Kairos Palestine Christmas Alert 2019
CHRISTMAS ALERT 2019 “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line…
Cardinal Tagle named head of Propaganda Fide
Philippine prelate’s appointment makes him one of only nine members of the Roman CuriaCardinal Tagle named head of Propaganda Fide
Joe Torres, Manila, Philippines
December 9, 2019
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila has been appointed the new prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Vatican announced on Dec. 8.
The 62-year-old Philippine prelate is only the second Asian to lead the congregation, popularly known by its old name of Propaganda Fide, which is responsible for evangelization and the nomination of Catholic bishops in Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Cardinal Tagle’s appointment makes him one of only nine members of the powerful Roman Curia, or the Cabinet of the Holy Father, in the Vatican.
For the past four years, Cardinal Tagle has been chairman of the Episcopal Commission for the Pontificio Collegio Filippino of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
The Collegio Filippino — a college for diocesan priests from the Philippines studying at pontifical universities in Rome — and the Friends of the Collegio worldwide thanked Pope Francis for the appointment.
“In this Advent Season, as we await the coming of Baby Jesus, we pray through the intercession of Mama Mary and St. Joseph that God continues to shower our dear Pope Francis and Cardinal Tagle with his heavenly blessings in this appointment and transfer to the Vatican,” the groups said in a statement.
The cardinal, who was born on June 21, 1957, was ordained a priest in 1982 after studying philosophy and theology at Ateneo De Manila University’s San Jose Major Seminary.
He later studied in the United States, where he obtained his doctorate in theology with a thesis on the evolution of the notion of episcopal collegiality since the Second Vatican Council.
In 1997, he joined the International Theological Commission in Rome.
He was named bishop of the Diocese of Imus in the Philippines by St. John Paul II in October 2001. In 2011, he was appointed metropolitan archbishop of Manila.
In November 2012, during the last consistory of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, he received a cardinal’s red hat.
Cardinal Tagle is president of Caritas Internationalis and the Catholic Biblical Federation.
He participated in the 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2012 synods at the Vatican. In 2014, he was one of the three presidents of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family.
He is the second Filipino to become prefect of a dicastery following the late Cardinal Jose Tomas Sanchez, who served as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 1991 until 1996.
Cardinal Tagle succeeds Cardinal Fernando Filoni, who has been appointed grand master of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.
Cardinal Tagle’s appointment reflects the pope’s deep desire for a missionary church.
He is only the second Asian to head Propaganda Fide, with the other being Indian cardinal and Holy See diplomat Ivan Dias, who served from 2006 to 2011.
Ring the Bells to Stop the Killings!
9 December 2019
Diocese of San Carlos
The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Carlos
Bishop’s Home, San Julio Subdivision
San Carlos City 6127, Philippines
Ring the Bells, as a call for Addressing the Roots of Armed Conflict!
Is it not divine providence that the International Human Rights Day is observed during the Christian Season of Advent? We wait—like captive Israel of old—for a new dawning of God’s jus<ce and peace. How befitting for human rights day to fall at this time!
The human rights situation in the Philippines is dismal. In Negros alone, 87 extra-judicial killings have been documented since the beginning of 2017. There are also 100 political prisoners in Negros, 95 of which were arrested during the present administration. Nationally, at least 297 political extra-judicial killings, 429 frustrated killings, and 11 enforced disappearances are matched by thousands upon thousands of killings under President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs.” Evil has descended to hover like a dark night over poor and marginalized communi<es throughout the land.
We ring the bells each evening in Negros, as a reminder that life is sacred. We wish to shake the conscience of those carrying out dastardly death operations, commanded from above. We wish to be like a balm of compassion for those who have had loved ones killed or who have been unjustly incarcerated. We wish to quicken the spirits of the faithful to stand with courage for peace based on justice.
As President Duterte has expressed a willingness to reopen peace talks with National Democratic Front in the Philippines, we continue to ring the bells as an encouragement. Addressing the roots of the armed conflict through peace negotiations is leaps and bounds better than continuing brutal and blatant killings. We encourage both parties to return to peace negotiations and deliver meaningful change—including socio-economic reforms— urgently needed by our people. We encourage both parties to respect previously signed bilateral agreements, including the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), which will go a long way in addressing and mitigating violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law. We must open our hearts to build genuine peace and dare to dream of a be_er life and more just society for the toiling majority.
