Category: News

Should we wait for more blood on our altars before we march from our parishes to the halls of justice?

A priest carries a cross during a march in Manila on May 17 to protest the spate of attacks on church people in recent months. (Photo by Jire Carreon)

UCAN News Mark Saludes, Manila Philippines
July 16, 2018

Shepherding is among the oldest occupations in the world, beginning about 5,000 years ago in western Asia. A shepherd would put his life in danger to protect his flock.

If a sheep got separated from the group, the shepherd would search for it and not come back without the lost sheep. Once found, the shepherd would use his crook to hook and recover the fallen animal. If any predator threatened the flock, the shepherd would use the crook as a weapon to protect the congregation and fight any menace without hesitation.

The crook has been used as a religious symbol of care by the Catholic Church. It has become the crosier or the pastoral staff of Catholic bishops.

The bishop’s crosier or crook or staff symbolizes his being the shepherd of the flock of God. It signifies his authority and responsibility over the Catholic community under his canonical jurisdiction.

In the Philippines, Catholic bishops are using the shepherd’s crook to draw back those who have gone astray from the faith and to guide the flock to the right path.

Only a few of our church leaders are using the crook to hit hard at adversaries of the faith, the promoters of killings and impunity, and the murderers of the church’s gallant knights.

Many of our bishops are only tapping a soft blow with their not-too-lengthy press statements, theological reflections, and do nothing at all, especially if their dioceses are not affected by a pressing issue.

Another Catholic priest was gunned down recently while preparing for the celebration of Mass in the northern Philippine province of Nueva Ecija. Father Richmond Villaflor Nilo was killed on June 10 inside a chapel in Zaragoza town in the Diocese of Cabanatuan. He was the third Catholic priest to be killed in the country in the last six months.

The killings of the priests were condemned by religious leaders around the country. The bishops of the dioceses where the killings happened issued strongly worded pronouncements. But out of the 86 dioceses in the Philippines, few other bishops have really made strong statements against the killings and against the individuals who endorsed the acts.

To say that Filipino bishops do not speak out against killings is an overstatement. They claim to be against the culture of death and are supposed to defend the sanctity of life. But instead of loud shouts, we hear whispers. Instead of outrage in the streets, we see protests inside churches.

Concrete actions from Catholic Church leaders to press authorities to solve and prevent the killings are lacking. Statements remain soft, cautiously written, wanting or even insignificant.

This culture of silence, or should I say culture of softness and carefulness, among church leaders is nothing new. Many have been silent even as President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has killed thousands of people.

Bishops have been denouncing the spate of drug-related killings, but only a handful mobilized their flock to put more weight to the protests.

We have already tried the soft and gentle way to urge the government to act on the killings and to diplomatically appeal to the president to stop endorsing them. Soft and cautious press releases seem not to work. Catholic Church leaders have to do more by organizing and mobilizing the flock to collectively defend the faith.

Should we wait for more dead priests before we decide to get out of our comfort zones and stand against tyranny? Should we wait for our priests to be shot before we utter stronger words of condemnation?

Should we wait for more blood on our altars before we stand, congregate and march from our parishes to the halls of justice?

As Catholics, it is our duty to pray for the realization of justice, peace and integrity of creation. As followers of Christ, it is our mission to defend life even with our own lives.

Filipino Catholics need a shepherd who can dare use the crook to hit the fox that is preying on the flock.

Mark Saludes is a freelance journalist who covers social justice issues for ucanews.com.

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Rights campaigners in the Philippines and around the world have sought to protect human dignity

Nuns lead a procession in Manila on June 22 to draw attention to the killings of Catholic priests in the Philippines in the past six months. (Photo by Angie de Silva)

Father Shay Cullen, Manila,  Philippines |
July 11, 2018

What is independence but freedom from the domination and control of others?

Freedom is firstly an inner, non-material spiritual value. The desire for it is natural and, when achieved, a joyful experience.

Freedom to practice our religious beliefs with dignity and without bondage, poverty or fear — and freedom of expression — are the greatest of human values and universal rights.

