Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on the 2010 Elections: A Call for Vigilance and Involvement

A CALL FOR VIGILANCE AND INVOLVEMENT

A Pastoral Statement of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on the occasion of its 100th General Assembly held at Pius XII Center, Manila

“Seek good and not evil that you may live.” (Amos 5,14)

Beloved People of God:

God is calling us to participate in transforming our society, to “seek good and not evil” (Amos 5,14). This is part of our mission as People of God (cf. Justice in the World, 1971). In 1991 the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) called the lay people to fulfill their responsibility in renewing the political order. In 2001 the National Pastoral Consultation on Church Renewal (NPCCR) made this task one of the nine major pastoral priorities of the Church. The same call is echoed by the pastoral letter last year on the Year of the Two Hearts for Peace Building and Lay Participation in Social Change.

I. Our Situation

To transform our political order—how imperative this task is today! The election fever is on us! Campaign advertisements, presidential debates, and sadly, political killings, fill our media. Outrageous political violence has awakened us to the reality that if we do not keep watch together as a nation our electoral processes can drag us down. The existence of private armies, the proliferation of loose fire arms, and political dynasties are obstacles to the growth of a genuine democratic system.

II. Calls

A. Discernment
In this situation we urge once more all Filipinos to form circles of discernment so that they can see, judge, and act together on issues of public concern according to moral values. Moreover, we remind once again the Catholic laity that it is their right and duty to support candidates that are qualified and have a record of striving for the common good. They should not hesitate to engage in principled partisan politics. We are asked to first articulate the key values and principles by which we can evaluate individual candidates across political parties. This is the kind of politics in which Gospel values form the bases of our choice of candidates and not party or family loyalties.

B. On Automated Elections
We have always hoped for a modernized, better, and faster form of voting and counting, imbued with transparency and integrity. Automated election has been in use for some time in many countries. For the first time in our history we are adopting one example of poll automation called Automated Election System (AES). But at this late hour there are still many questions regarding the AES that revolve around the readiness of personnel and equipment as well as the readiness of the electorate in the use of the system. Even more important, many serious questions about the reliability and integrity of the equipment and the personnel involved have not been satisfactorily answered. To be sure those who are responsible for the AES are striving to make the system work.

But we must make sure that there are prepared fall back positions that can be quickly adopted when there are some glitches in the system and in the logistics. We have to be vigilant and be involved. One example would be to help in educating voters regarding the AES and in using the equipment.

C. To Candidates
We ask the candidates, already at this point, to start serving the nation by being honest and sincere in educating the people on the situation of our country in their campaign. They should not campaign to manipulate the perceptions of the people but to help them to make good choices for the sake of the country. They are to present their platforms and convictions rather than attack others.

D. To Peace-keepers
We call on our soldiers and the police to be extra-vigilant so as to bring about peaceful elections. They should not allow themselves to be used by politicians or ideological groups. Rather, they should be vigorous in disarming illegally armed elements.

E. To Voters
We appeal directly to you, our fellow countrymen and women, as well as to all members of our Basic Ecclesial Communities and religious lay organizations to exercise your right to vote wisely i.e. following the criteria indicated several times in our previous pastoral letters. Automated elections will not give us good public officials. Ultimately the leaders that our country shall have will depend on our wise choice of candidates. Do not be swayed by survey results or political advertisements. Follow the dictates of your conscience after a prayerful and collective period of discernment. “Winnability” is not at all a criterion for voting! The vote you cast will be a vote for the good of your country and your children’s future. Serve the common good with your precious vote!

III. Signs of Hope

In spite of the grim scenario that some may paint that every election is just the same, we feel winds of change for the better. Many of our faithful are now heeding the call of their pastors to be actively engaged in politics. Many are running for public office issuing from the call of faith and service so that people should no longer vote simply for the lesser evil among the candidates. There are now many civil society groups that are concerned and are actively moving to ensure that this election of 2010 will be an honest and credible one. We especially note with encouragement many young people who go out of their way to offer their services for the good of our nation. These signs are fruits of the efforts of many in the past years to educate our people to develop their social conscience and to make their faith the motivation of their political actions. Pope Benedict XVI teaches us: “Worship pleasing to God can never be a purely private matter, without consequences for our relationship with others: it demands a public witness of our faith” (Sacrosanctum Concilium #83)

Let us be ever vigilant for our country. Together let us be involved in the coming automated elections. Let us vote wisely that we may have God-fearing and honest people as our leaders.

