Monisgnor Jeffrey Malanog, during the Regional Lay Leaders Conference in Tagbilaran, reminded the Laity not to separate our faith from our actions! True! It is...
Pope Francis marked 2024 as the Year of Prayer, in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year. Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, together with the Diocese of...
My dear people of God in the Archdiocese of Manila,
The Holy Week for us Filipino Catholics is the most spiritually charged time of the year. It is a special time marked by many traditional religious activities. Due to the corona virus, our Holy Week this year will be doubly special. But can we have a Holy Week without palms, without the neighborhood singing of the Pasyon, without the Senakulo, the Chrism Mass, the Washing of the Feet, the Visita Iglesia, the Way of the Cross? Without the Good Friday Veneration of the Cross, the procession of the Santo Entierro, the solemn Easter Vigil Mass, the much awaited Salubong? Stripped of all these, is there still a Holy Week?
Our Christian faith in the Philippines has been wrapped in many traditional practices. These practices are the external manifestations of our faith. This is a great help for many to experience the faith in concrete ways, but there is also the danger that we identify our religion only with these practices. Indeed, if we are not careful, the external practices can hide the deep meaning of our Christian faith.
Due to the virus, we are challenged this year to live this most holy week without the traditional external trappings. There is still the Holy Week but we celebrate it differently, and hopefully, more deeply.
We open the Holy Week with the Palm Sunday. The palms, and any leafy branch for that matter, is a symbol of welcome to the Lord. We recognize him entering and taking possession of his city but in a lowly manner, riding not on a war horse but on a lowly beast of labor, a donkey. Now without palm branches in our hands, we can still welcome the Lord and ask him to enter our homes and our lives by our prayers and fidelity to his commands.
PANGTAHANANG PAGDIRIWANG NG MGA MAHAL NA ARAW AT NG PAGPAPAKASAKIT, KAMATAYAN AT MULING PAGKABUHAY NG PANGINOON PARA SA MGA PAMILYA
Nais naming ihandog ang mga pagdiriwang na pangtahanan ng mga Mahal na Araw at Banal na Triduo. May dalawang maaring pagpilian:
mga mungkahing gagawin ng pamilya na susubaybay sa live steam ng mga pagdiriwang;
mga panalangin na pamumunuan ng pinuno ng pamilya ayon sa Pagdiriwang ng Banal na Triduong Pampaskuwa Kapag Walang Pari.
Babalik tayo sa karanasan ng simbahan na nagtitipon ang mga Kristiyano sa mga tahanan para sumamba. Napakagandang pagkakataon nito na himukin ang mga pamilya na magdasal nang samasama.
Sa inyong mga tahanan, makiisa sa mga pagdiriwang sa pakikikinig, pagsagot, pag- awit, pagkilos, pagninilay at pagtahimik. Makaktulong na maghanda ng altar na may krus at kandila.
Habang binibigkas ang panalangin sa Pagbabasbas ng mga Palaspas, hawakan ang palaspas o kahit anong dahon.
Pakinggan at pagnilayan ang ebanghelyo tungol sa pagpapakasakit at kamatayan ni Hesus. Magbahagi ng mga pagninilay bilang isang pamilya.
Sa mga parokya na ililibot ng Banal na Sakramento, hawakan ang palaspas o anumang tangkay na may dahon bilang pagbubunyi kay Hesus.
Misa ng Hapunan ng Panginoon (Huwebes Santo)
Pagkatapos ng pagdiriwang, maaring hugasan ng tatay o nanay ang paa ng mga anak at iba pang kasama sa bahay.
Maaring tipunin ang mga handog na bunga ng pagtitika sa panahon ng Kuwaresma. Mangyaring ipadala ito sa parokya o sa anumang charitable institution. Maari ring humanap ng matutulungang dukhang pamilya sa pamayanan.
Ang Visita Iglesia sa taong ito ay gagawin sa pamamagitan ng paglibot ng Banal na Sakramento.
Pagidirwang ng Pagpapakasakit ng Panginoon (Biyernes Santos)
Pakinggan at pagnilayan ang ebanghelyo tungol sa pagpapakasakit at kamatayan ni Hesus. Magbahagi ng mga pagninilay bilang isang pamilya.
Sa oras ng pagpaparangal sa Banal na Krus, maaring halikan ng mga miyembro ng pamilya ang krus sa tahanan.
