Walk for Life 2023 Gathers Thousands of Catholics
Bukal ng Buhay Episode 84: Letter of James (3)
Filipino prelate appointed member of Vatican dicastery
Many expect Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to serve as the voice of minorities at the Dicastery for Culture and Education
UCA News Reporter
February 13, 2023 11:16 AM GMT
Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu as a member of the newly-established Dicastery for Culture and Education.
“This symbolized the pope’s trust not only in the archbishop but in every Filipino,” Cebu Archdiocese said in a statement while announcing the appointment on Feb. 12.
The dicastery under the Roman Curia was formed through the merger of the Congregation for Catholic Education and the former Pontifical Council for Culture, where Archbishop Palma previously served as a member.
The dicastery works to promote culture and enhance cultural heritage. Its education section deals with fundamental principles of education regarding Catholic and ecclesiastical institutions, as published Church documents show.
Some priests in the archdiocese said Archbishop Palma would serve as the voice of minorities in the Vatican.
“There are so many cultural minorities in the Philippines. We hope Archbishop Palma will bring to the body his experience with cultural minorities here,” Father Mhar Balili from the archdiocese told reporters.
The dicastery is headed by Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, who was appointed as its prefect last September.
A group of catechists in the capital Manila praised the pope for appointing Archbishop Palma.
With his experience, the Vatican can now put forth guidelines for cultural minorities, Manila catechist Silvia Paredes told UCA News
“We need to disseminate faith by opening doors of culture,” Paredes said.
A human rights group fighting for indigenous people urged the archbishop to highlight the abuses of the Lumads, an indigenous people in Mindanao, whose ancestral lands are allegedly grabbed by private corporations.
“Our Lumads are continuously deprived of their ancestral lands. Certainly, they need to be protected,” James Cruz, a member of Karapatan, an alliance of human rights organizations, told UCA News.
Archbishop Palma has been heading the country’s biggest archdiocese since Oct. 15, 2010, replacing the late Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, who served as Cebu’s archbishop for 29 years.
Earlier, Archbishop Palma served as vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines from Dec. 1, 2009, to July 11, 2011.
Be a Valentine: Let love heal the world
Valentine’s Day, a time to show love, is a welcome celebration for today’s world, which is so lacking in compassion and selfless love, according to Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of the Diocese of Oyo, in Nigeria.
Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo – Diocese of Oyo, Nigeria.
Saint Valentine, with whom the celebration is associated, lived a life of selfless and sacrificial love beyond flowers, material gifts, kisses and sex.
Love keeps the world sane
All who celebrate Valentine’s Day should really become agents of authentic, life-giving love in all forms. If Valentine’s Day is about showing and spreading true love, then we all need it. Children, youth, adults, the elderly, the dying and even the dead all need love. No matter who we are, Bishops, priests, pastors, politicians, people in business, civil servants, traders, entertainers, athletes and artisans, young or old, we all need love to remain sane and make everyday life meaningful.
I have not found a better description of love than what Saint Paul wrote in the Bible, in his letter to the Corinthians: “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 truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love never ends” (1 Cor. 13: 4-8).
The healing power of love
That kind of Valentine love is needed in the world today. We need it in our homes; we need it in our churches, mosques and shrines. We need it in our schools; we need it in our streets. We need authentic agents of love in our markets, and we need them in our parks. We need them in our filling stations, businesses, and playgrounds. We need them in our banks where people now suffer for no fault of theirs. We need authentic love in every heart so that our country and world can heal from all our hurts and be sane again.
Paul also said: “If I am without love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13: 2). Can we ourselves achieve anything worthwhile and enduring without love? I doubt that we can. This is why I call on everybody to welcome and celebrate Valentine’s true authentic love that is selfless, forgiving, empowering, affirming and life-giving.
Continue readingUS bases make Philippines vulnerable to Chinese attack
February 10, 2023
It is time for Filipinos to start worrying about a possible war over Taiwan, now or in the future
If the Ukraine war has taught us anything, it is that any future military conflict especially in the South China Sea, the West Philippine Sea or the Straits of Taiwan will be a war primarily fought with short-range and long-range missiles, even hypersonic missiles, together with all internet systems being disrupted by cyber warfare.
The growing tension in the Asia-Pacific region with the Philippines at the center makes it time for Filipinos to start worrying about a possible war over Taiwan that would rain down Chinese missile strikes on any of the US bases, now or in the future, in the Batanes Islands, Cagayan, Basa Air Base or nearby Clark, Subic Bay and parts of Mindanao and Palawan.
