Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Sixteen members of the Catholic prelate led by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales called on voters on Saturday to beware of overspending candidates, saying that lavish campaign expenses in the past did not prove beneficial to the country.
“Excessive campaign expenses in the past did not augur good and responsive governance," Cardinal Rosales along with 15 other bishops belonging to the Manila Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province said in a pastoral statement on Saturday, excerpts of which were posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site.
With more than P2 billion already spent by candidates on political advertisements alone, this year’s election is touted to be the most expensive in the country’s history, according to Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) executive director Malou Mangahas.
“Everybody seems to be spending like crazy on advertisements," Mangahas said in a forum earlier this week.
The Catholic criteria
The bishops' pastoral statement also pointed out that freedom in an election means “no physical coercion" or “threat or money used to influence or to buy votes."
The bishops asked voters to “choose freely the leaders of the country who shall be accountable to serve them."
They said voters should tally the candidates’ respective positions on the issues of corruption and poverty, the “two major issues disabling the country today… (haunting) the country with destructive mutuality" because “as corruption increases, poverty worsens."
The prelates also stressed that voters should choose candidates who are “God-fearing; moral; not given to vices; reverent of life and its deserved decency," those with real concern for the environment and the poor, and those that provide good examples of responsible Filipino citizenship.
The Manila Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province include the Dioceses of Antipolo, Imus, Malolos, Parañaque, San Pablo, Taytay, Cubao, Kalookan, Novaliches, Pasig, Puerto Princesa and the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines.
The pastoral letter initiated by Cardinal Rosales will be read in all parishes and churches of the Archdiocese and Dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province on Sunday, March 14, or the Sunday after in some areas.
Directed towards Villar
The pastoral statement, which appears to be just “an appeal to the conscience," is obviously directed towards Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., according to Ateneo de Manila University political professor Benito Lim.
“Although this statement is just telling voters to use their conscience, ’yung statement na ‘yan is partisan. They (the bishops) are directing it against one candidate at maliwanag na si Villar ’yun.," Lim told GMANews.TV in a telephone interview.
Villar has spent over P1 billion on campaign advertisements since November last year, according to AGB Nielsen.
Asked why the pastoral statement may have been directed against Villar, Lim answered, “Hindi natin alam kung bakit, pero siguro gustong ipakita ng Simbahan that they don’t want people who spend too much for votes, which they believe is immoral."
The political science professor likewise said that although the pastoral statements will be read in churches within the Manila archdiocese, it might have no effect on voters’ choices.
“This statement will just reinforce the belief of those who do not like Villar. It will not convert or make people change their votes, especially if they like Villar," he said.
Biggest spenders
Based on studies conducted by AGB Nielsen, Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party is so far the biggest spender in television advertisements alone, amounting to P1.3 billion from November 1 last year to March 2 this year.
Administration candidate Gilberto Teodoro’s expenses in the same period amounted to P472 million, with only P60,480 since the start of the campaign period on February 9.
Former president Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino came in third with P88 million, followed closely by Senator Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party with P87 million. Senator Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan has so far spent P67.3 million.
Republic Act 7166 or the Synchronized Elections Law mandates that candidates running for president and vice-president should spend only P10 for every registered voter within the official campaign period.
This means that, with a projected total of 50 million voters in the upcoming polls, each candidate for either national position is only authorized to spend around P500 million for their respective campaigns.—With Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV
source : http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/186071/news/nation/bishops-warn-voters-vs-overspending-candidates
Bishops warn voters vs overspending candidates
Some time before Holy Week last year, 58-year-old housekeeper Remy Heneralo was grilling fish beneath an acacia tree. At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary. But as she watched the smoke curl up toward the sky, her eyes fell on what appeared to be the image of Jesus on a stump where a branch had been cut.
"Sabi ko, ‘Ma’m halika, tingnan mo ‘yung puno. ‘Yung drawing,’ 'ka ko. Tapos sabi niya, ‘Si Nazareno, si Nazareno ‘yun, Jesus!’" Remy recalled excitedly in an episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” aired last March 24.
Believing that Jesus Christ's face was on the tree, they called it the "Holy Face of Jesus Christ." Since then, devotees would visit that area of Subic Bay Freeport, where they say the image is still recognizable even after more than a year.
Biologist Dr. Mudjekeewis Santos explained that as the image is found where the branch was cut, it may have been formed by the sap which blackens when it is exposed.
"Kasi nandoon siya doon sa naputol na part nung acacia. And may dagta ‘yun. And ‘yung dagta na ‘yun ‘pag na-expose nangingitim and tumutulo ‘yun. So maaaring dahil doon sa pagtulo ng dagta doon na-form ‘yung image," he said.
In everyday objects
This is only one of many instances around the world where people have claimed to have found the image of Jesus on everyday objects, from irons to potato chips.
On Ash Wednesday this year, a man in New Mexico claimed to have seen the image of the Lord on a tortilla, the Daily Mail reported.
