Join us in reading about the Laity’s News from December 2024! And for all the other months: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eEK3M8Rdcc3HYSsxHZVhtk8qxxRCHyV_?usp=drive_link
STATEMENT OF THE SANGGUNIANG LAIKO NG PILIPINAS ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND SAFE SPACES IN THE CHURCH The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas firmly supports the call for...
Understanding the existing condition on our socio-economic and political situation at the national level is very important to know what we would like to change in making our vote in the coming 2022 elections.
Therefore, we have invited the Executive Director of IBON, Sonny Africa, to share with us the prevailing political and economic realities of the country based on their research and documentation, and how these influence the social, cultural and environmental aspects of our lives.
You are invited to join our Social Action Network in the Webinar on: National Situation – the context of our Vote in the 2022 Elections (NASSA/ Caritas Philippines Good Governance Webinar) on Thursday, 29 July 2021 at 9:30am – 12:00noon (zoom link will be provided to registered participants)
This Webinar is part of the series of CBCP-NASSA/ Caritas Philippines Good Governance webinars aimed at facilitating social consciousness towards establishing principled communities/ society.
For participation, please send the names and contact details of participants (mobile number and/ or email address) to our Good Governance Program Team at cbcp.nassajp@gmail.com or 09053519411 for zoom participation on or before 28 July to facilitate admission. The webinar will also be livestreamed in the NASSA/ Caritas Philippines Facebook Page.
Thank you and hope to hear from you!
CBCP-NASSA/ Caritas Philippines Good Governance Program Team CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue through the CBCP is furnishing us with their publication Pro Dialogo Vol. 166 containing documents and reports of activities on interreligious dialogue.
This publication may be useful in deepening our knowledge and in promoting dialogue with believers of different religions and cultures.
Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. (Is 10:1-2)
At this last Sona of President Rodrigo Duterte, we, the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, condemn the oppressive decrees implemented by the Duterte regime including the establishment of the NTF-ELCAC and the passing of the Anti-Terrorism Law that have led to the increased number of extra judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and harassments of people we work closely with, the peasants, fisherfolk and indigenous people.
We say woe to this regime and hold it responsible for the brutal massacre of the 9 Tumandok in Panay, leaving grieving widows and traumatized children, and the leaders in the March bloody Sunday raid, they who dared to stand for their rights to their ancestral land and the right to a life with dignity of rural communities.
We say woe to this regime for the constant red-tagging of peasant and indigenous leaders, often leading to extrajudicial killings or arbitrary arrest based on trumped up charges. We say woe to the regime for its use of dubious search warrants and to the justices who are complicit in this oppression particularly of the rural poor. We say woe to the regime for its attacks on the indigenous peoples, including the Lumads and the forced closure of their schools. We condemn the unfounded cases hurled to harass and unjust imprisonment of some of our members who generously give their time to help educate the Lumad children to enable them to live a dignified life, appreciating their own culture and traditions.
We say woe for the use of the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act to freeze our funds, attempting to stifle our service to the rural poor. Likewise, we condemn the freezing of the funds of the UCCP in Haran, again because the church has given shelter and solace to the displaced Lumads, empowering them to demand their right to peace and security in their ancestral lands. We stand with all the peoples organisations, including peasant women, whose funds had been frozen to prevent their organizing, welfare and development work.
We will not be silenced as this Government becomes more and more oppressive, as the poor are made prey to a development aggression which only benefits the rich including those who sit in positions of authority in the country.
At this SONA, we lend our voices to all those calling for an end to Duterte’s tyranny. We demand justice, strong in the assurance that “the wicked will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb…For the Lord loves justice and will never forsake his faithful ones” (Ps 37: 1, 28)
A part of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, July 23, 2021.
Vatican News 24 July 2021
The United Nations chief says the Olympic spirit “inspires and unifies us in troubled times”.
By Robin Gomes
China on Saturday claimed the first gold medal of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, after the world’s greatest sporting spectacle got off to a sobering start at the National Stadium Friday evening. Yang Qian won the first gold medal, setting an Olympic record in the women’s 10-meter air rifle event.
The Olympics and pandemic
The opening ceremony revealed an uneasy balance between the greatest show in sports and the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic that still continues to plague and toll lives around the world for more than 16 months since its outbreak.
Delayed by a year because of the pandemic, the 32nd Olympic Games is the first time that the sporting event has been postponed in its 124-year history. The inauguration of the July 23 to August 8 games permitted fewer than 1,000 spectators in the stands, among whom were the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, both wearing masks.
