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...
In the celebration of 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25), the Episcopal Commission on Ecumenical Affairs (ECEA) is sharing the following:
1. The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity released what I could describe as a “short but sweet” prayer linking synodality and ecumenism as we celebrate the Week of Prayer. The prayer goes:
Heavenly Father, As the Magi journeyed towards Bethlehem led by the star, so by Your heavenly light, guide the Catholic Church to walk together with all Christians during this time of synod. As the Magi were united in their worship of Christ, lead us closer to Your Son and so to one another, so that we become a sign of the unity that You desire for Your Church and the whole creation. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
2. CBCP-NCCP Unity Statement FOR 2022 WPCU, attached.
Although we continue walking in “the dark valley of death,” yet, we continue giving our best in doing what we have to do, knowing that the Good Shepherd is at our side (cf Ps 23:4). With St. Paul we humbly but confidently, gratefully and defiantly exclaim, “I have \the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” (Phil 4:13)
Despite countless losses, we affirm with Pope Francis that “Children are a blessing for humanity and for the Church, bringing new life and energy to families and society.” (General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, March 18, 2015) Sadly, though, it is the children who are always among the most vulnerable and the most affected when calamities happen. As servant – leaders, it behooves us to echo Pope Francis: “The Church offers her maternal care to all children and their families, and she brings them the blessing of Jesus. May we always care for our children, not counting the cost, so that they may never believe themselves to be mistakes, but always know their infinite worth.” (General audience, St. Peter’s Square, April 8, 2015)
In the midst of the aftermath of super typhoon Odette, and in the face of the ongoing surge of the Omicron variant, may we be blessed, nevertheless, in many different ways; and may we continue to Offer — no matter how humble these may be — spiritual, moral and financial supports for the children. Incidentally, these past many years, most, if not all, of our collections, for the solidarity fund of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood primarily benefit Filipino children. Other countries continue to share part of their annual collections to Filipino children.
Please find attached the e-poster in celebration of the Feast of Sto. Niño, Holy Childhood Sunday. Kindly share this e-poster to as many individuals, communities and institutions as possible. Maraming salamat po! Praying for you and your mission, I remain
By: Tina G. Santos – Reporter Philippine Daily Inquirer | January 15, 2017
MANILA —Bishop Broderick Pabillo urged the Filipino Catholic faithful to show devotion to the Sto. Niño by showing compassion and acceptance toward those considered to be “small people” in the society.
“Filipinos’ devotion to the Sto. Niño is a manifestation of their love for children,” said Pabillo in his homily during Sunday’s celebration of the Feast of the Child Jesus in Tondo, Manila.
“Children depict small people… there are small people in our society who are ignored like the weak, the disabled, elderly, street people, those who are in prison, the indigenous people. The path to greatness is to accept these people. Let us not drive them away,” he added.
Pabillo said fighting abortion, death penalty, and extra-judicial killings could be manifestation of one’s devotion to the image of the Child Jesus.
“That small person inside a mother’s womb has a life already and has a right [to live]. We cannot just eliminate and remove it through abortion. Same reason why we do not agree with the resumption of death penalty even for those who committed crimes. The victims of EJK are the small people, they are those who have less or even nothing in life. They are still humans like us, they should be accepted instead of being sneered at,” Pabillo said.
“Jesus said we should imitate the children’s humility toward the small people; their humility and readiness to obey and understand God. Let us accept the small people in our society. Let’s care for them and let’s learn how to be humble,” he added.
Pabillo also spoke about marriage and divorce during the homily, saying protecting the sanctity of marriage by rejecting divorce can be another way of showing devotion to the Child Jesus because it’s a manifestation of love for children in a family.
“We love children that’s why we identify them with Sto. Niño. We have to care for them, but how do we care for them? When a family breaks, children are the ones who suffer, that’s why we do not like divorce. That is not the solution to the problems in the family. The problem should be fixed not by separation of parents because children suffer,” he said.
“We need the help of God to solve problems in the family, that’s why we have the unique blessing for families and that is the sacrament of marriage. That is why marriage in a church is important. More than the ceremony and papers, the blessing of God is important in a family life,” Pabillo added.
He urged unmarried couples who have been living together and have children to seal their union through marriage.
