Saturday, January 30, 2010

5,542 priests and bishops attend clergy congress


THE 2nd national congress of the clergy (NCC II) which ended today drew some 5,542 priests and bishops representing 87 arch/dioceses nationwide and few priests abroad.

Organizers said the surge in the number of participants was unexpected that they ran out of kits and other materials.

Former Ambassador Henrietta de Villa, chairperson of the NCC II Central Coordinating Committee said they had only 5,300 prepared kits for participants.

“We added another hundred, for the rest we just gave plastic folders with handles,” she said.

De Villa said they also ran out of liturgy booklets used in the daily liturgy so they distributed risographed copies to those who had none.

“The priests are so very nice. They understood, nobody complained that one has not what the other got. I guess that’s also a gift of the spirit,” De Villa said.

The retreat-congress which started Monday, had Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, as preacher.

Cantalamessa spoke on the need for interior renewal and led the priests into meditation on the three important elements in the life of the priests—the Eucharist, the sacrament of reconciliation and celibacy.

Seeing such a big assembly of priests, Cantalamessa was heard to have remarked: “Only in the Philippines can these things happen, so many priests in one gathering.”

De Villa said NCC II surpassed the international gathering of priests in Ars, France August last year in terms of number of participants. That international retreat assembled only about 1,500 priests worldwide.

Cantalamessa also addressed the laity last January 28 on the topics “The Relationship between the Clergy and Laity” and “Marriage and Family according to the Bible.”

He also addressed the Franciscan family on January 29 after the clergy congress.

De Villa said the number of participants remained intact until Wednesday evening based on the food stubs they collected at meal time.

“On Thursday some of them started to leave because there was an ongoing celebration in Lucena for the 25th anniversary [of the Episcopal ordination] of Bishop Emilio Marquez. The Diocese of Gumaca is celebrating its silver jubilee also,” De Villa explained.

But according to De Villa some of the bishops who went to join the celebration in Lucena and Gumaca also came back on Friday to join the procession.

Bishop, priests march in procession as Clergy Congress ends


THE five-day 2nd National Congress of the Clergy came to a close today with around 5,000 priests and bishops walking the 1.2 kilometers distance from World Trade Center to Cuneta Astrodome for the 3:30 p.m. Mass.

The clergy, led by their respective bishops marched through Roxas Boulevard towards Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City waving flags bearing names of their respective dioceses.

The closing Eucharistic celebration was led by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.

In his homily, the Cardinal stressed that the priest is called to share his life to others through service.

“Like the man who masters suffering, the priest is the man of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Communion,” he said.

The Cardinal explained that saying “This is my Body” at consecration means “Jesus must be received and shared.”

In the past, he said, it was the vertical dimension of communion and sharing that was given primary value, neglecting the horizontal dimension which means reaching out to others in need.

He said the situation of a great number of Filipinos living in poverty urges one to action.

“What is being done for the poor in our country today?” he asked.

“The poor in the Philippines now number more than 65% of the population… There is a feeling of urgency to address hunger of the people who live in the slums, the sick and the jobless,” the cardinal said.

The cardinal had initiated the Theology of Crumbs, also known as Pondo ng Pinoy, which other local churches have adopted to help the poor in their areas.

“Rather than be accused of doing the littlest or less, let us in the name of love of God, consistently do our littlest for the poor,” Rosales said.

The cardinal also recalled the examples of St. John Mary Vianney, whose 150th anniversary is being celebrated by the universal Church by proclaiming a Year for Priests.

He said the Year for Priests is a “call to renewal in the striving for spiritual perfection which is the root of the effectiveness of priestly ministry.”

“This is the compassionate way for Benedict XVI to say that the priests today must renew themselves in holiness,” he said.

