Cardinal Prefect says Communion must be received Kneeling...ONLY!

Lima, Peru, Jul 28, 2011 / 01:56 pm (CNA).- Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera recently recommended that Catholics receive Communion on the tongue, while kneeling.

“It is to simply know that we are before God himself and that He came to us and that we are undeserving,” the prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said in an interview with CNA during his visit to Lima, Peru.

The cardinal’s remarks came in response to a question on whether Catholics should receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue.  [Why should the Holy See just STOP COMMUNION IN THE HAND and get this thing over with?]

He recommended that Catholics “receive Communion on the tongue and while kneeling.”

Receiving Communion in this way, the cardinal continued, “is the sign of adoration that needs to be recovered. I think the entire Church needs to receive Communion while kneeling.”  [And not surprisingly, the bashers of that dissident liturgy blog, run by a suspected sex abuser, continued their attack on the Spanish Cardinal.]

“In fact,” he added, “if one receives while standing, a genuflection or profound bow should be made, and this is not happening.”  [The cardinal is talking about the current liturgical laws stated in the GIRM of the OF Roman Missal.  And where are the world-renowned liturgists to remind us not to forget this?  Nah.]

“If we trivialize Communion, we trivialize everything, and we cannot lose a moment as important as that of receiving Communion, of recognizing the real presence of Christ there, of the God who is the love above all loves, as we sing in a hymn in Spanish.”

In response to a question about the liturgical abuses that often occur, Cardinal Canizares said they must be “corrected, especially through proper formation: formation for seminarians, for priests, for catechists, for all the Christian faithful.”

Such a formation should ensure that liturgical celebrations take place “in accord with the demands and dignity of the celebration, in accord with the norms of the Church, [not the norms of some quack liturgist from, You-Know-Where!  Or from the books written by You-Know-Who!] which is the only way we can authentically celebrate the Eucharist,” he added.

“Bishops have a unique responsibility” [uhm.  Not going to happen here as long as a Benedictine acts like a SUPER BISHOP in matters of the liturgy.] in the task of liturgical formation and the correction of abuses, the cardinal said, “and we must not fail to fulfill it, because everything we do to ensure that the Eucharist is celebrated properly will ensure proper participation in the Eucharist.”

***

Other who are against this or simply do not want to and tolerate the practice because they are more for receiving Communion standing either/or on the hand, argue that it is the internal disposition that counts and not the outward expression.

Well, folks, I beg to disagree...VEHEMENTLY.

Your outward disposition is the expression of an internal reality.  You express what you think and feel.  Nobody can see what is going on in your heart and mind, so we have our bodies to express it.  If you say you love God but hate your neighbor, you are a liar, so says St. John in one of his epistles.  You cannot say you love your parents, your siblings and even your spouse, but do not express or SHOW it, then what is left is nothing but lip service.

Don't get me wrong.  The question of internal disposition applies to both forms of receiving Communion, kneeling on the tongue, standing on the tongue, standing on the Hand.  Internal disposition is NOT at issue here.  What is at issue is what happens OUTSIDE, that which the others can SEE.

Many Church authorities, among them the Cardinal-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament and even the Pope himself, advocate the need to bring back the reverent practice of receiving Holy Communion, kneeling, because it is the RIGHT AND NOBLE THING TO DO.

Ironically, though, the very same people who advocate other liturgical abominations like the so-called Liturgical Dance. And the reasoning?  "We worship God with our bodies."

Huh?!

That maxim applies when it suits your agenda and liturgical bias?

And ironically, again, the world-renowned liturgist of the country DOES NOT WANT this practice.

Holy See: It's the parent's job!

Holy See Reminds UN of Parents' Right to Teach Sexuality
Says Families Cannot Shirk Responsibilities

NEW YORK, JULY 28, 2011 (Zenit.org).- U.N. policies on youth should respect parents' right to educate their children, including in the realm of human sexuality and "reproductive health," says the Holy See.  [The governments of the world including here in the Philippines give you the notion that parents are in no position to educate their children about these matters, well, because parents don't have the "degree".  Ring a bell to you?  No wonder snitches these days earn a killing!]

Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations, affirmed this today when he addressed the U.N. high-level meeting on youth.  [The Holy See is not a member of the UN but rather a permanent observer.]

"Each and every young person should be able to be brought up in an environment in which he or she is able to grow and learn, that is, in a community and society characterized by peace and harmony, free from all violence and discord. Each and every child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding," the archbishop affirmed. [In a family environment...  I am sure the Archbishop meant here a NATURAL family.]

