Cardinal Jose Advincula delivers his homily during the ordination Mass of Fr. Florencio Unida at the Sagrada Familia Parish in Sta. Ana, Manila on May 18, 2023. RCAM-AOC
By CBCP News May 31, 2023 Manila, Philippines
The head of Manila’s Roman Catholic Church said that priests, as shepherds, have a duty to speak against violence and injustices.
At a priesthood ordination recently, Cardinal Jose Advincula warned the clergy against the “temptation” of silence to play safe because “the flock will be in danger of getting lost”.
“Do not be afraid to speak, especially in the face of oppression, injustice, violence, and evil,” Advincula said. “A silent shepherd when he is expected to speak is a form of negligence.”
“When the sheep do not hear the voice of their shepherd, they may easily follow false shepherds who will only do them harm,” he said.
Advincula made the statement in his homily during the priestly ordination of Fr. Florencio Unida at the Sagrada Familia Parish in Manila’s Sta. Ana district on May 18.
The cardinal, who is also a member of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, emphasized that priests must speak up, but that their words must be of God.
“The flock will recognize our voices as their shepherds only if we speak the words of God to them,” he added.
The Manila archbishop also reminded the clergy that their prophetic ministry goes beyond the voice that comes from their mouths.
The more powerful and credible proclamation of Jesus is made, according to him, “through the voice that comes from the witness of our lives”.
“Let your life be a living proclamation of God’s word. May people see you, and by simply looking at you, may they already hear God speaking to them,” he said.
From the triumphalism that marked the Catholic Church’s celebration of the Great Jubilee of 2000 to the upcoming jubilee that will take place in our present “triste epoque”
Once the second assembly of the “Synodal Process” is concluded in October 2024, the next big event the Vatican will be focusing on is the “Jubilee of Hope” in 2025. Preparations are already underway for what looks to be a very Rome-centered Holy Year. It will begin in December 2024 and conclude on Epiphany in January 2026.
This is the first Holy Year since the Great Jubilee of 2000 and it comes nearly a decade after the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy of 2015-2016. The person responsible for preparing it is Archbishop Rino Fisichella, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, a position he got from Benedict XVI in 2010 as president of the now-defunct Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. Fisichella, who will be 72 in August, was also a member of the central committee of the Great Jubilee of 2000 and vice-president (under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) of its theological-historical commission.
Among other positions this former Gregorian University professor held was serving as chaplain to Italy’s Parliament from 1995-2010. This made him one of the country’s most important prelates entrusted with building an entente between the right-wing coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi and the pontificate of Benedict. Now that the Italian government is in the hands of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Berlusconi’s successor on the right, Fisichella appears — at least to some — to be the right man in the right place at the right time.
A big money event between the sacred and profane
Coordinating jubilee preparations between Vatican and Italian authorities is important because building and updating infrastructure in order to accommodate the 30-40 million people who are expected come to Rome means that lot of money will be changing hands. A large part of that will come from Italian taxpayers but funds will also come indirectly from the European Union. The Holy Year is always a typically Catholic mix of the sacred and profane. This has been the case since the very first jubilee in the year 1300, a very Roman Catholic institution that survived the Protestant Reformation and got a boost from 19th-century ultramontanism, which promoted supreme papal authority and the Vatican’s role in matters of spirituality and governance.
This tourist/business aspect of jubilees is nothing new. What is new is that today we live in a world that has changed significantly since even the past two jubilees. Jubilee 2025 will be quite different than the “Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy” that Pope Francis called less than three years into his pontificate, the most energetic phase of his time at the helm of the Church. The sexual abuse crisis had not yet hit the pontificate in a way that it has since 2018.The mood among Catholics at the time of Jubilee 2025 will be even more different from the “Great Jubilee” of 2000, which showcased a triumphant and overconfident Church, led by an already visibly ill John Paul II, the pope who was credited with helping to topple communism and revive Catholicism as a global force. It was a celebration of faith, that had important moments for many Catholics, especially for young people.
And now “la triste époque”
But the Jubilee of 2000 was also an illusory moment for the institutional Church and its influence both in the world and the ecclesial community. Less than a year after it was over, the world witnessed the horror of 9/11 — the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Then, just a few months later, in January 2002, the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” reports exploded Catholic Church’s abuse crisis at the global level.
