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By: Tina G. Santos – Reporter
Philippine Daily Inquirer | January 15, 2017

MANILA —Bishop Broderick Pabillo urged the Filipino Catholic faithful to show devotion to the Sto. Niño by showing compassion and acceptance toward those considered to be “small people” in the society.

“Filipinos’ devotion to the Sto. Niño is a manifestation of their love for children,” said Pabillo in his homily during Sunday’s celebration of the Feast of the Child Jesus in Tondo, Manila.

“Children depict small people… there are small people in our society who are ignored like the weak, the disabled, elderly, street people, those who are in prison, the indigenous people. The path to greatness is to accept these people. Let us not drive them away,” he added.

Pabillo said fighting abortion, death penalty, and extra-judicial killings could be manifestation of one’s devotion to the image of the Child Jesus.

“That small person inside a mother’s womb has a life already and has a right [to live]. We cannot just eliminate and remove it through abortion. Same reason why we do not agree with the resumption of death penalty even for those who committed crimes. The victims of EJK are the small people, they are those who have less or even nothing in life. They are still humans like us, they should be accepted instead of being sneered at,” Pabillo said.

“Jesus said we should imitate the children’s humility toward the small people; their humility and readiness to obey and understand God. Let us accept the small people in our society. Let’s care for them and let’s learn how to be humble,” he added.

Pabillo also spoke about marriage and divorce during the homily, saying protecting the sanctity of marriage by rejecting divorce can be another way of showing devotion to the Child Jesus because it’s a manifestation of love for children in a family.

“We love children that’s why we identify them with Sto. Niño. We have to care for them, but how do we care for them? When a family breaks, children are the ones who suffer, that’s why we do not like divorce. That is not the solution to the problems in the family. The problem should be fixed not by separation of parents because children suffer,” he said.

“We need the help of God to solve problems in the family, that’s why we have the unique blessing for families and that is the sacrament of marriage. That is why marriage in a church is important. More than the ceremony and papers, the blessing of God is important in a family life,” Pabillo added.

He urged unmarried couples who have been living together and have children to seal their union through marriage.

“Try to get married, or encourage those whom you know are living together but not yet married to get married so they can receive the blessings of God. But remember it’s not enough that you get married in church. We have to shower our family with prayers. Pray as one family. We need that to strengthen our family and to show that we really care and love our children,” Pabillo said. 

Rome, June 22-26, 2022
Catechesis  No.  7
May I, thank you, pardon me

Indeed,  these expressions  open  up  the way  to  living  well  in  your  family,  to  living  in  peace.  They  are simple  expressions, but  not  so  simple  to  put  into  practice!  They hold much  power:  the power  to keep home  life  intact even  when  tested  with  a  thousand  problems.  But  if  they are  absent,  little holes  can start  to  crack  open  and  the  whole  thing  may  even  collapse. 1

As  we can  see from  experience,  the  life of  every  family  is  not  characterized  only  by  wonderful and  enlightening  moments.  Often,  in fact,  the  difficulties  and  trials  of  life  and  history  make  the experiences  of  families  dark and  difficult.  Sometimes  it  is  because they  struggle  to  live together, sometimes  because  their  relationships  are  not  always  easy  and  carefree,  sometimes  because  the couple’s  relationship  goes  through moments  of  disappointment  and  frustration  and  the relationship  between  the spouses  is  marked  by  «a thousand  forms  of  abuse  and  subjugation, misleading  seduction  and  humiliating  ignorance, even  the  most  dramatic  and violent  kind»2.  

In order  to  obtain the  fullness of Love  it  is necessary  to  follow  a  slow  and  gradual  path,  which is  most  often tiring  and  demanding,  and  which requires  a  process  of  growth in  which each day one  must  humbly  and  perseveringly  accept  the  Grace  of  Christ.  This  Grace,  which husband  and wife  already  invoke  on  the  day  of  their  Matrimony  as  an  essential  element  of  their  union,  is  the principal support  of spouses.   It  is  only  with  Christ’s help  that  one  can  in  fact  come  to  love  fully, to  renounce  to  continual  demands,  to  reject  the  ambition  of controlling  every  aspect  of  reality, to  leave  aside  the  desire  to  dominate  the  lives  of  others.  Only  He  has  the  power  to  “change  the hearts  of  human beings  and  render  man and  woman capable  of  loving  one  another  as  Christ  has loved  us”  (cf.  FC  13).  In  fact, it  is in  the  nature  of Love  (Christ)  to  always go  beyond  oneself,  to love  the  other person  with  all  his  or  her limits  and respect  his  or her freedom.