It seems even living creatures can be "miracle-bringers," as housewife Lilian Antiquerra experienced last August in Barangay San Roque in Legazpi City, Albay.
Her brother was preparing a dozen fresh crabs for their lunch when he noticed one crab was unlike the others. The mysterious crab appeared to have the image of their patron saint, San Roque, on its belly. Instead of cooking the crab in coconut milk, Lilian preserved it in a glass box.
"’Yung mga pinakitaan ko ng time na ‘yun talagang lahat parang kinilabutan daw sila. Ang kinakatakutan talaga namin ‘yung dagat, parang pahiwatig na ibig sabihin ililigtas," said Lilian.
The box was placed in the family grotto, where they would pray together. They said that because of the crab, the family has become closer.
Despite Lilian's painstaking efforts to preserve the image, they said it began to fade after almost seven months.
"Lahat naman nagsasabi na darating din ang panahon na parang mag-aagnas. Sabi ko, 'Okay lang basta hindi namin siya itatapon.' Siguro kung sa amin, 'yan ang tanda ng talagang hindi kami maghihiwahiwalay," said Lilian.
Reminders
According to Bishop Deogracia Iñiquez of the Diocese of Caloocan, these sightings may be the Lord's way of reminding His followers of His presence. But the bishop said such sightings must be taken in the context of faith.
"Ito ay mga pamamaraan na maaaring ginagamit ng Panginoon upang paalalahanan tayo upang ipakilala Siya. Pero dapat ito'y ating ituring, ito ay ating laging tinatanggap, sa konteksto ng ating pananampalataya," he said. –KG, GMA News
source : http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/253944/lifestyle/culture/jesus-images-found-in-a-tree-a-crab-and-other-unexpected-places
Jesus images found in a tree, a crab, and other unexpected places
1st Caloocan Diocesan Squires Day: The Squires Coordinating Body and Diocesan Circle composed of different chief counselors were inducted during the First Diocesan Columbian Squires Day of the Caloocan Diocese graced by Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., DD.
MANILA, Jan. 25, 2012—Caloocan Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., DD graced the First Diocesan Columbian Squires Day of the Diocese of Caloocan last month with the theme: “Columbian Squire: Kabataan ng Makabagong Panahon kasama ng Simbahan sa Pagsulong ng Pamayanan.”
Bishop Iñiguez led the Eucharistic celebration and motivated the youth with his inspirational message during the Mass held at the San Roque Cathedral attended by over 150 Squires and 20 Brother Knights.
Highlights of the event were membership and circle development; Squires advancement program; resolution of declaring December 28 as Diocesan Squires Day of the Caloocan Diocese; and induction of Squires Coordinating Body and Diocesan Circle.
Luzon Chief Squire Allen Paolo Guballa and Overall-in-Charge Luzon Squires Chairman George Michael Tolin Tuyay also joined the event.
source: kofc.org.ph
Bishop graces Caloocan’s First Diocesan Squires Day
MANILA, Philippines — An exhibit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has earned the ire of the Catholic Church.
The exhibit features photographs of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary were adorned with objects not related to Christianity. One even showed a crucifix with a condom.
Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz called the exhibit a “desecration” and advised those responsible for it to see a psychiatrist.
“Those responsible for this should better see a good psychiatrist and take their medicines so they’ll become normal especially as far as their human sexuality is concerned,” Cruz said in an interview.
The exhibit, featuring the works by mixed media artist Mideo Cruz, received wide attention and sparked controversy after it was shown on television.
“The ones who did those things are sick. They are not only sick but what they did was also sickening. No one in his right mind with the proper value system would even think of doing such things,” said Cruz.
“I wonder if those who did those desecration would allow me to do those things to them…. meaning to say to put those items on their face and body and desecrate them with all those items like used condoms,” he added.
Both Cruz and Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez are convinced that this latest affront against the Catholic Church had something to do with their opposition against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill and same-sex marriage.
“That’s possible,” said Iniguez.
“These people should respect the religion of others,” he said.
The Caloocan bishop urged the public to boycott the exhibit.
The Council of the Laity of the Philippines went to the extent of calling on the faithful to ban programs and products of television network ABS-CBN, and condemned it for its supposed efforts to malign the Church.
“We should ban their programs or products…they are really out to discredit the Catholic Church,” said Ed Tirona, president of the Council of the Laity of the Philippines.
Tirona cited the July 22 episode of a news program of ABS-CBN wherein they featured the said exhibit of the supposed artist who took the liberty of scandalizing the image of Jesus Christ by disfiguring its face and sacrilegiously vulgarizing it with obscenities ostensibly as an art expression.
“This is another affront to us Catholics coming as it does with this station leading in church bashing with their invented "Pajero" tag which they feasted on for two weeks. Has ABS-CBN given up its sense of decency in being a leading butcher of this administration against the Catholic Church?” he said in a statement.
