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Joining Pope Francis in Consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Blessed Mother

Circular No. 22-06

17 March 2022

RE: Joining Pope Francis in Consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Blessed Mother

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It has been more than four weeks now since Russia declared a war of occupation against Ukraine. We have seen in the daily news reports how the Russian military forces have bombarded one Ukrainian city after another, destroying private residences, business establishments and public infrastructures, killing hundreds of civilians and forcing millions of people to flee as refugees to other European countries.

 Each day that this war lingers on increases its potentials of escalating into a bigger and  more serious conflict between Russia and its allies on the one hand, and the United  States and its NATO allies in Europe and other nations of the world, on the other hand.

 It can lead to the fearful scenario of a Third World War.

 Because it has been 77 years since our last experience of a World War, we have tended  to take global peace for granted. The past three quarters of a century of peace have  brought prosperity to the world precisely because the military defense budgets of  nations have radically decreased. The average in Europe has gone down to only 3% of  the national budgets and made it possible for governments to appropriate more  substantial funds to the more fundamental necessities of their citizens.

Suddenly, this war in Ukraine is making nations worried again for their security. Germany has already doubled its military budget and most other European countries are following the trend. We therefore need to pray very hard for peace.

In our own context in the Asia Pacific region, we can only hope that Russia’s sudden shift to an expansionistic geopolitical policy does not motivate any of its allies from doing the same thing on their neighboring countries.

Even if Europe is relatively far from the Philippines, we have every reason to be apprehensive about these global developments. We are conscious of the fact that, in just the past few years, the peace and security of some of our own national territories have been among our major domestic concerns, especially in the West Philippine Sea, where an ally of Russia has already set up its own military installations, despite all our protestations. This is now turning out to be the more important global context that should determine the way we will choose a new set of leaders for our country in the coming elections. This too we must pray very hard for.

In view of this, we your bishops have decided to join the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, 2022, Friday, Solemnity of the Annunciation.

The Holy Father has made this decision in response to a letter earlier sent to him by the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops on March 2, 2022. In that letter, they said, “In these hours of immeasurable pain and terrible ordeal for our people, we, the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Ukraine, are spokesmen for the unceasing and heartfelt prayer, supported by our priests and consecrated persons, which comes to us from all Christian people to dedicate, Your Holiness, our Motherland and Russia.”

“Responding to this prayer,” they wrote, “we humbly ask Your Holiness to publicly perform the act of consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by the Blessed Virgin in Fatima. May the Mother of God, Queen of Peace, accept our prayer: Regina Pacis, ora pro nobis!”

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CWS Statement on the March 15 biggest one-time big-time oil price hike (OPH)

On March 15 oil companies will again implement another round of one-timebig-time oil price increase: 12.00/liter for diesel and P7.00/liter for gasoline. This amounts to a total of P18.00/liter of diesel in just two weeks. This is by far the biggest oil price hike in Philippine history and the biggest since the Oil Deregulation Law was implemented 24 years ago. As usual, transport and agricultural sectors will be hit hard by these series of OPH.

CWS reiterates its previous statement that the series of OPH is unjust and antipoor. In the world market, these price increases are driven by mere speculation brought about by the war in Ukraine. In the Philippines, the current inventory of the big oil companies was purchased at a much lower price yet are sold at a much higher price. In fact, Petro Gazz was able to implement a P5.00/liter rollback in its prices. CWS calls on the government to:

  1. Act decisively on this issue especially that this will adversely affect the poorest of the poor. In the first place, government should be blamed for these unreasonable increases in fuel prices. In a deregulated oil industry, government control over oil companies is removed or reduced giving oil industries superfluous power to operate more freely, including price adjustments.
  2. Suspend Value Added Tax (VAT) and excise tax on oil. This will automatically and significantly decrease fuel prices by P50.00 which will provide some sort of relief for consumers already battered by the economic hardship brought about by the pandemic.
  3. Urge Congress to convene a special session to pass a law suspending VAT and excise tax on oil and junking the 24-year old Oil Deregulation Law.
  4. Provide immediate relief for jeepney drivers, farmers and fisherfolks, workers, and urban poor communities.
  5. Implement a nationwide increase in minimum wage.

We call on church-people to stand with the workers, farmers, fisherfolks and jeepney drivers in asserting these demands. Church-people can show their support by actively participating in protest actions such as noise barrage, and posting in various social media platforms. We can flood social media with calls such as “No to Oil Price Hike!”, “Suspend taxes on fuel!”, “Junk Oil Deregulation Law!” “Wage Increase Now!”, “Economic Relief Now!”. We invite church-people to join in a nationwide protest against OPH on March 18. These mounting protests are aimed to pressure the government to act on this pressing issue.

