LAIKO Statement on Current Events in the Philippine Political Landscape “For the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.” – James 1:20 ...
Cardinal Jose Advincula delivers his homily during the ordination Mass of Fr. Florencio Unida at the Sagrada Familia Parish in Sta. Ana, Manila on May 18, 2023. RCAM-AOC
By CBCP News May 31, 2023 Manila, Philippines
The head of Manila’s Roman Catholic Church said that priests, as shepherds, have a duty to speak against violence and injustices.
At a priesthood ordination recently, Cardinal Jose Advincula warned the clergy against the “temptation” of silence to play safe because “the flock will be in danger of getting lost”.
“Do not be afraid to speak, especially in the face of oppression, injustice, violence, and evil,” Advincula said. “A silent shepherd when he is expected to speak is a form of negligence.”
“When the sheep do not hear the voice of their shepherd, they may easily follow false shepherds who will only do them harm,” he said.
Advincula made the statement in his homily during the priestly ordination of Fr. Florencio Unida at the Sagrada Familia Parish in Manila’s Sta. Ana district on May 18.
The cardinal, who is also a member of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, emphasized that priests must speak up, but that their words must be of God.
“The flock will recognize our voices as their shepherds only if we speak the words of God to them,” he added.
The Manila archbishop also reminded the clergy that their prophetic ministry goes beyond the voice that comes from their mouths.
The more powerful and credible proclamation of Jesus is made, according to him, “through the voice that comes from the witness of our lives”.
“Let your life be a living proclamation of God’s word. May people see you, and by simply looking at you, may they already hear God speaking to them,” he said.
From the triumphalism that marked the Catholic Church’s celebration of the Great Jubilee of 2000 to the upcoming jubilee that will take place in our present “triste epoque”
Once the second assembly of the “Synodal Process” is concluded in October 2024, the next big event the Vatican will be focusing on is the “Jubilee of Hope” in 2025. Preparations are already underway for what looks to be a very Rome-centered Holy Year. It will begin in December 2024 and conclude on Epiphany in January 2026.
This is the first Holy Year since the Great Jubilee of 2000 and it comes nearly a decade after the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy of 2015-2016. The person responsible for preparing it is Archbishop Rino Fisichella, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, a position he got from Benedict XVI in 2010 as president of the now-defunct Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. Fisichella, who will be 72 in August, was also a member of the central committee of the Great Jubilee of 2000 and vice-president (under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) of its theological-historical commission.
Among other positions this former Gregorian University professor held was serving as chaplain to Italy’s Parliament from 1995-2010. This made him one of the country’s most important prelates entrusted with building an entente between the right-wing coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi and the pontificate of Benedict. Now that the Italian government is in the hands of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Berlusconi’s successor on the right, Fisichella appears — at least to some — to be the right man in the right place at the right time.
A big money event between the sacred and profane
Coordinating jubilee preparations between Vatican and Italian authorities is important because building and updating infrastructure in order to accommodate the 30-40 million people who are expected come to Rome means that lot of money will be changing hands. A large part of that will come from Italian taxpayers but funds will also come indirectly from the European Union. The Holy Year is always a typically Catholic mix of the sacred and profane. This has been the case since the very first jubilee in the year 1300, a very Roman Catholic institution that survived the Protestant Reformation and got a boost from 19th-century ultramontanism, which promoted supreme papal authority and the Vatican’s role in matters of spirituality and governance.
This tourist/business aspect of jubilees is nothing new. What is new is that today we live in a world that has changed significantly since even the past two jubilees. Jubilee 2025 will be quite different than the “Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy” that Pope Francis called less than three years into his pontificate, the most energetic phase of his time at the helm of the Church. The sexual abuse crisis had not yet hit the pontificate in a way that it has since 2018.The mood among Catholics at the time of Jubilee 2025 will be even more different from the “Great Jubilee” of 2000, which showcased a triumphant and overconfident Church, led by an already visibly ill John Paul II, the pope who was credited with helping to topple communism and revive Catholicism as a global force. It was a celebration of faith, that had important moments for many Catholics, especially for young people.
And now “la triste époque”
But the Jubilee of 2000 was also an illusory moment for the institutional Church and its influence both in the world and the ecclesial community. Less than a year after it was over, the world witnessed the horror of 9/11 — the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Then, just a few months later, in January 2002, the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” reports exploded Catholic Church’s abuse crisis at the global level.