Dasalin ang Daan ng Krus bilang pamilya.
Sabado Santo
Tipunin ang pamilya at magdasal ng Panalangin sa Umaga na tila nagtatanod sa libingan ni Hesus.
Panatilihin ang katahimikan at pagninilay habang hinihintay ang Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay.
PMPI Press Release on the Homonhon Islanders blocking-off Techiron Mine Ore Loading 06 April 2020
Quezon City, Philippines – Concerned residents of Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, one of the many islands hit by Typhoon Yolanda, through their barangay captains, blocked-off the entry of a vessel from China.
The vessel named MV “VW Peace”, flying a Panamanian Flag, manned by Chinese and Myanmar crew is reported to have come from Macau but temporarily docked in Davao for a few days and is supposed to proceed to Cantilado Pier in Homonhon Island based on documents collected. With this, the island’s eight (8) barangay captains immediately issued a joint resolution banning entry of MV “VW Peace” to Homonhon Island.
According to Yoly Esguerra, National Coordinator of the Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI), “the resolution is a good sign that even in a time of pandemic, the eight (8) barangay leaders, the Municipal Government of Guiuan, and the Provincial Government of Eastern Samar have worked together in decisively weighing the importance of their community-members’ health rights over mining. That the people are united in asserting their health rights sends a flicker of hope amidst the sea of chaos and loss for many in Luzon are troubled by COVID-19 pandemic, they are all united in asserting their health rights.”
Gov. Ben Evardone communicated the said issue to USec. Mitch Cuna of to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and said that the docking of the ship carrying foreign crew and transporting of ore, will violate the both the national and prevailing Provincial Government’s Executive Order on enhanced community quarantine that prohibits mass gatherings. Meanwhile, Mayor Annaliz Gonzales-Kwan mobilized the local PNP and Philippine Coast Guard to bar the foreign vessel from docking into the island.
Fr. Christian Ofilan, Priest at St. John the Baptist Parish in Homonhon Island earlier raised concern over the said vessel and appealed to concerned government officials not to allow the loading of mine ores in the island for the sake of “common good, our health” he said.
“The Joint Baranggay Resolution dated 6 March 2020 bans the entry of strangers into the island, parallel to the National Government’s effort to fight-off the spread of COVID-19”, said Carmi Macapagao, a resident of Homonhon Island and field officer of PMPI’s Project Pagbangon. She added, “Homonhonanons are grateful that Hon. Ben Evardone prioritized our health over a mining corporation and made efforts to notify DENR regarding this development.
Mr. Wenifredo O. Gapate Jr. from Brgy. Pagbabangnan, is one the signatories of the Barangay Joint Resolution, said, “The mining companies, out of greed to gain more profit acts like a thief in the night, attacking the people while sleeping. But they made the wrong move, despite many concerns due to the broadening of COVID-19 infection, we are forever vigilant. He added, “We will continue to monitor movement of these mining companies. We intend to boot them out of the island because they are destroying our home and are robbing our children of their future.”
Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar is historical site tied to Magellan’s first landing in the Philippines back in 1521 and home to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red-listed and Critically Endangered Philippine Cockatoo.
Homonhon Island along with its neighbor Manicani Island and the entire Province of Eastern Samar are covered by Provincial Ordinance No. 09, series of 2005 that prohibits large-scale mining in the entire Eastern Samar Province.
Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) Statement 06 April 2020
Quezon City, Philippines — Amid the Duterte administration’s increasingly hostile militarist lockdown, the Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) calls on Philippine civil society to defend and protect civic spaces and empower the marginalized (http://chng.it/HZt2Gjb92q).
CPDG strongly protests Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s dangerous and irresponsible order to kill citizens that security forces deem as defying the military lockdown. In a nationally broadcast announcement on April 1, 2020, he said: “Shoot them dead”. The president’s duty is to uphold the rights and welfare of Filipinos. The State and its officials, including security forces, are duty bearers that are accountable to the people.
The president is wrong to treat people asserting their right to emergency relief and to express their views on the government’s response as enemies. The real enemy today is the spread of the COVID-19 and the social and economic crisis this is spawning.
