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Month: November 2020
Empowered Leaders Conversation: Disciple-Making Online
Laiko EMPOWERED LEADERS CONVERSATION: “DISCIPLE-MAKING ONLINE” on Saturday, November 7, 2020, 2-4 pm. Dr. Jake Yap and Bro. Abyong Calo of The Harvest Institute shared some time-tested principles and practical steps in making disciples in an online environment.
Continuation of Pope Francis’s Catechesis on Prayer
Praying for Those with COVID & Healthcare Workers, Pope Calls Being Without Public Again ‘Unfortunate’ But Responsible
November 04, 2020 Deborah Castellano Lubov General Audience
Due to the increasingly rising number of COVID19 cases every day, and increasing deaths, throughout the world and in Italy, Pope Francis returned to privately streaming his Wednesday General Audiences today November 4, 2020, while in Italy the daily number of new cases falls around 30,000, and daily deaths between 200 and 300.
This move to return without public this week was communicated in a Oct. 29 brief statement Oct. 29, issued by the Holy See Press Office to accredited journalists.
“From next Wednesday, November 4, 2020, the Holy Father’s General Audiences will again be broadcast from the Library of the Apostolic Palace,” it began, noting: “This follows the identification of a positive case of COVID-19 during the General Audience of Wednesday, October 21,” and is being done “in order to avoid any eventual future risk for the participants’ health.”
No changes have been made, for the time being, of the Pope’s Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on Sundays at noon, which are still taking place according to the necessary health protocols.
He began his remarks to those following noting that it is “unfortunate” to no longer be with the public due the resurgence of COVID, but expresses it is responsible to act in accordance with the recommendations against gatherings by the authorities.
This morning, the Pope continued his catechesis on prayer and specially Jesus as a teacher of prayer, and how his prayer life characterized all the Lord did.
“Consistent prayer,” the Pope reminded, “produces a progressive transformation, makes us strong in times of tribulation, gives us the grace to be supported by Him who loves us and always protects us.”
Toward the audience’s conclusion, the Pope also invited that in this month of November, “let us pray especially for our deceased loved ones, and for all who have died, that the Lord in his mercy will welcome them to the banquet of eternal life. Upon you and your families I invoke the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Below are the Pope’s full remarks provided in English by the Vatican:
Catechesis on prayer – 13. Jesus, Teacher of prayer
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Unfortunately we have had to return to holding this audience in the library, to defend ourselves against contagion by Covid. This also teaches us that we must be very attentive to the prescriptions of the authorities, both the political authorities and the health authorities, to defend ourselves against this pandemic. Let us offer to the Lord this distance between us, for the good of all, and let us think, let us think a lot about the sick, about those who are already marginalised when they enter the hospitals, let us think of the doctors, the nurses, the volunteers, the many people who work with the sick at this time: they risk their life but they do so out of love for their neighbour, as a vocation. Let us pray for them.
During His public life, Jesus constantly availed himself of the power of prayer. The Gospels show this to us when He retired to secluded places to pray. These are sober and discreet observations, that allow us only to imagine those prayerful dialogues. They clearly demonstrate, however, that even at times of greater dedication to the poor and the sick, Jesus never neglected His intimate dialogue with the Father. The more He was immersed in the needs of the people, the more He felt the need to repose in the Trinitarian Communion, to return to the Father and the Spirit.
There is, therefore, a secret in Jesus’ life, hidden from human eyes, which is the fulcrum of everything else. Jesus’ prayer is a mysterious reality, of which we have a slight intuition, but which allows us to interpret His entire mission from the right perspective. In those solitary hours – before dawn or at night – Jesus immersed Himself in intimacy with the Father, that is, in the Love that every soul thirsts for. This is what emerges from the very first days of His public ministry.
One Sabbath, for example, the town of Capernaum was transformed into a “field hospital”: after sunset they brought all the sick to Jesus, and He healed them. Before dawn, however, Jesus disappeared: He withdrew to a solitary place and prayed. Simon and the others looked for Him and when they found Him they said: “Everyone is searching for you!” How does Jesus reply? “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out” (see Mk 1:35-38). Jesus always goes a bit further, further in prayer with the Father, and beyond, to other villages, other horizons, to go and preach to other peoples.
Prayer was the rudder that guides Jesus’ course. It was not success, it was not consensus, it was not the seductive phrase “everyone is searching for you”, that dictated the stages of His mission. The path Jesus charted was the least comfortable one, but it was the one by which He obeyed the Father’s inspiration, which Jesus heard and welcomed in His solitary prayer.