Andrea Riccardi, the Italian historian and founder of the Sant’Egidio Community, said in 2011 that the post-2001 period should be known as “la triste époque” in contrast to the “belle époque” of the early 20th century, as well as to the 1990s illusion of the magnificent and progressive fortunes of globalization.
Elizabeth Marcelo – The Philippine Star May 29, 2023 | 12:00am
Belmonte raises world cities’ call for plastics treaty
Mayor Joy Belmonte na maimbitahan sa International Forum to End Plastic Pollution in Cities sa Paris, France, kung saan kanyang ibinida ang mga programa’t proyekto natin sa lungsod Quezon upang matugunan ang plastic waste reduction.
QC Mayor Joy Belmonte / Facebook Page
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has voiced out the call of city governments around the world for the passage of an international treaty that would address plastic pollution.
“While we as cities are proud of our respective achievements, we recognize that we cannot address the plastic waste crisis alone. We need a truly ambitious global plastics treaty that unifies our efforts and sets a high bar for all nations to follow,” Belmonte said in her speech on Saturday at a global forum to address the plastic waste crisis.
Belmonte has been chosen as the sole representative of local chief executives worldwide at the high level event organized by the French government and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Paris, France.
Belmonte said world mayors specifically want national leaders to consider passing a UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution (Plastic Treaty) that would include provisions on total ban of unnecessary plastics and adoption of reusable items.
Belmonte said other provisions that world mayors want to be included in the treaty are the creation of a financial mechanism to help cities shift harmful consumption patterns into an innovative and sustainable one; and strengthened collaboration with cities in the negotiation process of the treaty to ensure realistic and implementable programs.
Belmonte, meanwhile, urged world city mayors to continue working on their respective programs to address plastic pollution in their localities.
“Let us recognize the power of cities, acknowledge our accomplishments, and empower us with the necessary tools to continue championing the call against plastic pollution. Together, we can forge a future where this is but a distant memory, and our planet thrives in its full glory,” Belmonte said.
Belmonte said that like Quezon City, other cities around the world are also experiencing the adverse impacts of plastic pollution including flooding from clogged sewers, air quality impacts from burning plastics, and the challenge of managing vast amounts of plastic waste.
To address these problems, Belmonte cited some of the measures implemented by the QC government such as prohibiting single-use plastic bags and disposable cutleries, straws and cups in restaurants and fast food chains for dine-in customers and the banning of single-use containers and sachets in hotels.
Belmonte also cited the QC government’s “Trash to Cashback” program to recover plastic waste from the waste stream, especially low value plastics.
Under the program, residents will bring their recyclables and single use plastics to designated areas in exchange for environmental points which they can use to purchase groceries and pay utility bills.
Aside from Belmonte, other speakers in the ongoing event include French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, French Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion Christophe Béchu, UNEP executive director Inger Andersen, Marine Biology professor Richard Thompson of University of Plymouth, Ellen MacArthur Foundation executive for plastics and finance program Rob Opsomer, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) international correspondent Marc Lambertini, and children and youth representative Zuhair Ahmed Kowshik.
Belmonte was accompanied by QC Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department head Andrea Villaroman.
They have joined delegates from leading cities in the world and international partners including UNEP, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ellen McArthur Foundation, WWF, World Economic Forum, United Nations Development Programme and UN-Habitat.
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican to launch the two-year global consultation process leading to the 2023 synod on synodality on Sunday, October 10, 2021. (Vatican Media Photo)
From the Philippines to Portugal, Marian shrines around the world will participate in a special day of prayer this Wednesday for the work of the Synod on Synodality.
In his Regina Caeli address, Pope Francis announced that the day of prayer for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will take place on May 31, the last day of the month dedicated to Mary.
“Let us ask the Virgin Mary to accompany this important stage of the Synod with her maternal protection,” the pope said.
The shrines of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland, the Knock Shrine in Ireland, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Costa Rica, Our Lady of Fourvière in France, and many other Marian shrines have confirmed their participation.
In the Philippines, 26 Marian shrines and minor basilicas will simultaneously hold prayers for the synod.
Nicaragua has announced that all parishes will take part in a full day of prayer for the synod. All dioceses in India, Malaysia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in the day of prayer.
Pope Francis also spoke about the upcoming Synod of Bishops at Pentecost Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica earlier in the day. He said: “Let us place the Holy Spirit at the beginning and at the heart of the work of the synod.”
“We walk together, because the Spirit, as at Pentecost, loves to descend while ‘everyone is together,’” he added. “The People of God, to be filled with the Spirit, must therefore walk together, hold a synod.”