The Holy See representative said that such an environment "will promote good and responsible citizenship that is essential to the common good of humanity."  [Having a wife and a pet dog as your "child" does not count as a family. Get that Humpty Dumpty?]


Moral responsibility and respect for others are learned in a family, Archbishop Chullikatt continued.  [And what that blob of fat did at the Cathedral show how his or her parents brought that thing up!]

"The family has an important role to play in educating children to develop all their faculties and in training them to acquire ethical and spiritual values and to be deeply attached to peace, liberty and the dignity and equality of all men and women," [Charity begins at home folks!] he stated. "The family, founded on the marriage between one man and one woman, is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and must be guaranteed protection by society and the state."  [BINGO!]

The 58-year-old prelate reminded the United Nations that "parents -- mother and father together -- have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of their children to help them become virtuous citizens and leaders."  [Why even government would want to meddle with this?]

"Parents cannot withdraw from this essential role," he said. [Essential and PRIMARY ROLE!]

And states, the prelate added, "are called, in conformity with international instruments, to respect the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents in this regard."

"Youth policies, programs, action plans and commitments approved by member states must respect fully the role of parents regarding their children's wellbeing and their education," the Holy See representative said, "including in the area of human sexuality and so-called 'sexual and reproductive health,' [which] should not include abortion."

***

Kudos to Archbishop Francis Chullikatt

Papal Nuncio to the US dies

 Please pause and say a prayer for the late Archbishop Pietro Sambi.

Read the sad news of his passing here.

Norway terrorist is NOT a Fundamentalist Christian

He does not even identify himself with a Christian sect.


***

Rome, Italy, Jul 27, 2011 / 05:55 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- An extensive online book written by Anders Behring Breivik criticizes Pope Benedict XVI for defending the rights of immigrants, especially Muslims.

In his manifesto, “2083—European Declaration of Independence,” Breivik calls Benedict XVI “God’s Rottweiler,” and accuses him of “embodying elements of the sensible and the silly Christian ways of treating the Islamic threat.

“Although Benedict has stressed the need for 'reciprocity' in Christian-Muslim relations and urged Islamic countries to ensure religious rights for Christian migrants, he has also said that Christians should continue welcoming Muslim immigrants with open arms,” Brievik wrote.

Breivik was arrested for detonating a car bomb at the government headquarters in downtown Oslo on July 22. That attack took the lives of eight people and injured many more.

Hours later he appeared at a youth camp for the children of the political Labour Party on Utoya Island. Dressed as a police officer, he began a shooting spree that killed 68.

Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist and representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, recently spoke with Vatican Radio and responded to reports labeling Breivik as a fundamentalist Christian.  [Imagine the glee of the atheists.]

Introvigne said it was ironic that Breivik’s book was posted online by a minister of the “Church of Satan,” which is legally recognized in Norway. He added that Breivik, who was baptized in the Lutheran Church of Norway, is not a fundamentalist Christian, but rather a ‘cultural Christian’ who uses the Christian heritage of Europe as a pretext for attacking Islam.”

The sociologist also pointed out that Breivik belongs to the Grand Masonic Lodge of Norway.

****

And Masons say they teach tolerance and acceptance!

Well, great banged up job with Breivik!

Well, if those atheists start pointing a finger at how "useless" religion is, start looking at Masonry.

The moral of the story?  A person is evil because he chooses to do so whether you believe in God or not.

And for atheists, great sampling here below!

Karl Marx

Leon Trotsky

Joseph Stalin

Pol Pot

Mao Zedong

Benito Mussolini

Ghastly!

I can still remember how the Queen reacted upon seeing the exhibit on Duchess Kate's gown.  Yup, I saw it on the news also.

And I reacted the same way after I read the first pages of this booklet, I said the very same thing the Queen said.

Be sure to check TPC in the coming weeks as I post excerpts from this Primer and analyze it based on the CCC and opinions of expert Latinists and liturgists.

***

PS:  I did not waste a single centavo for this copy.  I(t) was given to me.   I will never EVER buy this one.  And I was right all along not to spend my hard-earned money for this.

BE WARNED: Mark Bunag is NOT A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST!

I got wind that this man goes around asking for donations claiming to be a "Roman Catholic priest". Here is his Facebook profile.

Mark Robinson Bunag is a Catholic priest from the Philippines. He belongs to the Archdiocese of St. James in Penssylvania, (sic) USA. He also has previous experiences as a high school faculty, actor, pianist, and religious radio show cohost.