The Catechism states that “When Jesus prays He is already teaching us how to pray” (no. 2607). Therefore, from Jesus’ example we can derive some characteristics of Christian prayer.
Continue readingFour Aetas first to be charged under Terror Law
UPLB Perspective
By PB Yapjoco
November 2, 2020
Four Aetas were pressed with trumped up charges for allegedly violating the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, the Republic Act (RA) 9516 or the Illegal Possession of Explosives, and the RA 10591 o Violation Against Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition.
Among those being charged were Jay Garung, Rosalyn Urbano, Kiray Serrano and Junior Ramos, who are now experiencing detainment and separated from their families in Sitio Lumibao, Zambales.
Last August 21, over 192 families and 659 residents faced sudden eviction due to a supposed ongoing conflict with the National People’s Army (NPA), the 73rd Division Reconnaissance Company, and the 48th Infantry Battalion under the 7th Infantry Division Philippine Army (7ID PA).
The said military operation resulted into numerous bombings and attacks within the Aeta lands, disrupting the security and livelihood for hundreds of families. In an attempt to get affected Aetas to surrender in being part of the NPA, members of the 7ID PA allegedly resorted to degrading methods of torture and detainment, such as forcing victims to eat human feces and verbal abuse.
Downplaying human rights
These bombings were denied by the 7ID Public Affairs Office Chief Major Amando Gutierrez, who said that no bombing happened and that Aetans were checked by a doctor.
According to the Commision on Human Rights (CHR) spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia, “… the Commission has always reminded members of the armed forces to adhere to the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law.”
This however, is contradictory to the recent statement of Pitang Garung, the mother of Lumibao 4 victim Jay Garung, who stated that Jay had been subjected to physical and mental torture since his detainment.
“Pinaparantangan nilang NPA ang anak ko… binugbog at pinagtatadyak po nila ang anak ko, tapos pinakain pa nila ng dumi ng tao ang anak ko,” she said.
According to Sandugo-Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination (SANDUGO) the bombardment of the Aeta community was meant to pave way for mining explorations of Dizon Copper-Silver Mines, Inc.
Continue readingUnofficial English Translation of the Explanatory Document (In Italian) Prepared by the Holy See in Response to the Release of the Documentary Entitled “Francesco”
Some statements, contained in the documentary “Francesco” by the director Evgeny Afineevsky, elicited, in these past days, diverse reactions and interpretations. Therefore, here are some useful points in order to bring about, at his request, an adequate understanding of the words of the Holy Father.
More than a year ago, in an interview, Pope Francis responded to two distinct questions in two diverse moments that, in the aforementioned documentary, were edited and published as one answer without the proper contextualization which generated confusion. The Holy Father has made in the first place a pastoral reference regarding the necessity of not discriminating within the family a son or a daughter because of his or her homosexual orientation. This is referred to in the following words: “Homosexuals have the right to be in a family; they are children of God who have a right to belong to a family. No one should be thrown out of a family nor someone’s life rendered difficult (or impossible) because of this (i.e. homosexual orientation)”.
The following citation in the Post-Synodal Exhortation on love in the family Amoris laetitia (2016) can clarify such expressions: “With the Synodal Fathers I have taken into consideration the situation of families who live the experience of having a member with homosexual tendency; an experience which is not easy neither for the parents nor for the children. We would like therefore to reaffirm that every person, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be respected in his or her dignity and accepted with respect, taking care of avoiding “every trace of discrimination” and particularly every form of aggression and violence. These families should instead be assured of a respectful guidance, so that those who manifest homosexual tendency may avail of the necessary help to understand and fully realize the will of God in their lives”. (n. 250)
A subsequent question in the interview was instead in reference to a local legislation ten years ago in Argentina on “matrimonies igualitarios (egalitarian marriages) of couples of the same sex” and the opposition of the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires on that regard. On this matter Pope Francis affirmed that “it is incongruent to speak of homosexual marriage”, stating further that, in such particular context, he spoke (instead) of the right of these persons to have legal protection: “that which we must do is a law of civil union (convivencia civil); they have the right to be legally protected. I defended this matter”.
The Holy Father articulated in an interview of 2014: “Marriage is between a man and a woman. The secular States would like to justify civil unions to regulate various situations of convivence, forced by the necessity to regulate economic matters between persons, for example to guarantee health insurance. It deals with agreements of convivence of different kinds, of which I cannot list its varied forms. It is necessary to see the various cases and evaluate them in their diversity.
