Francisco de Leon, AuxiliaryBishop of Antipolo and Apostolic

 Administrator of the Diocese ofKalookan, together with the Ka-lookan clergy, will celebrate Massat the parish church at 8 p.m. on

 June 12. Fr. Lauro , a nativ e ofButuan City of Caraga Region,is survived by his mother Lucila,stepfather Rogelio Palania and 6siblings. His sister, Ignatius Mozo,is a nun of St. Clare Congregationin Chicago, Illinois.

***Happy Feast Day to all whose

patron saint is San Antonio dePadua, the patron saint of findingthings or lost people. He is noted

for his forceful preaching andexpert knowledge of the scripture.Te birthday of Inay, Gloria Ange-les Santiago, falls on the feast day

of San Antonio de Padua. Tis isthe first year that we will celebrateit without her. God bless you Inay.

*** Wi th the re ti rement of Fr.

Constantino Conti, Fr. MarianoBartolome, Jr., parish priest of

Sagrada Familia in Banal St., 6th Avenue, Caloocan City, will takeover as the new parish priest ofSan Jose de Navotas. Fr. Benedict

 John Cervan tes will be the newparish priest of Sagrada Familia.Congratulations to the new par-ish priests!

*** We would like to greet a very

Happy Birthday to our dear MostRev. Francisco M. de Leon, D.D.,

 Apost olic Admin istr ator of theDiocese of Kalookan and AuxiliaryBishop of the Diocese of Antipolo,and Fr. Medardo “Ardie” Ong andfamily friend Fr. Robert Ramos.he same greetings go to mybrother Benito Santiago, Jr. We

 wish you all good health and moreblessings from our Lord. Belated

Happy Birthday to Fr. Anton C..Pascual, Radio Veritas Presidentand Executive Director of CaritasManila.

The Cave and

the Travel Guide

I ENERED the cave of Sumagin in Sagada with some “oldies” (senior citizens) companions.

 We have a travel guide who brought a lampand assisted the oldies.

Our guide was so kind as to wait, assist, and walk with us at our own pace.

He did not leave us behind, abandon us norlet us out of his sights. He kept on reminding

us that when we cannot see the path anymore, we should just call him and he would bring inthe light. He knew the route like the back of hishand for he had walked and entered the cavemany times in his life.

He encouraged us to go on slowly when thepath was steep and slippery. He did not push usbut instead he protected us, especially the olderones from falling.

It was my first time to walk in such a cave.It was dark, rocky, slippery, and smelled stinkybecause of bats’ poop.

I wished there had been fluorescent lampsto see clearly, stairs to step on, and bar railings

to hold on along the path way. But there werenone.

I liken it to the path to Christian life; it is atough path. Tere are moments when every-thing seems dark and s lippery, discouraging usfrom going on. Tere are moments when weslip and fall on rocky paths, leaving us in painand scratched with wounds.

Te oldies who were with me, they experi-enced it, they slipped and fell.

 We were grateful because our guide made usstop. He knew that the oldies would encountermore difficulties along the way if we decided topush on with our spelunking. In the end, weall decided to go back. We did not see the cave

 journey as a failure. We did not see ourselves asquitters. We decided so because we cared foreach other.

Besides, our travel guide had a kind andhonest heart, allowing us to return. He did notforce us because he too, cares for us.

 According to our guide, we only walked one

eighth of the journey, we were only in the firstphase, but he supported our decision to return.

No hard feelings for not making the entirecave journey; it was still a great experience thatmatters. It was the fun of journeying togetherthat was important.

On our way back to the entrance of the cave, we met fellow travelers, we told them that we

did not make it a ll the way, but we encouragedthem to go on and not be disheartened by ourexperiences.

I loved what we experienced. I do not blamethe oldies for not making it through the entirecave journey. Tey did not ruin the journey,instead, they revealed something truly beauti-ful about it. It is for this reason I can say thatI love what I learned and experienced not justfrom the journey, but from our travel guide. Heknows best: I experienced the best in life becauseI followed his will not mine.

Tis taught me to follow God’s will not minefor me to have life to the fullest.

 Fr. Francis Ongkingco

Whatever

HOW often do we say or hear others saying they want some ‘peace andquiet’? Given today’s materialistic and fast-paced virtual lifestyle, themoments of personal silence and recollection are becoming rare com-

modities. Unlike in the past, these spaces of interior enrichment andre-integration are now constantly invaded and polluted by text messages,ring and message tones, and other forms of digital interference or noise.