Some facts:

He was "ordained" by "Archbishop" Ramzi Muzallam, a "bishop" claiming to be in communion with Rome when in fact he and his group ARE NOT!

The Archdiocese of St. James in Pennsylvania is NOT A ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE.

Mark Bunag was suspected of something that the SNAP in the US and Ireland would love to get hold of. No pun intended.

The fact of the matter is. He is NOT IN COMMUNION WITH ROME.

Therefore, Mark Bunag is NOT A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST. He is NOT A ROMAN CATHOLIC because he joined a schismatic group.

So before you fall for his trap and donate your hard-earned money to his supposed ministry, think again!

I posted about this warning about this bogus here.

Monk's Hobbit also posted about him here.

You must not lead, if you don't know how to follow

From a fellow crusader of Life.

***

LEADERSHIP IS DISCIPLESHIP

Is it not odd that despite all the amount of time and money, wisdom and talent, that has been devoted to the study of leadership, the world seems to be in an endless quest for ideal leadership? Let us pause to reflect on the cumulative billions of dollars spent on development courses and training seminars, inspirational books and instructional videos to teach new and allegedly more effective styles of leadership. Can we truly say that the world today is better off with modern-day leaders? A quick scan of global headlines does not seem to suggest it -- from an unprecedented debt default facing the USA and European countries to widespread political instability in the Middle East and North African states; from the widening income inequality between rich and poor to the wanton degradation of the environment; from shocking scandals that destroy careers in sports, business and government to senseless crime and violence against innocents. Amidst the frightening breakdown in society’s morality, where is leadership?
Perhaps it is time to change our thinking and our ways about how we look at leadership. Perhaps the truth about inspiring and effective leadership lies not in searching for new and better leaders, but for better followers. Perhaps the truth is a paradox. That in plain and simple language and in no uncertain terms – indeed in one word, “Leadership is Discipleship”. The concept of “Leadership” derives from the Latin root word, “ducere” meaning “to guide”, while “Discipleship” evolved from the Latin root word “discere” meaning “to discern” and “to learn”. One cannot guide if one cannot learn. One cannot command if one cannot obey. Perhaps there is wisdom after all in that contradictory proverb pasted by a wise elementary teacher on our classroom bulletin board, “A good leader is a good follower.” But whom do we follow? The answer I offer I learned from my late father, “Only our Lord leads our life.”
As we close the first year under P-Noy’s leadership, let us honor him for his accomplishments, particularly in honesty and transparency. Let us uphold righteousness, but not self-righteousness. Let us embrace God-centered leadership but reject self-centered leadership. Let us heed the admonition of Jesus Christ to his disciples in Matthew 23:10, “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” This Gospel passage interchanges “leaders” with “teachers” because “education” also traces its etymological origin to “ducere”. So while the President continues to honor the Filipino people when he says, “kayo ang boss ko” may he also acknowledge “nguni’t ang Diyos ang boss nating lahat.” Mabuhay!

Willy E. Arcilla
Business Mentors, Inc.
willyarcilla@yahoo.com

***

Christ is the best example of a follower and a leader.

Because he best exemplified both: obedience to the will of His Father and showing His disciples how to do it.

Kudos and a hundred salakot tips to Sir Willy!

What theologians at SVST, MST and Euntes won't sign!

PRESS RELEASE: Catholic Clergy Disavow Disobedience

From the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy

Motivated out of the loving bond of brotherhood between all men in Holy Orders, the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (a national association of 500 priests and deacons) invokes fraternal correction on the 157 American priests who recently and imprudently signed a statement supporting Father Bourgeois’s “right to speak his conscience”. We charitably remind our brethren that this priest blatantly attended and participated in the invalid pseudo-ordination of a woman. Such actions risk the canonical penalty of excommunication and are injurious to the common good of the Mystical Body of Christ. We also admonish the dissident priests and deacons in Austria who signed the infamous "Call to Disobedience" and urge them to repent and recant.

Every deacon and priest takes the Oath of Fidelity before he is ordained and during the sacrament of Holy Orders he makes a solemn promise of obedience and respect to his bishop. Obedience to the Magisterium on doctrinal matters and obedience to the Hierarchy on disciplinary matters is not an option but an essential component of ordained ministry. As Catholic Clergy we are all commissioned by Christ to teach only what the Church teaches and to obey our lawful superiors in humility and fraternal charity. Espousing heretical teachings and/or defying legitimate ecclesiastical authority causes harm to the unity and welfare of the Bride of Christ. As brothers in Holy Orders, we pray for all deacons, priests and bishops that all of us can renew our promise of obedience and our oath of fidelity to better serve the Christian
faithful who deserve nothing less from us.

