Home 2021 August (Page 2)

Month: August 2021

Solidarity Statement on the Killings in Apayao

We, the One Faith, One Nation, One Voice (OFONOV) – Cordillera Chapter, coming from different Christian traditions, sects and denominations, declare our solidarity with the people of Apayao, in a prophetic chorus proclaiming that we choose life (Deuteronomy 30:15-29), to defend the rights of the poor and the needy (Proverbs 31:9), and to announce the favourable year of the Lord for justice and freedom.

We lament the brutal killing of Atty. Victor Domingo Begtang Jr., assigned to the City Prosecutor’s Office in Ilagan City, Isabela. He was shot dead by unidentified men on June 23, 2021 in his hometown in Sitio Hanhan, Barangay Malama, Conner, Apayao. We mourn over the merciless killing of Enrico “Ike” Cabasag, a Barangay Councilor of Barangay Ripang, Conner, Apayao and an environment defender. He, together with the peoples’ movement, was a vocal opposition to the river dredging project in the municipality.  Some unidentified men murdered him right there in their house in the evening of March 14, 2013. His death inspired the people of Barangay Ripang to continue with their struggle and give justice to his death. 

We strongly condemn these senseless and barbaric killings that took the lives of these civil servants who have dedicated their lives to the welfare and development of their hometown. It has become a deplorable pattern that government critics and political dissenters are silenced through extra-judicial killings. This is unacceptable for us in the religious sector and for the people of Apayao who believe in the rule of law and due process.

We call for a stop to the extra-judicial killings in the Province of Apayao and in the country as a whole. We believe that peace-loving civil servants of Apayao don’t deserve this. We have faith that the people will stand up for truth and justice to reign in our midst.

Let us join the peace-loving people of Apayao in their call to end the killings of critics and political dissenters. Let us support the people to speak out and make known what they believe in, and fight for what they think would benefit their generation and the future. Let us unite and stand up in pursuing justice to the killings and put those responsible behind bars.

Let us work together for it is our Christian duty to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples, to protect them from those who would curtail their collective and basic human rights and freedoms, and to defend land, life and resources from corporate greed and plunder. 

Let our voices be heard like the sound of the gongs reverberating its call for justice and peace in our land.

STOP THE KILLINGS!
STAND UP FOR JUSTICE!

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream

– Amos 5:24

Pope: Laudato si’ is not only a ‘green’ Encyclical but also a ‘social’ Encyclical

Pope Francis greets members of the Laudato si’ Inter-University Congress and highlights the importance of promoting social awareness to the care of our common home.

By Vatican News staff writer

August 24 2021

Pope Francis has sent greetings to the members of the Laudato si’ Inter-University Congress scheduled to hold from 1-4 September in Argentina.

In the video message delivered in Spanish, he expressed hope that the initiative will “advance social awareness and consciousness” for the care of our common home.

“The Encyclical Laudato si’ is not only a ‘green’ Encyclical, it is also a ‘social’ Encyclical,” the Pope said, hoping that the Congress will help its scope and consequences to become more visible.

Finally, with a request for prayers for himself, the Pope blessed the participants at the Congress.

Laudato si’ Congress

The Congress is organized by the National Inter-University Council (CIN) and the Council of Rectors of Private Universities (CRUP), in conjunction with the Bishops Conference of Argentina (CEA) on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the encyclical Laudato si’.

The conferences, talks, and other activities, put together under the theme “Caring for the Common Home,” will promote dialogue on some of the main themes of the 2015 encyclical, including fraternity, personal dignity, intercultural dialogue, the environment, and integral development of people, among others.

The Congress will bring together both national and international experts that will share their expertise on the multidimensional complexities of the various themes in order to foster dialogue about joint action in the future.

The Laudato si’ Congress will be accessible virtually to facilitate participation from all over the country.

Oppose GENED Dams 1 & 2 in Apayao!

Uphold IP rights and welfare for sustainable environment & development!

9Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there…
12On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food.
Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail,
but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary.
Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

(Ezekiel 47: 9, 12)

“We irrevocably reject, once and for all, the proposed construction of hydroelectric power projects along the Apayao-Abulug River by Pan Pacific Renewable Power Corporation (PPRPC).” This is the resolution emphatically expressed and signed by more than 250 Isnags, consisting of tribal elders, leaders, and members of the Indigenous Peoples of Kabugao, Apayao on April 28, 2021.

Because the Isnags have safeguarded their ancestral territories, the province of Apayao remains a key biodiversity area and is home to one of the last remaining original forests of the Philippines. There are about 105 plant species, 91 bird species including the endangered Philippine eagle, 22 species of amphibians and reptiles, 13 species of bats and 19 mammal species that abounds in Apayao. The Isnags and the whole ecosystem of the province will be brought to naught when such hydroelectric power projects would push through.

