THE second National Rural Congress (NRC II) slated middle of next year is expected to gain active participation from the rural poor as parishes kick off its consultation at the local level.
In a letter sent to all dioceses, ECSA-JP Chair Most Rev. Dinualdo Gutierrez, DD, reiterated the aims of the local assembly: a) to know the needs and current situation of the rural poor; b) to analyze the impact of social legislation and its implementation in the light of the social teachings of the Church; c) to identify the roles of BEC's and other Church groups; and d) to propose strategic plans.
NRC-II Ad-Intra and Ad-Extra secretariat have formulated guidelines for the consultations both for the parishes and diocesan level.
Meanwhile, following the parish consultations, the diocesan rural congress and sub-regional consultations will begin simultaneously in the first quarter of 2008. The data generated from these consultations will be collated, in time for the National Rural Congress scheduled sometime middle of next year.
In its recent meeting, the NRC II central committee and members of the secretariat discussed and laid out plans on the effective participation of people at the local level. There will be simultaneous nationwide consultations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The workshops will tackle particular situations of sectors involved, such as, farmers, fisherfolks, miners, and indigenous people (IP). However, it will also include cross-cutting issues concerning women, youth and elderly.
The social teachings of the Church will serve as a framework for analysis, and will be presented in the language and dialect understood by the poor. The See-Judge-Act methodology will be applied both at the local as well as national levels.
The data gathered from local consultations will be raised to the national level for crafting national policies and engagements with government, business and other stakeholders.
Listening to the voice of the poor
The NRC II enlisted the collaboration of consultants from NGO’s and people organizations (PO’s) to make the local consultations effectively meet its objective, to listen to the poor.
The consultants from NGO’s raised important issues such as poverty, population, government budget allocation for basic services, human rights violations, empowerment of the rural poor, and social justice for discussion which the central committee took note of.
Meanwhile, research groups composed mainly of NGO’s and PO’s listed down possible areas where they can help: such as providing inputs and making instruments for consultations, help collate or synthesize the outputs of the local consultations, help develop systematic pressure points and areas of engagements with government, business and academe, and organize symposiums later to present researches and policy studies on the rural poor.
The National Rural Congress of 1967 opened a door which led to a deeper involvement of the Philippine Church in social issues concerning the plight of the poor. The Church’s concern in rural issues spawned the formation of diocesan social action centers, rural cooperatives, advocacy groups for agrarian reforms, and others.
However, in a pastoral statement issued early this year the CBCP acknowledged the need to review the continuing issues that hound the rural poor. In calling for the second National Rural Congress the statement said, “This time our farmers must do the speaking by themselves, the discerning, the proposing of their own ideas, the planning of how we must as a people come together to work for the common good of the country…”
Thus the National Rural Congress will provide an opportunity for the rural poor to find their voice and be heard, both by Church and government; and become keys players in rural development.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Biblical Apostolate opens Certificate Program on Biblical Studies
THE Archdiocese of Manila Biblical Apostolate (AMBA) launched a Certificate Program on Biblical Studies last September 11 at San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex in Makati with four modular courses offered at various intervals covering both Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
The certificate program aims to provide students and members of faith communities with richer insights into the bible.
The first module starts September and will go on until October with Old Testament I: Genesis to Joshua as subject matter. The next module slated November 6-December 13 will tackle Old Testament II: Judges to Apocalyptic Literature. The third module covers New Testament I: The Gospels, Early Christians Literature, and Jesus as Apocalyptic Prophet. Classes for this module are scheduled on January 8-February 2008. The fourth module is New Testament II: Acts of the Apostles--the Book of Revelation; slated from March 4 until April 2008.
A series of 24 lectures, the biblical course is patterned after the program offered in Vanderbilt University Divinity School. The students will be given an introduction to the history, literature and religion of ancient Israel and early Judaism as it is presented in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible and the Tanakh.
The program boasts of a roster of formidable names in biblical studies as professors, notable among them are Most Rev. Arturo Bastes, Most Rev. Broderick Pabillo, Most Rev. Pablo David and Fr. Gerry Tapiador.
Classes are held every Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7-9 p.m. at Lay Formation Center at San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex.
The first session for the first module on the Old Testament was held in the evening of September 11 after the launching.