***

At the end of the day, these dissidents will tell you "Disobey the Pope and the bishops!"

But they are the REAL authorities.

So, who would we obey then? Who is the authority that we should listen to?

Them?

Nah. I'll take my chances with Peter.

You can be alone and still be happy.

I was watching a report about how that looney group fighting for a looney things called animal rights wanted the lone elephant of the Manila Zoo turned over an elephant sanctuary in the USA, supposedly because the animal is "lonely" and has "rights".

The lone guy who can go inside the elephant's cage was talking to the reporter and explained his points why the elephant can't be returned and that it is "happy" and not "lonely".

He shared how a group of nuns who was visiting the zoo asked him why the elephant is all alone. he asked them why they asked that question. the nun said because the animal is lonely and needs a mate and partner.

The quick witted man said something like: "Sister, you are alone. You don't have a mate. Are you lonely?"

The nun without saying a word, turned around and left in a huff.

Sister got served.

I was just wondering if the nun still believes in single blessedness.

:)

Was Mass facing the people envisoned by Vatican 2?

How interesting to see that even after Vatican II, the mind of the authorities implementing the changes regarding the orientation of the celebrant (whether facing the eastern wall of the church or facing the people) NEVER RECOMMENDED THAT THE WHOLE MASS BE CELEBRATED FACING THE PEOPLE.

***

To read the excellent discussion about ad orientem worhsip, which Pope Benedict XVI himself has done, visit the Filipino Roman blog.

This is the man behind the terror in Norway

Anders Breivik, in his freemasonry regalia. He was a member of St. John's Lodge in Oslo.

Maniple sightings

Kudos to Fr. Tim Finigan!

 

Nope.

The ordination was in the Ordinary Form.  And yes...

The archbishop is wearing his pallium...AS EXPECTED!  (Regular TPC readers would know what I am ranting about.)

And yes, dear folks, that little thing that you are seeing on the left arm of the ordinand is called a MANIPLE.

And yes, no matter what some liturgists tell you, the Maniple was never abrogated.  There are conflicting opinions about this, but I see nothing wrong with a beautiful piece of liturgical clothing.

***

For more details about the ordination, visit His Hermenueticalness' blog.

For a more detailed discussion about the Maniple, click here.

RIP: Manny Amador

 A brother in the pro-life movement...

Will be dearly missed...

Rest in peace Brother Manny!

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!

REQUIEM aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei). Requiescat in pace. Amen.

***

You can visit his blog here.

Reform of the reform sightings in the Philippines

Shared to me by various readers of TPC.

The influence of Benedict XVI...

The Cathedral of the Holy Name, Archdiocese of Cebu

Co-cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan

Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, Diocese of Calbayog

Our Lady of Grace Parish Church, Diocese of Caloocan

Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy, Diocese of Cubao

Jesus the Divine Healer Parish, Diocese of Parañaque

And my favorite one of all!

Cathedral - Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Archdiocese of Manila

No folks, the servers holding the six torches did not stand there for the whole duration of the Mass.

Manila does not want any candles or an altar cross.   You don't put candles on a TABLE and you don't put a cross in the middle.  It obscures your view of the priest.

Yup, look at him...instead of worhsip HIM.

And I thought Manila has a world-renowned liturgist who....

You get the drift.

And I even don't have to study at Paul VI, or at MST or Euntes or SVST to know that. 

Ha!

***

PS:  I hope that what our priests are doing in the reorientation of the sacred in the public celebration of our Liturgy expresses our deep faith as Catholics and our deep longing to bring back the sense of the sacred into our public worship.

I hope that this is not a momentary political ploy like dancing to what the fiddler plays...at the moment!

Remember that this altar arrangement has been in existence for hundreds of years until Antiquarinists of San Beda and Paul VI insists otherwise.  They always bark at you to go back at the Last Supper.

Really?

Where are the Lamb and bitter herbs?

A wrong understanding to what the Mass REALLY IS would lead to a lot of liturgical abuses and innovations and eventually to a loss of faith.

A time when Knighthood really matters!

Please don't ask me. I am at the end of my patience with how the Supreme Council is taking all these things sitting down.

Beautiful Churches are signs of God's presence on earth

A beautiful follow-up to what I just posted.

***

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, JULY 17, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that beautiful cathedrals and abbeys are "striking signs" of God's presence on earth, and he is inviting the faithful to share the ideal of those who built them.  [The beauty we see in our churches reflects an iota of the beauty we are to expect in Heaven.]

The Pope made this invitation today when he addressed French-speaking pilgrims who had gathered at the summer papal residence to pray the midday Angelus.

The Holy Father referred to the time of vacation as a moment "for cultural and spiritual enrichment."

"Through the innumerable places and monuments that you visit, you can discover the beauty of that universal patrimony that refers us to our roots," he suggested.  [The Holy Father alludes to our past which modernists and liturgical revolutionaries so deride.  They would want you to think that after Vatican 2, we reset everything to how it was back in the days after the Pentecost.  Yeah, right.  Ask them to wear togas all day long.]

The Pope made this invitation: "Be attentive in allowing yourselves to be swept up by the beautiful ideal that inspired the builders of cathedrals and abbeys, when they built these striking signs of the presence of God on our earth. May that ideal become yours and may the Holy Spirit, who sees the depth of hearts, inspire you to pray in these places, rendering thanks and interceding for humanity of the third millennium!"

***

This one here in the Philippines is beautiful

San Agustin Church, Intramuros

That is why a lot of people go here.  It attracts tourists, weddings and idiots...

trying hard to make us believe that he is not a sodomite.

And then compare it with this one.

Makes you look for King Tut, huh?

As what I have said before, they will always give the rubbish reason about the simplicity of Christ's life as the reason for the design.

Do we follow this reasoning when we design our churches?  Was it triumphalism behind the great churches and abbeys of Europe or was it an expression of their gratitude to the Lord as a love offering and as a reflection of that heavenly beauty we hope to see someday?

This will be definitely off line but here is what I found out based on experience.

Liturgists who insist on "simplicity" in the liturgy and who shun the traditional and the majestic in liturgical art are oftentimes the ones who live luxurious lifestyles.

Take it from someone who lived with these liturgists.

First hand experience folks!

It's because of democracy...

*belch!*

Well sorry for that.

There is a reason why...

***

From CathnewsPhil...

***

ALTAR rails or communion rails are making a comeback for all the right reasons.  [and they were destroyed all for the wrong reasons!]

“First, the Holy Father is requiring holy Communion from him be received on the knees. Second, it’s part of our tradition as Catholics for centuries to receive holy Communion on the knees. Third, it’s a beautiful form of devotion to our blessed Lord,” said Father Greg Markey of Norwalk, Conn. [and LITURGISTS want Communion in the Hand because of hygiene and it is more 'ancient' which in fact they cannot substantiate.]

James Hitchcock, professor and author of Recovery of the Sacred (Ignatius Press, 1995), thinks the rail resurgence is a good idea. The main reason is reverence, he said. “Kneeling’s purpose is to facilitate adoration,” he explained. [and in a more practical note, altar rails prevent anyone from just coming in and out of the sanctuary.  This works in Manila Cathedral.  And, in the case of St. Peter's Church in Commonwealth, Quezon City, since there are no altar rails, anyone, after Mass, comes up to the sanctuary, touches the Tabernacle, which is located on a side, touches a piece of rock from the Holy Land, which is not even a classified and verified relic.  By the way the former parish priest, Fr. Gerry Tapiador, known Biblical expert placed it there.  I went to Sunday Mass there just once, and it was a complete circus!]

They may be returning, but were altar rails supposed to be taken out of sanctuaries?  [And that one too!  That is the one that should be removed.  Nothing sexist but women have better roles in the Church other than being altar servers.]

“There is nothing in Vatican II or post-conciliar documents which mandate their removal,” said Denis McNamara, author of Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy (Hillenbrand Books, 2009) and assistant director and professor at the Liturgical Institute of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill.

Cardinal Francis Arinze strongly affirmed this point during a 2008 video session while he was still prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: “The Church from Rome never said to remove the altar rails.”

So what happened?

“Unfortunately, democratic ideas came into the situation after Vatican II,” Hitchcock said.

Architect Duncan Stroik points some out of these ideas: a general iconoclasm that rejected the past, a desire to make churches into gathering spaces more like Protestant meeting houses, and the argument that kneeling is a sign of submission, which is seen as disrespectful to the modern person – we didn’t kneel before kings and queens, so it was more “democratic” not to kneel.  [In a word, MODERNISM, in art and in the Faith.  Our churches show the Faith and devotion of the bishop, priest and even laity who designed the building!]

