Priest clarifies pope’s remarks on condom

The head of the Archdiocese of Manila’s Commission on Family Life debunked the media reports claiming that Pope Benedict has changed Church’s teachings on condoms.

Fr. Joel Jason, SThL, currently the Dean of Studies at San Carlos Seminary and professor of Moral Theology, Sexuality and Integrity and Bioethics has issued some clarifications on the controversy generated by the pope’s remarks on the use of condoms.

The pontiff’s words were clearly taken out of context, he said, pointing out that the media took only excerpts of the pope’s answer to the question asked of him, thus leaving out the essential meaning of the text.

Citing the principle in Biblical interpretation, Jason said the message or the text must be taken in its integral context or risk to lose its real meaning.

“Taken in isolation, a text in the Bible can be reduced to a pretext, i.e., a half-truth or at worst, a misleading misinterpretation,” the priest said.

The controversy stemmed from an interview the pope has granted to journalist Peter Seewald in a book released on Nov. 23, titled “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times.”

In the interview, the pope gave a lengthy answer to Seewald’s question on the Vatican’s policy on AIDs.

An excerpt of the pope’s response mentioned the case of some individuals who may have basis in using a condom.

 “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility…”

Jason pointed out that the media took out in isolation the above excerpt without considering the sentence in its entirety.

Those who interpreted the pope’s remarks did not even finish the sentence, the priest said.

Media reports claimed the pope has changed the Church’s teaching on contraception.

Supporters of RH bill in the country are riding the issue and calling the Catholic bishops to follow the stance of the pope.  

But Jason said the pope’s remarks in the interview should not be taken as official teachings or pronouncements.

If the pope wants to issue a new teaching in his capacity as the Successor of Peter and the Supreme Teacher of the Catholic faith, he will not do it through an interview, Jason pointed out.

“Everyone who knows basic Catechism understands this, much more the Pope. And so headlines claiming, ‘Pope changes teaching on Condoms, Contraception and HIV’, or ‘Pope: Condoms OK in fight Against AIDS” are totally way out of line,’ the priest said.

Jason explained that “nowhere in the text of the Pope Benedict’s response can we find summary justification of condom use.”

The pope instead stressed that much must be done to solve the problem of AIDs, not by distributing condoms.

“This means that the sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalization of sexuality, which, after all, is precisely the dangerous source of the attitude of no longer seeing sexuality as the expression of love, but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves,” the pope said.

The pope’s response, Jason furthered, “was not even a direct commentary on the possible moral justification of condom use, clearly not for contraception. He was making a moral speculation on what may be going on in the heart of one (a male prostitute) who uses the condom in a homosexual or heterosexual sex act.”

Jason said “what the Pope stressed was not that condom use is OK in the case of a male prostitute engaged in heterosexual or homosexual acts. He merely said that ‘this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility’…”

The country’s prelates have also called on government officials and supporters of RH bill not to use the words of the pope as a justification to push their own agenda.

Church leaders in other parts of the world have likewise issued their individual statements defending what the pope said in the book.

Seewald, during the launching of the book on November 23 at the Vatican, complained of what he called “crisis of journalism”, referring on how the media twisted the words of the pope out of context.

He said the pope discusses wide ranging topics in the book, “…the pope appeals to humanity—our world is in the process of collapse, and half the journalists are only interested in the issue of condoms.” 

Cardinal issues guidelines for simbang gabi; masses in malls not allowed

The faithful who used to attend simbang gabi masses in malls are now urged to go to the parishes to participate in the celebration.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales in a directive sent to archdiocesan clergy said simbang gabi masses will not be allowed anymore in malls “unless there is a chapel in the establishment, where the Holy Eucharist is celebrated with frequency and duly approved” by the archdiocese.

The guidelines are issued to ensure a “proper, solemn, dignified and meaningful celebration of the Simbang Gabi”, the cardinal said.

“We do not allow Simbang Gabi to be celebrated in corridors and hallways of shopping malls where the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is needlessly exposed to shoppers that are indifferent to the celebration,” Rosales said in the circular.

He said masses for simbang gabi should be celebrated in the parishes or chapels that are duly recognized by the parish.

Simbang gabi, also known as misa de aguinaldo is traditionally celebrated at early dawn, from 4:00 to 5:00 a.m., although it is already a practice in many parishes to celebrate simbang gabi masses in the evening.