The launching also coincided with the 2nd anniversary celebration of Catholic Bible School on the Air, a biblical program co-produced by the Archdiocese of Manila and Daughters of St. Paul and aired on Veritas 846 every Sunday at 8-9:30 p.m.
The certificate program aims to provide students and members of faith communities with richer insights into the bible.
The first module starts September and will go on until October with Old Testament I: Genesis to Joshua as subject matter. The next module slated November 6-December 13 will tackle Old Testament II: Judges to Apocalyptic Literature. The third module covers New Testament I: The Gospels, Early Christians Literature, and Jesus as Apocalyptic Prophet. Classes for this module are scheduled on January 8-February 2008. The fourth module is New Testament II: Acts of the Apostles--the Book of Revelation; slated from March 4 until April 2008.
A series of 24 lectures, the biblical course is patterned after the program offered in Vanderbilt University Divinity School. The students will be given an introduction to the history, literature and religion of ancient Israel and early Judaism as it is presented in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible and the Tanakh.
The program boasts of a roster of formidable names in biblical studies as professors, notable among them are Most Rev. Arturo Bastes, Most Rev. Broderick Pabillo, Most Rev. Pablo David and Fr. Gerry Tapiador.
Classes are held every Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7-9 p.m. at Lay Formation Center at San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex.
The first session for the first module on the Old Testament was held in the evening of September 11 after the launching.
The launching also coincided with the 2nd anniversary celebration of Catholic Bible School on the Air, a biblical program co-produced by the Archdiocese of Manila and Daughters of St. Paul and aired on Veritas 846 every Sunday at 8-9:30 p.m.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Filipino Bishop speaks before London Parliament on Mining
EPISCOPAL Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace (ECSA-JP) Chair and Bishop of Marbel Most Rev. Dinualdo Gutierrez, DD, spoke on mining issues in the Philippines on September 18, in a public forum in London Parliament.
The meeting was chaired by a member of Parliament Clare Short, who led a fact-finding delegation in the country in 2006 to investigate the impact of destructive mining practices on poor communities and the environment.
Gutierrez discussed the controversial revitalized mining priority program (EO 270) of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that encourages further entries of foreign mining companies to explore the countries natural resources.
Applying the See-Judge-Act methodology, Gutierrez presented before his audience the status of mining industry in the country, and how it contributed in environmental degradation and destruction of people’s livelihood.
He also presented cases of mining companies whose non-compliance to government regulations have left both communities and environment devastated. He cited as examples the cases of Lafayette in Rapu-rapu, Albay, TVI in Siocon, Zamboanga and Marcopper in Boac.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have been very critical of the so-called 24 Priority Mining Projects of the government and called for the closure of large scale mining projects.
In its pastoral letter issued in January 2006, the CBCP said “the promised benefits of mining by these transnational corporations are outweighed by the dislocation of communities especially among our indigenous brothers and sisters, the risks to health and livelihood, and massive environmental damage.”
Last May, the Mindanao bishops joined forces and staged protests to stop the open-pit copper and gold mining operation of Xstrata, an Anglo-Swiss company, in Tampakan, South Cotabato.
Gutierrez said the mining activities pose great hazards to the environment and will displace the indigenous people of his diocese.
Speaking before an international forum, Gutierrez hopes to bring to the international community a greater awareness of the evils that destructive mining practices havoc on the environment and the lives of people.
The meeting was chaired by a member of Parliament Clare Short, who led a fact-finding delegation in the country in 2006 to investigate the impact of destructive mining practices on poor communities and the environment.
Gutierrez discussed the controversial revitalized mining priority program (EO 270) of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that encourages further entries of foreign mining companies to explore the countries natural resources.
Applying the See-Judge-Act methodology, Gutierrez presented before his audience the status of mining industry in the country, and how it contributed in environmental degradation and destruction of people’s livelihood.
He also presented cases of mining companies whose non-compliance to government regulations have left both communities and environment devastated. He cited as examples the cases of Lafayette in Rapu-rapu, Albay, TVI in Siocon, Zamboanga and Marcopper in Boac.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have been very critical of the so-called 24 Priority Mining Projects of the government and called for the closure of large scale mining projects.
In its pastoral letter issued in January 2006, the CBCP said “the promised benefits of mining by these transnational corporations are outweighed by the dislocation of communities especially among our indigenous brothers and sisters, the risks to health and livelihood, and massive environmental damage.”