The president is also very wrong to single out activist groups in civil society and shut out their participation in governance. For decades now, activist people’s organizations and NGOs have been among the most determined civil society organizations (CSOs) asserting the right to development. Red-tagging has no place in a democracy, and only becomes more condemnable when done in the middle of the worst public health crisis in the nation’s history.
This is a time of serious crisis. Filipinos are suffering greatly with very uncertain and even dire prospects in the new normal that the pandemic has wrought. The public health system needs to be strengthened further and immediately. The poorest and most vulnerable also need to be immediately given emergency relief including food, hygiene supplies and income support.
The last thing the country needs is for the government itself to threaten and harass civil society groups which are among those on the frontlines of trying to alleviate the widespread suffering that the virus and military lockdown are causing.
TO ALL THE BISHOPS AND THE DIOCESAN ADMINISTRATORS
Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, and Reverend Administrators:
RE: Supplement to the Recommendations for Holy Week and Paschal Triduum Celebrations in Time of Covid-19
This present Circular is a supplement to our previous recommendations, Circulars No. 20-14 and No. 20-15. At the same time, the Congregation For Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) has also released two (2) Decrees/Instructions relevant to our Holy Week and Paschal Triduum Liturgical Celebrations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will refer to these two documents as Vatican Guidelines.
All these instructions on the liturgical celebrations of the Church during this time of world crisis should help us find the balance between the worthy celebration of the liturgy of the Rites of Holy Week and the call of our health and civil authorities to help stem the rapid transmission of the Corona Virus Disease.
Relative to the above, especially with the recent instructions from the Holy See, we have this present Circular containing additional observations and suggestions of Fr. Genaro Diwa, Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy, for the celebrations of Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum:
On the Liturgical Celebrations of Holy Week
1. Avoid Concelebrations: The recent Vatican Guidelines specifically instruct us to avoid concelebrations since our celebrations must also show our sincere efforts at avoiding the gathering of people.
2. Omitting the Sign of Peace: The recent Vatican Guidelines indicate “omitting the sign of peace”. But we can still do the giving of the sign of peace since in our recent practice it is done now through the nodding or bowing of the head. (cf. CBCP Circular No. 20-05, dated January 29, 2020: Discourage our faithful from holding hands during the singing/praying of the “Our Father” and shaking of hands during the Sign of Peace).
3. The Vatican Guidelines emphasize that all our Holy Week and Paschal Triduum Celebrations be made available to our faithful:
a. That the Holy Week and Paschal Triduum Celebrations should be brought to our faithful through radio, television, and social media;
b. That the schedules of these broadcasts should be known to our faithful so they can follow, in spirit, these celebrations;
c. That these scheduled celebrations made available to the faithful should be LIVE coverages.
4. On our Previous Suggestion (cf. CBCP Circular 20-15): For the presider of the celebrations to go around the parish after every celebration whether to bless the Palms, bring the Blessed Sacrament and the Cross:
This should be considered with great caution, having in mind not to give an opportunity for our faithful to congregate outside their homes. In such a scenario, it will be very difficult to implement the “social distancing” measure. Moreover, such a scenario will be in contradiction to the lock down and “stay at home” measures now enforced in many places.
On this matter, close coordination with local government and health authorities should be done.
5. Palm Sunday: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
a. “The Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem is to be celebrated within the church, the sacred building.” (Vatican Guidelines, March 25, 2020).
b. The same Vatican Guidelines recommend the use of the “Second Form: Solemn Entrance” for the Cathedral churches and the “Third Form: Simple Entrance” for the Parish churches. However, we recommend upon closer study that we use the “Second Form: Solemn Entrance” but in a modified way. Since the blessing of the palm branches is in this form, it may be used at the Entrance Rite when the presider is already in the sanctuary.
c. When the faithful follow this celebration through radio, television, and social media, the blessing of their palms or any leaf branches is imparted by the Scriptural Reading and Prayer of Blessing during the celebration. In their homes there is no need for holy water for the blessing of their palm branches.
6. The Chrism Mass
a. Both Vatican Guidelines allow us this: After thorough assessment of the situation of the diocese in the face of the threat of Covid-19 and in compliance with the call of our government and health authorities to avoid mass gatherings, each bishop may transfer the Chrism Mass to another date when this crisis has ended.
b. Holy Oils: In this situation, if the diocese will need new Chrism, the Bishop may consecrate some amount of Chrism. The Oil of the Sick may be blessed by each priest during the celebration of the Anointing of the Sick, as the need arises. This is provided for in the Rite of Anointing of the Sick.