Working for freedom and independence from all kinds of oppression — whether it be discrimination, racism, sex slavery and exploitation, land grabbing or unjust imprisonment — should be spiritually motivated, not driven by political ambitions.

It is a commitment to stand up for moral and Gospel values.

The great Mahatma Gandhi, a man of deep spirituality and conviction, protested against British oppression of India’s people.

He was a rights campaigner, not a politician, yet his demand for freedom was wrongly branded as subversion by British authorities. As a result, he was vilified and jailed. But he won independence and was named the Father of the Nation

In the Philippines, Filipino Catholic priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora were garroted to death in Manila’s Bagumbayan (now called Luneta Park) by Spanish authorities after a sham trial.

The priests were falsely accused of political treachery arising from an 1872 mutiny that gave rise to a rising tide of nationalism In fact, they were human rights activists in a struggle against Spanish-born clerics, but accusations of political crimes were a handy way to get rid of critics.

In Negros province in the Western Visayas region of the central Philippines in the 1980s, Catholic missionary priests Brian Gore from Australia and Niall O’Brian from Ireland, Filipino priest Vicente Dangan and six lay workers were jailed by the Marcos regime on false charges related to the death of a mayor.

Communist rebels admitted that they had carried out the killing, but the priests and church workers were unjustly blamed to silence them from speaking out against social injustice. After many months, they were eventually freed.

Nowadays, assassins are continuing to kill advocates of freedom and independence, human rights activists, media practitioners and priests as well as pastors.

On the southern island of Mindanao, for more than 32 years, Father Fausto Tentorio was dedicated to helping poor tribal people in their struggle against mining interests that were grabbing their land and destroying their environment.

He was murdered. Fellow Mindanao missionaries Father Tullio Favali and Father Salvatore Carzedda were also murdered. They gave their lives for the freedom of the oppressed people. Their work for the poor was not political; it was humanitarian.

Father Marcelito Paez, 72, who dedicated his life to human rights and justice for prisoners, was shot and killed on Dec. 4 last year in the town of Jaen, 100 kilometers north of Manila, immediately after he secured the release from jail of a political prisoner.

Father Mark Anthony Yuaga Ventura, a Catholic priest, was shot and killed after saying Mass in the northern Philippine town of Gattaran on April 29 this year. He was known to be active in supporting the struggle of indigenous peoples for their rights against land grabbers. Leading political authorities vilified his life of service with baseless sordid allegations.

On June 10, Father Richmond Villaflor Nilo was gunned down inside the Nuestra Senora dela Nieve chapel in Zaragoza town, 125 kilometers from Manila. Police said the priest was shot while he was putting on his liturgical vestments to start the celebration of Mass.

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God never created hell because if he created hell, he must be a stupid god, Philippine president says

President Rodrigo Duterte attacks church leaders anew in a speech before a gathering of businessmen at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga province on July 10. (Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office)

Jose Torres Jr., Manila Philippines
July 11, 2018

Less than 24 hours after he declared a moratorium on attacks against the Catholic Church, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was at it again with another tirade against religious leaders.

In a speech before businessmen on July 10, the president lambasted critics who “come here under the cloak of whatever religion and start to blabber their mouths and attack us.”

Duterte was apparently referring to Australian missionary nun Patricia Fox, who raised the ire of the president for joining an investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Mindanao.

The president said the “separation of powers between any church and state” does not allow church people to criticize his administration.

“Do not include your god in your platform of your criticism in your attacks because when I attack, if you include God in the issue, son of a bitch, I’ll get back at that god,” said Duterte.

“I have the right to answer. There is a separation of powers. Why are you f*****g … the name of the Lord against me?” he added.

The president’s latest tirade came a day after he met Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

A statement released by the presidential palace after the meeting said Duterte had “agreed to a moratorium on statements about the church.”

In an interview with the media, the president said “some modality of behavior” was discussed during his meeting with the bishop, although he said it “would not prevent me from just saying the truth.”