Consciously or unconsciously interior recomposing is indispensablefor the person. Its absence makes conversations, plans, and social engage-ments mere fast-forwarded virtual realities devoid of lasting impressionsand convictions. Tere are two possible extremes in creating such ‘interiorspaces’. One is what we today refer to a s boredom or a static void of non-activity. Te other is hyper-activism in sensory indulgence.

Boredom is an empty room, which any normal person can createthrough his laziness to engage himself in something productive. Te seedsof boredom are sowed by what we call ‘nurturing dead time’ or snippets oftime in between activities that could be used to harmoniously recomposeourselves, but are instead whimsically wasted for a leisure escape dictatedby the law of instant personal gratification.

Hyper-activism in sensory indulgence can be found in many situa-tions but is epitomized in today’s unfortunate cyber-media sensualist.He literally consumes the day with a gluttonous clicking desire for everyenjoyable and fulfilling page, motion, sound or message. His inner spacemay not be empty, but his indulgence only shows an endless search for a‘space’ where his senses may rest satisfied. Unfortunately, he never finds

a break that will allow him to encounter himself integrally.If we were to refer to a genuine space for personal recomposing andintegration we first have to define what space is. I prefer not to enter intosomething philosophical, but to play with an idea drawn from the lettersof the word itself. Tis would be a Sacred Place Allowing Christ to Enter.

Te most important word after ‘Christ’ is ‘Sacred’. Te word sacredoriginates from two other words: sacra facere, that is, to make somethingfitting for God. Tus, all material offerings meant to be given to God areset apart from the rest because they already belong to Him. Moreover,for living sacrifices (i.e. birds, sheep or goats) to be offered they must beslain and entirely burnt for God.

Te idea of ‘setting something apart’ is essential for finding our innerspace. And this space can only be created by our heart. Te heart is likean alternating switch. It has a natural attraction to both material andspiritual goods of life. If not properly guided, it can with a disorderedattachment to self, things, eventually burning itself out.

St. Augustine’s celebrated prayer best describes this condition of man’sheart: our hearts, O Lord, are restless, until they rest in Tee! (Confes-sions). He was expressing the reality that only God can truly fill andsatisfy all the longings of the human heart. For this to become a reality,man must first create a space in which God can put in His grace and love.

In another place, Augustine describes how to create this inner space.He says: “A container has to empty before it can be filled. Well then,pour out the evil that is in you, since you should be filled with goodness.Imagine, that God wants to fill you with honey; but if you are full ofvinegar, where are you going to put the honey? First you have to emptythe container, and then you have to clean it and wash it, even thoughyou may get tired and you may need to scrub it, so that it is capable ofreceiving something. (Commentary, First Letter of St. John 4:2.6)”

Setting things apart requires discipline. It is not simply the task ofdoing this or not, but offering both what we ought to do and also what

 we forgo in doing out of love for God. Te value of what we offer is notin its quantity but in the intention for doing it. Tus, even the mostinsignificant thing done with great love can create a great space in ourhearts allowing Christ to enter and work.

St. Josemaría has a very striking advice on this matter: “Do you really want to be a saint? Carry out the little duty of each moment: do whatyou ought and concentrate on what you are doing. (Te Way, no. 815)”He doesn’t say successful, rich or famous. He uses the word SAIN! Andthis idea can be applied to literally everything we do, insofar as we dothem in view of setting them apart for God.

 With this space create constantly in our lives, Christ not only enters butalso from within radiates His presence to those around us: family, friends,

 work, and rest, etc. He likewise transforms our day-to-day experiences of joys, setbacks, illness, and misunderstandings into something meaningful.Ultimately, Jesus will also help us to set apar t from our hearts, the thingsthat set us apart from His love.

Tat was the same space our Lady created in Her heart. It was suchan Immaculate space that God’s Word was not only pronounced to Her,but became Flesh in Her most Virginal Womb.

LIFE is a long journey with lots ofrough and winding roads, ups anddowns, cross-roads and even dead-ends. And in this journey, we feelexhausted, tired and hungry. Wefeel the need to stop to rest andallow our soul to catch up with us,grab something to eat, and replen-ish our energy. And yet, most of thetime, we are not totally satisfiedand well-rested. Our spirit cravessomething deeper.