More than 11,300 athletes from 207 nations are competing in 339 events of 33 sports, all looking to come home with a coveted Olympic medal. There is also a team of refugee athletes competing under the Olympic flag.
Tokyo Archdiocese cancels pastoral programme for athletes due to pandemic
Even before the opening ceremony, a number of infections have emerged in Tokyo involving athletes and other people involved with the Games. Despite the subdued spirit, the Olympics Games mark a coming together of the world, with an audience of hundreds of thousands around the globe expected to tune in together to watch the various events of the sporting spectacle.
The Olympic spirit
The United Nations hailed the athletes and thanked the people of Japan for hosting the games. In a video message, on the occasion of Friday’s opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Olympic spirit brings out humanity’s best: teamwork and solidarity.
Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, Reverend Monsignori and Fathers, Consecrated Men and Women, Partners in the Family and Life Apostolate, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Peace be with you!
As mentioned by CBCP President Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles in his Pastoral Statement dated 4 June 2021, the Holy Father established the annual World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly as “the first-fruits of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year”.
1. To mark the historic launching on 25 July 2021, Pope Francis published a message to grandparents and the elderly. He assures them that “you are needed in order to help build, in fraternity and social friendship, the world of tomorrow: the world in which we, together with our children and grandchildren, will live once the storm has subsided. All of us must “take an active part in renewing and supporting our troubled societies” (Fratelli tutti, 77). Among the pillars that support this new edifice, there are three that you, better than anyone else, can help to set up. Those three pillars are dreams, memory and prayer.” I encourage you to watch or read his uplifting message.
2. Creative (and safe) initiatives can be organized as regional, diocesan, parochial, community celebrations. We especially recommend actual or virtual visits to the elderly, especially the neglected. In fact, the Holy Father has conceded the Plenary Indulgence “on this same day to the faithful who devote adequate time to actually or virtually visiting their elderly brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty (such as the sick, the abandoned, the disabled and other similar cases)”. According to the Decree,
• “The Apostolic Penitentiary… graciously grants the Plenary Indulgence from the heavenly treasures of the Church, under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) to grandparents, the elderly and all the faithful who, motivated by a true spirit of penance and charity, will participate on 25 July 2021, on the occasion of the First World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, in the solemn celebration that the Most Holy Father Francis will preside over in the Vatican Papal Basilica or at the various functions that will be held throughout the world, who may also apply it as suffrage for the souls in Purgatory.
• “The Plenary Indulgence may also be granted to, provided that they detach themselves from any sins and intend to fulfill the three usual conditions as soon as possible, the elderly sick and all those who, unable to leave their homes for a serious reason, will unite themselves spiritually to the sacred functions of the World Day, offering to the Merciful God their prayers, pains or sufferings of their lives, especially during the transmission, through the means of television and radio, but also through the new means of social communication the words of the Supreme Pontiff and the celebrations.”
3. To complement regional and diocesan programs, the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life has partnered with the Episcopal Commissions on Youth and on Liturgy and with the Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA) of the Philippines to offer a three-day virtual conference from 22 to 24 July 2021. Everyone is invited, especially the elderly and the young. It will be broadcast via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CBCP.ECFL/.
• On Thursday, 22 July, 2:00-3:30 p.m., Mrs. Catherine Wiley, the Founder and International President of the Catholic Grandparents Association, will give a talk on the theme of this year’s celebration, “I am with you always”. After a testimony, the diocesan family and life apostolate/ministry directors and coordinators are encouraged to partner with their CGA and organize opportunities for the faithful, especially grandparents, to share experiences and encouragement. The questions for sharing are these:
o Did the pandemic make it more difficult (or easier) to share your faith with your grandchildren? Share how you overcame the new challenges.
o Who is praying for you every day? For whom are you praying every day? Share some experiences of answered prayers.
• On Friday, 23 July, 2:00-3:00 p.m., we shall hear inspiring testimonies of grandparents who are passing on the Faith to their grandchildren in challenging situations. The session will end with short prayers for healing.
• On Saturday, 24 July, 2:00-3:30 p.m., I will reflect on “The Dignity of the Elderly and Their Mission in Our Society and in the Church” according to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. The session will also include a testimony.
Finally, we are happy to inform you that our next Amoris Laetitia Family Year event will be in collaboration with the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. The program will be sent to you in the first week of August.
1st World Day for Grandparents and The Elderly, July 25, 2021
The following intentions are for the elderly and grandparents:
– For all the elderly and grandparents: that even in their twilight years they may not cease being witnesses of Christian values and strength of character which are the firm foundations of every society, we pray to the Lord.
