CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 18

8/20/2019 CBCP Monitor Vol. 19 No. 18

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MonitorVOLUME 19NUMBER 18PHP20.00

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

August 31 - September 13, 2015

CBCPMONITOR.COM [email protected]

CBCP

SUPPLEMENT ISSUE THE CROSS: A SUPPLEMENT PUBLICATION OF KCFAPI AND THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Tagle hits abortion on globalday of prayer for creation

ECHOING the teaching thatsame-sex unions cannot becalled marriage in the truestsense of the word, a Filipinoprelate has underscored theduty of each Catholic to resistattempts to make homosexualacts “culturally normal” bystanding up for true humansexuality.

“In those situations wherehomosexual unions have beenlegally recognized or have beengiven the legal status and rights

belonging to marriage, clearand emphatic opposition is aduty,” says Lingayen-Dagupan

Archbishop Socrates B. Ville-gas in a recent statement.

WHAT’S INSIDE

Normalization, A7

Bishops-led mov’t for Mediatrixdogma welcomed

‘each your children how to

pray!’ Pope tells parents, A3

Te dignity and vocation of

homosexual persons, B1

DEVOEES of Mary Mediatrixof All Grace have received with

joy the revival of a movement ledno other than a group of bishopscalling for a dogmatic declarationof the Blessed Virgin’s role in theuniversal mediation of grace.

“Very happy [for] all that is hap-pening … more surprises coming,”exclaimed Jovi Atanacio, foundingchair of Mama Mary Mediatrix:Lay Devotees Initiative, an onlinenetwork of Mediatrix devotees in

the Philippines and abroad.

Lipa apparitionSpeaking for his group, Atana-

cio expressed hope the movement will finally succeed in getting theVatican to definitively affirm thetitle with which Mary allegedlymade herself known in the 1948apparition to Sr. eresing L. Cas-tillo at Lipa’s Carmelite Monastery— Mediatrix of All Grace.

“Yes, I believe in the universal

mediation of Mama Mary. Forcenturies, the Church has rec-ognized her as ‘Mediatrix of allgraces,’ but in Lipa she gave a moreprofound, more Christocentric,

and more important title, ‘Media-trix of All Grace,’” he explained.

All graces to ‘All Grace’ Whil e in th e old ti tl e the

word “graces” are in lower caseand plural, Atanacio point-ed out the one she revealedat Lipa Carmel is in singular

PH teachers back Pope’s

plea for accessible education

FILIPINO Catholic educatorshave taken as their own the papalintentions for September, agreeing with Pope Francis that educationand employment are two thingsthe youth most need.

“World leaders have a duty totake seriously the task of providingtheir people easy access to educa-tion . Everyone must be given

the chance to a kind of educationthat respects their ethnic back-ground, cultural upbringing, andsocio-economic status,” explained Jeanette Javier Sumicad, a specialeducation (SPED) teacher at SienaCollege aytay, in an interview.

She went on to echo theHoly Fa the r ’ s wi sh tha t

CBCP agency bucks P50B mega prison project

HE Catholic Church’sprison ministry is oppos-

ing a government plan tobuild a Php 50 billion megaprison, saying the project is“unnecessary”.

he CBCP EpiscopalCommission on Prison Pas-toral Care (ECPPC) saidthere are other much practi-cal solutions to decongest thenational penitentiary.

For one, said ECPPC ex-ecutive secretary RodolfoDiamante, the project “isnot [in] the best interestof the prison communitymembers”.

Not a solution“he ECPPC has long

opposed to the transfer on

the ground that it is not thesolution to the problem of

the Bureau of Corrections,”Diamante said.

What is needed, he said,is the improvement of theexisting facilities in seven

colonies where inmates ofNational Bilibid Prisons

(NBP) in Muntinlupa canbe transferred.

“Moreover, there is the lawon GCA (Good Conductime Allowance) that if

applied would dramatically

Shift from dirty to cleanenergy now! — AMRSP,eco groups AS one of its objectivesfor the environment, vari-ous religious congrega-tions of the country along with concerned partnergroups have vowed tofight for the transforma-tion of Philippine andglobal energy systems – with an emphasis on cleanand renewable energy – inthe spirit of Pope Francis’encyclical Laudato Si’.

Shift away In a collective state-

ment, the Association ofMajor Religious Supe-riors of the Philippines(AMRSP), Caritas Philip-pines, and climate justicemovements nationwiderenew the call for a “shiftaway from dirty energythat is harmful to people,communities, and theenvironment.”

Meeting at a recentPope-inspired climateconference, they reiteratethat these activities harm

‘We need the millennials,’ CBCP

says on saving environment

REFLECING on the les-sons of Saint Augustine, sonof Saint Monica , CBCPPre s id ent A rchb i shopSocrates Villegas expressed

the need to reach out to themillennial generation, most

especially in helping takingcare of the environment.

Te urgent push to reachout to the younger gen-eration was spurred by Pope

Francis’ encyclical on the

Junk ‘normalization’of gay unions –

CBCP president

By Roy Lagarde

CARDINAL Luis An-tonio Tagle of Maniladenounced abortion asan attack on human dig-

nity— an important facetof respect for creation.Te Manila archbishop lament-

ed attacks on human life which,he said, mirror today’s materialisticmentality.

“If you are useful anymore, youare dropped. It is not a contempla-tion of human dignity,” agle said.

“Even people are measured byprofitability that is why childrenbeing conceived in the womb canbe aborted,” he said.

agle made the strong anti-abortion message during a Masson Sept. 1 for the first World Dayof Prayer for the Care of Creationdeclared by Pope Francis.

‘Trow-away culture’aking a cue from the Pope’s

Laudato Si encyclical, he deploredabortion as an indication of today’s“throw-away culture” and “that is why children are considered as li-abilities and elderly people are notcared for.”

Te Vatican’s landmark docu-ment on environment containsseveral strong pro-life passages,denouncing abortion, populationcontrol, and embryonic experi-mentation.

Abortion, A6

Education, A6 Mediatrix, A7

Prison, A7

Eco, A6

Millennials, A6

From left-right: Bishop George Rimando (Auxiliary Bishop of Davao); Bishop Antonieto Cabahug (Bishop of Surigao del Norte); Bishop Antonio Rañola, (Auxiliary Bishop-Emeritus of Cebu); Bishop Guillermo Afable (Bishop of Digos); Bishop Camilo Gregorio (Bishop Prelateof Batanes); Bishop Romulo Valles (Metropolitan Archbishop of Davao); and Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo (Auxiliary Bishop of Cotabato)

Vatican City - May 30, 2015. Pope Francis met with a group of children who arrived atthe Vatican aboard the “Children’s Train.” CNA

National Bilibid Prisons R. LAGARDE/CBCPNEWS

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle blesses the ecology ministry volunteers of different parishes after a Mass to mark the first World Day of Prayer for t he Care ofCreation at the Manila Cathedral on September 1, 2015. The occasion also coincided with the opening of the 3rd Season of Creation in the Manila archdiocese. ROY LAGARDE

I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y B R O T H E R S M A T I A S


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A2 CBCP MonitorAugust 31 - September 13, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 18WORLD NEWS

Vatican Briefing Ahead of papal visit, Cuba’s Women in Whitefear government crackdownHAVANA, Aug. 27, 2015—Teleader of a human rights groupis concerned that the Cubangovernment will repeat its 2012crackdown on opposition activ-ists when Pope Francis visits thenation next month..

During Pope Benedict XVI’svisit three years ago, Cuban of-ficials made arrests and took otheractions to keep the dissidents fromcommunicating with each other,said Berta Soler, leader of Womenin White, a group of wives andother relatives of jailed Cubandissidents.

“We’re really worried,” Solertold CNA last week. “When PopeBenedict XVI came to Cuba theyshut down telephone lines in anarea of some 15 to 25 miles. Teydid the same to the cell phones ofhuman rights activists and theirclose relatives.”

She said the government putthem under surveillance three days

before Pope Benedict’s arrival.“Cuban officials began arresting

all the human rights activists so wecouldn’t participate in the Massesthe Pope celebrated in Santiago deCuba and Havana.”

“We’re waiting (to see what willhappen), we’re thinking the samething is going to happen when theHoly Father Pope Francis comes,”Soler said.

Nevertheless, she stated that Women in White as well as otherhuman rights activists will try to

go to the Masses because “we wantto be close to the Holy Father.” Shesaid they know that they’re goingto be arrested.

Soler met with Pope Francisin Saint Peter’s Square in May2013 and sent a letter to the pon-tiff through the nunciature andthrough friends. She asked thePope: “When you come to Cubacould you listen to us even for afew minutes?”

Te dissident leader reportedarrests of the Women in Whiteand other opposition activists onrecent Sundays.

“We’ve been going out now (tomarch) for 18 Sundays and we cantake it for granted that the Castroregime is going to come after the

Women in White and the humanrights activists on Sunday, Aug.23rd… because we’re deep intoour #odosMarchamos (We’re allmarching) campaign to free thepolitical prisoners.”

She said that the Castro govern-ment is assembling “paramilitarymobs organized and financed by(the regime) to physically andverbally attack us.” National policeand state security agents are alsoinvolved.

According to Soler, at present“there are about 80 political pris-oners and 42 who are only techni-cally released or on parole.” Telatter 42 could be arrested againand sent back to prison withouttrial at any moment.

On Sunday Aug. 16 more than60 human rights activists along

with some Women in White wererestrained and arrested as they

were marching after Mass at SaintRita’s Church in Havana.

As expect ed, over 50 humanrights activists and members of the

Women in White were arrested inHavana on Sunday, Aug. 23 at theend of their protest march. Solertold the newspaper Martí Newsthat excessive force was used insome arrests. Tose detained werereleased five hours later in differentparts of the city.

Some were released near night-fall in uninhabited areas wherethey were at risk of violence orassault, Soler charged. (CNA)

It’s not over yet: Nebraska bishops, Catholics continue to fight death penalty

LINCOLN, Aug. 28, 2015—Nebraska’s three

Catholic bishops have asked all people ofgoodwill to continue to fight the death penalty,after it won a last-minute reprieve in the state

Wednesday.Te group Nebraskans for the Death Penalty,

largely financed by Nebraska Gov. Pete Rick-etts and his supporters, said it had gathered166,692 signatures from all 93 of the state’scounties, enough to briefly halt the repealof the death penalty approved by the state’sunicameral legislature in May.

Te advocacy group needed roughly 114,000signatures to immediately halt the repeal of thedeath penalty, a move which will likely placethe fate of capital punishment in the hands ofNebraska voters in 2016.

“Nebraskans sent a strong message aboutcrime and punishment in our state by signingthis petition in extraordinary numbers,” said

state treasurer and former attorney generalDon Stenberg, a co-chair of the petition drive,according to the AP.

he three Nebraskan bishops, who saidin May that capital punishment “cannot be

justified” in the state at present, asked in astatement Tursday that all people of good-

will join them in continued opposition to thedeath penalty.

“Justice requires punishment, but it doesnot require that those who have committedserious crimes be put to death,” the bishops

said in their Aug. 27 statement.

“For the Catholic community, this issue—like all life issues—involves more than publicpolicy,” they said. “It involves our faith andthe central principle that human life is sacred.Reflection on the God-given dignity of everyhuman person should guide all our decisionsabout life, including refraining from the use ofthe death penalty.”

he bishops join the three most recentPopes—St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, andFrancis—in opposing capital punishment inmost cases. As explained in the Catechism ofthe Catholic Church, because life is sacred,the death penalty should only be used if thereare no other means with which to protect thepublic.

In paragraph 2267, the catechism notes thatin the modern world, scenarios in which thedeath penalty is an absolute necessity “are very

rare, if not practically nonexistent,” languageborrowed from St. John Paul II’s 1995 encycli-cal Evangelium vitae.

Te collected signatures from Nebraskans forthe Death Penalty were delivered Wednesday tothe Nebraska secretary of state’s office, which

will verify them with each country as belongingto registered voters. If the necessary number

was obtained, the death penalty repeal will beblocked until voters decide on the issue in theNovember 2016 general election.

Even if the repeal is blocked, Nebraska still

has no way to execute people on death row, as

it lacks two of the three legally required lethalinjection drugs.In recent years, many domestic pharmaceuti-

cal companies have decided they do not wantto be associated with the taking of life and havetherefore stopped providing lethal drugs. Tiscauses states to look for companies abroad,but since the European Union holds the deathpenalty as a violation of human rights, it is il-legal for European pharmaceutical companiesto sell the drugs to the United States.

When the Nebraska legislature repealed capi-tal punishment in May, overriding Ricketts’veto, it became the first conservative state todo so in 42 years.

In their statement, the Nebraska bishopsvowed to keep fighting capital punishment,

which they say does not clearly deter crimeand disproportionately affects minorities and

the poor.“Other means are available to punish

criminals and to protect society that are morerespectful of human life,” they said.

“Tis is the message Nebraska’s three bishops will take to the state’s 375,000 Catholics in thecoming year to encourage support for uphold-ing the prohibition of the death penalty.”

Nebraska’s three bishops are ArchbishopGeorge Lucas of Omaha; Bishop James Conleyof Lincoln; and Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt ofGrand Island. (CNA)

Baghdad patriarch calls for a government of ‘national emergency’ to save Iraq

IRAQ, Aug. 29, 2015—In aletter to Iraq’s highest politicalauthorities, including PresidentFuad Masum, Prime MinisterHaider al-Abadi and Parliamen-tary Speaker Abdullah Salimal-Jabouri, Chaldean PatriarchMar Louis Raphael I Sako callsfor "a government of nationalemergency" that would represent"all of the country’s compo-nents"—whether Shia, Sunni,Christian, Yazidi, Kurdish, Araband urkmen—to ensure its sal-vation and unity in such a criticalmoment of its histor y.

In the letter, of which AsiaN-ews has received a copy, HisBeatitude appeals to politicalleaders and institutions as an"Iraqi who loves his country"and "respects all Iraqis."

Te patriarch notes that Iraqhas been the scene of violenceand attacks, a reflection of a deepsectarian divide and an ongoingpolitical and military strugglebetween the country’s minoritySunnis and majority Shias.

Agains t this background, theIslamic State group was able toseize large chunks of the coun-try’s western and northern terri-tory, including the city of Mosul.

he prevailing violence hasbeen compounded by corruptionand mismanagement, which thecurrent government has tried tofight in an attempt to restoreunity and stability to the country.

However, for reforms to be seenas legitimate in the eyes of ordi-nary Iraqis, they “must be wiselydiscussed,” Mar Sako writes.

Moreover, the political classmust be "balanced" and re-spectful of the country’s variouscomponents. People of “greatintegrity and professionalism"should be chosen.

Urgent reforms are neededto pull Iraq out the emergencythat has endangered the veryexistence of the state.

Te Chaldean Patriarch’s pri-orities include the need to "in-tegrate ethnic and sectarianmilitias into the regular army

and police." hese forces areneeded to ensure Iraq’s securityand unity.

For him, armed groups operat-ing across the country "cannot belinked to political parties or fac-tions,” as is the case at present, act-ing on their own out of personal orsubjective interests, the exceptionbeing the Christian community.

By bringing everyone undera single roof, “we can boost themilitary and strengthen nationalunity,” Mar Sako said.

In his letter, the ChaldeanPatriarch also appeals to thespeaker of the Kurdistan Re-gional Parliament Mohammed Yusuf Sadiq as a way to addressthe "dear brothers who representthe Kurdish parties".

First, Mar Sako notes that theKurdish region has welcomedhundreds of thousands of Chris-tian refugees—who fled Mosuland the Nineveh Plains fromadvancing Jihadi militias. For thisreason, "Christians are part of it."

Secondly, he expresses hope

that great achievements like "sta-bility, security, and economic,cultural and social" prosperitycan be maintained. Tey are, inhis view, "a great blessing".

Speaking about the new con-stitution under considerationby the regional parliament, MarSako says he would like to see itput off for now to avoid beingdrafted too hastily. It would bebetter to wait in order to draftsomething that can stand thetest of time.

In this respect, he cites theexample of the Iraqi Constitu-tion, which has failed to ensureunity and security because it was

writt en "in haste" and has had"painful" consequences.

Finally, the patriarch calledfor the mandate of the regionalpresident to be extended bytwo years through a “politicalconsensus”, and not an election.Te current situation requires

wisdom, and the pub lic in terestshould not be compromised.(AsiaNews)

Women in White. CNA

Salesian leaders of South Asia meet in Bangalore

SRI LANKA, Aug. 28 2015—Salesians inSri Lanka sought their Indian confreres helpto strengthen the congregation’s work in theisland nation at a meeting of the leaders ofSalesian Provincial Conference of South Asia(SPCSA) in Bangalore last week.

All the members of the SPCSA Council - theRegional Councillor Father Maria ArokiamKanaga, eleven Provincials of the various

provinces of India, the Superior of the ViceProvince of Sri Lanka and the Secretary of

SPCSA - were present for the August 21-22meeting.

Father Joseph Almeida, the new Superior ofthe Vice Province of Sri Lanka, spoke about theVice Province, its activities and the enormousscope and need for Salesian apostolate in theisland nation.

He stressed the urgent need for more Sale-sian personnel from India to strengthen the

work, which the congregation began over 60years ago.

Father Maria Arokiam Kanaka inauguratedthe meeting with a brief inaugural message.Te Council discussed various important mat-ters concerning the region during the two-dayprogramme.

Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangaloreled the mass on the conluding day. On theoccasion of the Bicentenary of the Birth ofDon Bosco, he thanked God for the gift of

Don Bosco to the Church and the world.(UCAN)

Pope to Catholic lawmakers: Be strong, protect lifeOn Sunday, Aug. 31, Pope Francis urged Catholic legislators tobe protectors of human life, calling them “be strong” against athrow-away culture marked by Christian persecution, and therejection of the unborn and migrants. Te pontiff made theseremarks during an audience with the International CatholicLegislators Network. During the meeting, members of the

Network presented the Holy Father with a document outlin-ing their commitment to promoting life in their respectivenations, especially in areas of abortion, Christian persecution,and migration. U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.),a member of the Network present at the August 30 audience,told EWN News Nightly how the Pope concluded the audi-ence with off-the-cuff remarks about the “throw-away culture

where the unborn chi ld, the migrant is n ot wanted.” (CNA)

Former nuncio awaiting Vatican trial died of natural causes,autopsy saysInitial autopsy findings indicate that disgraced former apos-tolic nuncio Jozef Wesolowski died of natural causes from a“cardiac event,” the Vatican announced Saturday, Aug. 29.Te laicized archbishop was awaiting trial by the Vaticancourt for possessing child pornography and sexual abuse ofminors when he died late Tursday evening at the age of67. Wesolowski’s death prompted the Office of the Vatican’s

Promoter of Justice, also known as the Vatican prosecutor, toorder an autopsy.. According to a Vatican statement released Aug. 29, the autopsy was conducted Friday afternoon. Basedon “preliminary conclusions from the macroscopic exam,” theautopsy “confirmed the natural cause of death, attributable toa cardiac event,” the statement said. (CNA)

Vatican : Pope did no t endor se ‘gay pengui n’ bookTe Vatican has rejected claims in the media that Pope Francisis supporting a book on gay adoption, saying a letter respond-ing to the author should not be interpreted as an endorsement.In responding to the author’s letter, the Vatican Secretariatof State did not intend in any way to support “behavior andteachings which are not in accordance with the Gospel,” andusing the Vatican response to imply otherwise “is completelyout of place,” said Fr. Ciro Benedettini, deputy director ofthe Holy See Press Office, Aug. 28. Te Holy See statementcame in response to a media frenzy following reports thatFrancesca Pardi, author of a children’s book supporting gayadoption, received a letter from Pope Francis that allegedlyencouraged her to keep up her work. Pardi’s book is titled“Piccolo uovo” – in Italian, “Little egg.” It includes the storyof two gay penguins who adopt a baby penguin, among othernon-traditional animal families. (CNA)

Pope Francis mourns death of 71 migrants who suffocated inabandoned truckIn his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis lamented the deathof 71 migrants – mostly from war-torn Syria – whose bodies

were found in an abandoned truck on an Austr ian highway.He offered prayers for the victims. “Unfortunately in the pastfew days many migrants have lost their lives in their terrible

journeys . For all of these brothers and sisters, I pray and inviteyou to pray,” the Pope said Aug. 30. He spoke to the pilgrimsgathered in St. Peter’s Square, offering his closeness to thearchbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Cristoph Schönborn--who

was also present--as we ll as the entire Church in Austria . OnTursday the bodies of the 71 migrants--most of them refu-gees fleeing Syria--were found inside of an abandoned truckparked off Austria’s A4 near the Austrian village of Parndorf,close to the Hungarian border. (CNA)

Pope begs governments to act to stop anti-Christian persecution“Do something to put a stop to the violence and oppression,”Pope Francis asked the international community after callingattention once again to the fate of persecuted Christians,especially in the Middle East. After reciting the Angelus

Aug. 30, Pope Franci s told thousands of people in St. Peter’sSquare that, the previous evening in Lebanon, martyred SyriacBishop Flavien-Michel Malke was beatified. “In the contextof a tremendous persecution of Christians, he was an untir-ing defender of the rights of his people, exhorting all of themto remain firm in their faith,” the pope said. “oday as well,in the Middle East and other parts of the world, Christiansare persecuted,” the pope said. “May the beatification of this

bishop and martyr fill them with consolation, courage andhope.” (CNS)

Retired Pope Benedict celebrates Mass with former studentsCelebrating Mass with his former doctoral students and a newgeneration of scholars of his wo rk, Benedict XVI focused hishomily on the importance of finding “truth, love and good-ness” in God. Now 88, Benedict has met annually since the1970s with what is known as the “Ratzinger Schulerkreis”(Ratzinger Student Circle), which is made up of bishops andscholars who earned their doctorates under him in Germany.Te schulerkreis gathers for a week of theological discussions;the topic this year was “How to speak about God today” and

was by Mgr omas Halik, a Czech theolog ian and winnerof the 2014 empleton Prize. Te retired pope did not joinhis former students for the discussions in Castel Gandolfo,but spent the morning with them August 30 in the Vatican’seutonic College where the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI

Roman Library will open to scholars in November. (CNS)

Vatican downplays U. N. fla g flapIn the month before Pope Francis was scheduled to visit theU.N. headquarters, a little flap unfurled regarding the flying offlags. Te Vatican said seeing the flags of the Holy See and Pal-estine flying with the banners of the 193 full member-countriesof the United Nations is not its desire. Te Palestinian observermission at the United Nations formally asked that its flag andthe flag of the only other U.N. permanent observer—the HolySee—be flown at the U.N. headquarters and at U.N. offices.Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the headquar ters Sept. 25 andaddress the General Assembly. According to the Reuters newsagency, the Palestinian resolution appeared to be making therequest on behalf of both the Palestinian and Vatican delega-tions. But, Reuters said, the Vatican asked the Palestinians toremove “any reference to the ‘Holy See’ and any generic refer-ence ‘on behalf of the observer states.’” (CNS)


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A3CBCP Monitor August 31 - September 13, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 18 NEWS FEATURES

‘Teach your children how to pray!’ Pope tells parentsVAICAN, Aug. 26, 2015—On Wednesday, Pope Francis contin-ued his weekly catechesis on thefamily, saying that parents havethe responsibility to teach theirchildren to pray.

Delivering his address to pil-grims and visitors, gathered underthe hot sun for the weekly generalaudience in St. Peter’s Square, thepontiff stressed the importanceof teaching children how to showlove for God through prayer.

“It is beautiful when mothersteach their little children to blow akiss to Jesus or to Our Lady. Whattenderness there is in this!” he said.

“In that moment the child’sheart is transformed into a placeof prayer. And this is a gift of theHoly Spirit.”

However, in off-the-cuff re-marks, the Pope lamented howthere are children who are nottaught the most basic prayers bytheir parents, a phenomena he saidhe has witnessed in the city.

“Tere are children who havenot learned how to make thesign of the cross!” he said. “You,mother, father! each your chil-dren how to pray, how to makethe sign of the cross!”

Children should learn prayer

with “the s ame spontane ity” as when they learn to say “daddy”and “mommy,” so that it stays wi th them foreve r, the Pop eadded.

Te Pope’s August 26 address was the latest in a series of cat-echesis dedicated to the family.Since late year, the pontiff hasbeen centering his Wednesdaycatecheses on this theme as part ofthe lead-up to the World Meetingof Families in September, as wellas October’s Synod of Bishops onthe Family.

In his catechesis, delivered inItalian, the Holy Father observedhow many Christians know theyneed prayer, but do not have thetime.

“heir regret is sincere, cer-tainly, because the human heartalways seeks prayer, even withoutknowing it; and if it does not findit, it does not have peace.”

It is for this reason that Chris-tians must cultivate a love for God,he said.

While i t is good to believe inGod, to have hope in him to helpat difficult times, and to be grate-ful to him, Pope Francis asked whether or not we also love him.

He cited the scripture passage

from Deuteronomy, repeated byChrist in Matthew’s Gospel, in

which we are called to love God with all our heart, our soul, andstrength.

“(Tis) formula uses the intenselanguage of love, poured intoGod,” the Pope said.

Pope Francis acknowledgedthat we are able see God as theone who gives us life and from

whom even death cannot separateus, the “great Being” and “Judge”

who made all things and controlsevery act, the Pope said. However,these concepts only find their fullsignificance “when God is the loveof our loves.”

“God could have simply madeus know him as the Supreme Be-ing, given his commandments,and awaited the results.”

v Pope Francis acknowledgedhow there is little time availablein family life. However, by findingtime to pray, we “give time back toGod.” In so doing, we escape theobsession with not having enoughtime, rediscover “peace in the im-portant things,” and “discover the

joy in unexpected gifts.”Encouraging the faithful to

read the Gospel every day, as hehas done on numerous occasions,

The modern world’s biggest challenge,according to Benedict XVIVAICAN, Aug. 27, 2015—Benedict XVI considers the questfor God to be contemporary soci-ety’s foremost challenge, according

to one of the emeritus Pope’s for-mer students, who has organizedthe annual meeting of Ratzinger’sstudents to discuss that very topic.

Te Ratzinger Schuelerkreis willgather Sept. 28-30 to discuss thetheme set them by their formerprofessor. Te group has gatheredto discuss topics in theology andthe life of the Church since 1978,shortly after their mentor waspulled from academia to becomea bishop.

“Benedict XVI identified, fromhis earliest theological studies, afaith in the progress of man whichhe deems to be an ideology,” Fr.Stephan Horn told CNA.

In reply to that ideology, Fr.

Horn said, Benedict has main-tained that “the center of historyis the living God who openedhimself in Jesus Christ, and trueprogress is found in faith.”

Fr. Horn, a Salvatorian, wasRatzinger’s academic assistantat the University of Regensburgfrom 1971 to 1977, and is noworganizer of the annual Schueler-kreis meeting.

He related that the 40 or somembers of the Schuelerkreisform a sort of “theological family,”and that in addition to the histo-rial nucleus of the group, there was formed in 2008 a secondarygroup of younger theologians whohave studied Benedict’s thought

in-depth.Te idea for the annual meeting

arose in 1977, when Ratzinger was

appointed Archbishop of Munichand Freising, and when he movedto Rome in 1981 to take up the

post of prefect of the Congrega-tion for the Doctrine of the Faith,it continued.

Benedict’s former studentsthought that the annual tradi-tion would have stopped onceRatzinger was elected Pope, yet he wanted to maintain the traditionand continued to meet with hisformer students.

Since his 2013 resignation,Benedict has not attended theSchuelerkreis, except to say Massfor the group at its conclusion.

However, the Pope emeritusclosely follows the works of hisformer students, and personallychooses the themes of discussionfrom among a set of three which

the members of the Schuelerkreispresent to him at the end of eachannual gathering. In recent years,

they have focused on the theologyof the cross; the question of Godamid secularism; and ecumenism.