He said he was also not attacking the church in his speech before businessmen in Pampanga province earlier in the day.

During his speech, Duterte continued to attack God, whom the president said “never created hell because if he created hell, he must be a stupid god.”

“My god is not stupid to create man just to burn him in hell. I do not believe in that,” he said, adding that he also does not believe in heaven “because if I do, only a fraction of you will ever enter heaven.”

The president said his god is the “six million Filipinos plus the others who voted for me above the margin, and those who really voted for me.”

During the 2016 election, Duterte garnered 16.6 million votes.

In a meeting later in the evening with Evangelical leader Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus Is Lord Movement, the president made a qualified apology to God.

“If it’s the same god, I’m sorry, that’s how it is. Sorry God. I said sorry God. If God is taken as a generic term by everybody listening, then that’s well and good,” said Duterte.

“I only apologize to God, nobody else. If I wronged God, he would be happy to listen. Why? Because my god is all forgiving … Why? Because God created me to be good and not bad,” he said.

The president said church leaders should “never use the name of God as a front to attack government [because] that is not the proper way to do it.”

Earlier during the meeting, the president again attacked Sister Fox, saying that she was agitating people.

This week, the bishops’ conference issued a strongly worded statement condemning the government’s anti-narcotics war that has killed thousands of suspected drug users and dealers in the past two years.

The bishops’ pastoral statement titled “Rejoice and Be Glad!” also condemned the killings of three Catholic priests in recent months.

The bishops, however, said the statement was not an indictment of Duterte’s administration.

Clementine Hall
Friday, 6 July 2018

Your Eminences, Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I welcome all of you assembled for this International Conference marking the third anniversary of the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ on care for our common home. In a special way, I would like to greet His Eminence Archbishop Zizioulas, because he and Cardinal Turkson together presented the Encyclical three years ago. I thank all of you for coming together to “hear with your hearts” the increasingly desperate cries of the earth and its poor, who look for our help and concern. You have also gathered to testify to the urgent need to respond to the Encyclical’s call for change, for an ecological conversion. Your presence here is the sign of your commitment to take concrete steps to save the planet and the life it sustains, inspired by the Encyclical’s assumption that “everything is connected”. That principle lies at the heart of an integral ecology.

Here we can think back on the call that Francis of Assisi received from the Lord in the little church of San Damiano: “Go and repair my house, which, as you can see, lies in ruins”. Today, the “common home” of our planet also needs urgently to be repaired and secured for a sustainable future.

In recent decades, the scientific community has developed increasingly accurate assessments in this regard. Indeed, “the pace of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the planet’s capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those which even now periodically occur in different areas of the world” (Laudato Si’, 161). There is a real danger that we will leave future generations only rubble, deserts and refuse.

So I express my hope that concern for the state of our common home will translate into systematic and concerted efforts aimed at an integral ecology. For “the effects of the present imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and now” (ibid.). Humanity has the knowledge and the means to cooperate in responsibly “cultivating and protecting” the earth. Significantly, your discussions have addressed some of this year’s important steps in this direction.

The COP24 Summit, to be held in Katowice, Poland, in December, could prove a milestone on the path set out by the 2015 Paris Agreement. We all know that much still needs to be done to implement that Agreement. All governments should strive to honour the commitments made in Paris, in order to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis. “Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most” (ibid., 169), and we cannot afford to waste time.

Along with states, local authorities, civil society, and economic and religious institutions can promote the culture and practice of an integral ecology. I trust that events such as the Global Climate Action Summit, to be held from 12-14 September in San Francisco, will provide suitable responses, with the support of citizens’ pressure groups worldwide. As I observed, along with His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, “there can be no sincere and enduring resolution to the challenge of the ecological crisis and climate change unless the response is concerted and collective, unless the responsibility is shared and accountable, and unless we give priority to solidarity and service” (Message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, 1 September 2017).