On Jan. 31, The Manila Times reported as follows: “A four-star US Air Force general has warned of a conflict with China as early as 2025 — most likely over Taiwan — and urged his commanders to push their units to achieve maximum operational battle readiness this year. In an internal memorandum that first emerged on social media on Friday, and was later confirmed as genuine by the Pentagon, the head of the Air Mobility Command, Gen. Mike Minihan, said the main goal should be to deter ‘and, if required, defeat’ China.”
So, if there will be a major conflict here it will be over Taiwan and most certainly not over the Philippine atolls and sand banks taken and occupied by China from the Philippines and the few tons of fish stolen daily from Philippine waters.
“Much like Vladimir Putin, the Chinese president has grandiose imperialistic ambitions”
Taiwan is a small, democratic independent state with a Taiwanese population of 24 million as of 2020, and 150,000 to 200,000 Filipinos living there. It is just 320 kilometers (200 miles) north of the Philippines. It is claimed by China as part of its sovereign territory. China has declared in recent years that it wants Taiwan back under Beijing’s communist control even with the use of force.
Shortly after the then US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island state in August 2020 in a show of US solidarity, China unleashed a mighty military show of force in protest with fly-bys and threats of invasion. Much of that may only have been bluster but in fact, Xi Jinping, the militant-minded leader in Beijing, is determined to get it back. Much like Vladimir Putin, the Chinese president has grandiose imperialistic ambitions, fueled by a desire to go down in history as the leader that won back what China calls its rebel province.
According to some analysts, the missile war will likely be won by those with the most effective and accurate hypersonic missiles launched from the air or those forces with multiple, widely dispersed missile launch sites on land and ships that are too many to be attacked and overwhelmed simultaneously.
Continue readingPope Francis in video message: Human trafficking ‘disfigures’ human dignity
Catholic News Agency
February 10, 2023
In a video message released on the ninth World Day of Prayer and Reflection Against Human Trafficking, Pope Francis said human trafficking “disfigures” human dignity. The annual day of prayer takes place on Feb. 8, the day the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita.
The Holy Father began his message by addressing this year’s theme — Journeying in Dignity — and specifically encouraged young people to “care for dignity, yours and that of every person you meet.”
“I understand that it was you who chose ‘Journeying in Dignity’ as your theme,” he said. “This is very important: It points to a great horizon for your anti-trafficking efforts: human dignity.”
“Human trafficking disfigures dignity,” he continued. “Exploitation and subjugation limit freedom and turn people into objects to use and discard. And the system of trafficking profits from the injustice and wickedness that oblige millions of people to live in conditions of vulnerability.”
The pope acknowledged the rise in human trafficking and the targeting of women, children, migrants, and those “impoverished by economic crisis, wars, climate change, and so much instability.”
He added: “We know we live in a difficult time, but it is precisely in this reality that all of us, especially young people, are called to join forces to weave networks of good, to spread the light that comes from Christ and his Gospel.”
Pope Francis urged young people to be “missionaries of human dignity, against trafficking in persons and all forms of exploitation” and to “never tire of seeking ways to transform our societies and prevent this shameful scourge that is trafficking in persons.”
“I hope that many will accept your invitation to walk together against trafficking: to walk together with those who are destroyed by the violence of sexual and labor exploitation; to walk together with migrants, displaced persons, and those who are looking for a place to live in peace and family. Together with you young people, to courageously reaffirm the value of human dignity.”
The World Day of Prayer and Reflection Against Human Trafficking has taken place every year on Feb. 8 since Pope Francis first introduced it in 2015. The day holds significance as it is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, the Sudanese nun who was kidnapped and enslaved as a child and who is the patron saint of human trafficking.
This day of awareness is promoted by the International Unions of Superiors and Superiors General (UISG) and is coordinated by Talitha Kum, the international network founded by the UISG and committed to fighting human trafficking.
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Why persecuted Nicaragua bishop turned down the chance to leave the country
By Walter Sanchez Silva
ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 10, 2023 / 14:45 pm
Bishop Rolando Álvarez of the Diocese of Matagalpa refused to leave Nicaragua along with the 222 political prisoners — including several priests and seminarians — who were deported by the Daniel Ortega dictatorship on Feb. 9.
The prisoners arrived in Washington, D.C., following a ruling by the Managua Court of Appeals, which stated that “those sentenced who, for different crimes, violated the legal and constitutional order, attacking the State of Nicaragua and Nicaraguan society, harming the supreme interest of the nation” are deported.
The court explained that the deportation was carried out “to protect peace, national security, public order, health, public morals, [and] the rights and freedoms of third parties.”