It is therefore evident that Pope Francis was referring to particular State provisions, not definitely in reference to the doctrine of the Church, reaffirmed numerous times over the years.
End Deadly Practice Of Red-Tagging
Press Statement
Amnesty International Philippines
As a Senate committee begins its inquiry into the issue on 3 November 2020, Amnesty International calls on the Philippine government to end its vicious and at times deadly practice of red-tagging- the labeling of groups or individuals perceived to be critical of the government as “communists” or “terrorists”. Instead of maligning and endangering people for the lawful exercise of their freedom of expression, the government should seek to address legitimate criticism of its policies and practices. In the prevailing context where red-tagged individuals become the targets of harassment, threats and even killings, courts and pertinent government agencies must take concrete steps to ensure the safety and protection of these individuals.
On 21 October, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. warned Filipino celebrity Liza Soberano in a Facebook post that she would “suffer the same fate” as Josephine Anne Lapira, who was killed in a clash in 2017 between government forces and alleged members of the communist New People’s Army. This followed Soberano’s expression of support for women’s rights organization and political party Gabriela, calling on influencers to speak up about the rights of women and children.
Parlade also publicly announced that former and current Congressional representatives of progressive party-list groups, including Gabriela, are under surveillance for being “card-bearing members of the Communist Party of the Philippines” (CPP), adding that the anti-terror law is now “in effect”. Parlade is the commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Southern Luzon Command and spokesperson of the government-created National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The phenomenon of red-tagging has been happening for decades now but has intensified in the last few years under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, following the breakdown of peace talks between the government and the CPP in 2017. Duterte’s subsequent Executive Order (EO) 70 provides for a “Whole-of-Nation approach in defeating the Local Communist Terrorist Groups” and led to the creation of the NTF-ELCAC. Observers point to this moment in time as the beginning of a renewed campaign of red-tagging, threats and harassment against human rights defenders, political activists, lawyers, trade unionists and other targeted groups perceived to be affiliated with the progressive left.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights along with human rights organizations have called for the immediate end to this approach, expressing concern that the government’s dangerously broad counter-insurgency strategy has led to an increase in human rights violations against human rights defenders and political activists across the country.
Amnesty International remains deeply concerned by increasing cases of killings, as well as the arbitrary arrests and detention of red-tagged individuals. Recent examples of killings include the murder of activist and peace advocate Randall Echanis on 10 August 2020 and human rights defender Zara Alvarez on 17 August 2020. Echanis and Alvarez were among the hundreds of individuals named in a “terrorist” list drawn up by the Department of Justice and submitted to a Philippine court. Other political activists and human rights defenders have been arrested and detained following raids in their offices by security forces that allegedly involved fabrication of evidence, such as the planting of firearms and explosives. Those still detained include Reina Mae Nasino, a community organizer for Kadamay, an advocacy group for the urban poor. During her detention in October 2020, Nasino’s three-month-old baby died after being separated from her and the incident sparked public outrage. Amnesty International is concerned that killings, arrests and detention of political activists and human rights defenders will continue as long as indiscriminate red-tagging by the government persists.
Amnesty International is also concerned that the recent approval of the alarming implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 provides the government further unchecked powers to unduly target anyone who may be red-tagged under the legislation. The IRR, for example, gives power to an Anti-Terrorism Council- composed of presidential appointees- to publish the names of those it designates on its own as “terrorists”. This practice is in contravention of international standards on due process and the presumption of innocence, with the only right of appeal being to the Council itself. It allows a pre-charge detention period of a maximum of 24 days, which greatly exceeds norms under international standards. The law remains in violation of international standards on human rights and counter terrorism with its vague and overbroad definitions of ‘terrorism’, highlighting the risk that it can be used to target government critics. In addition, it empowers security forces to conduct surveillance, endangering individuals’ right to privacy.
Amnesty International calls on the Philippine government to end the “red-tagging” of civil society organizations and political activists and cease violence and threats of violence against them. The government should ensure adequate protection for those who have been red-tagged, and bring those responsible for threats and violence to justice in fair trials. Philippine authorities should also publicly instruct their officials to end the harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and activists simply for exercising their rights or carrying out human rights work.