Last May, the Mindanao bishops joined forces and staged protests to stop the open-pit copper and gold mining operation of Xstrata, an Anglo-Swiss company, in Tampakan, South Cotabato.
Gutierrez said the mining activities pose great hazards to the environment and will displace the indigenous people of his diocese.
Speaking before an international forum, Gutierrez hopes to bring to the international community a greater awareness of the evils that destructive mining practices havoc on the environment and the lives of people.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Manila Shrine organizes Marian pilgrimage
SAINT Anthony Shrine in Sampaloc, Manila is organizing a Marian pilgrimage to seven Churches in Batangas, Laguna and Rizal in observance of the Marian month of October.
Dubbed as a journey of faith, the pilgrimage hopes to help devotees reminisce the development and history of the Marian devotion.
Fr. Cielo Almazan, OFM, parish priest of St. Anthony Shrine and one of the pilgrimage chaplains said the activity is being organized to give the devotees and Shriners the opportunity to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the Catholic faith.
“This gives a purpose to our pilgrimage other than just idle curiosity,” explained Almazan. “Sure, we will all be excited to see our countryside in Laguna, Batangas and Rizal, but we will try to add in a balance way, a Catholic spiritual experience. We add a dimension of faith,” he said.
The priest said the pilgrimage is a special project of the Education Ministry of St Anthony Shrine.
“No Marian organizations are involved here. This is being organized in-house, so to speak,” the pastor said.
Almazan also mentioned this is the first time the parish community, the devotees and the mass-goers of St Anthony Shrine are being invited to join.
The pilgrimage will visit Marian churches known to be miraculous and flocked to by people, like the Our Lady of Caysasay in Taal, Our Lady of Lourdes in Tagaytay, Our Lady of Mediatrix of All Grace in Lipa, Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Redemptorist Divino Amor) also in Lipa, Our Lady of Turumba in Pakil, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pagsanjan, and Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo.
According to Almazan these Marian Churches and Shrines “are known and flocked to by people because they contain images which ordinary Catholics believe are miraculous or they have been found miraculously.”
The pilgrimage includes catechesis, singing of Marian songs and celebration of the sacraments.
“In every church we will visit, we will pray one decade of the Franciscan Crown, which recalls the 7 joys of Mary, promoted by the Franciscans in the middle ages, especially St. Bernardine of Siena,” said Almazan.
A Franciscan Crown is a rosary consisting of seven decades that commemorates the seven joys of the Blessed Virgin (the Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of our Lord, Adoration of the Magi, Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, the Resurrection of our Lord, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and her Coronation in heaven), in use among the members of the three orders of St. Francis.
Fr. Long Gutay, OFM, the historian of the Franciscans in the Philippines, will explain to the pilgrims the history of the Marian devotion, while Fr. Almazan, a bible scholar, will give a biblical perspective of the Blessed Mother as an ordinary girl.
Almazan said the upcoming pilgrimage is the parish’s response of giving life to the archdiocesan vision of having and being “with Mary as companion.”
While other parishes and schools express their devotion to Mary in the forms of exhibits or pilgrimages abroad, the parish community of St. Anthony, instead have opted to express their devotion through a local pilgrimage.
“Our community at St. Anthony Shrine has chosen to have a local pilgrimage, south of Manila, where the pilgrims will also see churches built by the Franciscans,” opined Almazan.
The pilgrimage has the theme, ‘A Journey of Faith with Mama Mary as Companion’.
The pilgrimage is scheduled on October 6, 2007 with a fee of P1,200.00 per person inclusive of transport, meals and prayer materials. Interested pilgrims may register at the St. Anthony Shrine’s Office, or call Ging-ging/Elma at 734-65-26. Due to limited seats, only 45 pilgrims can be accommodated. Last day of registration will be September 25, 2007. For enquiries, please contact Angie at 0917-6285827 or Marie 0916-2066461.
Dubbed as a journey of faith, the pilgrimage hopes to help devotees reminisce the development and history of the Marian devotion.
Fr. Cielo Almazan, OFM, parish priest of St. Anthony Shrine and one of the pilgrimage chaplains said the activity is being organized to give the devotees and Shriners the opportunity to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the Catholic faith.
“This gives a purpose to our pilgrimage other than just idle curiosity,” explained Almazan. “Sure, we will all be excited to see our countryside in Laguna, Batangas and Rizal, but we will try to add in a balance way, a Catholic spiritual experience. We add a dimension of faith,” he said.
