Filipino liturgists advocate use of vernacular in liturgy

Many of the faithful may prefer Tridentine Mass with the blessing of the Vatican but Filipino liturgists still advocate the use of the vernacular in liturgy.

The diocesan directors of liturgy said they would rather prefer that masses and other liturgical celebrations in parishes and communities use the native language.

The statement was made at the conclusion of the National Meeting of Diocesan Directors of Liturgy (NMDDL) held at Pope Pius XII Center, Manila.

They said that while they respect the option to use Latin and celebrate the Tridentine liturgy, they would recommend the use of vernacular and “recommend translations that faithfully reflect both the spiritual doctrine of the texts and the linguistic patterns of our vernacular languages.”

Calling attention on “the unfinished agenda of liturgical inculturation” which began after Vatican II, the liturgists noted that “our rich cultural heritage has much to offer to make the Roman liturgy truly Filipino.”

The liturgists also mentioned the need for some dioceses to encourage participation of women in liturgical ministries.

“Some dioceses in the Philippines still reserve to male persons ministries like serving at the altar and leading Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest. We believe that we should encourage the ministry of women where it is allowed by universal law,” they said in a statement.  

 The delegates also mentioned the need for liturgical studies of those involved in liturgy, especially the clergy.

“[They] should be sent by their bishops or superiors to enroll in academic institutions that specialize in liturgical studies.”

 The NMDDL meeting, organized by the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and hosted by the Archdiocese of Manila was held from Sept. 13-16.

Themed “The Veneration of the Saints”, the meeting also coincided with the 25^th anniversary of NMDDL.

As part of its silver jubilee activities, the NDMML honoured six people who have made outstanding contribution to the promotion of the Church’s teachings on liturgy with the Sacrosanctum Concilium Awards.

Among those who were feted were the late Bishop William Brasseur, CICM, Fr. Camilo Marivoet, CICM, Fr. Hermann Gräf, SVD, Fr. Jamess Meehan, S.J., Ozamis Archbishop Jesus Dosado, and Capiz Archbishop Onesimo Gordoncillo.

Sibuyan local officials sign joint resolution vs mining

Local officials in Sibuyan Island’s three municipalities have signed a joint resolution rejecting mining operations in the island.

The municipalities of Magdiwang, Cajidiocan and San Fernando issued Joint Resolution No. 1 and 2, indicating the people’s opposition to mining in the island.

In Joint Resolution No. 1, the local officials asked President Benigno Aquino “to declare Sibuyan Island free of all metallic mining (all forms of mining except gravel and sand)”, while Joint Resolution No. 2, addressed to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje asked that all mining permits issued in the island be revoked.

Sibuyan’s officials recently trooped to the office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to insist that their autonomous decision to free the island from mining activities be respected.

Environmentalists and anti-mining advocates hailed the local officials’ joint resolution to reject mining to protect and preserve the island’s rich ecosystem.

Sibuyan island, dubbed as the Galapagos of Asia, is rich in natural resources and biodiversity. It is known to have the densest forest in the world.

The island is home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. One hundred twenty-three species of trees, 54 of which are not found anywhere in the world, 700 vascular plant species, and 131 species of birds, and many mammals and rodents still yet to be catalogued, are found in Mt. Guiting-guiting Natural Park.

Naga declared Bicol region’s pilgrimage capital

The city of Naga and the province of Camarines Sur have been declared pilgrimage capitals of the Bicol region and recognized top tourist destinations in the country in a presidential proclamation by President Benigno Aquino III.

Aquino, in Presidential Proclamation No. 33 released on Sept. 10, said Bicol’s Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia “is the only regional feast in the country [and] for the past three centuries has become an epic historical event that has become part of our cultural heritage.”

Aquino noted the contribution of the Peñafrancia celebrations to the local economy, and the sense of unity and religious fervor that bond all devotees who come from all over the world.

He said the festivities also “provide an environment conducive to tourism, a venue for appreciation of Bicol arts and culture, its indigenous and culinary arts, natural wonders and archaeological treasures.”