If  this  is  fundamental  in  every  human relationship,  it  becomes  even  more  so  in  the  family:  none of  us  alone  are  enough  for  ourselves.  In fact,  we  are  in  such a condition of  fragility  that  we constantly  need  to  be  supported  in  the  fight  against  our  own  ego, which  struggles to  be  selfgiving  and  recognize  its  very  limits.

By  embracing  these three  words  –  may  I, thank you, pardon  me  –  each member  of  the  family is  in a position  to  recognize  his  or  her own  limits.  Acknowledging  one’s own  weakness leads each of  us  to  not  dominate  over  the  other,  rather  to  be  respectful  and  not  claim  possession  over him  or  her.

May I,  thank  you  and pardon  me  are  three  very  simple  words,  that  guide  us  in  taking  very concrete  steps along  the  path  of  holiness and  in  growing  in  love.  Besides, they  were  words typical of  the  style  of Jesus Christ,  who  asks  permission  to  enter3,  who  continually  thanks  the Father,  who  teaches  us  to  pray, saying:  «forgive  us  our  trespasses, as we  also  forgive  those  who trespass against  us»   (Mt  6:10).

Accepting  that we  alone  are  not  enough  for ourselves  and leaving  a place  for others  is the  way to  live  not  only  love  in  the  family,  but  the  experience  of  faith as  well.  

Besides,  every  human  being  has  been  wounded by  love  during  their  life.  Even in  the  family  it can  occur  that  words,  actions  or  omissions  have  deeply  mortified love.

Generally  speaking,  such an attitude  or  behavior  that  is  created  between parents  and  children, between brothers  and  sisters,  between  uncles  and  aunts,  between  grandparents  and grandchildren,  instead  of  expressing  love,  can  harm  or  even destroy  it.

It must  also be  noted  that  there  are  some  wounds, such  as illness and  grief that  are  beyond our  control,  leaving  us  powerless and  often  deeply  troubled.

These  are  experiences  that  sometimes  seem  to  contradict  God’s  promises  and  to  deny  His infinite  and  eternal  Love.  However,  when  lived  in faith and  openness  to  others,  they  are  just  as many  opportunities  for  feeling  loved  and  cared  for  by  God  and  by  others  and  being  the  object  of their  attention.

These  are  often difficult  and  painful  moments,  but  they  also  turn  out  to  be  favorable privileged  periods in  which  the  Lord  comes to  visit  us, because  “the    love of Jesus  was  in  giving health,  doing  good:  this  always  takes  priority!” 4.

Each  of  these  hard, difficult  and  painful experiences become  the  concrete  example  of  our path to  holiness;  opportunities  that  do  not  prevent  us  from  loving  anyhow  and  from  remaining  in His love.

However,  without  presumptions:  the  vulnerability  and  hardship  of  existence  are  embedded  in life  and  do  not  allow  us  to  move  easily  and  quickly  towards  magical  or  unrealistic  solutions.  We need to  be helped  and  to  help.

In the  midst  of  this  hardship,  the  Holy  Spirit  accompanies  us  and  does  so  many  times  thanks to  our  family  members,  our  friends,  and  the  people  who  show  us  their  love:  the  endurance  of love  is  the  beginning  of  hope  and  makes  us  desire  that  the  very  Lord  manifest  Himself  as the Love we  need most.

“Set  me  as  a  seal on  your  heart,
as  a  seal  on  your  arm;
For  stern  as  death  is  love,
relentless  as  the nether  world  is  devotion;
its  flames  are  a blazing  fire.
Deep  waters  cannot  quench  love,
nor  floods  sweep  it  away”.