Fr. Horn said Benedict “did notexplain in-depth the reasons whyhe asked us to discuss ‘Speakingabout God in the contemporary

world’, but is evident that to himthe Word of God is the true needof today’s world, and that theChurch needs to find new waysto speak about God.”

Fr. Horn underscored that “to-day’s culture itself makes speechabout God necessary, as there isa different trend—that is, speak-ing only about what man can do,about the so called ‘homo Faber’”and so there is a need for “a new

way to search for truth and to meetthe great challenges of modernman.”

Acc ord ing to Fr. Hor n thesearch for new means to speakof God has been at the core of

Benedict’s theological work sincethe Second Vatican Council.

“It been widely said that theSecond Vatican Council spoke

about the Church, and the rela-tion between the Church and the

world. But Joseph Ratzinger sawthat the quest for God was themain issue at the Second VaticanCouncil, as was shown by thefact that the very first documentissued by the council was theconstitution on the liturgy,” Fr.Horn explained.

Te emphasis on liturgy wasfurther developed by Ratzinger

when he was appo inted Arch-bishop of Munich and Freisingin 1977.

“During the years he wasthe Archbishop of Munich,Ratzinger focused also on lit-urgy, according to what he had

developed in the previous yearsas a professor in Regensburg,

when he tried to fost er a wayto translate the language of thefaith for contemporary man,” Fr.Horn stressed

Fr. Horn also higlighted that asPope, Benedict emphasized theeducation of priests and the peopleof God, and he created a sort of“catechumenal theology.”

“Ratzinger has always thoughtthat the search for truth does notmerely come from an intellectualaction, but it is rather one of the

ways of life. And so theologiansmust be beside the catechumens—that is, all who are on a Chris-tian path—speaking with them,

developing theology and faith.”(Andrea Gagliarducci/CNA/ EWTN News)

Former nuncio dies in Vatican residence whileawaiting sex abuse trialVAICAN City, Aug. 28, 2015—A Vatican official has orderedan autopsy on the body of former

archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, who was found dead Aug. 28 inthe Vatican residence where he was awaiting trial on charges ofchild sexual abuse and possessionof child pornography.

Jozef Wesolowski, the laicizedformer nuncio (pictured in 2013file photo), was dead this morningin his Vatican residence. He wasawaiting trial on child sex abusecharges. (CNS/EPA)

Jozef Wesolowski, the laicizedformer nuncio (pictured in 2013file photo), was found dead thismorning in his Vatican residence.He was awaiting trial on child sexabuse charges. (CNS/EPA)

Passionist Father Ciro Bene-dettini, Vatican spokesman, said Wesolowski’s body was found at5 a.m. by a Franciscan priest wholives in the building which housesthe Franciscans who hear confes-sions in St. Peter’s Basilica andoffices of the Vatican police force;he was in front of a television, which was on, the spokesman said.

Officials from the Vatican po-lice, medical service and courtarrived quickly, he said, for an“initial verification, which indi-cated the death was from naturalcauses.”

“he promoter of justice or-dered an autopsy, which will becarried out today,” the spokesmansaid. “Te results will be commu-nicated as soon as possible.”

In the statement, issued lessthan four hours after Wesolowski’sbody was found, Father Benedet-tini said Pope Francis had beeninformed.

Te spokesman told reporters Wesolowski had been in ill healthand was under medical supervi-sion at the time of his death.

Wesolowski was to be the firstperson to be tried by a Vaticancriminal court on sex abuse charg-es. Te first session of the trial hadbeen scheduled for July 11, but was postponed when he was takento the hospital the day beforeafter suffering “a collapse,” Father

Benedettini said. He remained inthe hospital until July 17.

he Vatican court had not

announced a date for the con-tinuation of the trial of the formerPolish archbishop and nuncio—Vatican ambassador—to the Do-minican Republic.

In its official statement abouthis death, the Vatican referred tohim as “His Excellency Monsignor

Josef Wesolowski,” even thoughhe was dismissed from the clericalstate in June 2014 after an inves-tigation by the Congregation forthe Doctrine of the Faith.

His appeal of the dismissal wasdenied, Father Benedettini said,“but was not officially commu-nicated so as not to aggravate thesituation” while he was awaitingthe separate criminal trial. He wasstill listed as an archbishop in the2015 edition of the “AnnuarioPontificio,” the Vatican yearbook.

Before his criminal trial waspostponed July 11, the Vaticanprosecution read out the fivecharges against Wesolowski, whichincluded having “corrupted, bymeans of lewd acts, adolescentspresumably between the ages of13 and 16,” in the DominicanRepublic, where Wesolowski hadserved as a Vatican nuncio from2008 to 2013, when he was ac-cused of abusing adolescent boys.

According to Vatican prosecu-tors, Wesolowski’s crimes contin-ued once he was brought back tothe Vatican. While being investi-gated, the court said, he procuredand possessed on Vatican CityState property “and elsewhere,” a“large amount” of “material fromInternet sites” depicting minorsunder the age of 18 in sexuallyexplicit acts or poses.

He also was charged with caus-ing “serious injury to adolescentvictims of sexual abuse, consistingof mental distress” and of “conductthat offends religious principles orChristian morality” by repeatedlylogging on to pornographic sites

while in the Dominican Republic,Rome, Vatican City State and else-

where. (Cindy Wooden/CatholicNews Service)

Return to your first love, Jesus – bishop to religiousPAAYA, hailand, Aug. 27, 2015—ForNew Evangelization to take flight among Asia’sconsecrated men and women, they need to fallin love again—with Jesus.

Tis was the message of Cagayan de Oro Archbi shop Antoni o Lede sma , SJ to all lthe religious communities in Asia during asymposium held by the Federation of AsianBishops‘ Conferences – Office of ConsecratedLife (FABC-OCL) from July 20 to 25 at theRedemptorist Center in this city.

“he New Evangelization thrust of theChurch calls us consecrated men and womento return to our ‘first love’, who is God in Jesus Christ to whom we are consecrated andto whom we are to be configured,” the prelateexplained.

‘Falling in love’“Tis (falling in love) means to encounter the

person of the Son anew and allow the Spirit totransform us into his likeness so that we canbear witness to him and to the Gospel for allpeoples,” he added

According to Ledesma, this rel ationship oflove with Jesus implies “an integral and life-long formation”, which focuses on the radicalliving of the Gospel nurtured by “a life ofprayer, simple lifestyle, humility, and docility.”

Making Jesus the central figure in the con-

secrated person’s life denotes a certain lifestyle,that of owning and living our charism; under-

OFWs: Opening our gifts not

‘hero treatment’MANILA, Aug. 27, 2015—Over-seas Filipino Workers (OFW) wasted no time in voicing theirdisappointment over what theyconsider the Bureau of Customs(BOC) officials’ “unjust” andunnecessary” practice of custom-arily opening balikbayan boxes,denouncing this as uncalled forand a gross violation of their rightsto privacy.

Violation of OFW rights

“What the BOC is doing isnothing less than an infringement

of the rights of OFWs to expresstheir love to their families andfriends back in the Philippines,” ob-served Edward Era, a former OFWbased in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, whonow chairs Filipino Lifeline, a non-government organization (NGO)pushing for OFW rights.

oken of loveHe pointed out that for most

Filipino migrant workers aroundthe world, sending home gifts

earned with their hard-earned

going a process of conversion which involves“us as persons and as communities, as well asour structures and institutions”; rediscoveringthe beauty of consecrated life with its joys,hopes and challenges; becoming prophetic inliving the Evangelical Counsels; deepening anawareness of God’s readiness for reconcilia-tion and being forgiven; experiencing God inreal-life situations (natural and human-madedisasters, political issues, etc.) as “sources ofhope and mercy”

Consecrated life and the New Evangelization According to Ledesma , living out these

counsels constitute being faithful to Jesus andto the charism of their respective consecrated

community.Te conference participants included 20

bishops, including three cardinals, 29 priestsand brothers, 45 religious sisters, and 7 mem-bers of secular institutes from China, Nepal,Mongolia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Korea,Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Tailand, andthe Philippines.

Aside from giving the said talk entitl ed“Consecrated Life at the Service of New Evan-gelization in Asia”, Ledesma also prepared thepreliminary Lineamenta for the conference.

He also helped draft the conference’s FinalStatement together with Fr. Joe Mannath,

SDB, Sr. Victorina Palanca, ICM, and Sr. Judette Gallares, RC. (CBCP News)

the Holy Father said this is aparticularly important practicefor families.

“Te Gospel, read and medi-tated on in the family, is like good

bread which nourishes the heartsof everyone,” he said.

Pope Francis concluded: “Inthe family of prayer, in strongmoments and in difficult periods,

may we be entrusted to one an-other, in order that everyone ofus in the family may be protectedby God’s love.” (Ann Schneible/ CNA/EWTN News)

Rome, Italy - March 18, 2015. Pope Francis gives blessing to disabled at general audience.CNA

Vatican City - June 16, 2015. Pope emeritus Benedict XVI meets with seminariansfrom the diocese of Faensa-Modigliana, Italy on June 16, 2015 at the Vatican Gardens.DIOCESE OF FAENZA-MODIGLIANA.