No to Oil Price Hike!
Suspend taxes on fuel!
Junk Oil Deregulation Law!
Wage Increase Now!
Economic Relief to Transport and Agricultural Sectors Now!

Signed:

Save Davao Oriental from Mining

Photo Credits: Nieor Escaped, KS Duliente, EQ Morillo

Davao Oriental is a beautiful province. It is home to the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mindanao, the Mt. Hamiguitain Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS). Its beautiful seascape, including the Pujada, Mayo, and Balete Bay, have also been declared as Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW). In these rich natural frontiers are the unique flora and fauna – most of which are still waiting to be discovered.

However, this natural wonder is consistently being threatened by mining activities. In 2021, the Philippine government approved a Banaybanay Nickel Laterite Mining Project to cover 6,363.3368 hectares of land, spanning Barangays Puntalinao, Causwagan, Pintatagan, Maputi, Panikian, and Mahayag in the Municipality of Banaybanay.

The controversial discoloration of the Mapagba River (banner photo) and nearby river tributaries recently raised concerns among local communities. On January 14, 2022, the said incident occurred after a 12-hour sustained rainfall, giving us a hint of the environmentally-damaging activities upstream. The same phenomenon was documented in an adjacent Barangay Causwagan in December 2020.

Mine tailings pose risk to the livelihood of thousands of people downstream who heavily rely on fishing, rice farming, and tourism. Also, it poses direct threats to the biodiversity in Banaybanay waters, such as the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).

Moreover, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology – Department of Science and Technology (PHILVOLCS-DOST), including the Department of Geophysics in Kyoto University and Department of Geography in Hiroshima University, confirmed that Davao Oriental sits on a 320-km stretch fault line, commonly known as the Surigao-Mati FL. Continued mining will aggravate the threats brought by the fault line.

House Bill 1124 (later substituted by House Bill 6563), otherwise known as the “Davao Oriental Mining-Free Zone Act,” has already been approved by the 18th Congress in June 2021, pending approval by the Senate. This Act encapsulates the “policy of the State to protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.” Now is the right time to enact this legislation to prevent any more destruction caused by mining.

We call on the power of the people to help us deter the destruction brought about by mining. Please help us SAVE DAVAO ORIENTAL FROM MINING by signing this online petition for the CANCELLATION OF THE BANAYBANAY NICKEL LATERITE MINING PROJECT.

SIGN THE PETITION

Mensahe ng Pakikiisa ng CBCP sa Panawagan ni Papa Francisco

Naging inspirasyon noon ang Pilipinas sa maraming iba pang mga bansa na nangangarap din ng kalayaan ngunit takot sa madugong mga pamamaraan. Isa-isa ring naglakas-loob ang mga mamamayan sa mga bansang kontrolado rin ng mga pamahalaang diktador, kasama ang Ukraine. Nakita nila ang “People Power” bilang susi ng sa isang mapayapang paraan ng pagbabago.

Mga kapatid, samahan natin ang Santo Papa at ang ating mga kapatid sa Ukraine sa pamamagitan ng pananalangin at pag-aayuno simula nitong Ika-2 ng Marso, 2022, araw ng Miyerkoles ng Abo, simula ng Kuwaresma. Ang Panginoon mismo ang nagturo sa atin na walang ibang panlaban sa mga tukso ng diyablo lalo na sa mga nahuhumaling sa kapangyarihan, kayamanan at katanyagan, kundi ang pag-aayuno, pananalangin, at pagkakawanggawa (Mat. 4:1-11). “Idalangin din natin, sa tulong ng ating Mahal na Ina, na antigin ng Panginoon ang konsensya ng mga mamamayang Russo, upang sila mismo ay gumawa ng hakbang upang itigil na ng kanilang pamahalaan ang sinimulang digmaan.”

REPARATION ROSARY for NATIONAL HEALING

Feb 25, 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we prepare for the 2022 National Elections, the CBCP will release a Circular encouraging all of us to cover our actions and endeavors with prayers. We are sending to you in advance the letter of Archbishop Socrates V. Villegas, saying: “I am appealing for a Lenten season of REPARATION ROSARY for NATIONAL HEALING starting on Ash Wednesday March 2 until Holy Wednesday, April 13.

  1. For every day of the Lenten season, we will pray together for all the civil provinces all over the Philippines according to the enclosed schedule.
  2. As the rosary is prayed publicly in all churches at a time when most people can join, we also plead that the family rosary at home be restored as a devout family practice even in our work places.”

Another proposal will be sent to you soon, coming from Bp. Guillermo Afable, which will be a continuation of this spiritual wave of intercession.