“Try to get married, or encourage those whom you know are living together but not yet married to get married so they can receive the blessings of God. But remember it’s not enough that you get married in church. We have to shower our family with prayers. Pray as one family. We need that to strengthen our family and to show that we really care and love our children,” Pabillo said.
CBCP President and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David. (Photo from the Bishop’s Facebook page)
KODAO Productions Raymund B. Villanueva | January 15, 2022
Bishop Ambo cites falsehood of ‘PH golden years’ under Marcos
The leader of the country’s Roman Catholics expressed support to a campaign for clean and honest elections, urging Filipinos to fight the current “age of disinformation” with “the moral imperative of truth and honesty.”
In an address to a group of businesspersons and professionals, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said Filipinos cannot afford to remain quiet when falsehoods gain the upper hand as the May 2022 elections approach.
The country’s leading Catholic prelate criticized claims that the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s rule was the so-called golden years of the Philippines, assertions meant to support the candidacy of his son and namesake Ferdinand Jr.
“When some candidates claim that the best government we ever had was the Marcos dictatorship, good heavens! When they claimed that martial law was meant only to discipline the Filipinos, good heavens! That it actually improved our economy and it provided jobs to the people, good heavens!” he exclaimed.
David also warned against the Filipinos’ inclination to vote for poll survey frontrunners, instead of candidates they think are morally upright.
“It could only mean we have failed big time with regard to the formation of a moral conscience among Catholics,” he said.
Ferdinand Jr. leads in several surveys among presidential aspirants
David added well-funded armies of trolls whose main task is to create and maintain thousands of fake accounts that regularly post fake news, false narratives, hate comments and messages must be opposed.
Old campaign
David spoke at an online re-launching of an honesty campaign by the group Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) on Saturday.
BCBP coordinator for programs and services Noel delos Reyes said their group is part of over 20 faith-based organizations pushing for “clean, accurate, responsible and transparent 2022 elections.”
The “Halalang Marangal 2022” (noble elections) campaign will not issue a list of candidates it will support but is focused on asking candidates to agree to disclose their statements of assets and liabilities by signing an honesty pledge, Reyes said.
The business leader said BCBP has also written earlier to the Commission on Election on apparent violations to the Election Code, including illegal early campaigning by many candidates.
The group refused to identify any erring candidate, however.
“The campaign shall focus on asking national candidates to sign the honesty pledge,” Reyes said.
Founded in 2000, BCBP claims a membership of 18,000 members across the country and abroad.
It launched its first Be Honest campaign in 2004 it replicated through various slogans in every succeeding election thereafter.#
Ordinary Catholics and church social action groups pull out all the stops to help the needy overcome Typhoon Rai
UCA News Joseph Peter Calleja Manila | January 14, 2022
Residents carry bottled water given as aid from a non-governmental organisation in Burgos town, Siargao island, on Jan. 5, weeks after Typhoon Rai devastated the island. (Photo: AFP)
Eighty-eight-year-old Anastasia Baroro begged the media to send out her short message.
“Please, air this so my children can watch it,” she told a reporter covering the aftermath of Typhoon Rai in Cebu in the central Philippines.
He expected to hear her lament how the typhoon had turned her bamboo hut into pieces, destroying the small store that sustained her.
Surprisingly, Anastasia began her statement with these words, “My children, I thank God because I am still alive. Do not worry about me because I am still here. I will see you soon.”
Instead of cursing the world, the old woman felt heaven had given her another chance to live despite her home collapsing around her. Her only wish was to see her daughter who lives in another town.
When Typhoon Rai struck the Philippines on Dec. 16 last year, it destroyed roads, bridges and infrastructure amounting to a conservative estimate of 28 billion pesos (US$560 million).
Even if they have money, there’s nothing to buy because stores were closed or destroyed
It also killed 407 people, injured more than 1,140 and wiped out thousands of homes on the islands of Cebu, Siargao, Surigao and elsewhere, leaving residents with no electricity or potable water.
The Catholic Church’s social arm Caritas and the Jesuit-run Tanging Yaman Foundation were among the first organizations to make their presence felt among people on the ground.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, meanwhile, appealed for help for typhoon victims.
In a Dec. 19 letter, Caritas chief Bishop Kolin Bagaforo called on all dioceses in the Philippines to support victims not only in terms of material goods but through prayer.
The bishops declared Dec. 25 and 26 as national days of prayer for families and communities affected by the mega storm, one of the most powerful to hit the country.
There were second collections in parishes across the country for dioceses worst hit by the typhoon.
Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese, the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Prinsesa in Palawan, and Dumaguete Diocese were among the beneficiaries of Caritas’ attempt to cushion the storm’s blow.
Caritas’ executive secretary Father Antonio Labiao told the press in December that people needed shelter materials, food, water and medicines urgently.
Pope Francis meets with diplomats accredited to the Holy See at the Vatican’s Hall of Blessings. Vatican Media.
CNA Staff Vatican City | Jan 10, 2022
Pope Francis lamented “cancel culture” in an address to diplomats at the Vatican on Monday.
Delivering his annual “state of the world” address on Jan. 10, the pope said that international organizations were increasingly pursuing “divisive” agendas at odds with the longstanding values of many countries.
“Not infrequently, the center of interest has shifted to matters that by their divisive nature do not strictly belong to the aims of the organization,” he said.
“As a result, agendas are increasingly dictated by a mindset that rejects the natural foundations of humanity and the cultural roots that constitute the identity of many peoples.”
“As I have stated on other occasions, I consider this a form of ideological colonization, one that leaves no room for freedom of expression and is now taking the form of the ‘cancel culture’ invading many circles and public institutions.”
While the pope delivered his address in Italian, he said the phrase “cancel culture” in English.
Speaking in the Apostolic Palace’s Hall of Blessings, the pope told representatives of the 183 states that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See that the “mindset” currently prevailing in international institutions ended up “canceling all sense of identity” while claiming to defend diversity.
He said: “A kind of dangerous ‘one-track thinking’ is taking shape, one constrained to deny history or, worse yet, to rewrite it in terms of present-day categories, whereas any historical situation must be interpreted in accordance with a hermeneutics of that particular time, not that of today.”
He went on: “Multilateral diplomacy is thus called to be truly inclusive, not canceling but cherishing the differences and sensibilities that have historically marked various peoples.”
“In this way, it will regain credibility and effectiveness in facing the challenges to come, which will require humanity to join together as one great family that, starting from different viewpoints, should prove capable of finding common solutions for the good of all.”
The pope did not offer any examples of the mindset he was deploring. But last month, he criticized a withdrawn document discouraging staff at the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, from using the word “Christmas.”
“The European Union must take in hand the ideals of the founding fathers, which were ideals of unity, of greatness, and be careful not to take the path of ideological colonization,” the pope told reporters as he flew home from Greece in December.
During the same in-flight press conference, he said it was vital to interpret a landmark report on abuse in the French Catholic Church over the past 70 years “with the hermeneutic of the time and not with ours.”
In his wide-ranging address, which lasted around 40 minutes, the pope reviewed his diplomatic activities in 2021 and touched on major global themes such as the coronavirus pandemic, immigration, climate change, and nuclear arms.
The live-streamed event in the gilded Hall of Blessings began with an address to Pope Francis by George Poulides, Cyprus’ ambassador to the Holy See and dean of the diplomatic corps.
“Thank you, Holy Father, for your untiring work, which is a source of hope for many peoples, for many men and women,” he said.
Speaking beneath a large tapestry depicting the nativity of Christ, the pope strongly endorsed COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.
“Sadly, we are finding increasingly that we live in a world of strong ideological divides,” he said. “Frequently people let themselves be influenced by the ideology of the moment, often bolstered by baseless information or poorly documented facts.”
“Every ideological statement severs the bond of human reason with the objective reality of things. The pandemic, on the other hand, urges us to adopt a sort of ‘reality therapy’ that makes us confront the problem head-on and adopt suitable remedies to resolve it.”
“Vaccines are not a magical means of healing, yet surely they represent, in addition to other treatments that need to be developed, the most reasonable solution for the prevention of the disease.”
The pope criticized what he called a “lack of resolute decision-making and clear communication” by the authorities amid the pandemic, which he said had created “a ‘social relativism’ detrimental to harmony and unity.”
