Category: News

Peace!

The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas has been seeing posts about Fiducia Supplicans, and the concern it has brought about in terms of shaking the foundation of marriage.

We would like to affirm the recent statements of His Excellency Socrates Villegas, Archbishop of Lingayen – Dagupan, and CBCP President His Excellency Ambo David, who have clarified this, and even have reiterated the importance and sacredness of marriage.

The advisory from Bishop Ambo David, “ON THE POSSIBILITY OF BLESSINGS FOR COUPLES IN IRREGULAR SITUATIONS AND FOR COUPLES OF THE SAME SEX,” he says:

“The document has an introduction where the Prefect of the said dicastery, Victor Manuel Cardinal Fernandez points out that “this declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any type of liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion.”  “

This, along with the statement from Archbishop Soc Villegas, “BLESSINGS OF MERCY: EPISCOPAL GUIDANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FIDUCIA” which says about these spontaneous blessings:

“This blessing of mercy is not and cannot be a blessing of sanctification since we cannot ask God to bless something that, as Fiducia supplicans explains, is not “conformed to God’s will, as expressed in the teachings of the Church” (no. 9). Priests who are invited to bless couples in irregular situations should choose the appropriate words to reveal this intent of the Church.”

And even reminds us that we should lead those in these irregular unions to conversion, in order to make right their relationships:

“Therefore, when a Catholic priest prays a blessing of mercy on a couple in an irregular situation, who “desire to entrust themselves to the Lord and his mercy, to invoke his help, and to be guided to a greater understanding of his plan of love and of truth” (no.30), he is asking God to have pity on both of them and to give them the grace of conversion so that they can regularize their relationships.” “

As members of the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, we staunchly uphold the sanctity of marriage. Our commitment remains steadfast in advocating and enlightening the laity about its profound significance.  

Additionally, we extend our prayers for couples in irregular situations and couples of the same sex, hoping they find solace in the Lord’s compassion and embark on a path towards spiritual transformation.

For the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas board,

Xavier Padilla
President-Elect

Catholic News Agency
December 14, 2023

Pope Francis (R) greets pilgrims during his weekly general audience in Paul-VI hall at the Vatican on December 13, 2023. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

Pope Francis on Wednesday closed his catechetical series on apostolic zeal, delivered during his recent general audiences, by noting that the attitude of being open is a duty for every Christian and a precondition for authentically announcing the Gospel.

“The Christian must be open to the Word of God and to the service of others,” the pope said during the audience. He went on to juxtapose this notion of openness with a mentality of “closure,” noting that the latter contradicts the central message of the Gospel and allows people to fall into ideological ways of thinking.

“Closed Christians always end up badly, because they are not Christians, they are ideologues, ideologues of closure,” the pope said.

The pope highlighted this openness by pointing to the Gospel of Mark when Jesus performs the miracle of healing a deaf-mute man, using “the decisive word” of “effatà,” which the Holy Father noted means “open up” in Aramaic.

“And for this reason, this effatà, this ‘open up,’ is an invitation to all of us to open up,” he continued.

While acknowledging the condition of “physical deafness,” the pope noted that in the biblical context, it assumes a metaphorical character, conveying that “one who is deaf to the word of God is mute, who does not communicate the word of God.”

Pointing out that it is Jesus “who is capable of opening his ears and mouth,” the pope noted that this mandate to be open in evangelizing comes for all Christians at the moment of baptism when the priest, “touching the ears and lips of the baptized person,” says: “May the Lord Jesus, who made the deaf hear and the mute speak, grant you to quickly listen to his word and profess your faith.”

“We too, who have received the effatà of the Spirit in baptism, are called to open ourselves. ‘Open yourself,’ says Jesus to every believer and to his Church: Open yourself because the message of the Gospel needs you to be witnessed and announced,” Francis continued.

The Holy Father closed his remarks by suggesting that before becoming a witness to the Gospel, it is critical to have a moment of reflection and ask ourselves a series of key questions.

“Do I really love the Lord, to the point of wanting to announce him? Do I want to become his witness or am I content with being his disciple? Do I take the people I meet to heart, do I bring them to Jesus in prayer? Do I want to do something so that the joy of the Gospel, which has transformed my life, makes their lives more beautiful?”