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By: Solita Collas-Monsod – @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:08 AM July 07, 2018

I have a copy of the draft new constitution (as of June 27, 2018) framed by President Duterte’s consultative committee, which he tasked to review the 1987 Constitution. It was signed on Tuesday, July 3, so it is fair to assume that not much could change in the six-day period between the draft and the signed document.

So what are the major differences between the 1987 Constitution and the proposed constitution?

A very important difference is that, right from the get-go, the proposed constitution adopts a federal form of government; it is the constitution of the Federal Republic of the Philippines. Not surprising, really, because all the members of the committee were pro-federalism also from the get-go.

I want to remind you, Reader, that the March 2018 Pulse Asia Survey showed that the opposition to Charter change went up from 44 percent in July 2016 to 64 percent in March 2018, and the opposition to federalism went the same way, except by a larger margin—from 33 percent to 66 percent.

But, wait. That is not all. The transitory provisions of the proposed constitution have given President Duterte vast powers between 2019 (I assume that the plebiscite will be held in 2019, a reasonable assumption) and 2022. And it also allows him—at least that’s what committee member Julio Teehankee has publicly admitted—to run for President in 2022. Since the new constitution provides for a four-year term plus one reelection, that means he can be our President (unless death intervenes) for a total of 14 years.

He will, of course, be 85 years old by then. But, hey, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia is 94 years old. I hasten to add, however, that Mahathir neither drinks nor womanizes. That may make a difference.

What vast powers do the transitory provisions give President Duterte? Well, first, he will be the chair of the Federal Transition Committee (FTC), with 10 other members that he will appoint from a list supplied by a five-person search committee, of which four are also appointed by him. Lutong Macao.

And what does the FTC do? Wow. It will formulate and adopt a transition plan for the orderly shift to the new system of government, and it will promulgate the necessary rules, regulations, orders, decrees, proclamations and other issuances, do all acts to implement the same, and resolve all issues and disputes that may result therefrom. PLUS, it will organize, reorganize and fully establish the Federal Government and the governments of the Federated Regions, in accordance with this constitution; and exercise all powers necessary and proper to ensure a smooth, speedy and successful transition.

This transition plan that the FTC is responsible for will include the respective transition plans for the different branches of the Federal Government, the Independent Constitutional Bodies, the Federated Regions and other component units; plus the fiscal management and administration plan, which includes, but is not limited to, resource generation appropriation, allocation and expenditures.

Then, almost as an afterthought, it would also include the establishment of mechanisms for people’s participation in the transition. Gee, thanks.

This power goes on until June 30, 2022, when the first national, regional and local elections will have taken place, and our first elected leaders under the new constitution take over.

Bottom line: As soon as the new constitution is ratified, President Duterte, as chair of the FTC, has unlimited powers—to hire, fire, organize, reorganize, determine what will be the states that constitute the federal system, and how these states will themselves transition. For at least three years. Of course, by election time, he will have set the stage for his own election as president for the next eight years.

Remember the transitory provisions that gave Marcos dictatorial powers? This is the very same thing. There is a term for it: constitutional authoritarianism. This is what Mr. Duterte must have had in mind when he talked of a revolutionary government.

Well, he’s got what he wanted. If the people give it to him, that is.

solita_monsod@yahoo.com
Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/114431/draft-constitution-afraid#ixzz5KkvYi5UO
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

From Fr. Pete Montallana

God: Most Holy, Super Intelligent and All Powerful!
I ask pardon from you
For the insults heaped on you
Calling you: “Stupid.”

Diyos: Kabanalbanalan, Napakamatalino at Pinakamakapangyarihan
Patawad, Lord, patawad
Sa pagkalapastangan Saiyo
Na Kayo daw ay – “Stupido”.

I was one of those who encouraged my friends to vote for Rodrigo Duterte.
Who with a well-designed media strategy
Mesmerized me into believing that under his leadership genuine change would become a reality
And Filipinos would be finally liberated from the clutches of the oligarchy – local and foreign.

Isa ako sa nagkampanya sa mga kaibigan na iboto si Rodrigo Duterte
Magaling silang paikutin ang mass media
Napaniwala akong sa kanyang pamumuno magkakaroon ng tunay na pagbabago
At sa bandang huli makakalaya na ang mga dukha sa kuko ng iilang nagmamay-ari ng Pilipinas na mga kababayan at banyaga.

For two years I defended his cursing and cussing
That it was simply his way of communicating
Despite the fact that I know from experience
The laws and policies under his administration have been institutionalizing more sufferings for the poor
and systematical destruction of Mother Earth
Contrary to what he says.
I was patiently hoping against hope for genuine change.
Sa loob ng dalawang taon denepensahan ko ang kanyang pagmumura
Na ito nga ay pamamaraan lamang niya ng pagpapaabot ng kanyang ibig sabihin
Kahit na alam ko sa aking personal na karanasan
Na patuloy na ipinapako ng mga batas at polisya ng kanyang administrasyon
Ang nakakaraming Pilipino sa kahirapan
At ang Inang Kalikasan ay tuloy tuloy na nasisira
Taliwas sa kanyang mga sinasabi.

But when he blasphemed You
Whom the vast majority of Filipinos worship,
I have had enough.
Words rattling from his mouth reveal what is indeed lurking in his heart.

Ngunit nang lapastangin niya ang Iyong Pagka-Diyos
Kayo na sinasamba ng karamihang Pilipino
Napuno na ako.
Ang mga salitang bumubulwak sa kanyang walang kontrol na bibig
Ay nagpapahayag lamang ng magulong kalagayan ng kanyang puso.

Most Holy, Super Intelligent and All Powerful God:
I am praying that You enlighten Rodrigo Duterte
To simply resign from his position
Humbly admitting that he has lost his moral ascendancy to lead the Philippines.

Kabanalbanalan, Napakamatalino at Pinakamakapangyarihan
Nananalangin akong liwanagan mo si Rodrigo Duterte
Na magbitiw na lamang siya sa kanyang tungkulin
Buong kababaang-loob na aminin na nawalan na siyang kakayahang moral na pamunuan pa ang Pilipinas

I aware that I am publicly praying for an intention with dangerous implications
For trolls could magnify the dark side of my life in the media;
My advocacies for the poor and the environment could be paralyzed;
Men riding in tandem could simply send me to the other world –
Like the thousands who were extrajudicially killed for being non-human beings –
I too might have an early reunion with Fr. Tito Paez
Who was killed mercilessly for championing the weak.

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June 26, 2018

The Philippine Daily Inquirer ran an article last Sunday, June 24, entitled: Duterte on God, Catholics and Adam’s apple. It contained excerpts on the various attacks that the President has viciously spoken against the Catholic Church and its hierarchy.

CFC-FFL is a Catholic community of the lay faithful. We take serious offense on these irresponsible and cuss languages by the highest authority of our government. There is a correlation between the language of a person and his core values and his concepts of life. As a community of missionary families, how should we respond to such an affront against our core values1?

1. Study the Pastoral Statement on “God is Love” by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, on this issue;
2. We need to have a passionate desire to set things right in the face of Evil. But in our desire to set things right, we must go about protecting the good of the Catholic community, the wider community of God’s people and even the good of the President, who in this case, inflicted the injury. Virtuous anger seeks the rehabilitation of evildoers; ( CCC 2302 )
3. It should lead us to reflect on the depth of our mission, to win souls for Christ;
4. We cannot just be cursing in the dark but purposefully seek the lost and lead them to Christ;
5. We must intensify our prayers. We must set fixed intercessory days of fasting and prayers for Our Mother Church, and our community;
6. Pass/blast copies of the Statement of Archbishop Soc Villegas, as attached on our social media accounts and spheres of influences, (places of work, parishioners, etc.) for their guidance;
7. Discuss the above in our households and send prophetic words to our Area Servants, who in turn will send it over to our Servant Council for its appropriate recommendation to our Servant General.

May God bless our Mother land!

Why did the Gentiles rage and the people entertain folly? The kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed. …. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness.

(Acts 4:25-26,29).