To spur the resumption of the GRP-NDFP peace talks, peace advocates are also calling for the release of NDFP peace consultants. One such consultant is Francisco “Fr. Frank” Fernandez, Jr. from Negros island. He can be released on humanitarian grounds, as a 70-year-old in frail health. Fr. Frank will do much more for peace outside the state’s prisons. His work as a peace consultant can help to enliven efforts to unearth, understand, and address the root causes of the armed conflict. Especially given the fabricated charges that have been lodged against him, he could also be released because he is protected under the Joint Agreement on Immunity and Security Guarantees (JASIG), a bilateral agreement to ensure the safety and security of those who participate in the peace talks.
We ring the bells because life is sacred!
We ring the bells to awaken our people to work for justice and peace in the Philippines!
The killings must stop.
The disappeared surfaced.
Political prisoners released.
We must dare to strive to a new dawning, where peace and justice thrive. Like God’s people of old, we keep watch and hope that God’s saving grace will encompass us again, and we will be pulled toward a future truly based on justice, righteousness and peace. Resume the GRP-NDFP peace talks!
Address the roots of the armed conflict!
Work for a just and lasting peace!
Philippine church leaders welcome Duterte’s call for peace
President tells communists to take efforts to restart negotiations seriously or face consequencesPhilippine church leaders welcome Duterte’s call for peace
Joe Torres, Manila, Philippines
December 9, 2019
An ecumenical church group in the Philippines has welcomed last week’s call by President Rodrigo Duterte to try and revive peace talks with rebels to finally end half a century of communist insurgency.
In a joint statement, Catholic and Protestant leaders said they “welcomed and celebrated” the president’s decision to start “back-channel negotiations” for the possible resumption of formal talks.
“The [Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform] summit hopes that these developments will pave the way for the immediate resumption of formal peace talks,” read the church leaders’ statement.
The ecumenical group was holding its annual “summit on peace,” which brought together 110 church leaders from all over the country, when it was informed about Duterte’s move last week.
They urged the government and the rebels “to work toward the resumption of formal peace talks to address the roots of the armed conflict.” They called for the immediate signing of a comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms and a bilateral ceasefire. A call for the immediate release of political prisoners was also made.
Faith communities, meanwhile, were called on to expand efforts to conduct “creative activities and dialogue … to further broaden support for the resumption of formal peace talks.”
“We vow to continue to use our faith resources and moral leadership to further expand the work of [the peace platform] throughout the Philippines,” said the group. “We will not stop and we will break the walls between religions and build bridges instead.”
Duterte, who terminated peace negotiations with the communists in 2017, warned rebels to take the talks seriously or the government would continue its current campaign to stamp out the insurgency.
He said he wants formal peace negotiations to be held in the Philippines, a demand that was immediately dismissed by exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison.
“I think there needs to be several steps before we could reach a point of having peace negotiations in the Philippines,” Sison said in a television interview from the Netherlands.
He said Duterte could start the process by adopting goodwill measures to create a climate for peace negotiations, such as by releasing political prisoners on humanitarian grounds in the spirit of Christmas.
“I think the president is intelligent enough to see there is also benefit for him and his administration that peace negotiations be renewed,” said Sison.
The Philippine government held talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines from 2016 to 2017 in Oslo, Norway. They broke down when Duterte accused the communists of violating a ceasefire.
In December 2018, he ordered the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict to hold “localized peace talks.” However, police and military operations against communist rebels continued.
Church leaders, meanwhile, said there was a “shared recognition” that dialogue and peace talks are urgently needed but “effectively unworkable” when the government “demonized” the rebels.
“Reconstituting the peace panels [of both sides] and the resumption of the peace talks is the only way forward,” said the church leaders, mostly bishops. The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform comprises the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches,’ and the Ecumenical Bishops’ Forum in an effort to work “for a just and enduring peace by supporting the peace process.”
Philippine church leaders make environmental plea on Human Rights Day
Activists condemn govt rights abuses in its war on drugs, efforts to put down communist rebels
Joe Torres, Manila, Philippines
December 10, 2019
Church leaders in the Philippines called on Catholics to protect the “common home” and “uphold the right to life” on International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.
In a statement, the social action secretariat of the Catholic bishops’ conference said the annual observance should serve as a reminder that care for life and the environment is a Christian duty.
The church leaders noted that environmental degradation brought about by “destructive and extractive industries” is a “violation of the right to life of many Filipinos.”
“We call on the Christian faithful and the Filipino people to stand together in defense of the environment and the right to life,” read the statement.
Hundreds of activists marked the observance of Human Rights Day in the Philippines by taking to the streets of major cities to dramatize their call for human rights protection.
The group Alyansa Tigil Mina (Stop Mines Alliance) voiced concern at what they described as “alarming threats” against human rights defenders.