With the support of the Marian Solidarity, the Family Rosary Crusade, the Legion of Mary and many other Marian Devotion groups, we encourage all our Diocesan Councils of the Laity and National Lays Organizations to call on their members to enter into the spirit of the 40 Days and faithfully intercede for the country through this Reparation Rosary for National Healing.

For those who wish to come together virtually and pray the Reparation Rosary for National Healing, the Family Rosary Crusade will be streaming their daily recitations at 11:30 am. We can all join them through the FB link below.

Lastly, for those who can, let us accompany our prayers with fasting. “Fasting is a grace that significantly increases our receptivity to the voice of the Lord.”  (CTTO).

Let us appropriate the many graces from Prayers, Fasting and Good Works (Alms-giving) this Lenten season. Let us pray for the entire Filipino nation.

Sincerely in the service of the Lord,

(Sgd)RAYMOND DANIEL H. CRUZ, JR.
President

Family Rosary Crusade Philippines

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for Lent 2022

“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all”

(Gal 6:9-10)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Lent is a favourable time for personal and community renewal, as it leads us to the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For our Lenten journey in 2022, we will do well to reflect on Saint Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity (kairós), let us do good to all” (Gal 6:9-10).

1. Sowing and reaping

In these words, the Apostle evokes the image of sowing and reaping, so dear to Jesus (cf. Mt 13). Saint Paul speaks to us of a kairós: an opportune time for sowing goodness in view of a future harvest. What is this “opportune time” for us? Lent is certainly such an opportune time, but so is our entire existence, of which Lent is in some way an image. [1] All too often in our lives, greed, pride and the desire to possess, accumulate and consume have the upper hand, as we see from the story of the foolish man in the Gospel parable, who thought his life was safe and secure because of the abundant grain and goods he had stored in his barns (cf. Lk 12:16-21). Lent invites us to conversion, to a change in mindset, so that life’s truth and beauty may be found not so much in possessing as in giving, not so much in accumulating as in sowing and sharing goodness.

The first to sow is God himself, who with great generosity “continues to sow abundant seeds of goodness in our human family” (Fratelli Tutti, 54). During Lent we are called to respond to God’s gift by accepting his word, which is “living and active” (Heb 4:12). Regular listening to the word of God makes us open and docile to his working (cf. Jas 1:21) and bears fruit in our lives. This brings us great joy, yet even more, it summons us to become God’s co-workers (cf. 1 Cor 3:9). By making good use of the present time (cf. Eph 5:16), we too can sow seeds of goodness. This call to sow goodness should not be seen as a burden but a grace, whereby the Creator wishes us to be actively united with his own bountiful goodness.

What about the harvest? Do we not sow seeds in order to reap a harvest? Of course! Saint Paul points to the close relationship between sowing and reaping when he says: “Anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well, and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well” (2 Cor 9:6). But what kind of harvest are we talking about? A first fruit of the goodness we sow appears in ourselves and our daily lives, even in our little acts of kindness. In God, no act of love, no matter how small, and no “generous effort” will ever be lost (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 279). Just as we recognize a tree by its fruits (cf. Mt 7:16, 20), so a life full of good deeds radiates light (cf. Mt 5:14-16) and carries the fragrance of Christ to the world (cf. 2 Cor 2:15). Serving God in freedom from sin brings forth fruits of sanctification for the salvation of all (cf. Rom 6:22).

In truth, we see only a small portion of the fruits of what we sow, since, according to the Gospel proverb, “one sows, while another reaps” (Jn 4:37). When we sow for the benefit of others, we share in God’s own benevolent love: “it is truly noble to place our hope in the hidden power of the seeds of goodness we sow, and thus to initiate processes whose fruits will be reaped by others” (Fratelli Tutti, 196). Sowing goodness for the benefit of others frees us from narrow self-interest, infuses our actions with gratuitousness, and makes us part of the magnificent horizon of God’s benevolent plan.

The word of God broadens and elevates our vision: it tells us that the real harvest is eschatological, the harvest of the last, undying day. The mature fruit of our lives and actions is “fruit for eternal life” (Jn 4:36), our “treasure in heaven” (Lk 12:33; 18:22). Jesus himself uses the image of the seed that dies in the ground in order to bear fruit as a symbol of the mystery of his death and resurrection (cf. Jn 12:24); while Saint Paul uses the same image to speak of the resurrection of our bodies: “What is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable; what is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raised is powerful; what is sown is a natural body, and what is raised is a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:42-44). The hope of resurrection is the great light that the risen Christ brings to the world, for “if our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are of all people the most pitiable. In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:19-20). Those who are intimately united to him in love “by dying a death like his” (Rom 6:5) will also be united to his resurrection for eternal life (cf. Jn 5:29). “Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt 13:43).