“I call upon the Church organizations to denounce this obvious attempt of ABS-CBN to discredit our Church and what we Catholics believe in. Let us denounce this station for its total lack of sensitivity and professionalism,” added Tirona.
source: mb.com.ph
image source: pinasnewsfeed.wordpress.com
Bishops condemn CCP art exhibit
MANILA — The peace talks between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has been postponed.In a letter dated June 2 addressed to GPH peace panel chairman Alexander Padilla, NDFP panel chairman Luis Jalandoni proposed the postponement of talks scheduled this month until such time that the NDFP consultants and other individuals protected by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) are released.
The Joint Communique signed by both parties and witnessed by Ambassador Ture Lundh of the Royal Norwegian Government on 18 January 2011 in Oslo read: “The GPH Panel agreed to work for the expeditious release of detained NDFP consultants and other JASIG protected persons in compliance with the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) and in the spirit of goodwill.”
As of June 8 (Manila time), Padilla has not responded to Jalandoni’s letter dated June 2 and to an earlier letter dated May 27, Jalandoni told Bulatlat through email. In his first letter, Jalandoni also followed up the GPH’s commitment to release detained NDFP consultants.
There are 17 NDFP consultants and Jasig-protected persons in different jails.
During his visit to Manila late last month, Fidel Agcaoili, NDFP panel vice chairman was asked by Padilla and Secretary Teresita Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to stay until June 1. Padilla and Deles apparently assured Agcaoili that there would be an announcement of releases.
“We are deeply disappointed that no such announcement has been made by the GPH,” Jalandoni said.
In her statement posted at the OPAPP website, Deles said: “The resumption of the formal negotiations with the NDFP will focus on the remaining substantive agenda on: socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms and end of hostilities and disposition of forces. To avoid unwarranted disruptions of the negotiations, the Parties also established side table mechanisms to review and address procedural and non-substantive issues such as JASIG implementation, the release of alleged political prisoners (APOs), and confidence-building and goodwill measures.”
Agcaoili took offense on the statement. “The Parties may create mechanisms to facilitate discussions on the full implementation of the JASIG. But such mechanisms do not relegate the full implementation of the JASIG to a side-table issue. The claim of Ms. Ging Deles is simply preposterous,” he said.
“Ms. Ging Deles should be reminded that the primary purposes of the JASIG are “to facilitate the peace negotiations, create a favorable atmosphere conducive to free discussion and movement during the peace negotiations, and avert any incident that may jeopardize the peace negotiations,” Agcaoili said.
Agcaoli said that Jasig is a very important agreement in the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations. “It is what enables the Parties to directly engage in peace negotiations by providing safety and immunity guarantees to their respective negotiators, consultants, staffers, security and other personnel who participate in the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations. It actually tests the sincerity and commitment of the Parties to the peace negotiations,” he said.
“The NDFP proposal to defer the talks of the Reciprocal Working Committees on Social and Economic Reforms (RWCs SER) and the Working Groups on Political and Constitutional Reforms (WGs PCR) scheduled in Oslo this month is meant to allow the GPH to comply with the Jasig,” Agcaoili said.
In the meantime, Jalandoni said the NDFP panel continues overseeing the work of the NDFP Monitoring Committee in the JMC, the NDFP RWC-SER and NDFP WG-PCR.
“That means we continue working in preparation for the eventual next round of formal Panel talks, the JMC meeting scheduled for July 11-15 in Manila, the bilateral meetings of the RWCs-SER and WGs-PCR. But of course the GPH will have to comply with their commitment and obligation to release the NDFP Consultants and Jasig-protected persons,” Jalandoni told Bulatlat.com.
Deles said, “As far as I know, there has not been any changes on the agreements between the government and the NDFP. Preparations for the substantive agenda are moving forward. The GPH panel is fully aware of the developments brought about by the statements issued by Jalandoni and Agcaoili. I am confident that the Panel will manage this issue well and shall release its own official statement soon.
Jalandoni was informed by Lundh that the GPH panel are meeting June 8. “But we have not heard anything (yet) from that meeting,” Jalandoni said.
“[i]f the GPH cannot be trusted to comply with the JASIG, how can it be expected to comply with agreements on social and economic reforms, and on political and constitutional reforms, or, for that matter, in any agreement that would enable the Parties to enter into an alliance and truce?” Agcaoili said.
Bulatlat.com also sent an email to Padilla about the issue but got no response.
Raising concern
In a statement, the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), the largest ecumenical formation of church leaders in the Philippines, urged both parties to remain focused on seeing the peace process through.
“We call on the two parties to follow the spirit of the JASIG as it is a crucial issue around the formal peace talks. Its faithful implementation enables the two parties to resume the negotiations in earnest,” the PEPP said.
“On the agenda of the formal peace talks are the social and economic reforms. This second substantive agenda is very central to the negotiations as it seeks solutions to address the roots of armed conflict that has afflicted our land for decades,” the group said.