7. Holy Thursday: The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
a. Please refer to our previous Circular (cf. CBCP Circular No. 20 – 15).
b. A Particular Note: The recent Vatican Guidelines say, “The faculty to celebrate Mass on this day in a suitable place, without the people, is granted in an exceptional manner to all priests.”
This means that each priest may celebrate the Mass alone on this occasion. This is due to the intrinsic connection between the priesthood and the Eucharist, the anniversaries of which are highlighted in the liturgical celebration of this evening.
8. Good Friday: Friday of the Passion of the Lord
a. Please refer to our previous Circular (cf. CBCP Circular No. 20 – 15).
b. The liturgy is the usual Liturgy of the Friday of the Passion of the Lord found in the Roman Missal.
c. The recent Vatican Guidelines indicate that the Presider alone will do the kissing in the Veneration of the Cross.
d. In the Solemn Universal Prayers in this liturgy of Good Friday, the recent Vatican Guidelines say, “The bishop will see to it that there is a special intention for the sick, the dead, for those who feel lost or dismayed (cf. Roman Missal page 307, no. 13).
In the concrete, this special intention would include those who are presently sick of Covid-19, those who have died because of this disease, as well as our doctors, nurses and other medical staff, health care workers, the frontliners in the food services and relief operations, those keeping peace and order, civil servants, and the poorest among our families who are greatly affected by this crisis.
9. Easter Vigil:
a. Please refer to our previous Circular (cf. CBCP Circular No. 20-15).
b. The recent Vatican Guidelines say that the Easter Vigil is to be celebrated only in Cathedral and parish churches.
c. This can be celebrated not earlier than 5:00 p.m.
d. The “Lucernarium” can be celebrated but within the building of the Church.
e. In the “Baptismal Liturgy”, we only omit the “Ritual of Baptism” and we maintain the “Blessing of Water” (cf. The prayer of blessing used if no one is present to be baptized) and the “Renewal of Baptismal Promises”.
Related Considerations:
1. Holy Week and Paschal Triduum Family/Home Celebrations: These we offer to our faithful so that they can use them even if they cannot be physically present in all our liturgical celebrations. It is to be noted that these Family/ Home Celebrations are different and are to be used apart from the liturgies we offer to our faithful to watch and listen to.
These Family/Home Celebrations can be used after the family has followed the liturgical celebrations of the Church through radio, television, and social media. The father or any of the elders of the household can lead the celebration.
We will send you the PDF copy of these celebrations so you can translate these to your native language and eventually disseminate them to your parishes.
2. The Need for Confession when No Priest is Available: The opportunity of celebrating the Sacrament of Confession is extremely difficult to have during this crisis situation.
Thus, we remind our clergy that our faithful should be instructed on the issue of the need for Confession in a situation when no priest is available. On this problematic pastoral situation, Pope Francis has made this clarification, echoing the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Nos. 1451 and 1452):
“I know that many of you go to confession before Easter… Many will say to me: ‘But Father…I can’t leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me… How can I do that unless I find a priest?’. Do what the catechism says. It’s very clear. If you don’t find a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’ You will return to God’s grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand.” (Homily, Casa Santa Marta Chapel, Pope Francis, March 20, 2020).
3. Guidelines for Those Who Minister to those Affected by the COVID-19: We are also sending you a copy of the Guidelines for Those Who Minister to those Affected by the COVID-19.
4. Modified Holy Week and Paschal Triduum Celebrations: We will also send you, the soonest, copies of the modified Holy Week and Paschal Triduum Celebrations, to guide our clergy and our faithful.
A. Guidelines on Police Visits Looking for Possible Accommodations of Police Personnel in Our Parishes
The incidents regarding policemen scouting for church’s facilities for their possible accommodation should not be a cause for concern. They are not going to take-over your facilities. They are doing it merely for inventory. In the event that they’ll be needing a place to stay, your facilities may be considered but only after going through a proper and formal protocol.
Here’s what we have to do as pastors:
1.) Accommodate and talk to police-visitors and discuss with them the purpose of their visit. They are to identify themselves and give the names of their commanding officers who sent them. Note these down for proper documentation.
2.) Parish priests or another priest designated by the parish priest are to communicate with them.