May our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Peace, be our guide and teacher in our hope for a better tomorrow. May our Good Lord receive our offerings of prayers, good intentions and selfless service for the good of our people! To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, DD
Bishop of Tandag
President
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
January 24, 2010

Source: CBCP News

Gilbert Teodoro abandons Reproductive Health Bill: the Government should support a moral choice

by TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:25:00 01/27/2010

MANILA, Philippines—Gilbert Teodoro offered no apologies on Wednesday for abandoning the reproductive health bill, and even proposed granting conditional cash transfers to poor couples employing the so-called natural methods of birth control.

The administration standard-bearer found himself defending his and his wife’s decision to withdraw support from the controversial measure before doctors and medical students at a forum at the University of the Philippines in Manila.

At the forum “Make Health Count,” Teodoro explained that the debate over the measure in the House of Representatives had become so “acrimonious” that the stakeholders totally forgot about the problem of population.

“The big debate is whether or not the government can shape a moral choice. And that is the argument of the Church. That the government should not actively advocate for making a moral choice. The debate stopped there,” he said.

Teodoro indicated that he agreed with the Church position, and said that the government should be “neutral” but should support the “moral choice” of every individual with resources.

The Church, for its part, should take it upon itself to shape the “moral choice” by acknowledging the problem of a growing population, he added.

“What should the government do? Instead of being involved in debate, we should support a moral choice,” he said in response to former Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez’s question why he and his wife Tarlac Rep. Nikki Prieto-Teodoro withdrew support from the bill. “I’d rather have resources to support a moral choice rather than fight over a bill.”

Teodoro said there was a need to come to a “mutual and common understanding” on addressing population “whereby the government respects the moral choice and provides resources toward supporting that moral choice.”

“If they use the rhythm method, we can have some resources to support that by a conditional cash transfer if they do not have a birth within a year or so for the poorest of the poor,” he said, referring to the government’s program of granting cash to poor families with children enrolled in public schools.

…

“He has caved in to the Church and and agreed with his President, whose position is the reason why we have a big problem in population,” Romualdez said.

Monk’s Hobbit Notes: Gilbert Teodoro is now positioning himself more on the Pro-Life side in the debate regarding the Reproductive Health Bill.  If he solidifies his position against artificial contraception and campaigns against it and contrasts himself against all the other Presidential candidates who support the Reproductive Health Bill such as Noynoy Aquino, the tide of the Teodoro’s campaign may turn in his favor.  I shall offer my prayers for Teodoro and his wife in this battle against artificial contraception.  I shall ask Our Lord, Our Lady, and the entire celestial court to aid Teodoro in this battle, “for our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Eph 6:12).  The supporters of the Reproductive Health Bill may be Legion, but fear not!  Remember the story of Elisha the Prophet:

When the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. His servant said to him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? ¹⁶He answered, Don’t be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. ¹⁷Elisha prayed, and said, Yahweh, Please open his eyes, that he may see. Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. ¹⁸When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, Please smite this people with blindness. He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-18)

I think I can now in conscience put Gilbert Teodoro’s website in my sidebar together with the Kapatiran Party.

Related Articles:

Gibo Teodoro’s presidential campaign: the problem of product positioning

Rep. Nikki Prieto Teodoro, wife of Presidential Candidate Gilbert Teodoro, withdraws support for the Reproductive Health Bill

Ateneo Sesquicentennial Lecture Series: Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres S.J on “Jesuits and Education”

The Department of History of
The School of Social Sciences
Is honored to invite
the Ateneo community to

The Jesuits and Education

A lecture by
Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ
President
Ateneo de Manila University

on Thursday, 4 February 2010
4:30-6:00 p.m.
SOM 111/Ching Tan Room

This lecture is part of
?The Jesuits in the Philippines?
a series of lectures in celebration of
the sesquicentennial of
the return of the Jesuits to the Philippines and
the founding of the Ateneo de Manila University.

RSVP:     426-6001 local 5240/5241 (Mhel or Tin)

Ateneo Sesquicentennial Lecture Series: Fr. Rene B. Javellana, S.J. on “The Jesuits and the Arts”

In celebration of
Social Sciences Week

The Department of History
Invites the Ateneo community to

The Jesuits and the Arts

A lecture by
Fr. Rene B. Javellana, SJ
Associate Professor
Fine Arts Program, School of Humanities

on Thursday, 28 January 2010
4:30-6:00 p.m.
SOM 111/Ching Tan Room

This lecture is part of
The Jesuits in the Philippines
a series of lectures in celebration of
the sesquicentennial of
the return of the Jesuits to the Philippines and
the founding of the Ateneo de Manila University.