After the Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Francis appeared in the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace to deliver the Regina Caeli address to the crowd gathered in a sunny St. Peter’s Square.
The pope prayed for people in Myanmar and Bangladesh affected by Cyclone Mocha. He also marked the 150th anniversary of the death of Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni, the author of one of the pope’s favorite books “The Betrothed.”
Pope Francis reflected on how the Holy Spirit has the power to free people from “the prisons of fear.”
He said that only once the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they dared to leave the upper room and go into the world to forgive sins and announce the good news of the Gospel.
“Thanks to [the Holy Spirit], fears are overcome and doors open. Because this is what the Spirit does: he makes us feel God’s closeness and so his love drives away fear, illuminates the path, consoles, supports in adversity,” the pope said.
“In the face of fears and closures, then, let us invoke the Holy Spirit for us, for the Church, and for the whole world: because a new Pentecost can drive away the fears that assail us and rekindle the fire of God’s love.”
“Holy Mary, who was the first to be filled with the Holy Spirit, intercede for us,” Pope Francis said.
A farmer in the province of Camarines Norte shows the devastation his farm suffered due to the onslaught of typhoon “Ulysses” on November 12. (Photo by Mark Saludes)
Hinikayat ng mga obispo mula sa Luzon ang mananampalataya na manalangin upang ipag-adya ang lahat mula sa posibleng pinsalang dulot ng papalapit na bagyo na may international name Mawar.
Ayon kay Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos, dahil sa inaantabayanang bagyo ay isinasagawa na sa mga parokya ang pananalangin ng Oratio Imperata gayundin ang pag-aalay ng dasal sa mga parokya.
“We are already praying the ‘Oratio Imperata’ and offering our Holy Masses that God in His mercy and power, the typhoon will not make landfall, it will be weakened and dissolved,” ayon kay Bishop Santos.
Nawa ayon sa obispo ay humina ang taglay na lakas ng bagyo at mailigtas mula sa kapahamakan ang mamamayan.
“We pray that we will be spared and be saved from dangers and calamities. We put our trust to God and rely on His saving words and works. It is our hope that God hears us and help us. May our blessed Mother Mary take us under her maternal embrace and protection,” ang bahagi ng panalangin ni Bishop Santos.
Tiniyak naman ni San Jose Nueva Ecija Bishop Roberto Mallari ang ginagawang paghahanda ng Social Action Center ng diyosesis sa mga maaring maapektuhan, gayundin ang pagbubukas ng mga parokya bilang pansamantalang tutuluyan ng mga magsisilikas.
Ito ayon sa obispo ay bukod pa sa mga nakatalagang evacuation centers ng lokal na pamahalaan.
Panalangin naman ni Bishop Mallari ang sama-samang pananalangin para hingin ang tulong ng Panginoon para sa kaligtasan ng lahat laban sa super typhoon.
Nawa sa kabila ng mga pagsubok ay maging daan ang kalamidad sa pagkakaisa ng bawat Filipino.
“Ama namin sa langit, Ikaw po ang pinanggalingan ng aming buhay; Ikaw ang pinanggalingan ng lahat ng mga nilalang, Ikaw ang pinanggalingan ng kalikasan.
Hinihiling po naming sa Inyo sa kapangyarihan ding nasa Inyo bilang aming tagapaglalang na protektahan po Ninyo ang Inyong bayan sa darating na super typhoon. Sana po ay magkaroon kami ng katatagan para harapin ito at iiwas Niyo po ang madami mula sa kasiraan na dala ng bagyo.
Ikaw po ang may alam ng lahat-lahat, inilalagay po namin sa Inyo ang aming buhay, ang aming bansa, ang aming pamilya. Alam namin na kung kasama ka namin ang lahat ay makakayanan, kung kasama ka Namin ang lahat ay nagiging posible. Ang imposible ay nangyayari.
“Sana po ay magkaroon kami ng katatagan para harapin ito at iiwas Niyo po ang madami mula sa kasiraan na dala ng bagyo.
Kaligtasan po ang hinihiling po namin, proteksyon, at katatagan…at mas maalab pang pananampalataya para sa lahat.” ang panalangin ni Bishop Mallari.
Ang typhoon Mawar na may local name na super typhoon Betty ay nasa loob na ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas na maaring makaapekto sa mga lalawigan sa Nothern Luzon.
Taglay ng bagyo ang lakas ng hangin na 195 kilometro at pagbugsong 240 kilometro kada oras na kumikilos pasilangan hilagang-silangan sa bilis na 25 kilometro kada oras.