During his greeting to the Italian pilgrims gathered for the audience, Pope Francis recalled that Dec. 13 is the feast day of St. Lucy, a virgin and martyr of Syracuse, Sicily, who was martyred in the fourth century during the Christian persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. 

“In some areas of Italy and Europe it is customary to exchange gifts for the upcoming Christmas on this occasion,” the pope said. “I would like to invite all of you to exchange the gift of friendship and Christian testimony — which is a beautiful gift.”

Mark Saludes
December 14, 2023

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos (center) with Rodne Galicha of Living Laudato Si Philippines (left) and Gerry Arances of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (right) during a post-COP28 press briefing in Manila on December 14. Photo by Syrel Espineda/Caritas Philippines

The head of the National Laudato Si’ Program of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed optimism that all 86 dioceses can establish their “Ecology Desks” before the next climate summit.

In a post-COP28 press briefing in Manila on December 14, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos vowed to continue lobbying at the bishops’ plenary for the full implementation of the Ecology Desk in each diocese.

“We will aim for 100 percent – that all dioceses can create the Desk and fully engage in the ecological campaign of the Catholic Church,” said Bishop Alminaza, who is also the Vice Chairperson of Caritas Philippines.

Ecology Desk is one of the 10 points in the 2019 CBCP pastoral letter titled “An Urgent Call for Ecological Conversion, Hope in the Face of Climate Emergency” aimed to make the protection of the environment a special concern in all dioceses.

It is a response to the call for activating climate action “on behalf of voiceless people and the planet,” which is one of the central messages of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment – the Laudato Si.

Bishop Alminaza attended the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai with other Filipino climate advocates as the official representative of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

For the first time, the CBCP has sent an official not only to observe but also to engage in various side events and participate in the dialogue.

“Our task is to serve as the voice of the vulnerable communities. We must bring the stories of the communities that are gravely suffering due to the climate crisis to the negotiation table,” the prelate said.

Bishop Alminaza encouraged his brother bishops “to advance the synodal process” and “let the ‘Cry of the Poor and the Cry of the Earth’ be heard in all avenues”.

During the press conference, civil society leaders expressed support for the ecological program of the Catholic Church and noted the importance of the combination of “data-driven, scientific evidence and moral grounding”.

Gerry Arances, executive director of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), said his organization “will continue working” with the Catholic Church on various climate-related issues.

“The collaboration between the Church and the CSOs is vital not only in the climate talks but in empowering vulnerable communities to the impact of the climate crisis,” he said.

Arances vowed that CEED will continue to provide “essential and relevant scientific research and studies” that organizations, including the Philippine Church “can use to advance the discourse on climate change”.

Note signed by Cardinal Víctor Fernández, dicastery prefect, published Dec. 12 said it was approved by Pope Francis

The offices of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. (Photo: Vatican News)

By Carol Glatz, OSV News
Published: December 13, 2023 05:19 AM GMT

The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has upheld a rule mandating that the ashes of the deceased be preserved in a consecrated place, but it also said family members could request “a minimal part of the ashes” be kept in a sacred place “of significance for the history of the deceased person.”

The dicastery also said a parish or diocese could establish “a defined and permanent sacred place” where the cremains of multiple people would be commingled and preserved together.

The permission came in a “note” from the dicastery in response to a letter from Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna requesting clarification about the preservation of the ashes of the deceased after cremation. The Vatican published the note signed by Cardinal Víctor Fernández, dicastery prefect, on Dec. 12; it said it was approved by Pope Francis on Dec. 9.

Cardinal Zuppi said in his letter, dated Oct. 30, that his archdiocese had been seeking “to give a Christian response to problems arising from the increasing number of people desiring to cremate the bodies of the deceased and scatter their ashes in nature.”

An archdiocesan commission he set up to study the matter wanted to ensure people were not compelled to scatter ashes due to the economic costs of burial, and it wanted to give guidance regarding what to do with ashes once the term for their preservation in a cemetery loculus or niche had expired. In most Italian cemeteries, if a family does not renew the lease on a burial spot, the bones or ashes are transferred to a communal ossuary or cinerary.

The cardinal asked that given “the canonical prohibition against scattering the ashes of the deceased, is it possible to prepare a defined and permanent sacred place for the commingled accumulation and preservation of the ashes of the baptized, indicating the basic details of each person so as not to lose the memory of their names, similar to what occurs in ossuaries.”

He also asked if a family may be allowed “to keep a portion of their family member’s ashes in a place that is significant for the history of the deceased.”

Referring to its 2016 instruction, “Ad resurgendum cum Christo” (“To Rise with Christ”), regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation, the dicastery’s new note upheld its recommendation to preserve ashes in a special urn and to keep ashes “in a sacred place, such as a cemetery, or in an area dedicated to this purpose, provided that it has been so designated by the ecclesiastical authority.”

“An attitude of sacred respect” must be had toward the ashes of the deceased person, which are to be kept in “a sacred place suitable for prayer,” it added.

The faith teaches that “the body of the resurrected person will not necessarily consist of the same elements that it had before it died. Since it is not a simple revivification of the corpse, the resurrection can occur even if the body has been totally destroyed or dispersed,” it said. This is why “in many cinerary urns, the ashes of the deceased are conserved together and are not stored separately.”

Therefore, the dicastery said, “a defined and permanent sacred place can be set aside for the commingled accumulation and preservation of the ashes of deceased baptized persons, indicating the identity of each person so as not to lose the memory of their names.”

In addition, it said, “the ecclesiastical authority, in compliance with current civil norms, may consider and evaluate a request by a family to preserve in an appropriate way a minimal part of the ashes of their relative in a place of significance for the history of the deceased person.”

However, the authorization can be given only if “every type of pantheistic, naturalistic or nihilistic misunderstanding is ruled out and also provided that the ashes of the deceased are kept in a sacred place,” the dicastery said.

The dicastery had issued an instruction in 1963 permitting cremation as long as it was not done as a sign of denial of the basic Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead. The permission was incorporated into the Code of Canon Law in 1983 and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 1990.

However, since church law had not specified exactly what should be done with “cremains,” the dicastery provided further guidance with the 2016 instruction, “Ad resurgendum cum Christo” (“To Rise with Christ”).

That instruction emphasized the Catholic Church’s recommendation to follow “the most ancient Christian tradition” of the pious practice of burying the dead in cemeteries or other sacred places, as it is considered one of the corporal works of mercy and, mirroring the burial of Christ, more clearly expresses hope in the resurrection when the person’s body and soul will be reunited.

Anonymous burial or scattering of ashes is not compatible with the Christian faith, according to the instruction. Preserving the ashes of the departed in a sacred place “ensures that they are not excluded from the prayers and remembrance of their family or the Christian community” and “it prevents any unfitting or superstitious practices.”

Pope Francis leads a mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St Peter’s basilica on Dec. 12 in The Vatican. (Photo: AFP)

By Justin McLellan, OSV News
Published: December 13, 2023 05:16 AM GMT

The iconic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has become a cultural and spiritual symbol for Latin America, cannot be used to promote any kind of ideology, but must maintain its message of simple love, Pope Francis said.

The Marian image that appeared on the cloak of St. Juan Diego “frees us from so many social and political ideologies that so often use this ‘Guadalupan’ reality to base themselves in, to justify themselves and to earn money,” he said Dec. 12 during Mass on the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe.

“The message of Guadalupe does not tolerate any ideology of any kind,” he said at the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, without specifying any ideology in particular.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which displays the cloak on which Mary’s image appeared, draws some 20 million pilgrims each year.

The pope said the Marian image “remains impressed on the simplicity of who we are and what we have, which is of little value, but which will become something great in God’s eyes.”

Spanish speakers filled St. Peter’s Basilica for the papal Mass. Many wore shawls or scarves with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and others brought framed portraits of the image to be blessed.

U.S.-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, was the main celebrant at the altar.

In his homily, the pope highlighted part of the story of St. Juan Diego, who Mary asked to pick roses during winter to show to the local bishop as a sign of her appearance.

Flowers “signify that the virtues which the Lord instills in the heart are not our own work,” he said. “The act of collecting them reveals to us that God wants us to accept that gift, that we ‘perfume’ our weak reality with good works, driving out hatred and fears.”

Although he spoke without any sign of difficulty, Pope Francis skipped much of his prepared text. He recently canceled a trip to the United Arab Emirates due to a bronchial infection, and aides read his speeches on his behalf several times in the past week.

The pope recalled the words that Mary spoke to St. Juan Diego during one of her apparitions to him: “Am I not here, I, who am your mother?”