The priest said the pilgrimage is a special project of the Education Ministry of St Anthony Shrine.
“No Marian organizations are involved here. This is being organized in-house, so to speak,” the pastor said.
Almazan also mentioned this is the first time the parish community, the devotees and the mass-goers of St Anthony Shrine are being invited to join.
The pilgrimage will visit Marian churches known to be miraculous and flocked to by people, like the Our Lady of Caysasay in Taal, Our Lady of Lourdes in Tagaytay, Our Lady of Mediatrix of All Grace in Lipa, Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Redemptorist Divino Amor) also in Lipa, Our Lady of Turumba in Pakil, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pagsanjan, and Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo.
According to Almazan these Marian Churches and Shrines “are known and flocked to by people because they contain images which ordinary Catholics believe are miraculous or they have been found miraculously.”
The pilgrimage includes catechesis, singing of Marian songs and celebration of the sacraments.
“In every church we will visit, we will pray one decade of the Franciscan Crown, which recalls the 7 joys of Mary, promoted by the Franciscans in the middle ages, especially St. Bernardine of Siena,” said Almazan.
A Franciscan Crown is a rosary consisting of seven decades that commemorates the seven joys of the Blessed Virgin (the Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of our Lord, Adoration of the Magi, Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, the Resurrection of our Lord, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and her Coronation in heaven), in use among the members of the three orders of St. Francis.
Fr. Long Gutay, OFM, the historian of the Franciscans in the Philippines, will explain to the pilgrims the history of the Marian devotion, while Fr. Almazan, a bible scholar, will give a biblical perspective of the Blessed Mother as an ordinary girl.
Almazan said the upcoming pilgrimage is the parish’s response of giving life to the archdiocesan vision of having and being “with Mary as companion.”
While other parishes and schools express their devotion to Mary in the forms of exhibits or pilgrimages abroad, the parish community of St. Anthony, instead have opted to express their devotion through a local pilgrimage.
“Our community at St. Anthony Shrine has chosen to have a local pilgrimage, south of Manila, where the pilgrims will also see churches built by the Franciscans,” opined Almazan.
The pilgrimage has the theme, ‘A Journey of Faith with Mama Mary as Companion’.
The pilgrimage is scheduled on October 6, 2007 with a fee of P1,200.00 per person inclusive of transport, meals and prayer materials. Interested pilgrims may register at the St. Anthony Shrine’s Office, or call Ging-ging/Elma at 734-65-26. Due to limited seats, only 45 pilgrims can be accommodated. Last day of registration will be September 25, 2007. For enquiries, please contact Angie at 0917-6285827 or Marie 0916-2066461.
Monday, September 10, 2007
LAIKO to celebrate National Laity Week
THE Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas will spearhead its annual celebration of National Laity Week on September 23 to 30 to promote lay apostolate and honor San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod, patron saints of the Catholic Laity in the Philippines.
The Laity Week event has the theme “Laiko in Action”, which is a celebration of the Catholic lay faithful’s contribution to the evangelization of the “unchurched” in the Catholic community. The occasion also aims to acknowledge the efforts made by various faith communities and church mandated organizations in the areas of service and evangelization.
Among the various activities proposed for the week-long celebration involve both spiritual and temporal aspects: Eucharistic celebration, liturgy of the hours, holy hour, bible sharing, novena to San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod; talks, seminars and fora; visitation to the sick in the community and hospitals; visitation to the prisoners; distribution of goods to the needy; and medical and dental mission.
From the dioceses the celebration will cascade down to the parish level through the involvement of Diocesan Councils of the Laity, Diocesan Pastoral Council and National Lay Organizations. A massive information campaign is being laid out to achieve greater awareness and participation of parishioners and members.
The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas animates and facilitates, coordinates and integrates all forms of lay Catholic action and activity of all Lay Apostolic Movements, Associations and Organizations. Among its affiliates include Councils of the Laity in 48 arch/dioceses and 42 National Lay Organizations in the country.
The Laity Week event has the theme “Laiko in Action”, which is a celebration of the Catholic lay faithful’s contribution to the evangelization of the “unchurched” in the Catholic community. The occasion also aims to acknowledge the efforts made by various faith communities and church mandated organizations in the areas of service and evangelization.