OFWs, A7


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A4 CBCP MonitorAugust 31 - September 13, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 18

IF monuments are a symbol ofheroism and skyscrapers are a sym-bol of progress, may they not standside by side with one another? Ifmy memory serves me right, Rizalhimself in his El Filibusterismo

wrote about a character’s satisfac-tion—while on a pleasure cruisedown the Pasig river—at seeing“the factories in Mandaluyong”,clear symbols of progress amonga people he did not wish to beforever colonized.

In 1927, the tallest structure

in the Philippines was the newly-built Main Building of the Uni-versity of Santo omas. Te crosscrowning its tower (from whichManila Bay was reportedly visible)also served as Kilometer 0 from

which all distances to any point inLuzon were measured. Te crosssymbolizes the Pontifical Univer-sity’s “mission of salvation throughthe Cross of Christ”, and withinthe 21.5-hectare US campus, nostructure was allowed to be builthigher than the tower’s cross.

On January 25, 2010, the USMain Building was declared bythe Philippine National Museuma “National Cultural reasure”,along with the Central Seminary,the Arch of the Centuries, and

the Open Space fronting theGrandstand. In May 2011, theNational Historical Commissionof the Philippines declared theUS a “National Historical Land-mark”, citing its “major historical

significance in Philippine historyfrom the Spanish to contemporarytimes.”

At present, the 12-storey BlessedBuenaventura Garcia Paredes, OPBuilding—inaugurated in 2014,standing where the US gymna-sium formerly stood—apparentlyrises higher than the Main Build-ing tower’s cross, but is anyonesaying it is desecrating what thatcross stands for? I dare say, noteven the US’s most illustriousson, Jose Rizal, would see anything

sacrilegious about that. Nor wouldthe 403-year-old US itself balkat the mushrooming of orre Tisor ower Tat, condominiums,and dormitories on the peripheryof its revered campus. I think

the venerable 403-year-old US,for all its contributions to Philip-pine culture, history and humangrowth, understands the price ofurban development. Tat’s the

wisdom of the old and mellowedby experience. Compelled to sus-pend its function as an institutionof learning during the Second

World War—when its campus was used by the Japanese militaryforces as an internment camp forallied prisoners—the US standsas testimony to the fact that while

wars and the march of progresscan mar a symbol of greatness, itcannot kill the spirit of greatnessit represents.

Luneta’s Rizal monument is

OPINION

Shaping the future

Fr. Roy Cimagala

Candidly Speaking

MonitorPROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE CBCP

Pedro C. QuitorioEditor-in-Chief

Nirva’ana E. DelacruzAssociate Editor

Roy Q. LagardeNews Editor

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The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightl y by the AreopagusSocial Media for Asia, Inc. with editorial and business officesat Ground Flr. , Holy Face of Jesus Center & Convent, 1111F. R. Hidalgo Street, Quiapo, Manila. Editorial: (632) 404-

2182. Business: (632) 404-1612.; ISSN 1908-2940

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I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y B L A D I M E R U S I

‘Partial Divorce’

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDSAnd That’s The Truth

Oscar V. Cruz, D.D.

Views and Points

Torre de Babel,

Conclusion

And That’s the Truth / A6

I is truly sad to know and be aware ofthe fact that there are a good number ofincumbent public officials at the national levelof government who are bent on fooling around

with, if not doing their best to effectiv elydestroy the nature and finalities of marriageas stipulated by Natural Law and affirmedby ethical principles. Tis phenomenon has

particular relevance to the still--already toolong--ruling administration together withits well-rewarded allies in the LegislativeDepartment. It must be admitted that theyare not simply sly but also ingenious in theircommon venture to destroy the fundamentalassumptions as well as the essential finalitiesof such a sacred and serious institution as theMarriage Covenant which is definitely andcategorically very much more than a merecontract in line with the business norm of“No exchange. No return.” Instead of “OK toChange and Return.”

ime and again it has been said and stillbeing mentioned that among the well-designedand accordingly desired legislations of this

allegedly “Daang Matuwid” government, thefollowing take precedence: POPULAIONCONROL, DIVORCE, and SAME SEXMARRIAGE--the last two of which are delayedbecause of the unexpected BBL. It is ratherstrange and quite interesting to take note ofthe well-standing fact that the over-all Chief-in-Command is single to this date and time. So

it is that likewise time and again it is asked whythe deep and lasting interest and preoccupationabout the said three legislative fixations?

Tey already have succeeded in underminingthe significance and implications of ResponsibleParenthood by the so-called “ReproductiveHealth Law” which is precisely against humanreproduction, not to mention the abortiveaccompanying features thereof. One thing worthnoting is that those against human reproductionare already reproduced by their parents.

As of now, Congress in fact already has thedraft of the “Same Sex Marriage”--the ultimatecamouflaged formal heading thereof is stillnot yet known and might be even imprudentto already disclose it. Tere is not the least

maliciousness much less evil intention vs. theLGB in countering such a legislation withmanifest sexual implications--a legislation

which is a big futil ity vs. basic truth andground reality.

And here now comes the enigmatic optedlegislation curiously called “Partial Divorce” --or something the like. A divorce that is but

“Partial” and wherefore “otal” it is not? Doesthat mean that there would be such a thingas “Partial Marriage” as well--partial husbandand wife, partial marital life, partial parentalrelationship? Amusing!

Te truth of the matter is that the proposedlegislation essentially means the following:

When a marriage is between a foreigner and aFilipino citizen, in the event that the formerfiles for and obtains a divorce, then the latter islegally held capable of re-marrying too. Howmany divorces one may file and obtain, howmany remarriages one may enter into--thisis not yet stipulated as of now. (Cf. FamilyCode of the Philippines , Art. 26, pars. 1 and2) Interesting!

If we want to see the future now, what wehave to do is to look at our youth today. Yes, theyouth indeed hold the key to what is to come.How they are now determines to a certainextent the character of the world in the next

generation. And so we need to see to it that ouryoung ones receive the proper formation now.Tis is the challenge we, the elders, have.

Preparing the youth for the future is a task thatis becoming more exciting, more daunting,precisely because of the complicated issues thatpractically wrap the world today.

As recent Popes have been saying for sometime now, the world ethos today seems to besaturated with what is more technically knownas moral relativism. It’s an attitude, a mentality,and even a lifestyle and culture that banishesany moral absolutes, while making tolerancean absolute law to follow.

It ultimately boils down to denying theexistence of God, and to the belief that things

just depend completely on us. So, morality or what is to be considered good or bad would justbe a matter of opinions, consensus, and would

just be based on such criteria as practicality,popularity, convenience, and the like.

In the end, we are making ourselves our ownGod. We deny that we are creatures, that ourexistence is something given and received, notself-generated. We deny that we need to be withGod always, to set our mind and heart on Him.

With this mindset, a good part of the world,especiallythe more developed Western part,has gone to the extent of legalizing abortion,mercy-killing, same-sex marriage, etc.

If we are not careful, this scourge is go ing toenter our own country also. Tere are alreadyclear signs. Te RH Law, touted Divorce billthat some groups are pushing, the same-sexmarriage buzz that we hear around—these aresymptoms of an emerging moral confusionthat threatens to be made part of our law andculture.

We have to give due attention to our youthtoday, equipping them with the means that

would help them tackle the great responsibilitybefore them. I was happy to learn that abig group ofyoung people went to a UNconference sometime ago and made theirvoices heard. Tey were complaining about a

document, still in the making, that containedprecisely questionable moral positions. Tat’s

a good sign.In fact, we need to reclaim the original

meaning of morality, human sexuality,marriage, etc., in order to help the youthextricate themselves from the elaborate spin

used by those with the mindset of moralrelativism.Caring for the youth is no easy task at all.

My own experience with dealing with youngcollege students for many years indicatesthat they need abiding attention, a lot ofpatience, and understanding, a good amountof flexibility and creativity, and at the sametime, an unwavering hold on the faith and thedoctrines that go with it.

Each one has to be handled in a very personal way. Away with putting them in boxes andbranding and stereotyping them. Once thispersonal relationship is established, then thingscan be expectedto go far.

he young people need constantencouragement. Tey sometimes strike meas toddlers who are still learning to walkproperly—in the moral and spiritual life. Tey

can be up one moment, and down the nextCandidly Speaking / A7

EDIORIAL

HE created things of this world are not free of ownership: “For theyare yours, O Lord, who love the living” (Wis 11:26). Tis is the basis

of our conviction that, as part of the universe, called into being byone Father, all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form akind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with asacred, affectionate and humble respect. Here I would reiterate that“God has joined us so closely to the world around us that we canfeel the desertification of the soil almost as a physical ailment, andthe extinction of a species as a painful disfigurement”. (ApostolicExhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 1109)

Tis is not to put all living beings on the same level or to deprivehuman beings of their unique worth and the tremendous responsibilityit entails. Nor does it imply a divinization of the earth which wouldprevent us from working on it and protecting it in its fragility. Suchnotions would end up creating new imbalances which would deflectus from the reality which challenges us. (BENEDIC XVI, Encycli-cal Letter Caritas in Veritate, 650) At times we see an obsession withdenying any pre-eminence to the human person; more zeal is shownin protecting other species than in defending the dignity which allhuman beings share in equal measure. Certainly, we should be con-

cerned lest other living beings be treated irresponsibly. But we shouldbe particularly indignant at the enormous inequalities in our midst,

whereby we continue to tolerate some considering themselves more worthy than others. We fail to see that some are mired in desperateand degrading poverty, with no way out, while others have not thefaintest idea of what to do with their possessions, vainly showing offtheir supposed superiority and leaving behind them so much waste

which, if it were the case everywhere, would destroy the planet. Inpractice, we continue to tolerate that some consider themselves morehuman than others, as if they had been born with greater rights.