He said that Mary’s presence is “permanently impressed” in the lives of Christians just as on the cloak St. Juan Diego, “perfumed by virtues gathered in a world that seems incapable of producing them.”

“Virtues,” he said, “that fill our poverty in the simplicity of small acts of love, that illuminate our cloak, without us knowing it, with the image of a church that carries Christ in its womb.” To end Mass, the choirs of the Pontifical Mexican College and the Pontifical Latin American College, joined by the thousands in the basilica, sang “La Guadalupana,” a celebratory song that tells of the special bond between Our Lady of Guadalupe and the people of Mexico.

By Ronald O. Reyes
Published: December 11, 2023 10:40 AM GMT

Members of Filipino faith-based groups, non-government organizations, and multi-sectoral alliances joined in a mass action for climate justice held simultaneously in 55 places across the country on Dec. 9. (Photo: Jimmy Domingo)

Organizers of street mobilizations across the nation said they aimed to pressure governments and decision-makers at COP28

The Catholic Church and local faith-based groups in the Philippines have joined global calls for climate justice and reparations as COP28 in Dubai enters crucial final days of negotiations.

Thousands of members of grassroots movements, faith-based groups, non-government organizations, and multi-sectoral alliances joined in mass actions held simultaneously in 55 places across the country on Dec. 9.

Organizers of the street mobilizations said they aim to contribute to the “chorus of global voices” putting pressure on governments and decision-makers at the COP28.

“Pope Francis in Laudate Deum eloquently reminds us that our planet is a gift, a delicate tapestry woven with the threads of biodiversity, beauty, and interconnectedness. Yet, this tapestry is being destroyed before our eyes due to the wounds inflicted by human irresponsibility,” said Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

David urged Filipinos to join the global call for climate justice.  “We are called not merely to witness but to be stewards of change,” he said in a statement.

“Let us heed the call to care for our common home, not as passive observers but as active agents of transformations. May our collective efforts echo the profound message of Laudate Deum, igniting a global movement towards ecological stewardship and justice,” he added.

The Conference of Major Superiors of the Philippines reminded that for decades, the scientific communities have been sounding the alarm.

“We are now in a climate emergency. Extreme weather events such as storms, floods, heatwaves, sea level rise, and biodiversity loss have caused untold suffering and losses of human lives and properties,” the religious group said.

In 2022 alone, tropical cyclones in the Philippines caused around 25.03 billion pesos of damages, while environmental defenders and indigenous people fighting against development aggression are subjected to persecution, harassment, red-tagged and sometimes killed, according to the group.

“We continue to long for concrete actions in the face of climate emergency. Time is running out,” it said.

The faith-based groups emphasized that the Philippine government and global leaders must be called to uphold the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement, “lest we face a more catastrophic future where tragedies even worse than Haiyan are the norm.”

Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development said it is civil society’s duty “to escalate pressure to compel governments at the COP28 negotiations to take forward real solutions to the climate crisis.”

LiCAS News | November 22, 2023

The Vatican has renewed its call for fair and sustainable practices with the global fishing industry to mark the observance of World Fisheries Day.

In an event co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Holy See underscored the critical inseparable link between social and environmental sustainability in the fisheries sector.

Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, cited Pope Francis’s recent Apostolic Exhortation “Laudate Deum,” pointing out the dangers of intensive industrial fishing, which poses threats to marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of smaller fishers.

“Destructive fishing in the marine ecosystem takes advantage of the work of the fishers, who know better how important the care of the sea is for the future of their livelihood,” she said.

Sr. Smerilli emphasized the necessity to counter the “arrogance of the strong” and urged a concerted effort to listen to the voices of fishers, whose wisdom emerges from the margins.

She called for collective action to reimagine the world’s future, reaffirming the Church’s commitment to upholding human dignity and environmental stewardship.

Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to FAO, echoed Sr. Smerilli’s sentiments in his concluding remarks.

He affirmed the Holy See’s enduring support for fishery workers, particularly those less fortunate, advocating for their fundamental right to decent and dignified work in a healthy and sustainable environment.

Msgr. Arellano commended the FAO for implementing regulations that promote new fishing models, ensuring quality catches, environmental respect, and fair sector development.

He reiterated Pope Francis’s call for an “ecological conversion,” emphasizing the need for a corporate strategy of social responsibility that prioritizes solidarity over profit.