If the Gened 1 and 2 dam projects would push through, not only the municipalities of the province of Apayao, particularly the towns of Calanasan, Kabugao, Pudtol, Flora, Sta. Marcela and Luna, would be affected but also the downstream four (4) municipalities of the province of Cagayan: Abulug, Pamplona, Ballesteros and Allacapan.

The PPRPC benefitted from the $3 billion loan between the Philippines and China in October 2016 during Pres. Duterte’s state visit to China. The Bank of China, one of the largest state-run financial institutions, funded the deal. PPRPC is one of firms that will implement the Build, Build, Build projects of the present regime.

Continue reading

Celebrating 100 years of M.I.C. Presence in the Philippines

By: Bec L. Yao, Ph.D., AsMIC

August 8, 2021 is a remarkable day for the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (M.I.C.) as they commemorate the arrival of the first M.I.C. Sisters in the Philippines. A Eucharistic Celebration was held at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church, Davao City on that day officiated by Archbishop Romulo Valles, D.D., head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and on August 9, 2021 at Mary the Queen Parish, Greenhills, presided by Fr. Guy Peter V. Guibelondo, SJ, the Parish Priest. This momentous event was celebrated with grace and thanksgiving by the M.I.C. Sisters and their benefactors, alumni of their schools and their lay associates, the AsMICs.

Interestingly, Archbishop Valles and Fr. Guy have known the M.I.C.’s in their personal capacity. Archbp. Valles gave testimony to the grace of celebrating 100 years of MIC missionary presence in the Philippines, as part of a tapestry intertwined in the last 100 years of the quincentennial celebration of Christianity in the Philippines. While the celebration is during the days of the pandemic, the Archbishop exhorted the faithful to imagine how daring MIC sisters were, to travel all the way from Canada at that time after World War I and the widespread of the Spanish Flu to come to the east. In his homily, he expounded on the theme of the celebration with the readings of the 19th Sunday in ordinary time:

  1.          Go to the peripheries. This has been the character of the church … and that is what the M.I.C.’s did 100 years ago, to go nowhere …. to people they don’t know.
  2.          Walk for a Mission. From the first reading from the Book of Kings, Elijah walk for a mission…exhausted….to go up to the mountain of the Lord… to find the Lord. When the M.I.C. Sisters arrived in Mati, Davao Oriental in 1947, exhausted from travel, the first order of the day was to go to the presence of the Lord.
  3.          Christlike attitude. In the second reading, St. Paul exhorted the Ephesians to be kind to one another, do away with anger, and every kind of malice. This was paramount in the lives of the M.I.C. Sisters, so that they can become Christlike when they go out and serve… bearing the aroma, the atmosphere, the aura of Christ. On a personal note, Archbp. Valles related his personal experience when he served in Mati in the 70’s as a young priest on how the Sisters educated him in good manners and right conduct and even making sure that his English was impeccable.
  4.          Daily Holy Eucharist.  Jesus is the Bread of Life. We are asked to become one, to be familiar with the people. Though we smell like sheep, our service should be bringing people to heaven.

Fr. Guy on the other hand, congratulated the M.I.C. Sisters on their 100 years of missionary presence in the Philippines. He reminded the M.I.C.’s to always remember: “who chose you”, “why you were chosen” and “what you should do”. He also stressed on the need of a re-examination of hearts; to go back to what you learned in the Novitiate, in the initial formation; to adapt without losing one’s soul. Above all – Edification! To be mindful of your spiritual attractiveness…. because before we can inspire others, we have to inspire each other. Most importantly, do not lose hope!

Presently, the M.I.C. Sisters have three schools, two in Metro Manila and one in Mati, Davao Oriental. These are Immaculate Conception Academy, Greenhills, Immaculate Conception Academy of Manila in Gagalangin, Tondo and Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy in Mati, Davao Oriental. They also engaged in the evangelization among indigenous people in the parish of Kiburiao, Quezon, Bukidnon and on the defunct mission with the Mangyans in Mindoro Occidental that enabled the Mangyans to secure ownership of their ancestral lands.

In Davao City, the MIC Retreat House (MRH), beside Our Lady of Assumption Parish, is a preferred place for spiritual renewal among many groups not only in Davao but also from other parts of the country .