Song  8:6-7

The faith  and charity  of  the Gospel  are not  life  guarantees,  nor  do  they  preserve  us  from  the suffering  and  pain  that  characterize  human existence.  They  do  not  ensure  our  immunity  from  evil and  hardship.  Rather,  they  are  a  light  that  brightens  our  lives  in moments  of  darkness  and affliction.  Therefore,  even the  most  painful  and  sad  situations,  lived  in unison with Jesus  Christ, can become  opportunities  for  cultivating  relationships  among  each  other,  growing  in our  faith  in God  and  in  the  certainty  that  every  event  in  our  lives  holds  precious  treasures  of  Grace.

1 POPE  FRANCIS, General  Audience, St. Peter’s  Square,  Wednesday,  13  May  2015.
2 POPE  FRANCIS, General  Audience, St. Peter’s  Square,  Wednesday,  22  April  2015.
3 “Behold,  I stand at  the  door  and knock.  If  anyone  hears  my  voice  and opens  the  door,  (then)  I  will  enter  his  house  and dine  with  him, and he  with  me”.  Cf.  Rv  3:20.
4 POPE  FRANCIS, General  Audience, St. Peter’s  Square,  Wednesday,  10  June  2015.

“Defending fundamental human rights demands courage and determination… Let us pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis…”

– Pope Francis, April 2021 Prayer Intention-

The Filipino people can sympathize with these words of Pope Francis especially under President Duterte administration. In his almost six years in power, the Philippines has increasingly become a dangerous place particularly for human rights defenders. Human rights group International Federation for Human Rights reported that at least 25 human rights defenders (HRDs) were killed in 2020 in the country, and in the first 6 months of 2021 alone, 15 HRDs have been murdered. Added to these are the unsolved cases of hundreds of activists, union leaders, community organizers, including 61 lawyers killed since 2016.

The relentless attacks against civil, political, economic, and cultural rights of the Filipino people intensified months before President Duterte will step down from his office. He, who once boasted that he is “happy” to go to jail for killing human rights defenders must be held accountable for the multiple cases of human rights violations around the country.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) is notorious for the series of attacks against political dissenters and innocent civilians. Earlier this month, a series of aerial bombing in a forested area in Brgy. Alimodas, Miag-ao, Iloilo led to the death of dozens of people. Similar scorched-earth tactics happened a few months ago in Las Navas, Northern Samar where a 500-pound bomb was dropped. On October 30 and November 2, farmers had to evacuate their lands in Bukidnon province in Mindanao when military forces bombed their communities, allegedly to flush out or finish off the group of slain communist leader Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos. Most affected by these series of aerial bombings are peasant and indigenous communities. These series of attacks resulted to forced displacement and loss of livelihoods. Furthermore, these intensified violence destroys the environment and traumatizes women and children.

CWS believes that a militarist approach will not solve the five-decade insurgency problem. CWS reiterates its stand that a negotiated socioeconomic- political reform program that addresses the roots of the armed conflict remains the only viable option.

Days before International Human Rights Day, the Supreme Court is set to make a decision on the constitutionality of the dreaded Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL). The said law has weaponized the State in intensifying its crackdown against those it identified as terrorists or political rebels. However, most of those arrested and/or killed are defenseless civilians, innocent mass leaders and community organizers. CWS is hopeful that the Supreme Court justices will stand by the Filipino people in calling for the abolition of the ATL.

As we move closer towards the National Elections in 2022, we appeal to all Presidential aspirants to include in their electoral agenda the protection of human dignity and the promotion of basic human rights of the Filipino people, especially the poor, the voiceless, and the marginalized. Likewise, we appeal to all voters to choose candidates who have a profound respect for human life, a genuine desire to serve, and a passion for truth, freedom, and justice. Lastly, echoing the words of Pope Francis, we remind church people to play his or her part “with courage and determination” to defend human rights of every person “especially those who are ‘invisible’, those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, foreign or detained, those who live on the margins of society or are rejected… even when it goes against the tide.”

9 December 2021
Pilgrims for Peace/ ACT for Peace

Pilgrims for Peace and ACT for Peace denounce the recent aerial bombings conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in a farming community in Sitio Burak, Bgy. Alimodias, Miag-ao, Iloilo. Maj.-Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commanding officer of the 3rd Infantry Division, confirmed that the AFP used attack aircraft to conduct these attacks. These indiscriminate actions, which left at least eight casualties, are clear violations of international covenants, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), a bilateral agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

The AFP’s disproportionate use of force is clearly an overkill. Initial reports state that the bodies recovered from the site had severed parts, so disfigured that they appeared to be like “corned beef.” The bombings left craters that measured 20 feet wide and 15 feet deep. Article IV.4 of the CARHRIHL clearly states that civilian communities must be protected from indiscriminate aerial bombings. And yet despite the horror of the incident, the AFP, unfazed, defended and justified its actions. The AFP’s statement that it will continue this style of combat is an ominous sign of further carnage.