3.) Letter of request from either the Chief PNP, City Mayor, or the City Police Chief addressed to the Local Ordinary or the Apostolic Administrator of Manila is to be given. This letter will be sent to the Administrator for verification. Personal request, meaning without the behest of the PNP Chief, City Mayor, or City Police Chief should be politely declined.
4.) Once the request is granted by the Apostolic Administrator, pastors are to be responsible in determining the extent of help to be given to police front liners. How many days will they be staying? Will they be provided food, drinks, and other basic necessities? Some are merely looking for a place to stay and would not expect the above-mentioned provisions.
5.) Only schools, halls, gymnasiums, and other rooms are to be used for such accommodation, not the church itself.
6.) Once they are accommodated, make a close coordination with Barangay officials and inform the latter of the presence of policemen in your church.
7.) If the parish is unable to accommodate them, politely decline such a request and refer them to the Coordinating Committee led by Fr. Jason Laguerta and Fr. Jerome Secillano and let the Committee suggest another available place if there is any.
8.) We need to exercise prudence and charity in dealing with people in need.
9.) The greater good of the parish should also be considered in this particular situation.
10.) The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) reserves the right to either allow or refuse the use of church’s facilities under its jurisdiction.
B. Guidelines on the Possibility of Using Church’s Facilities as Quarantine Areas for PUIS & PUMS
Providing our facilities as quarantine areas for PUIs and PUMs is easier said than done. Aside from the fact that our facilities are not equipped for such a situation, the risk of transmitting Corona virus is high since many of our churches and facilities are very close to communities or residential areas.
Besides, there are other private facilities which are tailored for this situation since they already have rooms, toilets, and kitchens that should make proper medical and health interventions for PUIs and PUMs easier.
The government can look at hotels, motels or big apartelles before they should even consider our church’s facilities.
We also believe that there are still other huge public buildings that are owned either by the national or local government that can be properly utilized for accommodating PUI and PUM cases.
Nonetheless, in this critical and difficult situation we need to show our readiness to help and collaborating with our government at this juncture is for the common good.
In the event, therefore, that we are approached and asked to have our parish facilities to be considered for this purpose, we are to do the following:
1.) Ask which government agency he/she is connected. Verify his/her status. Ask for the person’s identity and the name of the superior who sent him/her. There should be a formal written request.
2.) Entertain and listen. Politely tell him/her that you are referring the matter to the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila or to the religious superior because only he/she can make the appropriate decision.
3.) Inform the Apostolic Administrator or the religious superior. He/she will act on it based on the following considerations:
a.) There is a formal request from the LGU for the purpose of using church’s facilities for the quarantine of PUIs and PUMs. Based on government proclamations (Proclamation No. 922 dated March 8, 2020) and guidelines (DILG Memo Circular No 2020-062 and DOH Memo No 2020-0123), it is the LGU where the Parish is located that must send the request. The request indicates the specific intended purpose or use of the identified facility/ area, as well as the duration of the use, subject to extension, if necessary.
b.) The possible use of church’s facilities for the aforementioned purpose is a last recourse measure. The LGU must present that all other facilities have been assessed and were found to be inadequate; then an assessment by the municipal, city or provincial health officer must be shown that church’s facility to be used is suitable for the specific intended purpose.
c.) The facility will be manned by DOH experts and personnel applying the necessary medical protocols and expenditures. The LGU presents a planned management of the facility. It is to be under the supervision of the City/ Municipal Health Officer, as stated in DOH Department Memorandum No. 2020-0123. It conforms to the DOH standards and guidelines, including, but not limited to patient management, safety standards within the facility and immediate community, waste management/ disposal, and other similar/ related health requirements.
d.) Normally, the church itself is not to be used for this purpose. Possible facilities are gymnasium, auditorium, classrooms, halls and other areas with wide spaces. The LGU request must include a commitment for the safekeeping of all property and valuables in the facility to be used during the operations and the conduct of the cleaning and fumigation of the area.
e.) The Apostolic Administrator, in his wise and prudent judgment, is to consider not only the good of the patients but of the church community as well. He, therefore, reserves the right to either allow or refuse the use of church’s facilities under his governance or administration.
f.) A distinction is to be made between facilities owned by religious congregations and those under the Archdiocese of Manila. The Apostolic Administrator has no jurisdiction over properties owned by religious congregations. Requests for their use are to be made directly to the religious superiors concerned.