Andrea Riccardi, the Italian historian and founder of the Sant’Egidio Community, said in 2011 that the post-2001 period should be known as “la triste époque” in contrast to the “belle époque” of the early 20th century, as well as to the 1990s illusion of the magnificent and progressive fortunes of globalization.
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican to launch the two-year global consultation process leading to the 2023 synod on synodality on Sunday, October 10, 2021. (Vatican Media Photo)
From the Philippines to Portugal, Marian shrines around the world will participate in a special day of prayer this Wednesday for the work of the Synod on Synodality.
In his Regina Caeli address, Pope Francis announced that the day of prayer for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will take place on May 31, the last day of the month dedicated to Mary.
“Let us ask the Virgin Mary to accompany this important stage of the Synod with her maternal protection,” the pope said.
The shrines of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland, the Knock Shrine in Ireland, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Costa Rica, Our Lady of Fourvière in France, and many other Marian shrines have confirmed their participation.
In the Philippines, 26 Marian shrines and minor basilicas will simultaneously hold prayers for the synod.
Nicaragua has announced that all parishes will take part in a full day of prayer for the synod. All dioceses in India, Malaysia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in the day of prayer.
Pope Francis also spoke about the upcoming Synod of Bishops at Pentecost Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica earlier in the day. He said: “Let us place the Holy Spirit at the beginning and at the heart of the work of the synod.”
“We walk together, because the Spirit, as at Pentecost, loves to descend while ‘everyone is together,’” he added. “The People of God, to be filled with the Spirit, must therefore walk together, hold a synod.”
After the Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Francis appeared in the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace to deliver the Regina Caeli address to the crowd gathered in a sunny St. Peter’s Square.
The pope prayed for people in Myanmar and Bangladesh affected by Cyclone Mocha. He also marked the 150th anniversary of the death of Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni, the author of one of the pope’s favorite books “The Betrothed.”
Pope Francis reflected on how the Holy Spirit has the power to free people from “the prisons of fear.”
He said that only once the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they dared to leave the upper room and go into the world to forgive sins and announce the good news of the Gospel.
“Thanks to [the Holy Spirit], fears are overcome and doors open. Because this is what the Spirit does: he makes us feel God’s closeness and so his love drives away fear, illuminates the path, consoles, supports in adversity,” the pope said.
“In the face of fears and closures, then, let us invoke the Holy Spirit for us, for the Church, and for the whole world: because a new Pentecost can drive away the fears that assail us and rekindle the fire of God’s love.”
“Holy Mary, who was the first to be filled with the Holy Spirit, intercede for us,” Pope Francis said.
“The birth of children, in fact, is the main indicator for measuring the hope of a people,” Pope Francis said.
Catholic News Agency May 12, 2023
Pope Francis attends a conference on the Demographic Crisis in Rome, Italy, on May 14, 2021. (Photo by Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis said on Friday, May 12, a society’s birth rate is a key indicator of the hope people have in the future.
The pope shared the stage on May 12 with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a two-day conference on “The General State of the Birth Rate,” held at Conciliazione Auditorium close to the Vatican.
“The birth of children, in fact, is the main indicator for measuring the hope of a people,” Pope Francis said. “If few are born it means there is little hope. And this not only has repercussions from an economic and social point of view but also undermines confidence in the future.”
“The General State of the Birth Rate” is a conference for Italian political, business, and organization leaders to reflect on Italy’s demographic crisis, caused by one of the lowest birth rates in Europe: 1.25 births per woman.
The event was organized by the Foundation for Births and the Family Associations Forum and supported by the Italian Ministry for Family, Birth, and Equal Opportunity.
This was the third annual conference and the second time Pope Francis attended. In 2022, he sent a message to be read at the event.
Italy hit a historic low number of births in 2022, with only about 393,000 children born in the country.
The limited edition coffee table book features iconic moments, behind-the-scenes photos, and inside stories from the people’s campaign in 2022
LiCAS News May 10, 2023
Former vice president Leni Robredo speaks during the launch of the coffee table book titled “Tayo ang Liwanag” on May 9. (Photo supplied)
Former vice president Leni Robredo marked the first anniversary of the “people’s campaign” on Tuesday, May 9, with the launch of her coffee table book titled “Tayo ang Liwanag.”