The Holy See stressed that an ethical approach respecting individuals would enhance the well-being of port workers.

Msgr. Arellano envisioned ports as spaces of integration, fraternity, and loyal collaboration, where true solidarity becomes a path to overcome selfishness and indifference.

Highlighting the Church’s ongoing work for seafarers, Msgr. Arellano acknowledged the efforts of Stella Maris, the Catholic Church, and the Holy See in providing human and spiritual care to those working or transiting in ports, advocating for their well-being, and supporting initiatives to ensure that no one is left behind.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, conveyed a message during the FAO session.

He called for an “integral ecology,” emphasizing the need to safeguard the environment, jobs, and fishing communities facing new challenges threatening their survival.

Cardinal Czerny expressed gratitude to fishermen for their valuable work, acknowledging them as sentinels of delicate balances and pioneers of integral ecology.

He recognized the often unacknowledged and exhausting nature of their work, emphasizing the importance of societal recognition for their contributions.

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Francis asks for prayers for peace in the world and in the Holy Land, that “the difficulties resolve themselves in dialogue and negotiation and not with a mountain of dead.” The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network proposes a novena.

(ZENIT News / Rome, 11.22.2023).- Francis has asked the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network to organize a campaign of special prayer for  peace in the world and in the Holy Land. “Let us pray – he says in a video made in Spanish and available  with subtitles also in English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic and Hebrew – that the difficultiesresolve  themselves in dialogue and negotiation and not with a mountain of dead on each side.”

In his request, Francis recalls, “We all feel the pain of the wars,” and that “there are two very near that  force us to react: Ukraine and the Holy Land.” What is going on in the Holy Land, he adds, “is very painful.”  In addition, he remarks, “the Palestinian people, the people of Israel” are “two fraternal peoples” and  “have the right to peace, have the right to live in peace.”

This is not the first time that the Pope has made a call for peace. Not a week passes that he does not ask  for prayers insistently for peace in war-torn Ukraine, or for so many other countries, as most recently for  Sudan. And how many times has he denounced war and the conflicts that are born in the hearts of men  and women and in fear? “Understand that terrorism and war never lead to a solution. War is a defeat.  Every war is a defeat!” How often, on the contrary, in the midst of a divided and fragmented world, has  Francis asked for the promotion of the values of peace, living together and the common good?

Today he invites us again to pray with ever more insistence for peace in the world and in the Holy Land.  Francis asks us to pray for the grave situation in Palestine and in Israel, where very many persons have  lost their lives. How often, with pain, has he asked that spaces be opened to guarantee humanitarian  assistance and that the hostages be released?

On 17 October, he invited all believers to unite with the Church in the Holy Land and to dedicate the day  to prayer and fasting, since “prayer is the meek and holy force to oppose the diabolical force of hatred,  terrorism and war.” As we now approach Advent, the hope of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus, he  again invites us to pray.

Where can the Novena for Peace be downloaded?

Novena for Peace on Click To Pray: https://clicktopray.org/campaigns/902

Novena for Peace Booklet: EN: https://issuu.com/popesprayernet/docs/novena_-_blessed_are_the_peacemakers_en

Address at the General Audience of November 22, on the second aspect of the proclamation: universality

(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 22.11.2023).- The Wednesday General Audience began at 09:00 am on November 22, during which Pope Francis developed the second aspect of the Christian proclamation: the fact that “it is for everyone” (the previous week he developed the first aspect and then he anticipated that three aspects would be addressed). This would be the penultimate catechesis dedicated to “The Passion for Evangelization: The Apostolic Zeal of the Believer,” which with this Wednesday’s makes it the 27th catechesis on the subject.

Here is the text of the Pope’s address, translated from the Italian original into English by the Holy See.

——————–

Dear brothers and sisters,

After having seen, last time, that the Christian proclamation is joy, today let us focus on a second aspect: it is for everyone, the Christian proclamation is a joy for everyone. When we truly meet the Lord Jesus, the wonder of this encounter pervades our life and demands to be taken beyond us. He desires this, that His Gospel is for everyone. Indeed, in it there is a “humanizing power,” a fulfilment of life that is destined for every man and woman, because Christ was born, died, and rose again for everyone. For everyone: no-one excluded.

In Evangelii Gaudium we read that everyone has “a right to receive the Gospel. Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone. Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet. It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but ‘by attraction’” (no. 14).