BP. BRODERICK PABILLO Apostolic Administrator of Manila 3 April 2020
NASSA/Caritas Philippines Situationer 4: COVID-19 April 2, 2020
Caritas Response
The Social Action Network COVID-19 Response has now amounted to more than 45 million pesos with over 30 diocesan social action centers responding either through the establishment of the Community Caritas Kindness Stations, distribution of relief goods, providing shelter to frontliners and families, and fundraising for PPEs and medical supplies.
In response to the call to support COVID-19 frontliners, temporary shelters were established in church institutions such as the St. Mary College (RVM), St. Anthony’s Shrine (OFM), Convent of the Holy Spirit (SSPS), Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Convent (FMM), Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Guia, OFM Provincial House of San Pedro Bautista Province and St. John Bosco Parish Makati.
Parishes and church institutions also have offered their facilities to shelter medical frontliners, like in Sto. Nino Parish in Tondo, Manila; Our Lady of Peñafrancia Seminary in Sorsogon City; St. Mary College, Quezon City; St. Anthony’s Shrine, Manila; Convent of the Holy Spirit, Quezon City; Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Convent, Manila; Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guia, Manila; OFM Provincial House – San Pedro Bautista Province, Quezon City; St. John Basco Parish, Makati; and the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Seminary in Sorsogon
Safer Spaces were created by partner Catholic schools for the Homeless in De Lasalle University, College of St. Benilde, Tahanan (St. Scholastica), Malate Catholic School, Paco Catholic School, Espiritu Santo Elementary School, Arnold Janssen Kalinga Night Shelter
Caritas Manila continues its fundraising campaign to primarily assist the vulnerable sectors in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, while Pondo ng Pinoy has allocated 1 million pesos for its 20 member-dioceses
NASSA/Caritas Philippines continue to push for the advocacy calls it launched on March 17, 2020 especially calling on: 1] #MassTestingPH, 2] adequate food and essential supplies provision, 3] better packages for the daily income earners, 4] mass disinfection, 5] moratorium on payment of mortgages, interests on loans, and financial obligations, 6] community level citizen’s desks should be set up as feedback, grievance, and action mechanism, and the 7] provision of better information dissemination mechanisms.
Photos of the decentralized, community-based humanitarian response of the Catholic Church:
Fresh vegetables from the Mt. Province are part of the goods being distributed by Caritas Baguio.
Fr. Satur Lamban leads the Caritas Kindness Station in Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao.
Fr. Edione Febrero serves as one of the drivers of the free shuttle service organized by social action center for the medical frontliners in the Diocese of Antique.
Volunteers help in making face masks in Catarman, Northern Samar for those who can’t afford to buy, and for their frontliners.
Easter Message by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar
Dear Friends in Christ,
Happy Easter!
Let the hope of the Risen Lord continue to throw the light in our path. Say with joy “Alleluia! Jesus is risen!” Resurrection is our faith, resurrection is our hope. More than any year we need more faith and hope in 2020.
True – these are dark days – a huge, suffocating cloud of fear and anxiety engulfs the whole humanity. Like the ‘Dark Night of Soul’ experienced by saints like St John of the Cross, the whole humanity’s hope is strangled by the darkness of despair that comes in the name of COVID. These are tough times, abnormal times, these are periods of faith in which our certainties, hopes for the future, beliefs about God, and even faith itself are eclipsed. Half a million people are infected, more than 22,000 people have died and 200 countries are affected. Italy has seen 63 priests and more than 20 doctors perishing in their service to the affected people. The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse seemed to have arrived.
Yet we proclaim with joy “Alleluia! Jesus is risen!”
COVID-19 is virtually the Way of the Cross for humanity. Thousands have been crucified to a cruel death by a viral organism that cannot be seen by eyes. Thousands have been walking an excruciating Way of the Cross in many countries. We pray that thousands afflicted and walking in their way of the Cross, be strengthened by the faith that the Cross ends in Resurrection.
So let us shout with joy – despite all challenges – “Alleluia! Jesus has risen!”
But COVID-19 challenges our faith. The Catholic Church is about communion. In joy and fellowship, in every mass we gather to affirm and celebrate our communion. Our mission is to build communion and yet in this time of crisis, we seem to surrender ourselves to isolation. Paradoxical as it may seem, keeping distance from one another means we truly care for each other, because we want to stop the transmission of the deadly virus.