“If the Misa de Aguinaldo is celebration from 8:00 o’clock in the evening onwards, it should be motivated by genuine pastoral care for the spiritual benefit of the faithful,” the cardinal stressed.

The simbang gabi masses celebrated in the evening started during martial law years because of the curfew imposed by the government at the time.

But the practice has remained because many faithful “who follow the urban rhythm of work find it easier to join in the evening instead of the dawn Masses.”

“We wish to encourage the practice of Simbang Gabi, whether at dawn or in the evening, because it is a great source of spiritual nourishment to our faithful,” the cardinal said.

But celebration of simbang gabi masses at other times such as morning, mid-day or late afternoon mass is not allowed since it “is not in keeping with the liturgical norms of the Archdiocese of Manila and is to be regarded as an abuse.”

The simbang gabi or the nine-day dawn masses preceding the feast of Christmas is a tradition brought into the country by the Spanish evangelizers.

In 1953, the Plenary Council of the Philippines formally requested Rome for special dispensation to celebrate the nine-day dawn masses leading to Christmas.

Celebrated with solemnity, the simbang gabi masses are votive masses in honor of the Virgin Mary.

“For Filipino Catholics, Simbang Gabi is above all an expression of their filial devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. For nine consecutive days, they join and accompany her, so to speak, as she awaits the birth of her Son,” according to Rosales.

“May the faith and devotion of Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of the Filipino nation, inspire us to receive in our hearts and home God’s surpassing Aguinaldo in the person of Jesus Christ. Let us keep her company through prayer and good works, so that she may also keep us company as we journey toward the fulfillment of God’s promise of peace in our nation and in the world,” the cardinal further said.

‘Stop mining in our region’—Eastern Visayas bishops

Six bishops from Eastern Visayas have made an impassioned plea on government leaders to stop mining in the region.

The mining aggression in Eastern Visayas will only worsen the already deteriorating state of the environment and destroy the livelihood of the people, they said.

“We call on our responsible leaders in government, in the private sector and all those who harbor intentions of mining our region to listen to the voices of our people, ‘Bring back the Beautiful Land we had once; STOP MINING IN OUR REGION’,” the bishops said in a statement issued on Oct. 22.

Both government and private sectors have shown keen interest in developing the mining industry in the territory.

The prelates criticized the “misplaced priorities” of some local leaders accusing them of acting “more as agents of the mining firms rather than agents of the people.”

The bishops noted in the statement that several mining permits for exploration and mining production sharing agreements (MPSAs) have been issued in many parts of the region’s islands of Samar, Leyte and Biliran.

They expressed alarm on the irreversible impact of extractive industries especially on the islands of Manicani and Homonhon in Eastern Samar and Batag in Northern Samar which remain imperiled by large and small-scale mining operations.

“As shepherds of our flock, it is our collective sentiments that the continuing drive for development of the Eastern Visayas region anchored on mining as well as other extractive economic pursuits, only reinforce the irreversible trend of permanently damaging nature's endowments. As a consequence, the many lines of opportunities upon which our people can draw their life sustenance will definitely be threatened immensely,” the statement said.

The bishops said previous experiences attest on the harmful effects of mining on environment and livelihoods and these should have at least imparted some lessons on everyone.

Citing Bagacay as an example, the prelates said the mining company left the area permanently devastated and the river poisoned after having extracted all minerals from the ground.

“The people who had high hopes of being lifted from their sorry state of poverty were left to fend for themselves and grapple with the realities that there are no more fertile grounds to grow their food or natural river systems to catch the fishes for their day's meal,” they said.

The prelates also noted the decade-long struggle of the people in the islands of Manicani, Homonhon and Batag who have to make do with what was left of the environment and livelihood destroyed by mining.

Added to the damage done on the environment is “the destruction of the islands’ social fabric, [with] families and communities [being] polarized,” they said.

“What pervades has been the situation of unpeace and disharmony. People in the islands have been constantly threatened by another prospect of systematic destruction of the island they call home,” they added.

The bishops reiterated that the social costs and irreversible destruction caused by mining far outweigh its perceived economic benefits.

Signatories of the pastoral statement titled “A Call to Stop Mining in Eastern Visayas Region” were Palo Archbishop Jose S. Palma, Catarman Bishop Emmanuel C. Trance, Borongan Bishop Crispin B. Varquez, Maasin Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, Calbayog Bishop Isabelo C. Abarquez, and Naval Bishop Felomino G. Bactol.