Such was the feeling of Jesus inour Gospel reading on the feast ofCorpus Christi. Jesus realized thatthe moment of darkness had come.He will be crucified and die on theCross alone. But also, he knew that

his disciples would be embarkingon a long journey of hopelessness,

anxiety, and fear when he disap-pears. And He cannot afford tolose them all. He saw the need tofeed them with something differ-ent. Not with ordinary bread. Butsomething that would sustain themin their life’s journey, somethingthat would give satisfaction to theirtired and hungry spirits.

 And so, on the night before em-barking on His passion and death,He instituted the Eucharist. Withone reason in mind - to feed our soulsand strengthen us in our journey.

Te Eucharist is God’s feedingtime. It’s me and my God time.

 Jesus estab lished the Eucharist tofeed us with His body and blood

for the journey is long and tough.He desires to feed us with Presence.

Te presence of the Eucharist inour daily life tells us that we arenot alone in our journey. We havefood from heaven that can giveus strength when we are lonely,exhausted, and lost. God is true toHis promise—that He will be withus until the end of time—throughthe Eucharist.

But do we grab this opportunityof God feeding us with His pres-ence? Do we see the importance ofthe Eucharist in my life’s journey?

I remember an angel tellingElijah after running away from Je-zebel, “Get up and eat some more,for the journey ahead will be toomuch for you.” So he got up and

ate and drank. Strengthened bythat food, he traveled forty days

and forty nights until he reachedHoreb, the mountain of God. (1Kings 19:7-8).

 Jesus is offering Himself throughthe Eucharist as our food for ourtired spirits. We should aspire andexert effort to go to Mass, not onlyon Sundays, but every day. If only

 we could see the power of the Eu-charist and its divine benefits thatawait us, I am sure all of us willattend the Mass daily.

he Holy Eucharist is God’sbuffet, one that is being offered tous daily. But there’s only one kindof food in this meal - the Bodyand Blood of Jesus. And yet, that’smore than enough to sustain us

in our life’s journey. It will give useternal life.

The Buffet of God

crucial decisions in life,” heobserved.

Decades earlier St. John PaulII already turned a pastoral eyetoward the special circumstancesof young husbands and wives

 when he wro te the enc yc lic alFamiliaris Consortio: “Young

married couples should learn toaccept willingly and make gooduse of the discreet, tactful andgenerous help offered by othercouples that already have moreexperience of married and fam-ily life.”

For Ancheta, who is also thehead of Ablaze Communica-tions, tthe Young Couples pro-gram of CFC is not just gatewayevangelization at its most intui-tive, but is both strategic and ex-actly what modern society needs.

More separations“here is an increase in annul-

ments…he age group [of mar-ried couples] who get separatedis getting younger and younger,”he noted, citing a study by the

Office of the Solicitor General, wh ic h sh owed th at ther e ha s

been a 10% increase in annul-ments in the Philippines since2002.

Surprisingly or maybe un-surprisingly, the most glowingreviews about the Young Couplesprogram come from non-CFCmembers.

 Anche ta who has been le adingthe program since September2013, shared about a young

 wife w hose 2 5-ye ar old husba ndspends all his free time onlyon two things: basketball andpartying.

 Aft er get tin g him to att enda Young Couples assembly, sheasked him if they could attendthe next Young Couples’ assem-bly after his de riguer basketballgame and a scheduled party; hisreply shocked her – in a good

 way. He said, “No need for b as-ketball, no need to attend theparty. Let’s go straight to theassembly.”

Parties interested to join theprogram may contact Rommel

 Anchet a at (02 ) 709 -63 52 for

more details. (Nirva’ana EllaDelacruz/CBCPNews)

Young Couples / A3

8/21/2019 CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 12

6/20

A6 CBCP Monitor June 8 - 21, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 12LOCAL NEWS

Church joins fight vscoal miningHE Catholic Church in thePhilippines has voiced its “strong

opposition” to coal mining, not-ing how this will only make thecountry a major contributor toclimate change, endangering theecosystem, as well as the health andlives of people.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executivesecretary of the National Secretariatfor Social Action, Justice, and Peace(NASSA)/Caritas Philippines,stressed that the Church mustmake her disapproval known, stay-ing at the forefront, given that thePhilippine government is adamantin backing mining operations byasking for emergency power.

Destruction in disguise“In the guise of providing more

efficient energy source, higher taxrevenues and the so-called greater

development, the state and the mul-tinational coal companies are open-ing another door for Philippines tobecoming the major contributor