Global Witness, an international human rights group, identified the Philippines as the most dangerous country for environmental and human rights defenders.
Human rights defenders have been attacked and in some cases killed by unknown assailants allegedly part of illegal logging, destructive mining and corrupt agribusiness operations.
“We are the victims of destructive mining practices. We only aspire for a better future for our families, but we have become targets,” said Malou Verano of Alyansa Tigil Mina.
The group called on the government “to stop endangering environmental defenders” and start holding accountable those behind the destruction of the environment.
Trade union workers also complained of “rampant labor rights violations” and the alleged crackdown on activists and government critics.
Protesters carried red-tag placards and wore red tags at the demonstrations to signify the red-tagging of government critics, including labor organizations. Red-tagging refers to the government accusing individuals and groups of being communist rebel sympathizers.
The 2019 Global Rights Index of the International Trade Union Confederation ranked the Philippines as among the bottom 10 of the world’s worst countries for workers.
Government blames communists
In a statement released to mark Human Rights Day, the presidential palace said the recruitment of young people “by groups that advance terrorism” has become a serious threat.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said the government is committed to quelling the threat posed by communist groups that allegedly recruit children and youth as soldiers.
“Children and youth, mostly from indigenous communities and as young as 11 years old, are trafficked by local armed communists … and forced into becoming warriors,” he said.
Part of the government’s campaign to “quell this terrorist threat” is the closure of tribal schools, a move that has been criticized even by Catholic bishops.
President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly denounced human rights and human rights advocates, who have criticized him for his pronouncements and his bloody war on drugs.
Continue readingTagbilaran Prelate urges all Bohol district reps to support ‘Rights of Nature Bill’
December 7, 2019
Quezon City, Philippines – The Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran earnestly appeals to all three of Bohol islands’ district representatives to support the passage of ‘Rights of Nature’ bill which was filed last November 25 at the House of Representatives by Quezon City 6th District Rep. Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte.
Most Rev. Alberto S. Uy, D.D. sent an official letter to 1st District Rep. Edgar M. Chatto, 2nd District Rep. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado, and 3rd District Rep. Kristine Alexie B. Tutor on November 29 asking them pledge their support for the passage of the Rights of Nature Bill. The prelate has also asked all Boholanos to remain steadfast in protecting mother nature which they’ve done through the passage of several local ordinances like the Bohol Organic Agriculture Code, the Bohol GMO-Free Ordinance, Bohol Environment Code of 1998, as well as their most recent victory against coal-fired power plants through meaningful collaboration of the government, common people, and the church.
The Rights of Nature is a campaign spearheaded by the Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI) in cooperation with NASSA/Caritas Philippines. In the July 2019 People’s Congress organized by PMPI and NASSA, a loose movement called the Rights of Nature PH was established where more than 50 environmental organizations committed to push the RoN campaign.
Fr. Warly Salise, the Director of the Social Action Center of Tagbilaran, a PMPI partner, emphasized the importance community participation in protecting the environment.
“The church, just like any other entity, community or individual cannot turn away from opportunities towards protecting the environment and recognizing the rights of nature, the church should be in the forefront,” Fr. Warly Salise said.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) pastoral letter on ecology released on July 16 have also included a provision for Rights of Nature.
“The recognition of the Rights of Nature is at the core of the call for ecological conversion, as Pope Francis emphasized in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. There he suggested that a “true right of the environment‟ does exist because we human beings are part of the environment. We live in communion with it, since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect. Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity,” stated from the 9-page pastoral letter.
The RoN campaign aims to recognize nature to have its own legal rights just like humans and business corporations through the passage of the RoN Bill. It also advocates for a change in development paradigm, a shift from unsustainable economic and political policies favoring big business and extractive industries to advocating for a change in lifestyle and green living.
The inspiration came from Latin American countries particularly Ecuador and Bolivia, as both countries recognize RoN through their constitution and a national law.
In the Senate of the Philippines, Senator Risa Hontiveros filed the RON bill last October 2. Advocates are hoping to get support from other lawmakers in the senate.
Faith Based HR network in Action on Human Rights Day
Following the recently-concluded FB (Faith-based) National Conference on Human Rights held at BEC Center, Tagaytay last 21-22 November 2019, the first post-conference coordination has taken off for the upcoming Human Rights Day (71st Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights) to celebrate the network’s milestones in the involvement and to express commitment and solidarity for human dignity and common good.