Under international law and standards, the Philippines has an obligation to ensure the protection of the rights of all, including the rights to life, freedom of expression, and freedom of peaceful assembly, as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which the Philippines is a state party. Ensuring that human rights defenders and civil society activists are able to undertake their professional activities free from harassment, threats, and harm is an essential component of the promotion and protection of human rights in the country.
Finally, the organization urges the government to ensure that the Anti-Terrorism Act and its implementing rules and regulations are amended and brought in line with international standards on counter-terrorism, and not used to unduly target those that are red-tagged by the Duterte administration.
Statement on Pope Francis Remark Regarding Civil Unions
In a documentary film entitled FRANCESCO that premiered in Italy last week, an old interview with Pope Francis conducted in Spanish appeared where he said the following:
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it…What we have to create is a civil union law (emphasis added). That way they are legally covered,” the pope said. “I stood up for that.”
Many interpreted this statement on creating “ley convivencia civil” i.e., “a civil union law” as a Papal endorsement on same sex marriage.
Many countered that this is merely call for “civil co-existence” with people with same sex attraction, i.e., that there should be laws created to assure that same-sex attracted peoples and couples are not unjustly discriminated against.
We offer several points for reflection over the matter:
1. Did Pope Francis just change Church teaching on Same Sex Unions?
The answer is No.
Pope Francis has been consistent in defending natural marriage as a divinely willed institution between a man and woman, committed to live together for life, for the purpose of conception and rearing and education of children, for the good of society. Even as a Cardinal in Buenos Aires, he has spoken boldly in favor of natural marriage:
In an article that came out on L’Osservatore Romano, the then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, has said that if a proposed bill giving same-sex couples the opportunity to marry and adopt children should be approved, it will “seriously damage the family.”
He made the statement in a letter addressed to each of the four monasteries in Argentina, asking the contemplatives to pray “fervently” that legislators be strengthened to do the right thing.
He added: “In the coming weeks, the Argentine people will face a situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family…At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”
Cardinal Bergoglio concluded: “Let us not be naive: this is not simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy God’s plan. It is not just a bill (a mere instrument) but a ‘move’ of the father of lies who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”
2. Does the Church care for same sex attracted persons? A big yes.
As a good pastor and leader of the Catholic Church, we see Pope Francis calling for legal protection of “civil unions” between same sex attracted persons which we cannot deny exist. While their union is in no way being endorsed as a marriage and a sacrament, the Pope is calling that rights that accrue to them as legal persons and children of God be given them and be covered by law. To make an imperfect analogy, even offenders of the law have rights and those rights have to be covered and protected by law. Such protection in is no way an endorsement of criminal activity but simply an assurance that EVERYBODY have rights before the law.
3. What is the proper forum where we can know official Church teaching?
The statement on a call for a “law on civil union” was made in a context of a casual interview. Pope Francis was not speaking in a position of teaching as the supreme teacher of the faith. A Pope’s personal views on things and formal proclamations can have differences in nuances and interpretations. Personal interviews and casual conversations do not have the power to effect changes in doctrinal and pastoral programs of the Church. Neither do they have the doctrinal, canonical and pastoral weight of a formal encyclical or apostolic exhortation.
4. What has Pope Francis officially taught about same sex unions?
If we want to know what the Pope formally teaches and endorses as the leader of the Catholic Church, we turn to official documents like Encyclicals, Apostolic Exhortations and Letters. And speaking of official Magisterial Pronouncements, this is what Pope Francis has laid down as the official position of the Magisterium of the Church:
From Amoris Laetitia n. 250:
“The Church makes her own the attitude of the Lord Jesus, who offers his boundless love to each person without exception. During the Synod, we discussed the situation of families whose members include persons who experience same-sex attraction, a situation not easy either for parents or for children. We would like before all else to reaffirm that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while ‘every sign of unjust discrimination’ is to be carefully avoided (emphasis added), particularly any form of aggression and violence. Such families should be given respectful pastoral guidance, so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives.”
Again from Amoris Laetitia n. 251 on the character of Same Sex Unions:
“In discussing the dignity and mission of the family, the Synod Fathers observed that, ‘as for proposals to place unions between homosexual persons on the same level as marriage, there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family’” (emphasis added). It is unacceptable ‘that local Churches should be subjected to pressure in this matter and that international bodies should make financial aid to poor countries dependent on the introduction of laws to establish ‘marriage’ between persons of the same sex’”.
Let us continue to pray for the Holy Father and his solemn duty to sail the bark of Peter safely afloat amidst the confusion and challenges of the modern times.
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