One hundred years ago, on August 8, 1921, five (5) Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (M.I.C.) arrived in the Philippines upon the request of Dr. Jose Teehankee, one of the community leaders of the Manila Chinese, to take charge of the Chinese General Hospital and the new School of Nursing. Dr. Teehankee found an ally in Msgr. Michael O’Doherty, archbishop of Manila who sent a cablegram to his counterpart in Montreal, Canada, Archbishop Paul  Bruchesi. The M.I.C.  foundress, Venerable Delia Tetreault  moved by the Spirit, responded favorably to Msgr. O’Doherty.

MICs have embraced the theme for their platinum jubilee, “In joy and thanksgiving!” which the present pandemic have not managed to dampen.

Manila archbishop asks prayers for Pope Francis’ safety

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican on Wednesday, August 11, 2021. VATICAN MEDIA

By CBCP News
August 11, 2021
Manila, Philippines

Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila has asked for prayers for Pope Francis’ safety after Italian authorities intercepted an envelope containing bullets addressed to the pontiff.

“Let us pray that God may touch the hearts of people who sow fear, violence, lies, and violate human rights,” Advincula said over Radio Veritas on Wednesday.

Police in Milan are investigating the threat which reportedly originated from France.

The suspicious envelope containing three pistol bullets was flagged by postal workers at a mail sorting facility near Milan on Aug. 9.

“While investigation is ongoing on the origin and the motive of the envelope with three bullets for Pope Francis, let us continue to pray for his safety,” Advincula said.

In July, the pontiff spent 10 days in hospital for colon surgery.

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Hungary and Slovakia in mid-September.

The Vatican also confirmed that the pope will attend the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November.

Caritas Philippines sets up scholarship fund for ‘academically challenged’ students

The organization allocated Php65.5 million for its educational assistance as part of its Alay Kapwa Legacy Stewardship Program

LiCAS News
August 10, 2021

Local counterparts of the social action secretariat of the Philippine Catholic Church attend a workshop conducted by Caritas Philippines. (File photo by Mark Saludes)

Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Church in the country, has set up a scholarship fund for “academically challenged” junior high school students.

The organization allocated Php65.5 million for its educational assistance as part of its Alay Kapwa Legacy Stewardship Program.

Bishop Jose Collin Bagaforo said the aim of the project is to provide at least 525 poor children “with equal access to primary and secondary education and skills and opportunities.”

“We need to invest in the education of our youth if we want more gold medals, better government and next-generation leaders,” said Bishop Bagaforo in a report on CBCP News.

Father Antonio Labiao, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines, said the educational assistance covers online learning and other school fees, tutorial services and training.

Continue reading

Look to Christ, not the law, to receive new life, pope says at audience

Pope Francis greets guests dressed in traditional clothing during his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall Aug. 11, 2021. The pope continued his series of audience talks focused on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians and reflected on what role God’s law to Moses plays in helping people encounter Christ. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

By: Carol Glatz
August 11, 2021

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — What made Christian life radically new was the call for those who have faith in Jesus Christ to live in the Holy Spirit, who liberates from the law God handed down to Moses, Pope Francis said during his weekly general audience.

Mosaic law was necessary and important to follow at that time in history, but it served as a path to follow toward an eventual encounter with Christ and his commandment of love, he said Aug. 11 to those gathered in the Paul VI audience hall at the Vatican.

The pope continued with his series of talks reflecting on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, focusing on the apostle answering the question, “Why, then, the law” if, after all, “there is the Holy Spirit and if there is Jesus who redeems us?”

“The law is a journey” and it acts like a teacher that takes people by the hand, leading them forward, toward an encounter with Jesus and having faith in Christ, he said.

God gave Moses the law to prepare his people on this journey during a time of rampant idolatry and to help his people guide their behavior in a way that showed and expressed their faith and covenant with God, he said.

However, he said, the law was not the covenant; the covenant came first with Abraham, hundreds of years before Moses, the pope said. The covenant was based not on the observance of the law, but on faith in the fulfilment of God’s promises, he said.

St. Paul needed to clarify the role of the law to the Galatians because there were “fundamentalist missionaries” among them who seemed almost “nostalgic” about observing Mosaic law, believing that adhering to the covenant also included observing the Mosaic law, he said.

The apostle explains that, “in reality, the covenant and the law are not linked indissolubly,” the pope said. “The first element he relies on is that the covenant established by God with Abraham was based on faith in the fulfillment of the promise and not on the observance of the law that did not yet exist.”

“Having said this, one should not think, however, that St. Paul was opposed to the Mosaic law” because he does defend its divine origin and says it has “a well-defined role in the history of salvation,” the pope said.

“The law, however, does not give life, it does not offer the fulfillment of (God’s) promise, because it is not capable of being able to fulfill it. Those who seek life need to look to the promise and to its fulfillment in Christ,” he said.

This was the problem — when people put more importance on observing the law than with encountering Christ, he said.

Continue reading