The statement is signed by Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez and Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines.
source: padidioni.wordpress.com
GPH-NDFP peace talks postponed
No other place on earth venerates and recognizes the relevance of one whom we fondly call "Mama Mary" like in the Philippines!
This is a special annual exhibit began by the Museo Valenzuela Foundation and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima Parish since 1998.
For the current exhibit there is a showcase of 75 images of the Virgin Mary as lent by churches and other sponsors from across the country specially for the event. At least one monumental image has even travelled from as far away as New York (the guide didn't specify whether it was NY, Cubao or NY, USA though)! The exhibit also features what is believed to be the oldest dated Marian painting in the country, and another image that in the eyes of some seems too provocative for their liking. But you'll have to come visit and see for yourself, though .. Truly an educational, rewarding and uplifting experience especially for the uninitiated.
Former Philippine President and current cancer victim Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino, her daughter TV and Movie personality Kris Aquino, and controversial ZTE-NBN scandal witness Jun Lozada visited the exhibit late in the afternoon on May 13, 2008.
This free exhibit from May 4-18, 2008 coincides with the celebration of the National Shrine's annual church fiesta (May 13) and even perhaps - fittingly enough - Mothers' Day (celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of May in the Philippines).
source: pbase.com
10th Marian Exhibit
The Commission on Ecumenical Affairs functions in accordance with the prescriptions of the new Code of Canon Law, as embodied in the revised Vatican documents "Directory Concerning Ecumenical Matters" and "Ecumenical Collaboration," at the regional, national, and local levels.
Using the facilities of its permanent secretariat - the John XXIII Ecumenical Center, it maintains contact with the Vatican Secretariate for Promoting Christian Unity and keeps the bishops informed of matters emanating from here.
While assists Philippine bishops to establish diocesan ecumenical commissions, it fosters dialogue with ecumenical councils and leaders of other Christian Churches.
The Commission recommends to the CBCP measures to implement the Decree "Unitatis Redingratio" and represents the Conference in ecumenical conferences while maintaining constant dialogue with mainline Protestant Churches.
So gone are the days of the narrow religious mind. Ecumenism, like a fresh wind, is today at work in what unites churches rather what separates them. In 1969 a tentative agreement on a mutual recognition of the validity of Baptism between the Catholic and Lutheran Churches in the Philippines saw fruition in a Baptismal Agreement finally signed in February of 1972, followed by another such agreement with the Philippine Episcopal Church in 1980.
The Ecumenical Encounter initiated by Pope Paul VI at the Apostolic Nunciature in1970 opened up more ecumenical dialogues at the Union Theological Seminary, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and the United Methodist Church.
In 1981, Pope John Paul II met with representatives of Christian Churches, also at the Nunciature, and in 1988 a National Ecumenical Consultative Commission was organized under the auspices of Malacañang, with Bishops Cariño, Iñiguez and Bacani in its ranks. In 1993, Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., as Chairman of this Commission, attended the meeting of the Ecumenical Commission of Episcopal Conferences in Rome.
In 1994 a joint cooperation named "Ecumenism in Action" was launched by the Commission and the NCCP. And in August of 1994, a first Medical mission to Bacolor, Pampanga took place with 30 participants from various Christian Churches during the World Youth Day celebration with the Holy Father, particularly in the Inter-Religious Forum, in January 1995.
Chairman: Abp. Fernando R. Capalla
Vice Chairman: Bp. Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr.
Members:
Bp. John F. Du
Bp. Zacharias C. Jimenez
Bp. Socrates B. Villegas
Executive Secretary:
Ms. Madeleine Dannug
Address:
Focolare Movement
1876 Villa Barbara Int.
Dominga St., 1300 Pasay City
Telephone: 928-8010
Fax: 521-9321
e-mail: ecumenical@cbcpworld.com
COMMISSION ON ECUMENICAL AFFAIRS (ECEA)
LAST Wednesday’s filing of an impeachment complaint against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by a Catholic bishop has again brought to fore the oft-invoked, if not abused, principle of the separation of Church and State.
Malacañang and its allies have taken issue with the action of Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, criticizing the Diocese of Caloocan church leader for engaging in “partisan politics” in violation of the Church-State separation principle. Arroyo even has gone to the extent of appealing to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to have Iñiguez investigated for possible violation of Church doctrines.
Section 6 of Article II (Declaration of Principles and State Policies) of the 1987 Constitution declares that the separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. Inspired by the First Amendment (of the U.S. Constitution), the separation principle was further guaranteed under the Bill of Rights, Section 5 of which states that:
No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.
Two aspects define the principle, says University of the Philippines law professor Marvic Leonen, a constitutional expert. First, the freedom to choose one’s religion and second, the non-establishment of a State-sponsored religion.