The recent incident in Iloilo is not the first time that the AFP has resorted to a disproportionate use of force. In August this year, news reports revealed the use of aerial bombing in a military operation in Dolores, Eastern Samar. Some of the bombs hit households in the vicinity of the operation but luckily did not explode. According to a report, the said incident killed 19 people who are supposedly NPA members.

The impact of these irresponsible actions on the affected community cannot be overstated. The physical destruction of the agricultural lands and forests, which are sources of livelihood for the residents, will take a toll on their economic well-being. Aside from that, such a traumatic experience will leave lasting scars on their mental health.

The thirst for blood of the AFP and the NTF-ELCAC have alarmed peace advocate for years. The so-called whole-of-nation approach of the government’s counter-insurgency campaign is nothing but the indiscriminate use of brute force and an all-out military offensive that sows fear and fails to distinguish between armed rebels and ordinary civilians. For instance, it does not shy away from harassing and red-tagging teachers and students to force them to behave the way the NTF-ELCAC wants them too. These malicious acts are tantamount to state terrorism and do not in any way contribute to resolving the root causes of the armed conflict and alleviating the lives of millions of Filipinos trapped in poverty and a perpetually underdeveloped economy.

It is only through a negotiated peace that the Filipino people will achieve a just and lasting peace. It is only through formal talks between the GRP and the NDPP that the root causes of the armed conflict will be addressed.

We demand a complete halt to these aerial bombings and the immediate launch of independent investigations on the incident in Iloilo and humanitarian missions to attend to the residents’ welfare. Members of these investigating and humanitarian teams must be given access to these sites. We also call on candidates in the upcoming elections, whether at the national or local levels, to stand in solidarity with the victims of this incident, to hold the AFP accountable for its irresponsible acts, and to push for the resumption of the peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDFP. #

Reference:

Fr. Ritchie Masegman, Convenor, Pilgrims For Peace
Prof. Michael D. Pante, Lead Convenor, ACT for Peace

3 December 2021

Peace Statement on the International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners

Today, 3 December, the Pilgrims for Peace stands in solidarity with the world in commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners.

Living in a country with a long history of incarceration of political dissenters—with their number increasing tenfold at the time of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos—we stand with the world and join the call to Free All Political Prisoners!

There are currently 652 political prisoners in prisons across the country, with more than 400 of them arrested under Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. of them are consultants to the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). 

Nov 17, 2021

To: All National Lay Organizations and Diocesan Councils of the Laity,:

May we forward to you the circular below announcing the plans for the December 8, 2021 National Consecration of Families to St. Joseph and the Launching of the Men of St. Joseph.

We request you to read well the circular and forward this to your Parish Priests, Community Leaders and members. We want this special day to be memorable to our own families, as we all take time to prepare and dedicate ourselves to the loving care of St. Joseph.

A special challenge is being issued to all Family Life communities and organizations in all the Dioceses. Can you rally and pastor the fathers in your communities to lead the spiritual preparation of the family using the Novena attached below and to find a way to meaningfully dedicate the whole family to St. Joseph. We also ask them to review the materials below on the launching of the Men of St. Joseph. All our male members can still become part of the Men of St. Joseph in their parishes even if they are already part of other organizations.

The Consecration will be led by Bishop Ambo David at 11 a.m. and will be broadcasted in the TV Maria, Dominus Est, CBCP and Laiko FB pages. If your families cannot join the 11 am, you can still do it anytime within the day by watching the replay at the FB Pages mentioned. Make this memorable and significant for your families. Dress up, light some candles and do it prayerfully. Then please take pictures and post it on your FB pages with a hashtag #familiesforstjoseph. If possible, serve a special meal to celebrate.

Please find attached important materials prepared by the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy and Assisi Foundation as guide for the National Consecration: