Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Dear friends of Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese,
Over the past month, we have been blessed with three ordinations to the diaconate for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. During this year 2010, we are also celebrating the 25th anniversary of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. SJVTS is the major seminary set up by the bishops in the CABUSTAM sub-region (i.e., Cagayan de Oro – Butuan – Surigao – Tandag – Malaybalay).
One highlight of the seminary’s celebration was the episcopal ordination last April of one of its first graduates, Fr. Jose Cabantan, as the fourth bishop of Malaybalay. He succeeds Bishop Honesto Pacana, S.J., a former Rector of SJVTS. Over the years, the seminary has produced around 350 priests now serving in practically all the 21 arch/dioceses of Mindanao and parts of the Visayas. At present the seminary is undertaking a 25M – for 25 years endowment fund drive to provide scholarship support for our major seminarians.
On another front, in the light of the current issue on the Reproductive Health bills, the All – Natural Family Planning Program of the archdiocese has been receiving heightened interest. Last week our NFP team was invited by the Hapag Asa program of Assisi Foundation to give a trainors’ training seminar in Tagaytay to delegates from 16 dioceses in Luzon. Many of the participants enthusiastically pointed out how this NFP program addressed to parents complements the feeding program of Hapag Asa for undernourished children.
Indeed, in a recent Forum on the RH Bill co-sponsored by the archdiocese, we pointed out that the four pastoral guidelines for our All – NFP program also explicitate the local church’s core values vis-à-vis some legislators’ proposals on RH:
(1) We are Pro-LIfe, as our first principle;
(2) We are for Responsible Parenthood, as our goal;
(3) We are for Natural Family Planning, as our means; and
(4) We are for enabling couples to make an Informed and Responsible Choice, according to the Formation of a Right Conscience.
In many ways, these core values are exemplified in the Christmas story of the Holy Family. May their message of love and life be ours to share throughout the coming year (which also marks the 60th anniversary of Cagayan de Oro as an archdiocese).
With God’s blessings,
Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Pope lauds CBCP effort against RH bill
Bishops ‘Encouraged’ to fight birth control
Pope Benedict XVI praised efforts of the Filipino bishops in blocking any attempts to promote contraception in the Philippines.
The pontiff said the Philippine Catholic leadership has reaffirmed its commitment to confronting any attack on the sanctity of life.
“I commend the Church in the Philippines for seeking to play its part in support of human life from conception until natural death, and in defense of the integrity of marriage and the family,” said Benedict XVI.
“In these areas you are promoting truths about the human person and about society which arise not only from divine revelation but also from the natural law, an order which is accessible to human reason and thus provides a basis for dialogue and deeper discernment on the part of all people of good will.”
Benedict XVI made the statement upon receiving in audience a group of Filipino prelates at the end of their five-yearly “ad limina” visit in Rome on November 29.
Church leaders are currently under a head on collision with proponents and supporters of the controversial Reproductive Health bill that promotes contraceptives.
The bishops noted that the church is not against population control if the sanctity of human life is protected. The CBCP endorsed natural family planning as one such birth control method.
They further recommended that government funding on contraceptives be directed towards anti-poverty, anti-hunger, and educational projects.
After gaining praise from Pope Benedict XVI, the Philippine Catholic hierarchy found more reason to oppose a proposed birth control measure.
Bishop Nereo Odchimar, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said the pope’s statement has encouraged them to fight the reproductive health bill despite a growing number of lawmakers backing it. He said the pontiff commended the church in the Philippines for its commitment to protect the sanctity of life.
“We are greatly encouraged by the words of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on the undertakings of the Church in the Philippines,” said Odchimar.
“Pope Benedict’s message to the first group of Philippine bishops affirms the CBCP’s staunch resolve to preach and stand up for the Gospel of life in season and out of season,” he said.
Odchimar also said the pope also thanked not only the Filipino bishops, priests and religious, but also the lay persons for working to promote a just social order.
Last Monday (Vatican time), the Pontiff hailed the members of the CBCP for its strong pro-life stance by continuously opposing bills that are against human life.
“I commend the Church in the Philippines for seeking to play its part in support of human life from conception until natural death,” said the Pope in his message to the first batch of Philippine Bishops in their visitatio ad limina apostolotum to the Holy See.
The first batch of bishops was composed of prelates coming from 30 pastoral jurisdictions in Metro Manila, and Central and Northern Luzon, set from Nov. 25 to Dec. 6.
Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has called for a stop on surveys on the Reproductive Health bill while the issue is still being debated by the lawmakers.
Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Commission on Family and Life, fears the surveys are being conducted to influence the decision of the lawmakers.
Castro also expressed concern that surveys are being conducted as a mind-conditioning strategy of those behind the controversial measure.
“We are appealing to them (surveying firms) not to be used to mindset legislators that majority of the people is for the bill… so that it will not cause undue influence to our legislators,” said Castro.
“It is our impression now that they are trying to influence our legislators,” he further said.
Castro made the statement after the result of Pulse Asia’s latest survey revealed that seven out of 10 Filipinos are in favor of the RH bill which seeks to promote contraception.
The poll shows that 69 percent of Filipinos support the measure, seven percent oppose it, while 24 percent are undecided.
The CBCP official, meantime, questioned the manner by which the survey was done by the polling firm.
“The question is: Did the questions tackle the bill’s provisions? Or was it a general question on whether they support it or not? It would be good to ask if the people they surveyed have already read the bill or not,” he said.
Here in Cagayan de Oro, in an effort to break the impasse and attain unity for the good of every Filipino in the light of the polarization of Philippine society caused by the controversial bill, dioceses in Mindanao with the help of the organization of German bishops, held a dialogue at the Xavier University Chapel last week.
“We know (the RH Bill) is a controversial issue, fueled more lately by the Pope’s pronouncement. It is imperative upon us to dialogue so we can appreciate more objectively the differing stands of the church and other pro-life groups,” said Jun CheeKee, one of the dialogue organizer.
The dialogue, according to CheeKee, was organized by the Philippine Misereor Partnership-Cagayan, Bukidnon, Surigao, Tandag and Malaybalay dioceses (PMP-CABUSTAM).
In another development, the Loyola School of Theology (LST) and the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJCICSI) jointly issued a paper on the RH Bill that was authored by Jesuits (Fr. Eric O. Genilo, S.J., Fr, John J. Carroll, S.J., and Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J.).
Entitled “Talking Points for Dialogue on the Reproductive Health Bill (HB 96; filed July 1, 2010),” the authors pointed out that “the polarization of Philippine society over the Reproductive Health Bill has been a source of discouragement and discontent among Filipinos. It is unfortunate that the debate has focused only on whether the Bill should be passed or rejected in its present form. Either option would not be good for Filipinos.”
According to the authors, passing the bill in its present form is “unacceptable” because of “serious flaws that can lead to violations of human rights and freedom of conscience.”
“Total rejection of the Bill, however, will not change the status quo of high rates of infant mortality, maternal deaths, and abortions. It is a moral imperative that such dehumanizing conditions should not be allowed to continue,” they said.
Frs. Genilo, Carroll and Bernas stressed that a third option, which is “critical and constructive engagement” is needed.
“By working together to amend the objectionable provisions of the Bill and retain the provisions that actually improve the lives of Filipinos, both the proponents and opponents of the Bill can make a contribution to protection of the dignity of Filipinos and an improvement of their quality of life,” they said. (Mindanao Current - Compiled from reports from CBCPNews and from Bong D. Fabe/CBCPNews/Cagayan de Oro)
Pope Benedict XVI praised efforts of the Filipino bishops in blocking any attempts to promote contraception in the Philippines.
The pontiff said the Philippine Catholic leadership has reaffirmed its commitment to confronting any attack on the sanctity of life.
“I commend the Church in the Philippines for seeking to play its part in support of human life from conception until natural death, and in defense of the integrity of marriage and the family,” said Benedict XVI.
“In these areas you are promoting truths about the human person and about society which arise not only from divine revelation but also from the natural law, an order which is accessible to human reason and thus provides a basis for dialogue and deeper discernment on the part of all people of good will.”
Benedict XVI made the statement upon receiving in audience a group of Filipino prelates at the end of their five-yearly “ad limina” visit in Rome on November 29.
Church leaders are currently under a head on collision with proponents and supporters of the controversial Reproductive Health bill that promotes contraceptives.
The bishops noted that the church is not against population control if the sanctity of human life is protected. The CBCP endorsed natural family planning as one such birth control method.
They further recommended that government funding on contraceptives be directed towards anti-poverty, anti-hunger, and educational projects.
After gaining praise from Pope Benedict XVI, the Philippine Catholic hierarchy found more reason to oppose a proposed birth control measure.
Bishop Nereo Odchimar, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said the pope’s statement has encouraged them to fight the reproductive health bill despite a growing number of lawmakers backing it. He said the pontiff commended the church in the Philippines for its commitment to protect the sanctity of life.
“We are greatly encouraged by the words of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on the undertakings of the Church in the Philippines,” said Odchimar.
“Pope Benedict’s message to the first group of Philippine bishops affirms the CBCP’s staunch resolve to preach and stand up for the Gospel of life in season and out of season,” he said.
Odchimar also said the pope also thanked not only the Filipino bishops, priests and religious, but also the lay persons for working to promote a just social order.
Last Monday (Vatican time), the Pontiff hailed the members of the CBCP for its strong pro-life stance by continuously opposing bills that are against human life.
“I commend the Church in the Philippines for seeking to play its part in support of human life from conception until natural death,” said the Pope in his message to the first batch of Philippine Bishops in their visitatio ad limina apostolotum to the Holy See.
The first batch of bishops was composed of prelates coming from 30 pastoral jurisdictions in Metro Manila, and Central and Northern Luzon, set from Nov. 25 to Dec. 6.
Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has called for a stop on surveys on the Reproductive Health bill while the issue is still being debated by the lawmakers.
Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Commission on Family and Life, fears the surveys are being conducted to influence the decision of the lawmakers.
Castro also expressed concern that surveys are being conducted as a mind-conditioning strategy of those behind the controversial measure.
“We are appealing to them (surveying firms) not to be used to mindset legislators that majority of the people is for the bill… so that it will not cause undue influence to our legislators,” said Castro.
“It is our impression now that they are trying to influence our legislators,” he further said.
Castro made the statement after the result of Pulse Asia’s latest survey revealed that seven out of 10 Filipinos are in favor of the RH bill which seeks to promote contraception.
The poll shows that 69 percent of Filipinos support the measure, seven percent oppose it, while 24 percent are undecided.
The CBCP official, meantime, questioned the manner by which the survey was done by the polling firm.
“The question is: Did the questions tackle the bill’s provisions? Or was it a general question on whether they support it or not? It would be good to ask if the people they surveyed have already read the bill or not,” he said.
Here in Cagayan de Oro, in an effort to break the impasse and attain unity for the good of every Filipino in the light of the polarization of Philippine society caused by the controversial bill, dioceses in Mindanao with the help of the organization of German bishops, held a dialogue at the Xavier University Chapel last week.
“We know (the RH Bill) is a controversial issue, fueled more lately by the Pope’s pronouncement. It is imperative upon us to dialogue so we can appreciate more objectively the differing stands of the church and other pro-life groups,” said Jun CheeKee, one of the dialogue organizer.
The dialogue, according to CheeKee, was organized by the Philippine Misereor Partnership-Cagayan, Bukidnon, Surigao, Tandag and Malaybalay dioceses (PMP-CABUSTAM).
In another development, the Loyola School of Theology (LST) and the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJCICSI) jointly issued a paper on the RH Bill that was authored by Jesuits (Fr. Eric O. Genilo, S.J., Fr, John J. Carroll, S.J., and Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J.).
Entitled “Talking Points for Dialogue on the Reproductive Health Bill (HB 96; filed July 1, 2010),” the authors pointed out that “the polarization of Philippine society over the Reproductive Health Bill has been a source of discouragement and discontent among Filipinos. It is unfortunate that the debate has focused only on whether the Bill should be passed or rejected in its present form. Either option would not be good for Filipinos.”
According to the authors, passing the bill in its present form is “unacceptable” because of “serious flaws that can lead to violations of human rights and freedom of conscience.”
“Total rejection of the Bill, however, will not change the status quo of high rates of infant mortality, maternal deaths, and abortions. It is a moral imperative that such dehumanizing conditions should not be allowed to continue,” they said.
Frs. Genilo, Carroll and Bernas stressed that a third option, which is “critical and constructive engagement” is needed.
“By working together to amend the objectionable provisions of the Bill and retain the provisions that actually improve the lives of Filipinos, both the proponents and opponents of the Bill can make a contribution to protection of the dignity of Filipinos and an improvement of their quality of life,” they said. (Mindanao Current - Compiled from reports from CBCPNews and from Bong D. Fabe/CBCPNews/Cagayan de Oro)
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