He told the diplomats, who wore formal uniforms and face coverings, that he hoped to see renewed efforts so that “the entire world population can have equal access to essential medical care and vaccines.”
After recalling his 2021 trips to Iraq, Hungary, and Slovakia, the pope highlighted his meeting with migrants on the Greek island of Lesbos on Dec. 5.
“I am aware of the difficulties that some states encounter in the face of a large influx of people. No one can be asked to do what is impossible for them, yet there is a clear difference between accepting, albeit in a limited way, and rejecting completely,” he said.
He added that international indifference made migrants easy prey for traffickers.
“Sadly, we must also note that migrants are themselves often turned into a weapon of political blackmail, becoming a sort of ‘bargaining commodity’ that deprives them of their dignity,” he said.
The pope did not mention any countries by name, but the European Union recently accused Belarus of trying to help thousands of mainly Middle Eastern migrants to enter the EU via the country’s border with Poland.
The 85-year-old pontiff also spoke about what he called “massive migration movements” in the Americas, concentrated on the border between Mexico and the United States.
“Many of those migrants are Haitians fleeing the tragedies that have struck their country in recent years,” he noted, underlining the need for international cooperation on migration.
Turning to the environment, the pope expressed some disappointment at the outcome of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland.
“At the recent COP26 in Glasgow, several steps were made in the right direction, even though they were rather weak in light of the gravity of the problem to be faced,” he said.
“The road to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement is complex and appears to be long, while the time at our disposal is shorter and shorter.”
“Much still remains to be done, and so 2022 will be another fundamental year for verifying to what extent and in what ways the decisions taken in Glasgow can and should be further consolidated in view of COP27, planned for Egypt next November.”
The pope then gave a brief overview of the world’s hotspots, beginning with Syria, where he said that the general population should not be penalized by sanctions as poverty stalks the country after more than 10 years of war.
He described the conflict in Yemen, which has claimed an estimated 377,000 lives since 2014, as “a human tragedy that has gone on for years, silently, far from the spotlight of the media and with a certain indifference on the part of the international community.”
“In the past year, no steps forward were made in the peace process between Israel and Palestine,” he noted, calling for direct talks.
Rome, June 22-26, 2022 Catechesis No. 7 May I, thank you, pardon me
Indeed, these expressions open up the way to living well in your family, to living in peace. They are simple expressions, but not so simple to put into practice! They hold much power: the power to keep home life intact even when tested with a thousand problems. But if they are absent, little holes can start to crack open and the whole thing may even collapse. 1
As we can see from experience, the life of every family is not characterized only by wonderful and enlightening moments. Often, in fact, the difficulties and trials of life and history make the experiences of families dark and difficult. Sometimes it is because they struggle to live together, sometimes because their relationships are not always easy and carefree, sometimes because the couple’s relationship goes through moments of disappointment and frustration and the relationship between the spouses is marked by «a thousand forms of abuse and subjugation, misleading seduction and humiliating ignorance, even the most dramatic and violent kind»2.
In order to obtain the fullness of Love it is necessary to follow a slow and gradual path, which is most often tiring and demanding, and which requires a process of growth in which each day one must humbly and perseveringly accept the Grace of Christ. This Grace, which husband and wife already invoke on the day of their Matrimony as an essential element of their union, is the principal support of spouses. It is only with Christ’s help that one can in fact come to love fully, to renounce to continual demands, to reject the ambition of controlling every aspect of reality, to leave aside the desire to dominate the lives of others. Only He has the power to “change the hearts of human beings and render man and woman capable of loving one another as Christ has loved us” (cf. FC 13). In fact, it is in the nature of Love (Christ) to always go beyond oneself, to love the other person with all his or her limits and respect his or her freedom.
If this is fundamental in every human relationship, it becomes even more so in the family: none of us alone are enough for ourselves. In fact, we are in such a condition of fragility that we constantly need to be supported in the fight against our own ego, which struggles to be selfgiving and recognize its very limits.
By embracing these three words – may I, thank you, pardon me – each member of the family is in a position to recognize his or her own limits. Acknowledging one’s own weakness leads each of us to not dominate over the other, rather to be respectful and not claim possession over him or her.