On the first aspect, Leonen says the State is prohibited to meddle in matters of opinion and faith, while the second has to do with the prohibition on the State to pass laws which aid one or all religions, or prefer one religion over another — like tax levied to support religious activities.
Saying that the principle of Church-State separation is “not some nebulous, theoretical thing,” Christian Monsod, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair and a member of the Constitutional Commission that crafted the 1987 Constitution, also points to specific provisions that give life to the principle — defining and clarifying the relationships between the Church and State — aside from the ones already mentioned by Leonen.
These are:
Article VI (Legislative Department)
Section 28. (3) Charitable institutions, churches and parsonages or convents appurtenant thereto, mosques, non-profit cemeteries, and all lands, buildings, and improvements, actually, directly, and exclusively used for religious, charitable, or educational purposes shall be exempt from taxation.
Section 29. (2) No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, or sytem of religion, or of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher, or dignitary as such, except when such priest, preacher, minister, or dignitary is assigned to the armed forces, or to any penal institution, or government orphanage or leprosarium.
Article IX (Constitutional Commissions)
C. Commission on Elections
Section 2. The Commission on Elections shall exercise the following powers and functions:
(5) Register, after sufficient publication, political parties, organizations, or coalitions which, in addition to other requirements, must present their platform or program of government; and accredit citizens’ arms of the Commission on Elections. Religious denominations and sects shall not be registered. Those which seek to achieve their goals through violence or unlawful means, or refuse to uphold and adhere to this Constitution, or which are supported by any foreign government shall likewise be refused registration.
Article XIV (Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports)
Section 3. (3) At the option expressed in writing by the parents or guardians, religion shall be allowed to be taught to their children or wards in public elementary and high schools within the regular class hours by instructors designated or approved by the religious authorities of the religion to which the children or wards belong, without additional cost to the Government.
Putting the principle in the context of Bishop Iñiguez’s filing of an impeachment complaint against Arroyo, Monsod asserts there is nothing in the Constitution that deals with any prohibition on the exercise of citizenship with respect to one’s religion. “The Constitution clearly states that there is no religious test on the exercise of civil or political rights. (Bishop) Iñiguez is not less of a citizen just because he happens to be a priest,” he says.
Indeed, for the government to invoke the principle of Church-State separation, Leonen says such is tantamount to disenfranchising him as a Filipino citizen on the basis of his religion.
“Iñiguez’s religion should not matter. He didn’t file the complaint as a Catholic bishop. And even his being a bishop should not be the basis for denying him his right,” claims Leonen.
“It’s like saying let’s kill the Christians like in the time of the Romans when they persecuted Christians because they were Christians,” he says.
The CBCP likewise maintains Iñiguez has done nothing wrong or anything violative of Church doctrines for him to be sanctioned as suggested by Malacañang.
“He is just exercising his right as a citizen,” says Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, CBCP spokesperson, adding that the bishop’s decision was in consonance with the CBCP pastoral statement issued in January that prescribed ways to end Arroyo’s crisis of legitimacy. Titled “Renewing our Public Life through Moral Values,” the document called for a “relentless” pursuit of the truth about allegations that Arroyo manipulated the 2004 elections.
Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, CBCP president, likewise points to the fact that Iñiguez quoted from the “Deus Caritas Est” encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI in explaining why he joined in his personal capacity the multisectoral Kilusan ng Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME) — a group advocating for a shift to a nationalist economic policy — in filing the impeachment complaint.
As the Pope wrote in the encyclical, Iñiguez said that “(t)he just ordering of society and the state is a central responsibility of politics. As St. Augustine once said, a state which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves.”
Lagdameo says the CBCP respects Bishop Iñiguez’s personal option because this also conforms with CBCP statements on politics and moral values.
Yet the same encyclical, a copy of which Arroyo received from the Pope during her recent state visit, is being bandied about by Malacañang as proof that Vatican does not look kindly upon priests who are engaged in politics.
But an encyclical is not a law, points out Leonen. For the government to use it as an argument against the Church’s political engagement, he says, is actually interfering in the free exercise of a religion.
“While politically, the government can always say that, such pronouncements however can assume the form of a State-sanctioned policy. It borders on intrusion into affairs of the religion. It’s a threat to the exercise of that freedom,” Leonen says.
Besides, Malacañang’s claims also appear to be based on a misreading, if not a selective interpretation, of the encyclical.
To quote from the Deus Caritas Est (No. 28):
In order to define more accurately the relationship between the necessary commitment to justice and the ministry of charity, two fundamental situations need to be considered:
a) The just ordering of society and the State is a central responsibility of politics. As Augustine once said, a State which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves: “Remota itaque iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia?”.[18] Fundamental to Christianity is the distinction between what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God (cf. Mt 22:21), in other words, the distinction between Church and State, or, as the Second Vatican Council puts it, the autonomy of the temporal sphere.[19] The State may not impose religion, yet it must guarantee religious freedom and harmony between the followers of different religions. For her part, the Church, as the social expression of Christian faith, has a proper independence and is structured on the basis of her faith as a community which the State must recognize. The two spheres are distinct, yet always interrelated.