A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real ifour hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow hu-man beings. It is clearly inconsistent to combat trafficking in endangeredspecies while remaining completely indifferent to human trafficking,unconcerned about the poor, or undertaking to destroy another humanbeing deemed unwanted. Tis compromises the very meaning of ourstruggle for the sake of the environment. It is no coincidence that, inthe canticle in which Saint Francis praises God for his creatures, he goes

on to say: “Praised be you my Lord, through those who give pardonfor your love”. Everything is connected. Concern for the environmentthus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beingsand an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society.

Moreover, when our hearts are authentically open to universalcommunion, this sense of fraternity excludes nothing and no one.It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures ofthis world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to otherhuman beings. We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness

which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showingitself in our relationships with other people. Every act of crueltytowards any creature is “contrary to human dignity”.

-- Laudato Si’ , 89-92

IN a rather extraordinary but welcome move, Pope Francis has ex-tended to all priests worldwide the authority to absolve women fromthe sin of abortion during the Holy Year of Mercy which opens onDec. 8, 2015. Tis happy development was announced on Sept. 1in a letter addressed to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the president ofthe Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.

Te letter unfolds with the premise: “With the approach of the

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, I would like to focus on several points which I believe require attention to enable the celebration of theHoly Year to be for all believers a true moment of encounter withthe mercy of God. It is indeed my with that the Jubilee be a livingexperience of the closeness of the Father, whose tenderness is almosttangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened andthus testimony to it be ever more effective.”

Indeed, extraordinarily extending to all priests the faculty to forgivethe reserved sin of abortion is nothing less than a tangible “momentof encounter with the mercy of God.” A woman who obtains anabortion automatically incurs a “latae sententiae” excommunication,along with those who assisted her in the process. Because of this,the sin of abortion is normally absolved only by a bishop or certainpriests appointed by him.

Says Pope Francis, “I think in particular of all the women who haveresorted to abortion. I am well aware of the pressure that has led themto this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal. I havemet so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agoniz-

ing and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust;yet understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope.Te forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented,especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession

with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father.”Of course, extending this faculty to priests is common with some

bishops especially during Lent and specific occasions. Yet, takingthis to a universal level is something that will raise the eyebrows ofsome segments in the Catholic Church. But this is Pope Francis,

who, according to Cardinal Mauro Piancenza, head of the ApostolicPenitentiary, is the “pope of mercy” and who looks at the confes-sional not as a “torture chamber” but a place where one leaves “withhappiness of heart, with a face of radiant hope.”

A universal communion

Forgiving the sin of abortion


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A5CBCP Monitor August 31 - September 13, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 18 OPINION

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc In Altum

Tessa G. Mangahas

Pilgrim at the Periphery

Of ‘epal’ kin and queens

OFWs, the Evangelizing

Modern Day Heroes

Ironies

When I think of home

Rev. Eutiquio ‘Euly’ Belizar, Jr., SThD

By the Roadside

HE word “epal” is uniquely Philippine-made, but, I suspect, not the phenomenonbehind it. In the information super highway(the old way of referring to the internet,if you please) one finds quite a few vividdescriptions of its meaning, some amusing,

others informative, still others too graphic tomention. Tere seems to be a consensus thatits root is the word ‘papel’ (paper) which, inthe Filipino psyche, does not solely refer tothe wood product we normally write thingson but also to some individuals, the “epals” ifyou like, with the overriding devotion to self-promote ahead of others by any means thatgrab attention. In my book, then, the “epal”is fundamentally an obsessive, aggressiveself-promoter.

In this article “epal” is mainly a referenceto powerful, often suspiciously moneyedpeople who use various means, but especiallyprojects or services that they render by virtueof a public office they hold or a social statusthey have achieved in aid of their election (orre-election) to a public office. If you alreadyknew what I mean, you’d probably say, “Tat’s

a long way of describing a politician.” Suffice itto say that I neither confirm nor deny the above

observation. By the way, even the expression“I neither confirm nor deny” is very much ofa piece with the “epal” mindset.

Lately the “epals” hogged the headlines.No, not through their usual avenues. Rather,their creative juices instinctively were on

display in the media exposure they receivedon the occasion of the INC protest ralliesthat caused untold traffic and its horrificconsequences for Metro Manileños. A numberof media outlets gave them interviews thatappeared, on the one hand, sympatheticto the frustrated, outraged public, and, onthe other, with eyes fixed on 2016 and theprospect of the potential INC ‘block-voting’benefits on their undeclared candidacies,overly protective of the INC’s constitutionalrights to freedom of expression or assemblyand freedom of religion. Understandably,netizens and ordinary Filipinos have expresseddismay or, more strongly, denunciation ofthe subtle duplicity in their answers. Still,the great majority of “epals” who preferredsilence to self-expression may not really beless self-promoting; not saying anything

means not displeasing anyone, especially thevoting “anyone”.

o be fair, the “epals” are not solely to blamefor their doublespeak and aggressive self-promotion. Pinoys have very short memoriesof anyone or anything of value, what with theinformation and image overload they haveto deal with on a daily basis. Name recall has

become not only a desirable pursuit but alsoa commercial and political must in our highlyimage-conscious, media-influenced society.In short, the “epal kings and queens” in ourmidst are our own creations. As we frown ontheir ways, we must, at the same time, say firmgoodbye to our penchant to value image oversubstance, appearance over character, wordsover track records.

Te “epal king or queen” is, after all, onefrom among ourselves, a reflection of where

we are rather than where we should be. Where we should be is where ruth lies. In the wordsof St. Tomas Aquinas, “What God’s Son hastold me I take for ruth.”

And the words of God’s Son are unmistakable:“If you give something to the poor, do not letyour left hand know what your right hand isdoing, so that your gift remains secret. Your

Father who sees what is kept in secret willreward you” (Mt 6:3-4).

PEOPLE have been rantingabout the horrendous traffic jamsthe past few days. I have beenblessed not to have been caughtin these situations too often maybebecause I usually take a very earlyschedule at work and end up withappointments nearer to home at

the end of a work day.But more than the snail’s pacethat traffic moves in the metro, what bothe rs me most are thescenes of children that ply theirtrade in our streets while cars areat a standstill. Everyone wantsto reach the comfort of theirhomes as early as they can. But wha t abo ut the chi ldren whohave embraced the streets astheir homes?

How ironic that because of thesescenes of the homeless, we haveactually become “world class” andat par with the greatest cities of the world. In a recent Facebook post,I came across a survey that showsManila, Philippines defeating

New York and Los Angeles as thecity with the biggest homelesspopulation.

Consider these numbers. New York City notched more than60,000 people without a roof overtheir heads, almost half of whichare children. Los Angeles has over57,000 destitute, half of them

African American and a third ondrug abuse. On any given night,Los Angeles has more than 12,000people seeking refuge in shelters. Well, at least they have shelters.

But move over Big Apple andCity of Angels. Manila, Philippinesbeats you by leaps and bounds. Te

United Nations Human RightsCommission reports that the cityhas 70,000 dispossessed peopleand a staggering 1.2 millionchildren living on the streets!Tese urchins don’t just sleep onthe streets amid the elements.Tey are also surrounded by thepresence of drug abuse, pedophilesand sex tourists, and more hazards.

But there are pockets of hopefound in what Cardinal Luis Antonio agle call s “circl es ofintegrity”.

One such e f for t i s theUGNAYAN NG BARANGAY A SIMBAHAN (UBAS), whichCardinal agle referred to as a“circle of integrity” that pushes

for a higher level of public service,anchored on transparency, goodgovernance, and grassrootsparticipation.

A year aft er it was formall ylaunched with Cardinal agle,the UBAS fervor has caught onat least 87% of the nation. hesedays, UBAS is in the process of

partnering with key agencies tocurb the proliferation of streetchildren and rugby sniffersin Metro Manila. he projectis called Oplan Balik BahaySagip Buhay (OBBSB). heinitial salvo targets key areasin Manila – Malate, Ermita,

ayuman, LiwasangBonifacio,Roxas Boulevard , and theManila Cathedral. After Manila,Quezon City will be the nextfocus.

UBAS through faith-basedorganizations, will help monitorthe project , act as “s tree tfacilitators” and assist in theprofiling of street children andfamilies to be relocated. hebarangays through the Ligang mga barangay, have beenrequested to identify spaces thatthe government can rent forrelocation of about 2,500 families.

wo thousand five hundredfamilies may seem a feeble effort

when 1.2M street children are

homeless, but as they say, everylittle bit helps.

Recently, I attended a briefingof the PPCRV in my diocese. Teytalked about our roles in nextyear’s elections, PCOS machines,biometrics, and vigilance incounting votes. Tey distributedt-shirts that bore the text of the

7th commandment: WAG KANGMAGNAKAW. At the end of theseminar, they gave us binalot takeaway lunches.

As I was driving off, I cameacross a thin child, whose leg wasin a cast, scouring for food in agarbage can across the Cubao

Cathedral. He turned to me andsuddenly I was reminded of theverse; “Foxes have holes and birdsof the air have nests, but the Sonof Man has nowhere to lay hishead.” I handed him my binalotlunch and his eyes lit up as if hegot a huge Christmas gift! Whilethis boy’s heart may have beentemporarily filled with happinessbecause of the unexpected treat,mine was filled with a senseof helplessness because of hissituation and homelessness.