Participants to the 2nd National Congress of the Clergy came from 87 arch/dioceses across the country. There were also some delegates from the arch/dioceses of Chicago, Los Angeles, Madrid, Madrid, Mongolia and New York.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Priests can learn from examples of Jesus, says Cardinal Vidal


SAYING that ordained life entails living a life in imitation of Jesus Crucified, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said priests, as disciples of Jesus, must learn from his examples.

In his homily during Mass on the fourth day of the 2nd National Congress of the Clergy at World Trade Center, the cardinal explained that what priests learn from theology does not come close to the knowledge they gain from Jesus’ teaching from the cross.

He stressed that there is no other way for priests to learn from the cross except by carrying it themselves.

The cardinal said newly ordained priests normally have very little cross to bear because their initial experience of priestly life is usually characterized with wild adulation, abundant gifts and unmitigated affirmation from the faithful.

“But the cross that we have to bear is not the opposite of these, but the exercise of restraint in the face of adulation, gifts and affirmation. The first lesson of Jesus crucified is thus to ‘deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me,’ ” Vidal said.

Learning from Jesus, the cardinal said, is knowing how to seek him with single-minded devotion, and making Him his only choice.

The cardinal also said that learning from brother priests is another way of learning from Jesus.

He, however, noted that the prevailing priestly culture does not usually encourage learning from fellow priests.

“Yet, there is so much to learn from each other’s experiences, struggles, pains and joys,” he said.

“Among priests, there can be so much heated and excited discussions about politics, sports, and business, but when the matter turns to personal and spiritual life, everybody becomes deaf and dumb,” the cardinal observed.

He said the young clergy can learn a lot from the experience of elderly priests.

“It is not so much the stories that matter when it comes to elderly priests, but their testimony of life lived in fidelity and constancy,” said the cardinal.

'Learn also from lay people'

Vidal said priests can also learn from the lay faithful, since they too, have something to share even in spiritual and moral matters.

“The best way a priest can know the condition of God’s people is through the confessional. Like St. John Mary Vianney, a priest should spend much time in the confessional to know the real needs of the people he serves. We do not know the needs of people by virtues they exercise; we know their problems by the sins they commit,” the cardinal said.

Vidal stressed the clergy must put ahead the needs of the poor before his own, because when a priest opts for himself, the poor always takes the last place.

“The quality of our service is determined by the direction of our desires. If our hearts are directed towards the self, we become masters to be served. When our hearts are directed to God and his people, we become the servants of all,” he said.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Priests donate to Haiti earthquake victims


NOW, it’s the clergy’s turn to give tithes.

In a concrete expression of solidarity with the victims of earthquake in Haiti, more than 5,000 priests and a hundred bishops generously dropped in their donations as collection baskets were passed around during Mass at the plenary hall of World Trade Center today.

Priests all over the country are currently gathered at the World Trade Center in Pasay City for a five-day retreat congress.

The collected amount which is estimated to reach a million pesos will be sent to Haiti which was devastated by an earthquake about two weeks ago.

An earthquake with 7.0 magnitude rocked the Caribbean nation on January 12, which left most of its capital city Port-au-Prince in ruins, displacing millions of inhabitants and killing hundreds of thousands of people.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), has earlier urged parishes across the country to conduct a second collection in all Masses on January 24 for Haitian relief efforts.

CBCP president Nereo Odchimar said the tragedy that devastated Haiti calls on the public to action to help the people affected by the killer earthquake.

“We pray for those who have perished, for the injured and for the displaced at this difficult and sad time,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Manila has also issued a circular requesting all its parishes, shrines and communities for a second collection in all Masses on January 24. It also urged the public to continue praying for those who died and those who are suffering due to the calamity that befell on Haiti’s capital.

Thomasian priests gather for alumni homecoming

THOMASIAN priests and bishops participating at the national congress for the clergy will have a back-to-back celebration as they gather for their homecoming at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) on Friday.

Alumni of UST seminary are set to celebrate their annual homecoming on January 29, when the clergy ends their five-day retreat-congress at World Trade Center.