The limited edition coffee table book features iconic moments, behind-the-scenes photos, and inside stories from the people’s campaign in 2022.
“If I have to go through it all over again, I will. Kasi sa tingin ko, marami tayong na-achieve na on the day I announced my candidacy,” said Robredo who ran for president in last year’s national elections.
“I never thought na ma-aachieve natin,” she said, referring to the “spirit of volunteerism” that her supporters claimed was sparked during the people’s campaign in 2022.
As a beneficiary of the proceeds from the book, the non-government Angat Buhay, through its executive director Raffy Magno, expressed gratitude to individuals who continue to express their support.
“Hope and bayanihan create a virtuous cycle,” said Magno.
“It is the hope of our volunteers, partners, and supporters that continue to push Angat Buhay in its work to help alleviate poverty, which in turn inspires even more Filipinos to volunteer what they have and what they can do,” he added.
Janvic Mateo – The Philippine Star May 12, 2023 | 12:00am
Results of the March 26 to 29 survey released on Thursday found that 9.8 percent of Filipino families or an estimated 2.7 million experienced involuntary hunger or being hungry and not having anything to eat at least once in the past three months. Michael Varcas, file
MANILA, Philippines — While still above pre-pandemic figures, fewer Filipinos have experienced involuntary hunger in the first quarter of the year, according to a recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS).
Results of the March 26 to 29 survey released on Thursday found that 9.8 percent of Filipino families or an estimated 2.7 million experienced involuntary hunger or being hungry and not having anything to eat at least once in the past three months.
It was down from 11.3 percent (estimated 2.9 million families) and 11.8 percent (estimated three million families) obtained in similar surveys conducted in October and December 2022, respectively.
However, SWS said that it was still higher than the record-low 8.8 percent (estimated 2.1 million families) in December 2019, a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to SWS, the March 2023 hunger rate is composed of 8.6 percent of respondents who said they experienced moderate hunger (down from 9.5 percent in December) and the 1.2 percent who experienced severe hunger (down from 2.3 percent).
Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, while severe hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months.
The survey showed that involuntary hunger fell across all areas.
Involuntary hunger was highest among those in Mindanao at 11.7 percent (from 12.7 percent), followed by Metro Manila at 10.7 percent (from 11.7 percent), Visayas at 9.7 percent (from 12 percent) and the rest of Luzon at 8.7 percent (from 11.3 percent).
Based on the survey, some 15.4 percent of those who rated their families as “poor” experienced hunger in the past three months, barely moving from 15.7 percent in December. But it sharply fell among “non-poor,” composed of those who rated themselves as “not poor” and “borderline poor” (from 7.8 percent to 3.9 percent).
Involuntary hunger rose slightly among self-rated “food-poor” (from 17.7 percent to 18.5 percent), while it fell sharply among “non-food-poor,” or those who rated themselves as “not food-poor” and “borderline food-poor” (from 11.8 percent to 4.3 percent).
The recent survey found that 51 percent of the respondents rated their families as “poor,” 30 percent as “borderline poor” and 19 percent as “not poor.”
Consumer spending slowed to 6.3 percent in the first quarter, down from 10 percent during the same period last year
Agence France Presse May 11, 2023
People form a line outside a bank in the Philippine capital at the height of the pandemic. (File Photo by Jire Carreon)
The Philippines’ economy grew more than expected in the first three months of the year, official data showed Thursday, though the pace was the slowest in two years as soaring inflation and interest rate hikes crimped consumer spending.
The 6.4 percent expansion in the first three months was well down from the revised 7.1 percent enjoyed in the last quarter of 2022, which analysts said could give the country’s central bank some room to step back from its monetary tightening drive.
Expectations were for 6.2 percent growth.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the lower print was partly due to high inflation and last year’s rate hikes, which reined in consumer spending.
“Higher interest rates last year could have impacted on the consumption and investment already this year,” Balisacan said in a briefing.
Consumer spending slowed to 6.3 percent in the first quarter, down from 10 percent during the same period last year.