RSVP:     426-6001 local 5240/5241 (Mhel or Tin)

Schedule of Traditional Latin Mass at Jaleville Subdivision in Paranaque City

Starting the 31st of January 2010, Septuagesima Sunday, the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite shall be offered in the Jaleville Chapel {please see attached location map} at 10 o’clock in the morning on the following dates:
Last Sunday of each month {January to December 2010}

23rd of May 2010 {Solemnity of Pentecost}

13th of June 2010 {External Solemnity of the Sacred Heart}

15th of August 2010 {Solemnity of the Assumption}

3rd of October 2010 {External Solmenity of the Most Holy Rosary}

So far, these are the fixed dates for the celebration of the Extraordinary Form. Other dates may be added to this list, specially during the solemn seasons of Lent {with Passiontide} and Advent.
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned at +639162290128.
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
Miguel Ramirez y Madarang
In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas

JALEVILLE SUBDIVISION LOCATION MAP
• Jaleville Subdivision is on the same avenue {Quirino Avenue} as ST. PAUL’s COLLEGE of PARAÑAQUE, ST. ANDREW’s SCHOOL, ANDREW’s CATHEDRAL, and BAMBOO ORGAN CHURCH.

• Coming from the NORTH, it’s on the RIGHT. Coming from the SOUTH, it’s on the LEFT

• The subdivision has TWO BIG BLACK GATES with a big stone marker in the middle with the words “JALEVILLE” vertically placed on it.

Source: Traditional Roman Catholic Philippines

Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco, D.D. of the Diocese of Cubao permitted the erection of a personal parish for the Traditional Latin Mass

The Bishop of the Diocese of Cubao, his excellency Bishop Honesto F.Ongtioco, D.D., has permitted the erection of a personal parish for those who are attached to the Extra Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite. The church building will be dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and will under the auspices of Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo and the Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph to consolidate efforts aong various groups advocating the return of the form of Mass popularly known as the Tridentine Mass. The parish will also be available for other Sacraments to be administered according to the liturgical books of 1962 or prior to 1970. It will also be a venue of training for priests who would like to learn the ancient usage of the Roman Rite and others who would like to learn the rubrics of serving at the traditional rites, including schola and choir training. The Diocese is now looking for a venue for the said personal parish and funds are solicited in order to commence such as august aposolate. Funds may be channeled through Fr. Michell Joe B. Zerrudo, Parish of Our Lord of Divine Mercy, Diocese of Cubao, Maamo cor. Madasalins Sts., Sikatuna, Quezon City, Philippines or may call his parish at 029213337. We therefore appeal to traditonal Catholic communities to help us in such endeavor.

Dennis Raymond P. Maturan
Founding Chairman
Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph

Join the search for Jesuit Communications Tagline and win an iPod

GET A CHANCE TO WIN AN IPOD!

Join the SEARCH FOR JESCOM TAGLINE Here’s how:

1. Anyone can join the contest.
2. Text in JCTAG followed by your tagline and complete name/address/Contact Number to 0928-5049753.  Example: JCTAG Media for Good! Juana Cruz/31 Mabini St Laloma QC/3452010
3. Entries with the same details above may also be sent via email with the subject JESCOM TAGLINE to corporate@jescom.ph.
4. Entry form may also be downloaded at our website (www.jescom.ph) and sent to: Jesuit Communications Foundation, Sonolux Building, Seminary Drive, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
5. The tagline must reflect JesCom’s vision mission which is to promote the faith through mass media: tv, radio, the web, etc. For more information about JesCom, please visit our website.
6. The tagline can be in English or Tagalog.
7. A person can submit more than one (1) entry. By submitting the tagline(s), s/he warrants and represents that it is his or her original idea or work and that he or she is its rightful owner; it has not been entered in or won previous contests, and it does not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other legal or moral rights of any third person or entity.
8. All entries should be received on or before February 15, 2010 at 6:00pm. In case two exact entries were sent in by different persons, the earlier received entry will be acknowledged.
9. Criteria for judging are the following: (a) originality, (b)impact, (c) catchiness
10. Announcement of winner is on February 22, 2010. Winner will win an IPOD 16GB.
11. JesCom will own the rights to the winning entry.