The Thomasian clergy homecoming will focus on the theme “Faithfulness of Christ, faithfulness of priests”, following the theme of the clergy congress and the Year for Priests.

The assembly will also include discussion of planned activities that will involve Thomasian priests for the forthcoming quadricentennial anniversary of UST in 2011. UST Rector Magnificus Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, OP will lead the discussion of the preparations for the upcoming jubilee celebration.

Priests celebrating their jubilees will be feted with a program to mark the milestone in their priesthood. Among the jubilarians are Manila Auxiliary Bishop-Emeritus Teodoro Buhain, who will celebrate his golden jubilee, and Fr. Isidro Abano, OP., his silver jubilee.

Thomasian clergy will be ferried by buses from the congress’ venue to UST Central seminary. The homecoming kicks off with a dinner-program at 7:30 p.m. Friday followed with the oath-taking of newly-ordained Thomasians at the Central Seminary Garden.

Host of this year’s alumni gathering is Batch 1985.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Focolare head to speak at Clergy congress


THE head of the worldwide Focolare Movement will be one of the lay sharers in the forthcoming National Congress of the Clergy on January 28.

Maria “Emmaus” Voce, president of Focolare is one of the five lay persons who will share with the clergy their experiences on the struggle to live a life of holiness in a secular world.

Other sharers include retired Chief Justice Art Panganiban, youth Darren Bancod and couple Leopoldo and Nena Repotente.

Aside from witnessing at the National Clergy retreat, Voce will also speak to the Focolare community at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on January 24. She will have a media conference on the same day where she is expected to talk on the Economy of Communion (EoC), which many economists think to be the solution to poverty in the Philippines, and the Movement for Unity in Politics.

The Focolare head will visit Focolare centers in Manila, Tagaytay and Cebu from January 17 to 31. Her stay in the country is part of her two-week visit of Focolare communities in Asian countries that also include Korea, Japan and Thailand.

Voce took over the helm of the movement upon the death of Focolare founder Chiara Lubich on March 14, 2008. At the general assembly of delegates in Rome on July, 2008, Voce was elected president. A Focolarino priest, Fr. Giancarlo Faletti, was elected as co-president.

A Focolarina since 1963, Voce worked in Istanbul, Turkey for 10 years involving herself in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue with the Orthodox church and the Muslim world. Voce, who is a lawyer by profession, had worked closely with Chiara Lubich since 2002, reviewing the Focolare statutes.

The Focolare Movement was founded by Chiara Lubich in December 7, 1943. It has now spread in 180 countries and counts with more than 2 million supporters. Focolare centers are found in 88 countries across the globe with membership of at least 140,000.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Papal preacher to address laity during clergy congress


THE laity in the Philippines will have the rare chance of hearing the Papal preacher speak to them in a day of conference during the National Congress of the Clergy.

The day-long event aims to encourage the laity “to co-journey with the priests during the Second National Congress on the occasion of the year for Priests.”

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap, preacher to the Papal household will speak to lay people on the topics “Clergy and Laity relationship” and “Marriage and Family According to the Bible.”

As preacher to the Papal household, Cantalamessa has delivered weekly meditation, during Advent and Lent, in the presence of the Holy Father, the Cardinals, the bishops of the Roman Curia and the general superiors of religious orders. He also gives retreats and formation sessions to lay people.

The conference, slated at the Araneta Coliseum on January 28 from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., is expected to draw thousands of lay people and religious men and women.

Open to the public, the event is being organized by the Episcopal Commission on the Laity of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines through the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas.

NASSA asks help for earthquake victims


THE National Secretariat for Social Action –Justice and Peace (NASSA-JP) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has joined the international community in its massive drive to help the people of Haiti rise above the ruins and tragedy brought by the recent earthquake that devastated the country.

NASSA National Director and Manila Auxiliary Broderick Pabillo urged people of goodwill to help the Haitian people whose lives have been devastated by the earthquake that struck the Caribbean nation.