– For all those who are hurting and abandoned among our elderly, those who are lonely and sick: that they may find healing and care, consolation and forgiveness, peace and companionship, through us in the Church, we pray to the Lord.
– For all of us: that we may deepen our conviction on the value of every human life from conception to death and be resolute in effectively shunning the “throw-away” culture that sees and treats the old and the weak as objects that have outlived their usefulness, we pray to the Lord.
PRAYER FOR THE ELDERLY AND GRANDPARENTS
This prayer may be said after the post communion prayer:
God our loving Father, you are the source of life and of all gifts. You lovingly sustain us at every moment of our lives and you bring us to fullness of life in Jesus your Son and our Brother. We thank you for the wonderful gift of our grandparents and the elderly. You have given them to us to be our guide as they share with us the wealth of their experiences and the wisdom that they have gained through the years. We thank you for making them witnesses to us of your abiding presence and care at every turn and change of life. We pray that you bless all of them with joy and peace, with satisfaction at the fruits of their labor, and with the faithful love of their family. Strengthen their trust in your healing mercy in the face of the mistakes and sins of the past. Grant them the joy of companionship of their loved ones and friends. Protect them from all harm and evil that can obscure their vision of eternal peace and joy in your Kingdom. Give them the patience and courage to bear the cross of sickness and weakness of the body. Help them see their sufferings and discomfort as their sharing in the Paschal Mystery of Christ. Grant us all, their family and friends, the grace of firm conviction and faith in the value and dignity of every human person created in your image and redeemed by the sacrifice of Your Son on the Cross. May this help us to continue to support, respect, and love them. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Church people Cry out: Uphold human dignity, fight for social justice!
Core of our faith is embracing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden, and journeying with them in their long quest for social justice, no matter the tremendous odds. Our love of God is manifested in our love not only for our neighbor but of country. It is thus our moral obligation to actively take part in building genuine democracy.
These are dark times for the Philippines as we witness brazen violations of the sanctity of life in various ways – from anti-people economic policies, to extrajudicial killings that have caught the attention of the international community, rampant corruption and traditional patronage politics, and continued sell out of our patrimony and sovereignty.
The May 9, 2022 elections provide an avenue for the faithful to demonstrate their rejection of these anti-people ways, and reclaim human dignity towards genuine development that favors the common good instead of the elite few. One way is by supporting candidates whose track record and platform demonstrate their service to the people. Candidates with known probity and integrity on human rights, good governance, and love of country are vital in ensuring that the current regime (whether through circumvention of the law or proxy) is ended.
In the search for genuine servant leaders, we thus propose categorical stance on the following:
1. Uphold human dignity and oppose attacks on people’s rights. Clear opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Law and other repressive measures used to silence government’s perceived critics; is part of efforts, national and international, or has taken a stance demanding accountability of State perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, especially on the sham War on Drugs, counterinsurgency program and on Moro peoples under the guise of war in Mindanao. This also includes clear stance respecting and upholding the rights of women, indigenous and other peoples, workers and farmers.
2. Support pro-people economic policies. This means putting an end to all forms of contractualization; support for job security and decent wages; promotion of a land to the tiller program, and support for local farmers towards agricultural productivity; development of local industries; protection of overseas Filipino workers; and rejection of regressive taxes and onerous loans.
3. Anti- political dynasty. Rejects domination of the same elite families in various levels of governance, and favors building of genuine leaders supporting grassroots and community empowerment.
4. Anti-corruption. Sterling track record and has not been involved in any case involving misuse of people’s money or doing favors to enrich family and supporters. Consistent in calling out branches of government, especially the Executive, in corruption issues including the Philhealth 15 B scandal, among many others.
5. Champion of national patrimony and sovereignty. Upholds an independent policy that protects the rights of the Filipino people above all. This includes taking a stance against Chinese aggression and plunder of the West Philippine Sea, and on unequal treaties with the United States such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Protects patrimony by rejecting large-scale foreign mining and other so-called development projects that drives away and destroys indigenous peoples communities.
6. Advocate of Just and Lasting Peace. Categorically supports efforts to address the roots of the armed conflict, including peace processes with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro; rejects militarist solutions and adheres to previous agreements such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) as basis of negotiations.
Faithfulness to public service is measured in many ways, but the one barometer of this is actual stance on these concrete issues. The real test of truth and knowledge is in practice.
“Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.” (Psalms 85:11) -Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 183