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock to Naga and Camarines Sur every year from September until middle of October to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia whom Bicolanos endearingly call “Ina”.

This year’s festivities also feature the tercentenary celebration of the Devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia highlighted by an International Pilgrims’ Congress (IPC) held yesterday until today at the Peñafrancia Basilica in Naga City.

The presidential proclamation stresses the government’s participation by providing assistance to maintain peace and order and preserve the solemnity of the occasion.

“The government shall ensure that the conduct of the observances essential to the feast, which include but are not limited to the Traslacion, the Fluvial and Dawn Processions and other cultural and historical remembrance activities, shall be respected, and that commercial exploitation during the pilgrimage period such as street parties that may become rambunctious, drinking sprees in plazas, street vending that obstruct passages towards the pilgrimage sites, and other similar activities, shall be discouraged,” part of the proclamation read.

The proclamation also mandates the local government units to partner with other government agencies and the Archdiocese of Caceres to put together “their technical and financial resources and participate in the conduct of trade fairs, job fairs, skills training and seminars on agriculture, aquaculture and crafts during the months of September and October.”

The decree likewise underscores the role of the Philippine National Police to maintain peace and order and provide security to all pilgrims during the celebrations.

The annual Penafrancia festival begins every second Friday of September with the traslacion, a procession from the Basilica Minore to the Metropolitan Cathedral where the nine-day novena is held.

Tomorrow, Sept. 18, the venerated image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and the icon of Divino Rostro will be carried in fluvial procession to the Bicol River with thousands of voyadores in small boats amid chants of Viva La Virgen. The procession will be capped with a 6 p.m. Pontifical Mass at the Basilica Minore led by Papal nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams.

The Salmon run

 

People buying salmon from fishermen at the Wharf.

The sockeyes we bought at the Wharf. They look small but actually big.

Every summer, sockeyes return to B.C.’s rivers to spawn after staying for one to four years in the deep ocean. This summer, the salmon returning to Fraser River is on record high. Reports of an estimated 34 million sockeyes have returned to B.C.’s waters to spawn, the largest run in 100 years. Apparently , more are still coming in from the sea, and the stunning turn out baffled if not worried authorities because such a massive run will also have its consequences, it has been said. With so much salmon to can, B.C. canneries have been sourcing out production simply because they cannot cope up with the demand.

Prized for its juicy, bright orange meat, sockeye salmon normally costs higher than any other salmon in the market. My family doesn’t buy any kind of salmon, unless it’s sockeye. The first time I was around in B.C. I could not understand why they go gaga over sockeyes when summer comes. But when I tried it the first time, I found out how good it was. It can be cooked in many ways, but a hit in the family is cooking it in soup, with lots of green vegetables, and spiced with lemon juice and lots of ginger. (In Filipino, it’s the traditional “sinigang”). It`s so yummy, and instantly I got hooked.

With millions of sockeyes literally flooding the Fraser River, fishermen are on a frenzy hauling catch and selling them fast. For the second time last week, we went to the Fisherman’s Wharf in Richmond to buy sockeye. The second time we went, the boats were not yet in when we arrived so we decided to wait. But it turned out we were not the only ones who decided to stay put. After a while, the wharf started to fill with people, and a long line began to snake up the bridge starting from the dock. After waiting under the sun (thank God, the breeze was cool enough to prevent us getting a head ache) for almost two hours, the fishing boat arrived, followed by another half an hour later.

A little bit of research gave me some interesting facts regarding sockeye. Like all Pacific salmon, sockeyes are born in fresh water. That’s precisely the reason why they return back to B.C. waters to spawn. It’s said that they stay in their freshwater habitat for up to three years more than any other species of salmon before venturing into the deep ocean. They grow rapidly once in the deep and stay there for up to four years before returning back to their natural habitat to spawn and die few weeks after spawning.

Very interesting piece of knowledge, indeed. But what would be more interesting for me is to see the Fraser River up close, which according to one scientist who has gone upriver, is “boiling” with millions of sockeyes. That would indeed be an interesting sight to behold.