“At a time like this, our help will mean so much. Our donations will buy food and shelter, and rebuild homes and schools,” Pabillo said in a letter released by NASSA.

“Our love will heal the wounds of those who lost their family and loved ones to the disaster,” he added.

There has been an outpouring of support from the international community as the nation reeled from the aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude tremor that killed hundreds of thousands of people and leveled much of the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

“Along with the emerging picture of the extent of the tragedy is the collective concern for the nation’s recovery,” Pabillo said.

The poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, Haiti had its ample share of natural disasters, and a history of social and political turmoil that kept the country grappling with poverty and corruption.

“This earthquake, with its aftershocks, is so much more tragic than other quakes in recent history because the Haitian people have already seen and lived through more than their share of sufferings,” he said.

Pabillo asked prayers for those who have lost lives as well as those who have survived that they may recover from the tragedy and rebuild their lives soon.

He also urged the public, especially friends and partners of NASSA to show compassion and reach out with generosity to Haitian people in this time of great need.

Donors are asked to course their donations through NASSA–Caritas Filipinas; PHILTRUST BANK Account Name: CBCP CARITAS FILIPINAS FOUNDATION, INC. Account No. 00320 – 013778 – 3.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Oral Bible reading highlights celebration of Bible Week



AN historic, ecumenical and public reading of the bible will highlight this year’s celebration of National Bible Week from January 25 to 31.

Dubbed i-proclaim, the continuous oral reading of the Scriptures will bring together churches from different confessions and denominations in a campaign to bring God’s word closer to the heart and lives of Filipinos.

Similar to Holy Week’s “pabasa”, the marathon bible reading, which seeks to draw Filipinos together in these crucial times, will be launched on January 25 at the Bonifacio Shrine in Manila.

Among its first readers will include national and local officials, board members and staff of Philippine Bible Society (PBS), partner churches, representatives from government offices, schools, business organizations and other sectors of society.

Mrs. Nora Lucero, PBS General Secretary and Chairperson of the Global Board of the United Bible Societies, expressed hope that with the launching of the bible reading activity, more people will be drawn to reading the Scriptures and make the word of God part of their lives.

“…we are hoping and praying that people, groups, churches and organizations will follow suit and do their own public readings throughout the year, not just during National Bible Week,” she said.

“God’s word must be part of our daily life, especially at such a time as these when we are faced with so many challenges. We have to seek God in everything we do, personal or national,” she added.

Simultaneous Bible reading


The Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) will hold a simultaneous bible reading in all its 87 dioceses nationwide on the evening of January 30.

ECBA executive secretary Fr. Oscar Alunday said they are aiming to read the entire bible with the participation of the members of Basic Ecclesial communities (BEC).

“Each diocese/parish will be assigned a portion to read orally. These will be done simultaneously and in about 15-30 minutes, the bible will be read completely from Genesis to Revelation all over the Philippines,” he said.

“We will have a wonderful covering of God’s word all throughout the land,” he added.

Plain reading of the entire Bible can reach up to 72 hours while the New Testament can be finished in 20-23 hours.

The Bible oral reading is modeled after the Canadian Bible Society’s proclamation that started in Quebec, Canada in 1995. During that time, more than 200 readers read the Bible in 12 different languages. The activity has since spread throughout Canada and in a 2001 Bible proclamation, more than 60 communities nationwide participated.

A similar Bible reading marathon was also held in Rome in 2008. Pope Benedict XVI led the one-week nonstop reading of the bible interspersed with music at the Vatican.

Lucero said PBS wanted to duplicate the same feat in the country for Filipinos to personally experience the riches and relevance of Scriptures in their lives.

“We want to encourage our “kababayans” to set aside differences, come together and be one in reading God’s word. This is a public confession — I, and we hope you and all other Filipinos too—will proclaim that we as a people, are putting God’s word in the center of our national life and that we submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ,” she said.