The Philippine central bank raised interest rates several times last year to rein in inflation, which hit its highest level in more than a decade.
“Perhaps we are starting to feel that because there are usually some lag effects,” Balisacan said.
Balisacan said the government remained “confident” it will hit its 6-7 percent economic growth target this year despite headwinds. The government expects that to pick up pace through 2028, to hit 6.5-8.0 percent.
“High inflation remains a challenge… but the improvement in (the) business climate can counter this unintended effect,” he said.
The Philippines had previously trimmed its growth target as geopolitical and trade tensions, a possible global economic slowdown and typhoons could dampen economic activity.
Balisacan said the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia as well as tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait were among the risks to the growth outlook.
The Senate labor penal on Wednesday held a hearing for various bills regarding a proposed minimum wage increase, including Zubiri’s Senate Bill No. 2022, or the Across-the-board Wage Increase Act, which proposes a P150 wage hike for all private sector workers across the country. GMA Integrated News
By TED CORDERO, GMA Integrated News May 10, 2023 4:57pm
The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources on Wednesday approved “in principle” a bill which seeks to increase the minimum wage by P150 for the entire country, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.
“In principle, the Senate Committee on Labor has already approved our Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act, and a Technical Working Group (TWG) is set to discuss a proposed graduated wage increase scheme for our MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises),” Zubiri said.
“We expect that the Committee Report will come out in about two weeks, and we hope to pass the bill before we adjourn in June,” the Senate president said.
The Senate labor penal, on Wednesday, held a hearing for various bills regarding a proposed minimum wage increase, including Zubiri’s Senate Bill No. 2022, or the Across-the-board Wage Increase Act, which proposes a P150 wage hike for all private sector workers across the country.
The Senate president said that the last legislated minimum wage increase was in 1989, at P89, before the passage of the Republic Act 6727, which created the Regional Wage Boards.
“Ang nakita po natin, with due respect sa ating Regional Wage Boards, napakababa po ng mga increase nila at napakatagal bago nila aksyunan ang problema ng pagtaas ng bilihin, at ang sigaw ng tao para sa disente man lang na sahod. Kapag umaaksyon naman sila, napakababa ng increase, between P5.00 to P16.00 lang,” Zubiri said.
(What we’ve seen, with due respect to our Regional Wage Boards, such low increases and a long time before they take action on increasing costs and the public’s cry for a decent wage. And when they take action, the increase is so small, only between P5.00 and P1600.)
To dismiss concerns that wage hikes would scare away foreign investments, the Senate president cited the minimum wage figures in the Southeast Asian region: Indonesia’s minimum wage is equivalent to P842.00 a day, Malaysia’s is P854.00 a day, and Singapore’s is P2,486.00 a day.
Only Vietnam has a lower minimum wage, equivalent to P511 a day.
“Wala po silang kaltas sa PAG-IBIG, sa PhilHealth, sa SSS. Dito, ang naiiwan sa ating mga kababayan mula P570.00 ay P525.00 na take-home. Pang-Metro Manila lang ‘yan. Hindi pa natin pinag-uusapan sa Bukidnon, sa Mindanao,” Zubiri said.
(They don’t have deductions for PAG-IBIG, PhilHealth, SSS. Here, what is left for Filipinos to take home is from P570.00 is P525.00. And that’s only in Metro Manila. We’re not talking about what they take home in Bukidnon, in Mindanao.]
In northern Mindanao, the minimum wage is at P390.00 for non-agricultural, and P378.00 for agricultural.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which has the lowest wages in the country, the minimum wage is at P316.00 for non-agricultural and P306.00 for agricultural.
“I would like to remind everybody that we already reached a 7.6% GDP growth rate, one of our highest since 1976,” Zubiri said.
Bishop Alminaza said that in the Philippines “what we call ‘minimum wage’ is not necessarily a just wage, or a living wage, or a family wage”
LiCAS News May 10, 2023
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos lamented the “unjust” situation of Filipino workers even as inflation in the country has eased.
In an interview with Vatican News on May 9, the bishop said that in the Philippines “what we call ‘minimum wage’ is not necessarily a just wage, or a living wage, or a family wage.”
Data from the Philippine National Wages and Productivity Commission show that the average monthly minimum wage in the country is only 8,902 pesos, or a little over 145 euro.