I will remember this boy’s eyesin my ministry work leading up tonext year’s electoral exercise. I willremember his smile of gratitude

wh en I ca st my vo te . I wi ll

remember his hopeful expressionthe next time I rant about trafficas I rush home.

Perhaps when people worktogether and choose the rightleaders, this boy and countlessothers can rush to their homes,a place where “there is loveoverflowing”.

Collection Box Fr. Jerome Secillano, MPA

AS expected, PNoy again lambasted former

Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in his last Stateof the Nation Address. He highlighted oncemore the failures and excesses of his predecessor while trumpeting the perceived successes ofhis administration. He praised his cabinetmembers to high heavens while ignoringthe fact that many of them are also perhapsguilty of the same “sins” that he accused hispredecessor of.

his is the problem with PNoy, he seesonly the good in his friends and allies butalways points out his political enemies’ flawsand failures. He thinks perhaps, that it isadorable to always remind the Filipinos of what went before not realizing that these sameFilipinos are so desperately waiting for what hisgovernment can offer to meet their needs andto secure their future.

PNoy should stop blaming the former

president. He does not realize it, but someof those he trumpeted as achievements ofhis administration were actually carried overfrom the previous one. Te 4Ps (PantawidPamilyang Pilipino Program) started withthe previous administration and was knownas the Conditional Cash ransfer (CCC).Te SCEX was built under GMA’s term,and it benefitted not only travelers going toSubic or Clark but also literally the Aquino-Cojuangco family as the government paid themhandsomely in order to obtain the public’s“right of way” since the expressway cuts intothe vast Hacienda Luisita. Te Roll on-Roll off(RoRo) project of GMA continues to benefitthe poor and those who cannot afford travellingby plane. Te previous administration alsoprovided the framework for educationalreforms that have now been incrementally

implemented together with the hotly debatedK12 program.

GMA is not a saint and she may not even

be one of the best presidents this countryever had. Tat said, PNoy should just simplymove on and let the wheels of justice take itscourse. Ten he can now pay attention to hisown administration’s defects and failures andfirmly crack the whip on those who continueto plunder our country’s resources.

His budget secretary is purportedlythe architect of the much-maligned porkbarrel and yet he continues to defend andtrust him. Senators and Congressmentook advantage of this windfall but theirsupposed programs hardly changed the livesof their constituents. How can a conventioncenter, for example, improve the lives ofpoor people in Iloilo? his pork barrel inthe form of DAP (Disbursement AllocationProgram) and PDAF (Priority Development

Ass is tan ce Fun d) are indic ati ons of the

loathed political patronage system thatdestroys every inch of objectivity, decencyand morality in our society.

When PNoy delivered his address to thenation, he was so confident to the point ofbeing arrogant. His sense of objectivity waslost. He didn’t realize that for every “imagined”gain he attributed to his loyal minions,hundreds of “kapalpakan” are committed bythe same.

While heaping praises on Sec. Jun Abaya ofDOC, majority are in fact annoyed becausePNoy didn’t even bother to offer a “band-aid” (literally) solution to the leaking roof inour MR. While commuters are drenched

with rain water, MR officials are allegedlyenjoying their costume party in a hotel inManila. And so what if our airline carriersare now allowed to fly to Europe? Other

air lines offer cheaper fares than our own.Besides, passengers in our airports are most

of the time inconvenienced by either leaking

roofs, broken ceilings or busted air cons. Ifthey cannot address those simple problems,how can we trust them to solve the morecomplex ones?

Sec. Proceso Alcala was also extolled forthe lifting of the Yellow ag that preventedour fishermen from exporting fish to theEuropean Union. Tough important for ourfisher folks, the guy still couldn’t deliver onother more pressing issues such as coco levyfunds, cocolisap, importation and shortageof rice, existence of rice cartels, and manymore.

And what about the Yolanda funds? Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz of ABAKADA party listsaid, “COA reports show Soliman had failedto account for billions in taxpayers’ money thatdid not go to its intended purpose. Tis is notthe first time that the Commission on Audit

found irregularities in Soliman’s handling ofpublic funds. How come the President is notdoing anything about it? Why is she not beingmade accountable?”

Before ending his address, PNoy quoteda line from St. Paul’s letter to imothy, “Ihave fought the good fight, I have finishedthe race, I have kept the faith” (2 im. 4-7).By quoting it, one would think that this guyhas a deep sense of spirituality in him. Heeven subtly taught us about respect whenhe spoke of Sec. Mar Roxas as undeservingof brickbats and condemnation while doinghis job. He said, “You cannot put a goodman down”.

Yes, Mr. President, you cannot really put agood man down. But any decent, moral, andBible-reading person also knows that we don’thave the right to kick a person especially when

she is down. And that is the greatest irony!

OUR modern day heroes, the Overseas Filipino Workers

(OFWs), are not only contributing to our country’s economicdevelopment but are also propagating our Catholic faith. Whenone goes to a church in a foreign country, one can always see ourOFWs actively participating in the Eucharist and church activities- as choir members, lectors-commentators, ExtraordinaryMinisters of the Holy Communion, leaders/members of churchministries, etc. Te parish priests appreciate the role of our OFWsin evangelization. Tey are the saving grace of our country’seconomic development, and yet, what had the government donein return to our modern day heroes?

Recently, the government increased the fee which thePhilippine Overseas and Employment Administration(POEA) charges to our OFWs. hen the Bureau ofCustoms’ (BOC) issued a policy of opening balikbayanboxes and imposing taxes based on the BOC’s claim thatthe government loses Php 50 million a month, or Php 600million a year, on incoming boxes.

My goodness, what is Php 600 million a year compared withthe $26 million yearly remittance (or almost Php 1.2 billion) ofour OFWs? Php 600 million is a meager amount compared tothe billions of pesos that the government would lose if the BOC

would not run after big time smugglers of imported drugs, guns,cars, rice, sugar, garlic, motorcycles, electronic gadgets, jewelries.How come artificial rice found its way into the Philippines?How come the BOC cleared the 13 containers of garbage fromCanada without inspection? God only knows what are insidethose containers--drugs, guns, or both?

After OFWs’ opposition to opening of boxes became viral insocial media, President Noynoy Aquino ordered the suspensionof the opening of boxes, requiring the use of scanners andx-ray machines on those boxes, however, the BOC is stillgiven the discretion to open boxes “should they feel there arecontrabands inside”. Easier said than done. A BOC personnel

who is addicted to corruption c an always say that those boxesshould be opened and inspected. Once it happens, the OFW’sright to privacy of communication is violated and desecrated;the contents stolen.

As Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago stated: “Te governmentmust strive to achieve the delicate balance between, on the onehand, fulfilling its mandate to curb smuggling, and, on theother, protecting balikbayan boxes, which are often channels ofintimate communication among families. It is one thing to inspectbalikbayan boxes, another to desecrate them. Te BOC seemsaware that balikbayan boxes, when opened by their personnel,are sometimes pillaged. What have the officials done to rid theirranks of thieves?”

Te use of BOC’s hundreds of millions of pesos worth ofscanners and x-ray machines, together with sniffing dogs, areenough to detect if there are contrabands inside those boxes; noneed to open them. o use BOC personnel to open and inspectthose boxes is very expensive and wastes more taxpayers’ moneysince it requires more manpower and man hours. Moreover,pilferage of the contents of those boxes is 100% sure due to greattemptation to steal since those who will open them can see andtouch those items.

Another reason why OFWs use boxes is to avoid excess baggage when they go home for vacation since airlines charge exorbitantfees on excess baggage which usually amounts to not lower than$200 per box. Tat is too much for our poor OFWs, yes they arepoor, because no rich person would like to be an OFW.

Te BOC must understand the hardships being experiencedby our OFWs while working abroad, miles away from theirfamilies. It would take OFWs 3 to 6 months to fill those boxesbecause they have to shell out their hard-earned money and

wait fo r the sale s eason to buy the contents of the boxes. OurOFWs wanted their families to taste imported corned beef,spam, tuna, sardines, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, towels,t-shirts which are the usual contents of the box. If BOC

would tax them, the tax wi ll definitely be much higher thanthe value of the contents.

Our OFWs are of great help to our country’s economy. Whathad the big time smugglers and importers of Canada’s garbagecontributed? Did the latter give more money than our OFWs?

In behalf of our OFWs, we appeal to our government officialsnot to punish them. Living away from home is already stressful on

their part, please do not add to their worr ies that the contents oftheir boxes will be stolen at BOC. I challenge the BOC personnelto try working abroad, far from their family, and experience notonly the hard work but also the homesickness our OFWs aregoing through.

As President Aquino said, “Kung walang corrupt, walangmahirap.” Pero marami pa rin ang mahirap sa ngayon, ibig bangsabihin, marami kasi ang corrupt?” (If there are no corrupt, there

will be no poor. But the poor still abound, does it mean thereare many corrupt?)