The bible proclamation is open to all who want to participate. The Scriptures will be read as is, without any commentary or sermon. Readers, whose age may range from 7 to 97, may read for 5, 10 or 15 minutes or even more than once, with a break between readings.

The annual observance of National Bible Week is empowered by Proclamation No. 44 issued by late President Corazon Aquino and Proclamation No. 1067 by former President Fidel Ramos. Both decrees uphold the importance of reading and praying of the Scriptures in strengthening the moral fiber of the citizenry.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Priests’ congress seeks spiritual renewal of clergy

FOCUSING on the interior renewal of the clergy in this year dedicated for priests, an intense five-day national priests’ congress will be held this month that will gather diocesan and religious clergy around the country.

The second National Congress of the Clergy set on January 25-29 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City will be days of spiritual reflection and profound prayer for priests aimed at providing them a deep religious experience “that will hopefully lead to spiritual conversion and greater commitment.”

More of a spiritual retreat in dynamics, the congress aims to bring the clergy to a deepening of their pastoral commitment through interior renewal.

Msgr. Gerry Santos, program committee member said the retreat has the following dynamics: prayer and liturgy, conferences, group reflection and journal writing and encounter with host families.

“These activities will help achieve an atmosphere of prayerful reflection and presbyteral fellowship,” he explained.

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, a Franciscan Capuchin and preacher of the Papal household will deliver five conferences that will delve on the theme “Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests”, which the Holy Father has chosen as theme for the celebration of the Year for Priests.

On the fourth day of the retreat, Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle will give two conferences touching on the spiritual pastoral context of the Church in the Philippines.

Three C’s

Filled with spiritual activities, the five-day congress include other highlights such as liturgical celebration of the Eucharist, Communal Penance and Reconciliation, the Via Crucis, Lauds and Vespers and the recitation of the rosary.

Fr. Francis Gustilo, SDB, another program committee member said Cantalamessa’s reflection on the theme will basically touch on the three C’s: “consecration, conversion and commitment,” which is the aim of the retreat.

“Consecration, [because] the priest is consecrated, ordained for a mission; conversion, because priests also commit mistakes from what they promised during their ordination; [and] commitment, [or resolution] to renew their lives,” he said.

Laity as participants

The laity are also encouraged by organizers to participate in the upcoming congress by way of praying and offering sacrifices for their priests and the success of the spiritual retreat.

Some lay people have been invited to witness among the priests their pursuit of holiness according to their state in life. Sharers include former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, Darren Bancod (youth), Mr. and Mrs. Leopoldo Repratente (couple) and Ms. Maria Voce of the Focolare Movement.

The public will have their chance to hear Cantalamessa preach on January 28 at the Araneta Coliseum, an event open for the laity. He will speak to lay people about their role in helping their priests live faithfully their pastoral commitment.

“Hopefully, our lay people will be open enough to believe that change can happen even to their pastors,” said Gustilo.

He said it saddens him sometimes that some people seemed to have taken priests for granted.

“They are somewhat skeptical whether this kind of retreat will effect change in the priests. But of course, if people are blinded by what they already believed, they would not see any possibility for change to happen,” Gustilo said.

He said during the event people should pray not only for the priests but also for the country, saying the current situation in the country needs vigilant lay people who are aware of their rights and responsibility.

“CBCP dedicated this year as the year of the two hearts of Jesus and Mary. Since the election is nearing, so we should also have a renewed vision of our society. Our people should elect the right persons to join the government. If we follow always the traditional politics, nothing will happen in our country, But if we are convinced of the people we should vote for, then we will not sell our vote,” he said.

The clergy retreat will culminate in the afternoon of January 29, with a huge procession of bishops and priests from World Trade Center to Cuneta Astrodome to celebrate the closing Eucharist with the laity.

Around 4,200 clergy nationwide have already registered for the five-day spiritual event.