Join ka na!

Dit G. Sablan
Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc.
Sonolux Bldg., Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Tel. Nos. (632) 426-5971 loc 112
(632) 927-9659
Fax No. (632) 426-5970
http://www.jescom.ph
editha.sablan@jescom.ph

“Communication means a sharing together of what you really are. With the stethoscope of love you listen till you hear the heartbeat of the other.”

Monk’s Hobbit Notes: I submitted the following entries, but since most of them are from the Bible, they are not original:

1. We proclaim Christ crucified (Praedicamus Christum crucifixum) (1 Cor 1:23)
2. Proclaiming the scandal of the cross
3. In the beginning was the Word (In principio erat Verbum) (Jn 1:1)
4. The Word was God (Deus erat Verbum) (Jn 1:1)
5. My word shall not return to me void.  (Verbum meum non revertetur ad me vacuum) (Is 55:11)
6. Evangelization in the Modern world (Evangelii Nuntiandi) (Encyclical of Pope Paul VI, 1975)

The Manila Observatory’s tagline, “Lumen de Lumine” or “Light of Light” is from the Nicene Creed.

Ateneo Latin Mass Society (ALMS): Proceedings of the First General Assembly

Dear ALMS members and friends,

We had the General Assembly last Friday, 22 January 2010 at 5:30-7:00 p.m. The venue was Faura 116. These are the members present:

1. Miguel Franco Dimayacyac– Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) ARSA
2. Enrico A. Villacorta– AdMU Student
3. Jesson G. Allerite–Universit y of the Philippines (UP) Student
4. Maricel Obieta–AdMU ASF
5. Joanna Ruiz– AdMU Loyola Schools
6. Bobing Venida–AdMU Economics
7. Mikki Hornilla– AdMU Student
8. Emmanuel Hernandez–AdMU Student
9. R. R. Raneses–AdMU Political Science
10. Niccolo Vitug–AdMU English
11. Moy Timbayan–AdMU Student
12. Quirino Sugon Jr.–AdMU Physics

Fr. Tim Ofrasio, S.J. talked about his life and his experiences in the Traditional Latin Mass. I took notes of his edifying talk. I shall transcribe my notes and try to recall everything that he said. I shall send you the polished form next week.

Fr. Tim asked us if we want we adopt Novus Ordo Lectionary or stick with the lectionary of the Extraordinary Form. (He also asked whether we wish all Latin hymns or mix them with English hymns.) The group decided that we stick with that of the extraordinary form. The readings will be in Latin. Latin-English missals will be provided for the unchanging parts of the mass. The Introit, Propers, and Readings will be provided in Latin and English on adjacent columns, as done in Parish of Our Lord of Divine Mercy (PLDM) in Sikatuna, Quezon City. (The question on hymns will be answered by the Choir coordinator.)

The proposed date for our first mass will be on Feb 3 (Wed) at 6:00 p.m. It will be a low mass. This is pedagogically sound, since we are still learning the ropes. I shall reserve the Manila Observatory Chapel for us. We can invite friends, but we cannot yet announce it in Ateneo Blueboard. Our first announced mass should be a sung mass with vested servers.

The members were asked to which committee they wish to be part of.

For the Choir, we have Niccolo Vitug as our music director. He is a faculty in the Ateneo English Department. He once played the organ for Missa Cantata. He was also the music director in a Catholic church in California. With Niccolo are R. R. Raneses, Moy Timbayan, Maricel Orieta, Jesson Allerite, and Miguel Dimayacyac. Maricel and Jesson are members of the PLDM choir. Miguel has stacks of Gregorian chant song sheets, his grandmother’ s collection.

For the Sacristan, no one wants to become sacristan. So I volunteered myself to learn the rubrics. But I wish another faculty shall commit himself to do this, so that I could have more time for writing and coordinating.

For Finance, no faculty volunteered, so I shall handle this in the meantime. With me are two students: Enrico Villacorta and Moy Timbayan.

For Publications, the Coordinator is Emmanuel Hernandez, a student. He usually goes to mass with Fr. Tim Ofrasio, S.J. every morning, so he is familiar with the 1962 Missal Lectionary. With him is Joanna Ruiz and Mikki Hornilla. Joanna can help us with the photocopying. Mikki has a camera. The camera is important. The first Traditional Latin Mass in Ateneo de Manila will be a news in the TLM blogosphere. R. R. Raneses said that he will give us his Ateneo Latin Mass Society blog, http://ateneo- latin-mass- society.blogspot .com, as our official blog. But we do not yet have someone to manage it. So I’ll start the ball rolling. I shall ask Mr. Raneses to make me a contributor to his blog.