Added McNamara: “Some people called them ‘fences’ which set up division between priest and people.”

***

The Lord works in mysterious ways isn't it?

Decades after the wrecknovation frenzy after Vatican II, what was lost is now being found!

Pray for Benedict XVI for him to reign for more glorious years to come.

Modernists hate him.

And that includes the devil.

Commemorating Humanae Vitae

From the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life

***

Dear Family and Life Warriors,

In the 60’s, due to the sexual revolution, problems of overpopulation and economics had arisen, making it needful for Paul Paul VI to address the issues of birth control. Pope Paul VI took a stand on July 25, 1968 in an encyclical known as Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life).

[This year, we will be celebrating the 43rd anniversary of Humanae Vitae (HV) with various activities in the Catholic Church, beginning tomorrow July 19, (Schedules as outlined further below this page,
after the highlights of HV)]

Highlights of HV are as follows:
1) "Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents."

2) “Married love is a very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, without undue reservations or selfish calculations. Whoever truly loves his marriage
partner loves not only for what he receives, but for the partner's self, rejoicing that he can enrich his partner with the gift of himself."

3) “… one is not the master of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator. Just as man does not have unlimited dominion over his body in general, so also, and
with more particular reason, he has no such dominion over his specifically sexual faculties, for these are concerned by their very nature with the generation of life, of which God is the source.”

4) It is held that the sexual act must "retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life", and the "direct interruption of the generative process already begun" is unlawful.  Abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, is absolutely forbidden, as is sterilization, even if temporary. Similarly, every action specifically intended to prevent procreation is forbidden. All these are held to directly contradict the moral order.

5) Therapeutic means which induce infertility are allowed, if they are not specifically intended to induce infertility. Natural Family Planning are allowed, since they take advantage of "a faculty provided by nature."

6) The dangers of artificial methods of contraception are outlined: by allowing sex without consequences, moral standards would fall.

Our Mother Church will celebrate HV's 43rd year, with the following activities:

A. July 19, simultaneous CBCP Humane Vitae Forums at the Adamson University Gym and USTChapel. 2PM;

B. July 25:
1) 7AM Mass by Bp Tobias, at the St Peter's Church in Commonwealth Ave, QC. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed after until 5PM;

2) 9AM Mass by Bp Pabillo, in Santuario de San Jose, Greenhills to be followed by a Soul of the State of the Nation Address at the Club Filipino.

LET THIS BE A WEEK OF PRAYER AND FASTING FOR THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF OUR LEGISLATORS AGAINST THE ANTI-LIFE BILLS (RH AND DIVORCE).

May God, the Author of life, bless all our efforts. And may Mary, Queen of the Family and Mediatrix of All Grace, protect all human life.


Blessings and prayers,

Rev. Fr. Melvin Castro

***

Just one reaction...

The Vincentians are not against HUMANAE VITAE?!?!?!

SVST is this true?!?!?!

"Wrap your mantle around us dear Mother!"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, JULY 17, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today noted that the scapular is a "particular sign of union with Jesus and Mary."

The Pope commented on the use of this devotion when he addressed Polish-speaking pilgrims gathered at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo to pray the midday Angelus.

Saturday was the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the feast to which the scapular is linked. Simon Stock, general superior of the Carmelite Order, received the scapular in 1251, during an apparition of the Virgin, when she promised special assistance in life and in death to all those who wear it with devotion.  [You would never hear liberals talk about this when they celebrate this Feast.  IF they celebrate it since it is an Optional Memorial in the Calendar!]

The word scapular originally referred to a form of clothing, which monks wore when they were working. [An apron used by the cloistered religious.] The scapular came to symbolize Carmelite devotion to Mary; the devotion developed over time so that today, the scapular has various forms.

Benedict XVI referred to wearing the scapular as a "particular sign of union with Jesus and Mary."

"For those who wear it, it is a sign of filial abandonment to the protection of the Immaculate Virgin," he said. "In our battle against evil, may Mary our Mother wrap us in her mantle."  [How beautiful!]

The Holy Father's praise of the scapular while he was greeting the Polish pilgrims brings to mind his predecessor's own devotion to the scapular.

Blessed John Paul II spoke about the sign on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 2003. The Polish Pontiff said: "Even I, from my youngest days, have worn around my neck the scapular of Our Lady and I take refuge with trust under the mantle of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus."  [Blessed John Paul wore the scapular even under his clothing while he was pope.  He even insisted to the surgeons operating on him after the failed assasination attempt, that he be operated while the scapular was on him.  He does not want it off!]