As agreed at the NCR group discussion on regional and national plans, the Catholic Church network or CBCP led by the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace (ECSA-JP), also known as the CBCP-NASSA/ Caritas Philippines, will mobilize all 85 dioceses nationwide to ring all Church bells at 10:00am on December 10 (Human Rights Day) for at least 10 seconds (or 10 times) as a symbol of solidarity, as a minimum action, and/or celebrate mass at 5:30pm or 6:00pm with special prayers for the occasion, in addition to ringing Church bells, when possible.
We are pleased to share with you the invitation letter of our National Director, Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD, DD to all Bishops to celebrate the Human Rights Day as mentioned; this letter was endorsed by the CBCP President Archbishop Romulo Valles, DD, and sent by the CBCP Secretariat to all Bishops nationwide. We are also sending this to the SAN.
There was an initial plan to have ecumenical service/ prayer gathering of the NCR faith-based HR network in the morning before going to (sending off to) the groups’ respective celebratory activities and expressions of solidarity on the occasion in the afternoon. However, due to the varied activities in different places and due to time constraint, as well as to avoid creating another activity, we suggest that instead of a physical meeting, we encourage your organization/ or representatives to ensure your nearby parish or churches knows about the invitation to celebrate Human Rights Day by synchronized ringing of bells and/ or celebrate mass with prayer for human rights at the specified time. Please feel free to use the attached letter as your guide.
After the witnessing of synchronized ringing of Church bells in the morning on December 10, we recommend you join the mass for the victims of human rights violations organized by One Voice, which will be held at 1:00pm at the Sta Cruz Church in Manila and/ or the Banal na Misa para sa Katotohanan, Katarungan at Kapayapaan, organized by the AMRSP-JPICC at the Ateneo de Manila University at 5:00pm to be followed by procession and candle lighting along Katipunan Avenue, QC.
The following are the other upcoming activities to be undertaken by the Faith Based HR network which participated in the National Conference; all are invited to join:
10 December 2019
1:00-2:30pm, Sta Cruz Church, Manila
Mass for the Victims of Human Rights Violations
organized by One Voice
3:00-5:00pm, Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila
#DefendTogether Human Rights Day Rally
Organized by the Movement Against Tyranny
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and
Karapatan Alliance of the Advancement of Human Rights
5:00-6:00pm, March to Mendiola
(contact: Ms Gel Marcelino of MAT at 09475891578)
The Fifth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM V)
5° Congresso Apostolico Mondiale della Misericordia
The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization is pleased to announce that the next World Apostolic Congress of Mercy (WACOM 5), with the theme “Divine Mercy: The Ocean of Love that Envelops the Whole World” will take place from Monday, August 10 to Saturday, August 15 2020 in the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia, (Samoa, Oceania).
This Congress follows those already held in Rome 2008, in Krakow 2011, in Bogotá 2014 and in Manila 2017.
Please visit https://wacom5samoa2020.com/ for further information and to register for this event, or contact directly the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia through
Mrs. Lesina M. Levy, Secretary General for Divine Mercy Oceania Region, via email (divine.mercy@lesamoa.net), or via telephone (+685 7579370 or +685 7737487).
We are grateful to His Excellency Most Rev. Alapati L. Mataeliga, Archbishop of Samoa-Apia, for willingly accepting and diligently organizing such an important event, which highlights the mystery of divine mercy, that every baptized person is called to live and transmit.
Thanking you in advance for your kind attention, receive our kind regards.
Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization
Pontificio Consiglio per la Promozione della Nuova Evangelizzazione
Via della Conciliazione, 5
00120 Città del Vaticano
info@pcpne.va
Tel. +39-06-698-69500 | Fax +39-06-698-69521
WACOM 5 REGISTRATION FEES & BANK ACCOUNT PAYMENT SHOULD BE MADE TO THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT
1.BANK NAME: ANZ Bank (Samoa) Limited Matafele, Vaimauga Sisifo, Upolu, SAMOA.
2.ACCOUNT NAME: WACOM5 SAMOA YEAR 2020
3.CUSTOMER NUMER: 973085676
4.ACCOUNT NUMBER: 4369892
5.PRODUCT TYPE: CURRENT ACCOUNT (Cheque)
6.BSB NUMBER: 010979
7.BANK SWIFT Code: ANZBWSWW
Appeal for Help for the Recent Typhoon ‘Tisoy’ Victims
Your Eminences, Your Excellencies and Very Reverend Diocesan Administrators Peace! The recent strong Typhoon ‘Tisoy’ brought again suffering and death to our people. It hit parts of Luzon, especially south of Luzon, the Bicol Region; it also hit Calabarzon and Mimaropa areas and Northern Samar among other places. It caused…