The clergy congress is being organized by the Episcopal Commission on Clergy of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Prelate urges clergy to celebrate Eucharist with reverence and dignity

SAYING that a decorous and solemn celebration of the liturgy is a mandate imposed on priests by virtue of their ordination, a young Catholic prelate called on his clergy to celebrate the Eucharist with the dignity and solemnity it deserves.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, in a fraternal letter sent to his priests on December 31, said it is a solemn duty of priests to celebrate the Mass with utmost reverence and attentive care.

“Although we have many duties and functions as priests, in the mind of the ordinary Catholic faithful, we are priests because we can preside at the Eucharist and absolve sins in the confessional. We are priests called to bring to the Lord the sacrifice of thanksgiving from His worshipping people. We are priests called to bring the blessings of God to His chosen people. We are caretakers of the mysteries of God.” Villegas said.

The young prelate said a solemn and inspiring liturgical celebration does not just happen. Instead it becomes so because of the ardent and careful preparation that goes with it.

“Within this spirit, I wish to raise some issues in our Catholic parishes and communities to help bring about a more inspiring and truly edifying liturgical worship,” he said.

‘Cleanliness next to Godliness’


Quoting the maxim that cleanliness is next to Godliness, Villegas encouraged his clergy to preserve the cleanliness of sacred vessels even advising them to regularly subject these to “metal plating to maintain their luster befitting the divine worship.”

“God deserves the best,” he stressed.

He said the altar linens—corporal, purificator, and finger towel—should be used according to their specific purpose, and not to be interchanged with the other.

Explaining further, he said the corporal is called such because it receives the “corpus” crumbs that may fall from the Host when the priest breaks the Host at the Lamb of God.

“The corporal must be laid out on the altar only at the presentation of bread and wine and folded back after the purification of the vessels,” Villegas said, stressing that “it must not be left on the altar.”

He said the purificator is used to wipe the chalice for droplets of water and wine during the preparation of the gifts and for purifying the chalice, paten and ciborium after Communion, while the finger towel is used for drying the hands after washing.

The purificator has an embroidered cross in the middle while that of the finger towel is normally in the corner.

Villegas reminded the priests to instruct their sacristans and altar servers to observe the proper use of the altar linens.

He said it is important to keep the vestments used for liturgical celebrations clean and dignified while stressing that “cleanliness and dignity need not be expensive.”

“The church and its surroundings must be kept clean too from trash candy wrappers, soiled missalettes and even stuck chewing gums on the church flooring,” Villegas said, adding that “the church must be the cleanest place in the community.”

Singing together promotes unity

Villegas also reminded his priests on the importance of animating seriously the liturgical singing in their parishes. As a form of worship, singing together also promotes the spirit of unity and communion, he said.

“Please encourage the choirs to undertake their task as a ministry and not as a performance for public adulation,” the prelate said.

He said secular love songs, even with religious themes, should not be used for liturgical rites.

Villegas also advised the clergy to “refrain from the practice of having children or young people dance in the parish sanctuary” during liturgical celebrations until the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy approved the rules pertaining to dancing within the liturgy.

Observing silence in church


The prelate said it is likewise important to observe silence as a means of communing with God.

Quoting St. Charles Borromeo, he said: “You must realize that for us churchmen, nothing is more necessary than meditation. We must meditate before, during and after everything we do. Would you like me to tell you how to give God more pleasing worship? Stay quiet with God. Do not spend your time in useless chatter.”

Villegas told the clergy to teach again their parishioners the practice of genuflecting before the tabernacle, the observance of prayerful silence in the church, modesty in dress and the discourtesy of chewing gum or using cell phones in the church.

The archbishop concluded his letter by saying that celebrating the liturgy should bring the priest-celebrant to “become more caring and attentive to the needs of the least, the last and the lost.”

“Good liturgy can sanctify only to the extent that it leads us to serve, imitating the example of Him who stooped down to wash the feet of His disciples,” he said, adding that “Sunday must not only be the dies Domini. May it become too our dies caritatis.”