May I, thank you and pardon me are three very simple words, that guide us in taking very concrete steps along the path of holiness and in growing in love. Besides, they were words typical of the style of Jesus Christ, who asks permission to enter3, who continually thanks the Father, who teaches us to pray, saying: «forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us» (Mt 6:10).
Accepting that we alone are not enough for ourselves and leaving a place for others is the way to live not only love in the family, but the experience of faith as well.
Besides, every human being has been wounded by love during their life. Even in the family it can occur that words, actions or omissions have deeply mortified love.
Generally speaking, such an attitude or behavior that is created between parents and children, between brothers and sisters, between uncles and aunts, between grandparents and grandchildren, instead of expressing love, can harm or even destroy it.
It must also be noted that there are some wounds, such as illness and grief that are beyond our control, leaving us powerless and often deeply troubled.
These are experiences that sometimes seem to contradict God’s promises and to deny His infinite and eternal Love. However, when lived in faith and openness to others, they are just as many opportunities for feeling loved and cared for by God and by others and being the object of their attention.
These are often difficult and painful moments, but they also turn out to be favorable privileged periods in which the Lord comes to visit us, because “the love of Jesus was in giving health, doing good: this always takes priority!” 4.
Each of these hard, difficult and painful experiences become the concrete example of our path to holiness; opportunities that do not prevent us from loving anyhow and from remaining in His love.
However, without presumptions: the vulnerability and hardship of existence are embedded in life and do not allow us to move easily and quickly towards magical or unrealistic solutions. We need to be helped and to help.
In the midst of this hardship, the Holy Spirit accompanies us and does so many times thanks to our family members, our friends, and the people who show us their love: the endurance of love is the beginning of hope and makes us desire that the very Lord manifest Himself as the Love we need most.
“Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; For stern as death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire. Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away”.
Song 8:6-7
The faith and charity of the Gospel are not life guarantees, nor do they preserve us from the suffering and pain that characterize human existence. They do not ensure our immunity from evil and hardship. Rather, they are a light that brightens our lives in moments of darkness and affliction. Therefore, even the most painful and sad situations, lived in unison with Jesus Christ, can become opportunities for cultivating relationships among each other, growing in our faith in God and in the certainty that every event in our lives holds precious treasures of Grace.
1 POPE FRANCIS, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, Wednesday, 13 May 2015. 2 POPE FRANCIS, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, Wednesday, 22 April 2015. 3 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me”. Cf. Rv 3:20. 4 POPE FRANCIS, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, Wednesday, 10 June 2015.
Cardinal Jose Advincula celebrates Mass on the Feast of the Black Nazarane at the Quiapo Church in Manila on Sunday, Jan. 9. Photo from Quiapo Church
By CBCP News January 9, 2022
Cardinal Jose Advincula celebrated his first Feast of the Black Nazarene Mass as Manila archbishop on Sunday in an almost empty Quiapo Church, urging the devotees “to help each other live with dignity” in the face of crisis.
For the first time in recent memory, public Masses inside the minor basilica were banned for the feast amidst the sharp spike in coronavirus cases.
Instead, more than a dozen Masses were held in the church throughout the day and were livestreamed through the archdiocese’s different online platforms.
In his homily to devotees following the Mass on television and online, he exhorted them to rise from the challenges, turn away from sin and live as God’s children.
“Let us reach out to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are struggling today,” Advincula said in Filipino.
According to him, God does not want the people’s dignity to be trampled on. “He does not want us to be destroyed by sin and wickedness,” he said.
“Let us also stand to lead one another to holiness and prosperity in life,” Advincula said.
This year’s celebration also marked the second time after last year that the famous procession of the revered image of the Black Nazarene was called off since World War II.
The cardinal assured the devotees who were saddened by the restrictions that the Black Nazarene is still with them.
“Although not all of us can visit here in Quiapo, the Señor himself visits our families and homes,” Advincula said.
“Even if we can’t get close to his image, He is the one who is approaching us now. He enters our hearts and strengthens our hope. He intercedes with us and binds us in love,” he said.
The Manila archbishop also assured the millions of devotees that Jesus knows what they are going through, especially during this pandemic.
“He feels for us and he sympathizes with us,” he added.