In a speech yesterday, accompanied by his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, and other government officials, Ortega explained what happened with Álvarez, whom he called “that character.”
“This is not bartering,” the dictator said. “It’s a matter of principles, of dignity. And what it does is confirm that [the political prisoners] are returning to a country that, its ruler, not the American people, has used them to sow terror, death, and destruction here in Nicaragua.”
Ortega said that Álvarez was taken to the airport and before reaching the plane, “he starts saying that he’s not leaving, that he would first have to talk to the bishops, meet with the bishops, and he demands a meeting with the bishops. Which is absurd.”
Ortega said that what this means then is that the ruling by the Court of Appeals, is a “decision of the Nicaraguan State that he (Álvarez) does not abide by.”
According to the dictator, the bishop of Matagalpa asked that they call “all the priests, because he would have to talk to them. For them to get off the plane so they could talk to him. And for the bishops to also come to speak with him.”
Given the refusal of the prelate to get on the plane, Ortega said that they couldn’t force him.
“We couldn’t, because they didn’t allow that. In the agreement the U.S. authorities did not allow using force on anyone who didn’t want to go to the United States. They could not be forced to get on,” the dictator said.
Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa since April 2011, was arrested in the middle of the night by the Ortega dictatorship in August 2022 and held under house arrest in Managua shortly thereafter.
Continue readingWalk for Life 2023
January 24, 2023
TO: ALL LAIKO MEMBERS: NATIONAL LAY ORGANIZATIONS &
ARCH/DIOCESAN COUNCILS OF THE LAITY
Re: WALK FOR LIFE 2023
Dear Brothers & Sisters:
“Human life must always be defended from its beginning in the womb and must be recognized as a gift of God that guarantees the future of humanity”
Pope Francis
Our spirit of upholding life has never wavered even during the pandemic. We have even more become deeply aware of the sacredness of life and sincerely prayed and work tremendously together to preserve and keep it safe.
This year, as we return to normalcy, let us thank the Lord for the continuous blessings and graces especially the gift of life through a face-to-face WALK FOR LIFE. The “Walk for Life 2023” with the theme ”Clergy and Lay Faithful Called to Walk Together for Life” will be held on February 18, 2023, 4:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. The Walk will start at the Welcome Rotonda, Quezon City going to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Grandstand in España, Manila, where a program and Eucharistic Celebration will be held.
We are pleased to invite our esteemed Clergy and all Religious and Lay Organizations to actively support and participate. We earnestly appeal to everyone to campaign for this event to your respective networks. These composite teams from your groups will be a huge support as we celebrate life. In our modern society, the varying issues on life are urgent and we need to constantly express to everyone our uncompromising stand on the importance & sacredness of life.
To help us in our preparation, may we request that you send us the name of your Delegation Head and his/her contact numbers as well as expected number of participants on or before February 13, 2023. For inquiries, please contact the LAIKO Secretariat c/o Mr. Joseph Jesalva or Ms. Catherine Buenconsejo at tel. nos: 8251-9657,8527-5388;09674025652,09082496512;email: laiko_phils@yahoo.com.ph.
We are really counting on your usual active participation and your fervent prayers and support for the success of this noble endeavor.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely yours in the service of the Lord,
(Sgd.)RAYMOND DANIEL H. CRUZ, JR.
President
Noted by:
(Sgd.)+MOST REV. ENRIQUE V. MACARAEG, D.D.
Chairman
CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Laity
Caritas network joins opposition against mining in Sibuyan
By CBCP News
February 8, 2023
Manila, Philippines
The country’s social action network has joined the growing chorus of opposition to the large-scale mining operation in Sibuyan Island.
The network in a statement with Caritas Philippines said they stand behind the people who are determined to protect their island, dubbed the “Galapagos of Asia”.
“We feel a moral duty to safeguard and uphold the well-being of our shared environment,” part of the statement read.
“Therefore, we believe that the project would not serve the overall interests of the province and would pose a threat, particularly to the lives and lands of the communities on the island, and the rich biodiversity in the area,” they said.
The operations of nickel miner Altai Philippines Mining Corp. was earlier put on hold until all issues and concerns are addressed after more than a week of resistance from many residents.
At least two protesters were hurt when local police dispersed a human barricade against APMC’s alleged illegal operations due to supposed lack of necessary permits.
“We urge the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as all government offices, to prioritize protecting people and nature before vested socio-economic and political interests,” they also said.
“We know what is the right thing to do. Stop mining in Sibuyan. Stop mining in the Philippines,” they added.