In contrast, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that as of 2021, the poverty threshold for a family of five, or the minimum monthly income that a family of five needs to meet basic food and non-food requirements, is 12,030 pesos (196.45 euro).
“They did not match the increase in prices,” the bishop said, referring to past wage hikes implemented in the country.
“The majority of the workers have been impoverished. So, if you ask me how is the situation of the workers in the past years, it has really grown worse,” he added.
Aside from insufficient minimum wage, the bishop said some workers do not have benefits and security of tenure.
Bishop Alminaza, who is chairperson of the Church People-Workers Solidarity (CWS), pointed out that in the Philippines, the agricultural sector is “the poorest among the poor.”
In a separate statement, the bishop emphasized that a living wage is “necessary and just” and is fundamental to Catholic Social teaching because it is “closely linked to human dignity.”
“Jesus grew up as a son of a carpenter. He was referred to as the carpenter’s son. So, it was Jesus bringing dignity to work,” he said.
“The Social teaching of the Church is to uphold the dignity of labor, of workers,” the bishop added. – from a Vatican News report
Introducing lessons on topics like same-sex unions is not only anti-Bible but against Philippine law, they argue
LGBT groups hold a rally in Manila to hail the US Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States in 2015. (Photo: UCAN files)
By UCA News reporter May 05, 2023 05:24 AM GMT
Philippine Christian groups, including a youth organization, have voiced their opposition to the introduction of topics like same-sex unions and gender discrimination in the draft curriculum for 10th-grade students.
The recent proposal to include lessons on topics like gender discrimination, rights and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community by the Department of Education was contrary to the “morals and public customs” of Filipino people, they argued.
“Our youth is not yet ready for such topics, which challenge the Christian-dominated culture of the Philippine nation. It remains contrary to law, good customs, morals, and public policy,” Michael Israel, president of the Catholic Youth for Christ told UCA News on May 4.
Israel said the education department cannot surpass Congress on an issue that has not yet been legalized in the country, where same-sex unions, either in the form of marriage or civil unions, are not yet legally recognized.
“Even the president [Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.] said the country is not yet ready for that piece of legislation. Then, why is the topic being included in the curriculum?” he asked.
In 2019, a group of gay rights advocates questioned the constitutionality of the definition of marriage under Philippine law as a “union between male and female.”
“Same-sex marriage is slowly creeping under our nose into the very curriculum of our basic education”
The group claimed that such a definition restricted same-sex unions, contrary to the constitution that offered no “gender-based” definition of marriage.
“Our constitution did not say that marriage should be a union between male and female. It only says that marriage is the foundation of society … neither does it define spouses as male and female,” gay rights advocate Carlo Libiran told UCA News.
Christian groups, however, said the courts should intervene to determine if the education department indeed exceeded its mandate by including “illegal topics” in mainstream education.
“We are shocked to discover that the promotion of gender ideology, same-sex unions and same-sex marriage is slowly creeping under our nose into the very curriculum of our basic education. What is more worrying is the slant towards promoting and condoning such practices in the minds of our young students,” Christian pastor and lawmaker Brother Eddie Villanueva said in a statement.
Villanueva said the education department’s decision was not only anti-Bible but against Philippine law.
“Not only is this anti-God but also clearly unconstitutional. Section 13, Article II of the constitution mandates that the state shall promote the moral and spiritual well-being of our youth. I do not see that the introduction of these topics into our basic education curriculum is heading in the right direction,” he added.
“It seeks to provide learners with a broader understanding of gender-based issues”
The Department of Education though claimed that the topic of same-sex unions has been in the curriculum since 2013.
“It seeks to provide learners with a broader understanding of gender-based issues, encourage respect within the community, and promote inclusivity,” it said in a statement on May 3.
The education department, however, said it would gather and consider all opinions before finalizing the curriculum.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said the new curriculum could hurt academic freedom among Catholic schools and universities.
“Academic freedom has always been the right of every academic institution to determine who may teach; what may be taught; how it shall be taught; and who may be admitted to study. This raises doubts in our academic freedom as a Catholic institution,” the Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education executive secretary Father Ernesto De Leon told UCA News.