Justice is both the aim and the intrinsic criterion of all politics. Politics is more than a mere mechanism for defining the rules of public life: its origin and its goal are found in justice, which by its very nature has to do with ethics. The State must inevitably face the question of how justice can be achieved here and now. But this presupposes an even more radical question: what is justice? The problem is one of practical reason; but if reason is to be exercised properly, it must undergo constant purification, since it can never be completely free of the danger of a certain ethical blindness caused by the dazzling effect of power and special interests.
The Church’s social teaching argues on the basis of what is in accord with the nature of every human being. It recognizes that it is not the Church’s responsibility to make this teaching prevail in political life. Rather, the Church wishes to help form consciences in political life and stimulate greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater readiness to act accordingly, even when this might involve conflict with situations of personal interest. Building a just social and civil order, wherein each person receives what is his or her due, is an essential task which every generation must take up anew. As a political task, this cannot be the Church’s immediate responsibility. Yet, since it is also a most important human responsibility, the Church is duty-bound to offer, through the purification of reason and through ethical formation, her own specific contribution towards understanding the requirements of justice and achieving them politically.
The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which will always demand sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper. A just society must be the achievement of politics, not of the Church. Yet promotion of justice through the efforts to bring about openness of mind and will to the demands of the common good is something which concerns the Church deeply.
Too often, notes Lagdameo, that the separation of the Church and the State is invoked. “This should not be used as an argument against the participation and involvement of the Church in shaping the politics of our country. Concretely this means that the Bishops, Clergy and Laity must be involved in the area of politics when moral and Gospel values are at stake.”
The CBCP leader says that part of the Church’s mission is to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, “whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it.”
Though he concedes that the Catholic Church does exert considerable influence in the political life of the nation as evidenced by enacted laws with obviously strong Catholic overtones, Leonen believes the government is also not being consistent.
“Malacañang didn’t invoke the separation of Church and State when the bishops issued a statement in July last year that did not call for her resignation. They didn’t invoke the principle when the CBCP called for the abolition of the death penalty,” he says, anticipating the same silence on the part of the government on current proposed bills tackling issues that the CBCP strongly opposes, like abortion and divorce.
source: pcij.org
image source: wikipedia.org
Invoking the Church-State separation principle
November 30, 2010. Benedict XVI met with the Episcopal Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Philippines. During the meeting, the Pope emphasized the close relations the Vatican and the Philippines have always maintained.
The pope asked the Episcopal Conference of the Philippines to try and develop initiatives in favor of human life to increase respect from conception to natural death and in defense of the integrity of marriage and family.
Benedict XVI told the Philippine bishops that "thanks to the clear presentation of the Gospel, it has promoted an increasingly just social order in the country, because politics and the Church, each in its own field, serve the comprehensive development of human beings and society as a whole."
The Philippines is a country with an area of 300,000 square kilometers, with a population of 93 million people, of which 89% are Christians.
Manila, Philippines, Nov 4, 2010 / 02:55 am (CNA).- At first glance, they seem to have great faith—praying fervently, invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and watching for signs of God's will. But these apparent signs of piety have a different meaning for some Filipinos. They're trying to pray their way to a winning lottery ticket.
Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, a prelate in the Philippines, has criticized the religious superstitions associated with the lottery and other forms of gambling. He said on November 3, as the jackpot of Monday's Grand Lotto drawing climbed tantalizingly high, that those who pray to win a fortune need to rediscover the true meaning of faith and prayer.
According to the Manila Bulletin, more and more Grand Lotto devotees are paying visits to a museum exhibit of artwork dedicated to the Virgin Mary. They've been observed buying lottery tickets from a nearby vendor, then proceeding to the museum to pray before the Marian images. Some touch their tickets to the images, hoping for a "miraculous" win.
The Manila paper reported that a majority of ticket buyers also happen to stop by the exhibit to pray.
Bishop Iñiguez has become concerned that something is "not exactly right" with the combination of activities.
"There's a right way of expressing spirituality and religious sentiments," he said. But praying to win the lottery, he said, was "a defect," even as the bishops "understand the spirit behind it."
His comments echoed the Catechism of the Catholic Church's definition of superstition, as a sin involving "deviation of religious feeling and ... practices." Superstitious individuals, according to the catechism, may ascribe a "magical" importance "to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary."
Gambling has become a major problem in parts of the Philippines, with one bishop saying he feared for his life after exposing a numbers racket in September. The country's Catholic hierarchy has expressed a general opposition to gambling, saying it harms the common good and presents moral and economic dangers.
Pope thanks bishops from the Philippines in their fight for life
Bishop Deogracias Iniguez speaks at an Alyansa Tigil Mina press conference.