We have made a good start. Please remember the Ateneo Latin Mass Society (ALMS) in your prayers. Almsgiving would also be good. Since we are begging for recognition as an organization, we must also give alms to those who need it most, for the measure with which we measure will in return be measured out to us (c.f. Lk 6:38). And who are the ultimate beggars but the Poor Souls in Purgatory? Please give alms to the Poor Souls by having a mass said for them or remembering them in your prayers, especially the souls of the Jesuit priests who once worked in Ateneo. They repay a hundredfold.

In Christ,

Dr. Quirino M. Sugon Jr.
Coordinator
Ateneo Latin Mass Society

Fr. Victor Badillo, S.J. on Bishop Francisco F. Claver: “He is an Igorot Jesuit bishop who build dikes”

Today is the 81st birthday of Fr. Badillo, so I visited him in the Jesuit Residence Infirmary. We were sitting as we customarily do, and chatted about many things: my talk on “Jesuits and Science” last Thursday at the School of Management building, my chat with Ambeth Ocampo and some faculty in the history department, Ambeth’s Secchi meteorograph, and Fr. Badillo’s missing articles on Jesuit scholastics and streets.

“Happy Birthday!” a voice shouted on the hallway outside the door of Fr. Badillo’s room. He was an old man with a four-cornered cane. Beside him is a male nurse helping him to walk.

Fr. Badillo waved his hand and said, “Thank you!”

When the old man turned to leave, Fr. Badillo cried out “Bishop! Bishop!” The old man stopped.

“Bishop,” Fr. Badillo said. “I want you to meet the Pope.”

I went to the old man and said, “Father, my name is Pope.” We shook hands.

Bishop Claver spoke nothing and turned a quizzical look at Fr. Badillo, as if saying, “Victor, you are joking again.” I went back to my chair.

“That was Bishop Claver,” Fr. Badillo said. “So you see that he has three legs. No, six legs.”

We laughed.

“Was he the one who built the pond near falls at the San Jose Seminary, Father? I asked. “I heard he made it as a place for retreats for the Jesuit seminarians.”

“Yes, he was the one,” Fr. Badillo said.  “He knew how to build the dikes because he is an Igorot.  The Igorots are really good at making dikes like those of the famous Rice Terraces in Ifugao.  They build dikes without cement.  What they do is that they carve the stones so that they snugly fit.”

“Just like the Incas of Peru,” I replied.  I listened to the talk of Dr. Enzo de la Fuente yesterday at the Manila Observatory on cloud forests.  He showed us some pictures of Inca ruins made of  huge, irregularly carved rocks stacked on top of each other without cement.  He also showed a picture of a llama behind him.

“You know, Bishop Claver’s father is the first Igorot with a surname of Claver.  Igorots don’t have surnames.  When Claver’s father became a convert to the Catholic Faith, he adopted the surname Claver.

“Bishop Claver was a Jesuit before he became a bishop. He also has a sister who became a founder of a religious congregation.”

“What congregation was it, Father?” I asked.

“I forgot the name,” Fr. Badillo said.

Bishop Claver was from the Bontoc Province, Philippines.  He was ordained priest of the Society of Jesus in 1961 at the age of 32.4.  He became a Prelate of Malaybalay (1969), a titular bishop of Nationa (1969), a bishop of Malaybalay (1962-1964), and the Vicar Apostolic of Bontoc (1995-2004). (catholic-hierarchy.org)

Blessed Sacrament was stolen from the Shrine of the Divine Word

Below is a distressing news from Carlos Palad:

I just learned this afternoon that, just this week (Monday, I think), the Blessed Sacrament was stolen from the Shrine of the Divine Word inside the Christ the King Seminary Compound of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) along E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave.

This incident is most distressing because it occurred inside what is supposedly a guarded compound, a seminary no less.

Furthermore, this is — as far as I know — the third theft of the Blessed Sacrament that has occured in the past few months in the Quezon City-Manila area. Holy Trinity Church in Balic-Balic, Sampaloc (which has had thefts of the Blessed Sacrament at least thrice before) and Christ the King in Greenmeadows have also experienced this sacrilege.

Let us make acts of atonement and penance for these outrages.