The most painful reality has been that churches are closed. Pope Francis once said the Church should be like a “field hospital”, available where human brokenness and the wounded need the healing touch of Mother Church. Yet the places where we sought God, where we shed our silent tears of brokenness and sought human fellowship are now closed. The Vatican remains closed. In many countries, the Sacrament of Communion, the Eucharist, is stopped. What wars and persecutions could not do, the invisible virus achieved without much ado.
This is painful. This is a long “Holy Saturday”, when the Church waits amidst all signs of death. “Holy Saturday” when the Church “abstains from the celebration of the Eucharist” meditating on the passion of the Lord and awaiting his resurrection.
We, Catholics and all humanity, wait with hope that this Holy Saturday will end with a victorious Easter. All long dark nights end with the dawn. Evil has an expiry date. Good has none. The Church is God’s hope-generating agency. So with joy and hope say: “Alleluia! Jesus is risen!
With the Psalmist let us sing with hope in these troubled times:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble, He will conceal me in the cover of his tent. Psalm 27: 1, 5
Humanity and the Church have waded through valleys of tears before: the various plagues mentioned in the Bible, the Black Plague of the Middle Ages, when half of European people perished and nearly half of the church personnel sacrificed their lives, the ‘Spanish’ Flu that took more than 50 million of world population. Nothing new now.
COVID-19 will leave nothing unchanged. This angel of death, like the Seventh Seal of the Book of Revelation, brings a shattering message. Nothing will be same again. The way we worship, the way we relate with one another, the way we work, will all change. We are at the dawn of a new consciousness, a radically fresh approach to our life as the human family in a fragile world. Social distance risks bringing social paranoia – fear of my brother and sister. Instead, we must insist that these measures arise from and lead to new forms of solidarity.
COVID-19, the invisible virus, has already taught existential lessons: the richest and more powerful nations that have arrogantly stockpiled nuclear arms and weapons, are brought to knees by a virus. World powers that arrogantly negate all transcendent powers, learn with humility that life is fragile and that we all need one another. More than anything, all powers can learn to acknowledge the presence of a Power that is above all. With great pain many countries realize that they have more soldiers in their countries in the business of killing than they have doctors who can save lives. Humanity itself is on the way of the Cross. May this Cross lead all nations to consign enmity and war to fire and, rather, see resurrection in human solidarity. Now is the time for the Church to accompany the world in this resurrection to justice and human solidarity.
Buddhists and Christians: Constructing a Culture of Compassion and Fraternity
Vatican City
Dear Buddhists Friends,
1. On behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, we extend our heartfelt greetings and good wishes to you and to all Buddhist communities around the world as you celebrate the feast of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri. For the last twenty-four years, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has sent greetings to you on this happy occasion. Since this year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of this traditional message, we would like to renew our bond of friendship and collaboration with the various traditions you represent.
2. This year, we would like to reflect with you on the theme “Buddhists and Christians: Constructing a Culture of Compassion and Fraternity”. We are mindful of the high value our respective religious traditions give to compassion and fraternity in our spiritual quest and in our witness and service to a wounded humanity and a wounded earth.
3. The Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together states: “Authentic teachings of religions invite us to remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence”. Meeting the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch in Thailand last November, His Holiness Pope Francis expressed that “we can grow and live together as good “neighbors” and thus be able to promote among the followers of our religions the development of new charitable projects, capable of generating and multiplying practical initiatives on the path of fraternity, especially with regard to the poor and our much-abused common home. In this way, we will contribute to the formation of a culture of compassion, fraternity and encounter, both here and in other parts of the world” (cf. Visiting the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch, Bangkok, 21 November 2019).
4. The Feast of Vesakh/ Hanamatsuri prompts us to recall that Prince Siddhartha set out in search of wisdom by shaving his head and renouncing his princely status. He traded his garments of Benares silk for the simple robe of a monk. His noble gesture reminds us of Saint Francis of Assisi: he cut his hair and traded his fine clothes for the simple robe of a mendicant because he wanted to follow Jesus, who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Philippians 2:7) and had “nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Their example and that of their followers inspire us to a life of detachment in view of what is most important. Thus, in consequence, we may more freely devote ourselves to fostering a culture of compassion and fraternity for the alleviation of human and ecological suffering.