Bishop Deogracias Iniguez speaks at an Alyansa Tigil Mina press conference
Naging isang malaking tagumpay ang nakaraang Bihilya sa Kabanal-banalang Sakramento Kasama ang Mahal na Birhen Maria noong nakaraang Sabado October 11, 2008 bilang bahagi pa rin ng pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Rosaryo sa parokya. Ang nasabing gawain ay pinangunahan ng Obispo ng Diyosesis ng Kalookan, Most Rev. Bishop Deogracias S. Iniguez, bilang Punong Tagapagdiwang sa Banal na Misa. Sa kanyang homiliya binigyan diin ng Mahal na Obispo na ang ating debosyon sa Banal na Rosaryo ay isang tunay na paglalakbay patungo kay Kristo na masasalamin sa bawat misteryo nito:
Sa mga Misteryo ng Tuwa na tumatalakay sa mga tagpo ng pagkakatawang Tao ng Salita, ang Verbo si Kristo.
Sa mga Misteryo ng Liwanag na nagpapakita ng mga gawain o tagpo ng ministeryo ng Panginoon at pagpapalaganap ng Kaharian ng Diyos.
Sa mga Misteryo ng Hapis na nagpapaalala ng mga pinagdaanang sakit at hirap ng Panginoon upang tubisin ang ating mga kasalanan.
Sa mga Misteryo ng Luwalhati na nagpapakita ng tagumpay at Kaluwalhatian ng Diyos kasama ang Mahal na Birhen Maria.
Ang lahat ng mga samahang pansimbahan ng Parokya ay nakiisa at dumalo sa Banal na Misa at Bihilya kabilang na ang pamunuan at mga guro ng Sta. Catalina College na walang sawa at pagod na nakikiisa at sumusuporta sa mga gawain ng Parokya. Ang ginanap na Bihilya sa Kabanal-banalang Sakramento Kasama ang Mahal na Birhen Maria para sa taong ito ay buong pagkakaisang pinangunahan ng Adoracion Nocturna Filipina Turno 1193, Ushers & Collectors Ministry (UCM) at Catholic Women’s League (CWL).
source: sananthoniansbinan.i.ph
Eucharistic & Marian Vigil 2008: Isang Malaking Tagumpay! Maraming Salamat Po! Bishop Deogracias Iniguez
MULING nanawagan si Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, chairman ng Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines for Public Affairs kay Pangulong Aquino na huwag bigyan ng espesyal na trato ang nagtatagong si Senador Panfilo “Ping” Lacson na sumuporta sa kanya noong eleksyon.
Kasabay nito ay hiniling din ni Bishop Iñiguez na aksyunan agad ng gobyerno ang ulat sa paglitaw muli ng sindikatong Kuratong Baleleng.
Base sa Military Intelligence Source, si Lacson ay maaari nagtatago sa Ozamiz at kinakanlong ng isang grupo na may kaugnayan sa Kuratong.
Si Lacson ang pangunahing suspek sa isang kilalang kaso ng pagpatay kung saan sangkot ang mga miyembro ng Kuratong.
source: rmnnews
Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, hiniling na huwag bigyan ng opisyal na trato si Sen. Panfilo Lacson
Message of Bishop Deogracias Iniguez Jr. D.D. to 30th Anniversary of Teatro Pilipino September 27, 2008
Message of Bishop Deogracias Iniguez Jr. D.D. to 30th Anniversary of Teatro Pilipino September 27, 2008
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales delivers his homily during the Mass for the New Governance held at the Manila Cathedral on June 30, 2010, at 7:30 AM, few hours before the inaugural of the new Philippine President Benigno Aquino III at the Quirino Grandstand. Concelebrating with Cardinal Rosales were bishops Deogracias Iniguez, Teodoro Bacani, Pablo David and Roberto Mallari, and some priests.
Mass for Good Governance
Homily by Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez during the first evening of novena for Tata Hosep, April 23, 2010, Parish of St. Joseph, Las Piñas
San Jose, Huwarang Lingkod ng Simbayanan
Artificial birth control is often a taboo subject for leaders of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. In the capital city of Manila, a nine-year-old mayoral order that bans the teaching of artificial contraception in public health clinics has remained in effect even after a new mayor took over in 2007.
A reproductive health bill that aims to stem the country's birth rate has also languished in Congress for years after President Arroyo told lawmakers that she favors natural family planning. In some cities, couples who attend compulsory family planning seminars are taught that artificial contraception increases cancer risk and could make one go deaf.
Reproductive health advocates, however, point out that food stability and economic growth could take a hit as the Philippine population reaches more than 92 million before the end of 2009.
Benjamin de Leon, president of the Forum for Family Planning and Development, said the Catholic lobby is a big factor in the country's lack of a national policy on artificial family planning.
"Even former President Fidel Ramos says President Arroyo is subservient to the Church so she does not want to talk about artificial family planning. She has relegated this to the local government units for them to promote family planning methods in their own municipalities, cities and provinces," he said in an interview.