Among the various activities proposed for the week-long celebration involve both spiritual and temporal aspects: Eucharistic celebration, liturgy of the hours, holy hour, bible sharing, novena to San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod; talks, seminars and fora; visitation to the sick in the community and hospitals; visitation to the prisoners; distribution of goods to the needy; and medical and dental mission.
From the dioceses the celebration will cascade down to the parish level through the involvement of Diocesan Councils of the Laity, Diocesan Pastoral Council and National Lay Organizations. A massive information campaign is being laid out to achieve greater awareness and participation of parishioners and members.
The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas animates and facilitates, coordinates and integrates all forms of lay Catholic action and activity of all Lay Apostolic Movements, Associations and Organizations. Among its affiliates include Councils of the Laity in 48 arch/dioceses and 42 National Lay Organizations in the country.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Forum highlights media’s activist role in elections
IN a forum held at Pius XII Catholic Center September 4, attended by delegates and guests from the media, academe, Church, government and NGO’s, PPCRV chair Henrietta de Villa highlighted the volunteerism of media in taking an activist role, and its vigilance in exposing election fraud for public scrutiny in the last elections.
“Volunteerism and vigilance, two key words for bringing to light two election sons of darkness: anomalies and fraud,” de Villa said in her opening remarks.
“In the experience of PPCRV, media walking with us was a powerful detonator for volunteerism and vigilance; an unquantifiable source of courage and hope,” she added.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) organized the forum in partnership with Communications Foundation for Asia (CFA) in a bid to capitalize on the significant role media played in the recent midterm elections.
Most Rev. Luis Antonio Tagle of the Diocese of Imus delivered a talk on the transformative power of mass media in Philippine elections.
Tagle stressed that media’s transformative power can be utilized for good only if it is founded in ethical principles.
“Bringing ethics to Philippine social life, including elections is the task of all citizens. We expect the media to serve us with integrity too, as they challenge politicians, candidates, and citizens to be upright,” Tagle said.
Prof. Luis Teodoro, Deputy Director of Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) gave a presentation on the monitoring of media’s coverage of the past elections. The result of the study showed media have been pro-active in its election coverage in terms of providing voters with information vital to knowing political candidates.
“Despite their sense of relative disinterest; the major players in the media community—the broadsheets and the networks monitored—nevertheless exerted extra effort to provide the public both the information on as well as the context of the elections,” Teodoro said.
However, despite media’s positive role and responsible coverage of the recent elections, media participants in the forum also acknowledged the need for media people to clean its ranks of scalawags and unethical practices.
The forum concluded with the delegates forging a statement to continue working hand-in-hand with other election stakeholders for Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful, Peaceful elections.
The statement called for a continuing political education for voters; media education programs for media practitioners; encouraging media debates among political candidates; and electoral reforms among other things.
“Volunteerism and vigilance, two key words for bringing to light two election sons of darkness: anomalies and fraud,” de Villa said in her opening remarks.
“In the experience of PPCRV, media walking with us was a powerful detonator for volunteerism and vigilance; an unquantifiable source of courage and hope,” she added.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) organized the forum in partnership with Communications Foundation for Asia (CFA) in a bid to capitalize on the significant role media played in the recent midterm elections.
Most Rev. Luis Antonio Tagle of the Diocese of Imus delivered a talk on the transformative power of mass media in Philippine elections.
Tagle stressed that media’s transformative power can be utilized for good only if it is founded in ethical principles.
“Bringing ethics to Philippine social life, including elections is the task of all citizens. We expect the media to serve us with integrity too, as they challenge politicians, candidates, and citizens to be upright,” Tagle said.
Prof. Luis Teodoro, Deputy Director of Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) gave a presentation on the monitoring of media’s coverage of the past elections. The result of the study showed media have been pro-active in its election coverage in terms of providing voters with information vital to knowing political candidates.
“Despite their sense of relative disinterest; the major players in the media community—the broadsheets and the networks monitored—nevertheless exerted extra effort to provide the public both the information on as well as the context of the elections,” Teodoro said.
However, despite media’s positive role and responsible coverage of the recent elections, media participants in the forum also acknowledged the need for media people to clean its ranks of scalawags and unethical practices.
The forum concluded with the delegates forging a statement to continue working hand-in-hand with other election stakeholders for Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful, Peaceful elections.
The statement called for a continuing political education for voters; media education programs for media practitioners; encouraging media debates among political candidates; and electoral reforms among other things.
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