5. Everything is related. Interdependence brings us back to the theme of compassion and fraternity. In a spirit of gratitude for your friendship, we humbly ask you to accompany and support your Christian friends in fostering loving kindness and fraternity in the world today. As we, Buddhists and Christians, learn from one another how to become ever more mindful and compassionate, may we continue to look for ways to work together to make our interconnectedness a source of blessing for all sentient beings and for the planet, our common home.
6. We believe that to guarantee the continuity of our universal solidarity, our shared journey requires educational process. To this end, a global event will take place on 15 October 2020 on the theme “Reinventing the Global Compact on Education”. “This meeting will rekindle our dedication for and with young people, renewing our passion for a more open and inclusive education, including patient listening, constructive dialogue and better mutual understanding” (Pope Francis, Message for the Launch of the Global Compact on Education, 12 September 2019). We invite you to work together with all to promote this initiative, individually and within your communities, to nurture a new humanism. We are also happy to see that Buddhists and Christians are drawing on deeply held values and working together to uproot the causes of social ills in various parts of the world.
7. Let us pray for all those who are affected by the coronavirus pandemic and for those who are caregivers. Let us encourage our faithful to live this difficult moment with hope, compassion, and charity.
8. Dear Buddhist friends, in this spirit of friendship and collaboration, we wish you once again a peaceful and joyful feast of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri.
Miguel Ángel Card. Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ President
Msgr. Kodithuwakku K. Indunil J. Secretary
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE 00120 Vatican City
My dear people of God in the Archdiocese of Manila,
We truly miss going to Church by now. We may see their big structures from a distance.
We may hear the regular ringing of their bells. We see them in our screens as we watch the online Masses. But oh, how we wish to go to them and pray. This feeling is very understandable after several weeks of quarantine. But let us not forget that though we may not be able to go to church, we can still live the church in our homes.
For the first three hundred years of Christianity, there were no big churches. Christianity was forbidden so the Christians could not construct big buildings; they gathered instead in their homes. They live the experience of being Church in their homes. Let us return to this. Let us be churches in our homes.
What makes a building a church? It is not the structure, nor the paintings or statue, much less the design. We go to church because there we are in the presence of God. We want to meet the Lord. There we experience the Lord in prayer. A building becomes a church because people gather there to pray together; it is there where the Word of God is being proclaimed. There we experience together that we are loved by God and we strive to love others too. Prayer. Word of God. Love. These are the essentials of the Church.
We can live these in our homes now. Let prayers be echoed in our homes, not just individual prayers but family prayers together. The Lord Jesus said: “In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.” (Mt. 18:19-20) During this quarantine days let us set aside time together to pray as a family. We join as a family in the online Masses, most especially on Sundays. The church bells are rung daily at 12 noon and 8 pm, inviting families to pray the oratio imperata and the family rosary.
In our homes too, the Word of God can be proclaimed and reflected upon. It would be good to have the family gathered together to hear passages of the Bible read as part of the family prayer. The family can have Bible sharing. Stories of the Bible can be told and retold within the family walls. The faith is not just a personal matter. It should be a family affair.
The Bible tells us: “We have recognized for ourselves, and put our faith in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” (1 Jn. 4:16) Where there is love, God is there. Let us strive during these days to really love one another in very practical ways. Love is not just in emotions. It is shown in deed. “Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances.” (1 Cor. 13:4-7) We can strive to do these in our life together in our homes. Parents can set the example to their children and thus lead them to holiness. Then love is there. Then God is there. Then the Church is there.
This love within the family can expand to the people around us. We do not have contact with many people during the quarantine, but surely we can be kind, courteous and generous to some neighbor, to the garbage collector, to the barangay tanods, to the storekeepers, to the poor around us. Then the church in the family is in action!
We can live the experience of Church in our homes. God is very much present among us even if we cannot go to Church. He comes to our homes when we pray together, let the Word of God be heard within our homes, and love is lived among us as a family.
Mother Mary lived that experience of church in her own home in Nazareth. Let us make the Holy Family the protectress of our family.
Yours truly in Christ Jesus,
+ BRODERICK PABILLO Apostolic Administrator of Manila 1 April 2020