2. “Let us not grow tired of doing good”

Christ’s resurrection enlivens earthly hopes with the “great hope” of eternal life, planting the seed of salvation in our present time (cf. BENEDICT XVI, Spe Salvi, 3; 7). Bitter disappointment at shattered dreams, deep concern for the challenges ahead and discouragement at the poverty of our resources, can make us tempted to seek refuge in self-centredness and indifference to the suffering of others. Indeed, even our best resources have their limitations: “Youths grow tired and weary, the young stumble and fall” (Is 40:30). Yet God “gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless… Those who hope in the Lord will regain their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles; though they run they will not grow weary, though they walk they will never tire» (Is 40:29, 31). The Lenten season calls us to place our faith and hope in the Lord (cf. 1 Pet 1:21), since only if we fix our gaze on the risen Christ (cf. Heb 12:2) will we be able to respond to the Apostle’s appeal, “Let us never grow tired of doing good” (Gal 6:9).

Let us not grow tired of praying. Jesus taught us to “pray always without becoming weary” ( Lk 18:1). We need to pray because we need God. Thinking that we need nothing other than ourselves is a dangerous illusion. If the pandemic has heightened the awareness of our own personal and social fragility, may this Lent allow us to experience the consolation provided by faith in God, without whom we cannot stand firm (cf. Is 7:9). No one attains salvation alone, since we are all in the same boat, amid the storms of history; [2] and certainly no one reaches salvation without God, for only the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ triumphs over the dark waters of death. Faith does not spare us life’s burdens and tribulations, but it does allow us to face them in union with God in Christ, with the great hope that does not disappoint, whose pledge is the love that God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:1-5).

Let us not grow tired of uprooting evil from our lives. May the corporal fasting to which Lent calls us fortify our spirit for the battle against sin. Let us not grow tired of asking for forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, knowing that God never tires of forgiving. [3] Let us not grow tired of fighting against concupiscence, that weakness which induces to selfishness and all evil, and finds in the course of history a variety of ways to lure men and women into sin (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 166). One of these is addiction to the digital media, which impoverishes human relationships. Lent is a propitious time to resist these temptations and to cultivate instead a more integral form of human communication ( ibid., 43) made up of “authentic encounters” ( ibid., 50), face-to-face and in person.

Let us not grow tired of doing good in active charity towards our neighbours. During this Lent, may we practise almsgiving by giving joyfully (cf. 2 Cor 9:7). God who “supplies seed to the sower and bread for food” (2 Cor 9:10) enables each of us not only to have food to eat, but also to be generous in doing good to others. While it is true that we have our entire life to sow goodness, let us take special advantage of this Lenten season to care for those close to us and to reach out to our brothers and sisters who lie wounded along the path of life (cf. Lk 10:25-37). Lent is a favourable time to seek out – and not to avoid – those in need; to reach out – and not to ignore – those who need a sympathetic ear and a good word; to visit – and not to abandon – those who are lonely. Let us put into practice our call to do good to all, and take time to love the poor and needy, those abandoned and rejected, those discriminated against and marginalized (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 193).

3. “If we do not give up, we shall reap our harvest in due time”

Each year during Lent we are reminded that “goodness, together with love, justice and solidarity, are not achieved once and for all; they have to be realized each day” (ibid., 11). Let us ask God to give us the patient perseverance of the farmer (cf. Jas 5:7), and to persevere in doing good, one step at a time. If we fall, let us stretch out our hand to the Father, who always lifts us up. If we are lost, if we are misled by the enticements of the evil one, let us not hesitate to return to God, who “is generous in forgiving” (Is 55:7). In this season of conversion, sustained by God’s grace and by the communion of the Church, let us not grow tired of doing good. The soil is prepared by fasting, watered by prayer and enriched by charity. Let us believe firmly that “if we do not give up, we shall reap our harvest in due time” and that, with the gift of perseverance, we shall obtain what was promised (cf. Heb 10:36), for our salvation and the salvation of others (cf. 1 Tim 4:16). By cultivating fraternal love towards everyone, we are united to Christ, who gave his life for our sake (cf. 2 Cor 5:14-15), and we are granted a foretaste of the joy of the kingdom of heaven, when God will be “all in all” (1 Cor 15:28).

May the Virgin Mary, who bore the Saviour in her womb and “pondered all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19), obtain for us the gift of patience. May she accompany us with her maternal presence, so that this season of conversion may bring forth fruits of eternal salvation.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 11 November, 2021, Memorial of Saint Martin, Bishop.

FRANCIS

[1] Cf. SAINTAUGUSTINE, Serm. 243, 9,8; 270, 3; En. in Ps. 110, 1.
[2] Cf. Extraordinary Moment of Prayer presided over by Pope Francis (27 March 2020).
[3] Cf. Angelus, 17 March 2013.