***he heavy traffic in Metro Manila has gone berserk.

Acco rdin g to study by Japa n Int ern ati ona l Coo perati on Agency (JICA) , the Philippines loses Php 2.9 billio n a daydue to loss of manpower and manhours in traffic congestion,

which lasts for 3 to 5 hours. No less than His Eminen ce,83-year-old Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, did his best in themidst of stormy weather and “came to the rescue of thousands

of stranded motorists, when he single-handedly untangledthe traffic jam”. With no traffic policemen i n sight, the goodCardinal zipped up his raincoat and walked nearly a kilometerto find out what was causing the 1.6-kilometer (1 mile) longsnarl. He discovered six cars fighting over two lanes. He usedhand signals to force the vehicles to back up, freeing up the

jam. Hi s Eminence Lui s Antonio Cardinal agle advised thegovernment that it should “enforce regulations on the releaseof new vehicles into the streets to reduce number of cars onthe streets. He also hopes solutions to the problems throughthe Philippine National Railways, the Metro Rail ransit andbuses.” Filipinos can follow simple traffic rules while in foreigncountries. Why can they not do it in their own country?

***Congratulations to Bishop Francis de Leon, Apostolic

Administrator of the Diocese of Kalookan, on his episcopalanniversary. Let us pray for the eternal repose of the soul of MostRev. Francisco San Diego,D.D., First Bishop of Pasig, who joined

the Creator last August 26.


6/20

A6 CBCP MonitorAugust 31 - September 13, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 18LOCAL NEWS

now Kilometer 0, and the Philippinesis no longer a colony—do Filipinos still

think a photo bomber could diminish thenobility of the hero that his monumenthonors? Andres Bonifacio’s handsomemonument (Cry of Balintawak) is all butchoked by the commercial establishmentssurrounding it, but why is no one com-plaining? Does this mean we see AndresBonifacio as a second class hero?

If the appearance of the Rizal Monu-ment were so significant, why are theloud voices being heard only now, nowthat over 40 floors have already beenbuilt? If I were DMCI, or bought aunit at orre, I’d complain. Governmentagencies involved should pull their acttogether to avoid repetition of the same.I’d like to give the benefit of the doubtto DMCI, after all, oral arguments revealthat it has not violated any law in the

process. Besides, the National Histori-cal Commission of the Philippines has

testified that “the orre de Manila projectsite is outside the boundaries of the Rizal

Park and well to the rear (789 meters) ofthe Rizal National Monument; henceit cannot possibly obstruct the frontview of the said National Monument.” Judging from DMCI’s projec ts, of allthe developments in its class, DMCI hasthe best eye for the aesthetic aspects ofcondo-dwelling—they are not afraid to“waste” space in order to secure beautyand healthful living for the residents.Teir low-rise communities are a pictureof order and harmony, ideal places foryoung families to grow in. Most othercondo buildings look like artless shoeboxes stacked to towering heights, butDMCI for the same price as those “shoebox towers” offers middle-income fami-lies with spacious recreational facilities, well appointed study rooms, gorgeous

lobbies, and reception areas residentsmay be proud to entertain in.

If I seem to be taking sides on thisissue, you can be sure it’s only the side

of reason and common sense. orrede Manila’s bashers are an energeticlot and it’s sad to see that m uch energybeing aimed at a mere “photo bomber”as though the country (or even Manilaalone) were a picture of an immaculateparadise. Hellooow! here are othersights in Metromanila that “violatethe visual integrity” of our belovedlandmarks and are a real affront to theideals our heroes fought and died for.Open thine eyes to the scores of otherphoto bombers littering our metropo-lis! Ever since I took my first job at theManila imes (of Chino Roces days)I’ve been calling readers’ attention tovarious ills—beggar syndicates, prosti-tution, child abuse, illegal recruitment,OFWs’ broken families, mediocre

television programming, fraudulentadvertising, garbage mountains on our

streets, squatter shanties and clogged wate rways, unfa ir labor pr acti ces, etc.

I’m already hoarse from crying forfamilies living on the sidewalks, smallchildren begging, girls selling sampa-guita in the rain, boys gambling off almsmoney from scrupulous Christians, toname a few.

Instead of bashing well-meaning urbandevelopers and adding to the noise thatreduces orre de Manila into a orre deBabel, perhaps the erudite and culturedmembers of our society can combineforces and encourage the production ofsuperior, well-researched films on ourheroes—real heroes who have been deadat least 50 years, not political figurescatapulted to hero status by sheer luck.Produce concerts or plays on their lives sothat our youth may be inspired by theminstead of just screaming over One Direc-

tion or paying thousands of pesos to seeMadonna. o our beauty pageants, add

essay-writing contests that draw out theFilipinas’ feminine genius —remember

what Rizal wrote to the young womenof Malolos?he orre? Leave it be. And let

other developers even out the skyline.Te problem will solve itself if handled

with reason. Whil e stil l under con-struction, high-risers will naturally bean eyesore, but once finished they willprovide an appropriately lit backdropfor Rizal’s monument, hopefully luringpromenaders to the park, back from airconditioned malls. Ten I can hope I

will no lo nger hear what I heard from aLatin American meeting a Filipino forthe first time: “Before I met you I usedto think people in the Philippines werelike monkeys, living in trees…” Hah!Living in trees! Te world will come tosalute a blazing Rizal monument with

twinkling condo lights in the back-ground! And that’s the truth.

And That’s the Truth / A4

Interfaith eco-mov’t launchedQUEZON City – On theeve of the Season of Creationcelebration, representativesof the Catholic Church andother Christian denomina-tions on Monday, Aug. 31,temporarily set aside religiousdifferences to launch theEcological Justice Interfaith

Movement (EcoJIM) in abid to rally people of variouscreeds for the task of protect-ing what Pope Francis callstheir “common home.”

Moral obligation“… we, members of the

Ecological Justice InterfaithMovement, representing thegrowing faith-based move-ments and networks withinthe country and across theglobe in the fight for climate justic e, enjoin people of all

faiths and beliefs to share inthe collective responsibilityof addressing the ecologicalcrisis,” declare Fr. Dexteroledo, OFM and other or-ganizers of EcoJIM in a jointstatement.

Acc ord ing to them, thefight for climate justice is

not just an act of kindnessor good will, but a moralobligation that seeks toensure that no rights aretrampled upon and no dutyis forgotten.

“We must take it upon our-selves the valiant task of secur-ing and protecting people’sright to energy, to sufficient,healthy, and appropriate food,

water, and livelihood, and tothe security of possessions andhomes from climate impacts,”they add.

Junking exploitationEcoJIM members argue it is

high time all act and confronta system they believe uses andpromotes the exploitation ofnatural and environmentalresources at the expense of thecommon good.

“Allowing this system of

exploitation to continue onlydisparages the integrity ofall creation and widens thegap between the rich and thepoor, instead of encouragingcompassion and cooperation,”they explain.

EcoJIM organizers pointout the problem of climatechange and the environmentalchaos it can cause cut acrossreligious, cultural, scientific,and political ties, and exhortthe public to prepare to fightfor the survival of the planet.

Faith, fight for planet “As we ready ourselves for

the battle for our commonhome before us, we call oneveryone to prepare and puton a full armor that will en-able us to stand and not losehope in this decisive fight,”they say.

Whi le it rec ogni zes therole of faith in its advocacy,the group goes on to un-derline the need to addressthe ecological crisis with akind of discourse rooted inscience.

“Instead of contradictingeach other, empirical data hassupported and complemented

what our faith has taught us todo: become good and caringstewards of all creation or facedire consequences. (Raymond

A. Sebastián / CBCP News)

Sex change unnecessary – prelate

PALO, Leyte – “It is clear as part of theteaching of the Church that changes ormutilation done in (one’s) body whichis not necessary is putting themselvesas gods,” says Bishop-elect Oscar JaimeFlorencio.

Florencio, known formator in the Arch-diocese of Palo and former rector of the St.

John the Evangelist School of Teology, isall for the need to analyze the real reasons

why a person wants a sex change.He added, “We have to ask ourselvesin our Philippine setting, ‘Is it reallynecessary?”

No discrimination“If we will have to answer and we see

there is a big (economic) gap between per-sons around us and it is not necessary or itis just a caprice, then we have to ask ‘Whatis the problem?,” the prelate commented.

Florencio, however, stressed that peopleshould not discriminate against those whoidentify as LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexualand transgender).

hese people should instead try toconsider what pushes them to actuallyconsider having surgical operations doneon their body, said Florencio.

Earlier, the Archdiocese of Palo through itsspokesman Fr. Chris Arthur Militante declaredthe local church’s stand on LGB persons.

Te Church, according to Militante,does not discriminate against and instead welcomes those who consider themselvesbelonging to the said group.

Need for counselingHe, nevertheless, stressed that the

Church is constant and resolute in con-demning homosexual acts.Militante explained that in the Book of

Genesis it is clear that God created only Adam, a man, and Eve, a woman, and noin-between gender.

Florencio and Militante both recognizeLGB individuals’ need for counseling.

Meanwhile, Bishop-elect Florencio isset to welcome Papal Nuncio GiuseppePinto to his episcopal consecration onSept. 4 at the Palo Cathedral.

Former Palo Archbishop and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Palo Archbishop John Du will join the Nuncio as consecrator.

Following his episcopal consecration,Florencio will be installed as AuxiliaryBishop of Cebu. (Eileen Nazareno-Ball-esteros /CBCP News)

Te encyclical specifically men-tions that “concern for the protec-tion of nature is incompatible withthe justification of abortion”.

“At times we see an obsession with denying any pre-eminenceto the human person; more zealis shown in protecting other spe-cies than in defending the dignity which all human beings share inequal measure,” the Pope said.

See, judge, actIn his homily, agle also empha-

sized the importance of “seeing and judging”

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