LaRainne Sarmiento, convenor of the Quezon City Anti-Poverty Integration Task Force (APITF), said Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte's push for a better quality of life for his constituents necessitated the need to push for the reproductive health ordinance.
"Quezon City is the largest city in Metro Manila in terms of land area. The largest district is District 2, Novaliches, where half of the population live. The poorest of Quezon City live in this district, which includes Payatas and Batasan Hills. According to the last census, the city's population grew from 2.173 million in the year 2000 to 2.68 million in 2007," she said.
Juico said population growth is aggravating problems such as unemployment, poverty and a housing shortage. In the Payatas community, families of six or seven people are living in shanties that could barely fit four or five at a time.
"In the squatters, I've seen families living in one room. They eat, sleep, play, watch TV and have intercourse in the same room. The kids are exposed to sex at a very early age and they become curious. When I'm campaigning, sometimes I approach pregnant women in these areas and ask how they are. When you're pregnant, you're supposed to be happy. These women, when you ask them, they say: 'This is my fifth child. I wish we could stop but we can't.' They don't look at pregnancy as a gift of God anymore but another mouth to feed," he said.
The Quezon City ordinance, which is dubbed the MP4 program, aims to address the city's burning issues of poverty, rapid population growth, and teenage pregnancies. The program allocates more than P10 million for basic services such as health and nutrition, training for counseling for government workers, peer counseling and effective parenting, adolescent health education for youth, sustained information dissemination to different barangays, family planning services and education, and livelihood generation and entrepreneurship programs.
A study using data from local health departments bears out the wisdom of relying on different methods of family planning. The study, conducted by Dr. Jonathan Flavier of the Cooperative Movement for Encouraging NSV (No-Scalpel Vasectomy), showed how maternal deaths in Quezon City decreased after the local government encouraged artificial contraceptive use starting in the year 2000.
On the other hand, maternal deaths in Manila have increased over the same period after the local government banned contraceptives and the teaching of modern family planning methods in public health centers.
"Supporting family planning reduces the deaths of women that are caused by getting pregnant too often or too many times, getting prenant at very young or very old ages, and when the woman is too sick or unable to nurture more children. We believe that part of the decreasing maternal deaths in Quezon City is due to their encouragement of family planning and reduced births per woman," he said.
No stone unturned
Juico said he left nothing to chance when he submitted the ordinance in late 2007. After getting the go-ahead from lawyers that the proposal was not unconstitutional, he then conducted several public hearings to find out what people thought about the measure.
Bishop Reuben Abante, who headed a local Baptist group, backed the proposal but opposed the provision that mandated sex education for Grade 5 up to fourth year High School students. The ordinance later mandated sex education classes for high school students in state-sponsored schools only.
There was also a revision of terms used in the ordinance -- "sex education" became "adolescent health education," "traditional family planning" became "natural family planning," and "modern family planning" became "artificial family planning."
Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, however, said some provisions in the ordinance completely ran counter to the Catholic Church's teaching, such as state-sponsored purchase of contraceptives and sex education in classrooms.
"The Catholic Church is not against the policy of birth spacing or controlling the population. This is at the heart of responsible parenthood. It is up to the husband and wife to assess the situation of the family on how many children they want.The Catholic Church upholds the teaching that in matters of controlling conception, we are allowed only to make use of natural means that accepts the rhythm of the body and nature," he said.
Juico said the ordinance is virtually a continuation of an existing family planning program implemented since Belmonte became mayor in 2001. He also said various surveys have shown that majority of Filipinos support and are willing to use contraceptives.
More importantly, he said the ordinance does not promote or support abortion since it is a violation of the Revised Penal Code.
"There is nothing coercive about the ordinance. There are no penal provisions. Its goal is provide artificial contraception to those who need it but with a wholistic approach. When a couple wants to get a condom, we will give them a seminar first. We will teach them abstinence, be faithul and natural family planning. We will also teach them about artificial family planning methods including condoms. We will teach them all the different types of family planning, not just the artificial but the natural as well," he said.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
Fight against contraceptives
MANILA - A Catholic bishop is pushing for a probe into President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's alleged lavish US$20,000 dinner in New York last week.
Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez wants Malacañang to answer allegations the dinner, which took place at a classy restaurant, cost one million pesos.
He noted that this amount would have been enough to feed hundreds of poor Filipinos.
Administration Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago advised Palace officials to reveal how much was actually spent for the dinner.
Santiago, who was with the US delegation but chose not to join the New York dinner, said those who hosted the event should have chosen a less expensive place.
Critics called the supposed expensive dinner inappropriate and insensitive amid the widespread poverty in the country.
"Wala namang masama sa pagdi-dinner dahil kailangan naman ito. pero hindi dapat gumastos ng malaki lalo't naghihirap ang bayan," said Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
image source: thedeliciouslife.com
Bishop, Miriam want truth about NY dinner
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