***

Remember our past posts about the Brown Scapular in the life of Blessed John Paul II and an actual miracle of a man who was saved by the Brown Scapular.

Clerk quits job than compromise her beliefs!

Courtesy of Politico.com

***

A rural New York town clerk has resigned her post rather than grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. [the aftermath of the same sex cohabitation being confused with the natural and sacred marriage.]

“I would be compromising my moral conscience by participating in licensing same-sex couples,” Laura Fotusky, the clerk of the Town of Barker, told POLITICO. “I had to choose between my job and my god.” [I am sure she meant it with a big G.]

Fotusky, a 56-year-old twice-elected Republican in the town of about 2,700 people about 10 miles north of Binghamton, posted her resignation letter to the Web site of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, a group that describes itself as “dedicated to influencing legislation and legislators for the Lord Jesus Christ.”  [So it was really not a small "g".]

Fotusky, whose resignation is effective July 21, three days before legal gay marriage takes effect in New York, said she has no plans after she leaves her office, which paid $24,205 last year.  [She is sacrificing a lot for her beliefs.]

“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” she said. “I just knew that I needed to obey God.”

Fotusky follows in the footsteps of Barbara MacEwen, the town clerk in Volney, N.Y., who said last month she was determined not to grant any gay marriage licenses. MacEwen ultimately relented and said she would arrange for deputy clerks to sign the documents.

Fotusky quoted the Bible in her resignation letter, writing, “The Bible clearly teaches that God created marriage between male and female as a divine gift that preserves families and cultures. “Since I love and follow Him, I cannot put my signature on something that is against God.”


***

God bless Laura!  As St. Paul wrote in Romans "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose."

An e-copy of her resignation letter is available for viewing and download here.

Such laws force a person to obey a law which is immoral and unnatural.  What would rights advocates have to say then that a person is forced to obey something against his will in order to give someone his perceived 'right and privilege'.  Don't get me wrong.  I am for the equal rights of ALL people, no matter their sexual orientation.  But for you to tell me that homosexuals enjoy the same sexual and parental rights as those of the traditional and (whether you like it or not) natural family and a married couple, then hey, you'd be sure I would not be silenced about this.

THIS IS NON NEGOTIABLE!


HOMOSEXUAL COUPLES CO-HABITATING CAN NEVER EVER BE CALLED A MARRIED COUPLE NOR ADOPTING OR HAVING A CHILD THROUGH A SURROGATE WILL NEVER MAKE THAT COUPLE WITH A CHILD A FAMILY!


UN-NATURAL, IMMORAL, NON NEGOTIABLE!

And I am pretty sure there will be brave souls here in the country who would do the same if the RH Bill becomes a law.

Church continues fight against Bills of Death and Immorality

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic bishops are ramping up activities to oppose the passage of a controversial birth control measure a full week before President Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Msgr. Juanito Figura, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines secretary general, said the Catholic Church is preparing several activities to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Humanae Vitae, the landmark encyclical by Pope Paul VI that deals with the Church’s uncompromising stand on birth control.


Since the date of the anniversary -- July 25 -- falls on the SONA, the celebration will be held in advance. [ain't that a happy coincidence?]

“We’ll be doing activities a week before that just to stay away from the SONA,” said Figura.

Aside from Humanae Vitae, the Church is also marking the 20th anniversary of Familiaris Consortio (The Role of Christian family), an apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II. The document describes the church’s position concerning the meaning and role of marriage and the family, and outlines challenges towards realizing that ideal.  [and they hate that also.]

The apostolic exhortation also defines marriage "as a personal union in which the spouses reciprocally give and receive." [Oooo... homosexuals fighting for 'marriage' can misquote this.  Beware!]

The document restates the opposition to artificial birth control stated earlier in Humanae Vitae, and mentions opposition to abortion.

During the bishops’ plenary assembly last week, Pope Benedict XVI urged them to continue protect the sanctity of life and marriage.

CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar earlier said that they will continue to speak out against the Reproductive Health bill as this is their duty to the people.

“We are the last bastion standing against the RH bill, divorce and now there is also the possibility of same-sex marriage and we won’t be surprised if after that would come euthanasia,” he said.

***

Beware when you talk with Catholic bashers.  They will misquote Church documents and even say that the Church's stand on contraception only became 'official' after Humanae Vitae.  Read the encyclical and you'll see that that is not true!

14. Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. (14) Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary. (15)

Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—whether as an end or as a means. (16)

Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a greater one, or that such intercourse would merge with procreative acts of past and future to form a single entity, and so be qualified by exactly the same moral goodness as these. Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good," it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it (18)—in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general. Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong.

Incubus: The Rock Band or...

 The rock band Incubus is coming to Manila for a night of concert.

Have you wondered where they got their name?

A quick Wikipedia later...

An incubus (nominal form constructed from the Latin verb, incubo, incubare, or "to lay upon") is a demon in male form who, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have intercourse with them. Its female counterpart is the succubus. An incubus may pursue sexual relations with a woman in order to father a child, as in the legend of Merlin. Religious tradition holds that repeated intercourse with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, or even death.

Just wondering... why would you name your group with a rapist demon?

PS: Catholic Exorcists, based on the cases they have encountered, say that those who possessed often times are fans of heavy metal groups.

Incubus, named after a demon, heavy metal music.

Follow this sign!

And more importantly, this one!

The One being symbolized by the image Who speaks through the one holding His Image!

Re-evangelization of Europe begins

Vatican City, Jul 12, 2011 / 02:39 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization unveiled a new project today to re-evangelize some of Europe’s major cities.

“The goal is simple: to give a sign of unity among the diverse dioceses present in the largest European cities that have been particularly affected by secularization,” wrote Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the council’s president, in the July 12 edition of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.

Archbishop Fisichella chaired a summit of bishops from a range of European cities who met at the Vatican July 11 to discuss the proposed project.

The bishops came from Barcelona, Budapest, Brussels, Cologne, Dublin, Lisbon, Liverpool, Paris, Turin, Warsaw and Vienna. The scheme is being described as a “metropolitan project.”  [the choice of cities is really telling.]

“At the moment, the initiative is limited to some of the larger European dioceses in order to more concretely test its effectiveness,” said Archbishop Fisichella, suggesting that it could be rolled out in other cities around the globe if it is found to be successful.

The initiative will take place in Lent 2012 and will be based at each city’s cathedral, which will host a range of activities.  [Like how parish missions were done before especially after the French Revolution.]

Events planned thus far are: a continual reading of the Gospel, the local bishop teaching young people, families and those converting to Catholicism, the promotion of confession, and a charitable initiative of some form. Archbishop Fisichella also mentioned an event that will be both spiritual and cultural in character, such as reading from the Confessions of St. Augustine.  [And I hope more solemn liturgical celebration and enough of those Meal / Fellowship trash!]

“These initiatives will begin in the cathedral because of its important symbolic significance, but the intention is to extend them to the parishes of the dioceses for a more direct impact in the territory,” he said.

According to Archbishop Fisichella, the metropolitan missions will be aimed at those who live the faith but often do so in a way that “lacks an awareness of how this can infuse their lifestyle.” [like some priests and nuns I know, Ha!]  The missions also hope to engage those who are far from the faith, but are “nonetheless attracted by the person of Jesus Christ.”  [Well, fprget the atheist.  They are angier at Christ than any religious figure, like Mohammad because they are too chicken to criticize the 'prophet'. Bah!]

The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization was established in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. He said he wanted it to “promote a renewed evangelization” in traditionally Christian countries which are living through a “progressive secularization of society and a sort of ‘eclipse of the sense of God.’”

***

We have blogged before how the liturgy can bring people closer to God and how it can even drive them afar.

We encounter the Divine through the Liturgy and if we just rediscover our Catholic heritage and most especially our Faith through the Liturgy (lex orandi, lex credendi), then we will see the rebirth dreamt of at the start of Vatican II.

Well, not the circus that followed it.

Hypocrite!

I'll tell you why later.

***

The bishops don’t get it
by Jun Mercado, OMI

The recent controversy involving the ‘7 Pajero bishops’ has struck the nation with great embarrassment. [see what an idiot this guy is.] The real issue is not whether the so-called gifts are ‘unlawful or anomalous or unconstitutional’.  [Huh?  Wasn't that the point raised by the PCSO and the COA?  Who are you to say that that is not the real issue?  That is the thing that was thrown at them by the two government agencies.  That is why the Senate called an inquiry.]

The continued defensive actions and claims that followed clearly show how far off the mark the bishops are. They continue to miss the real issue in the controversy. No doubt, the SUVs are not for personal and private use; the PCSO gifts are for the social and charitable ministries of church; and the gifts are legal and constitutional.  [Wow!  Thanks for that no-brainer!]

The real tragedy in the said controversy is the fact, ‘wala get mo, sila’. Our ‘excellencies’ have remained, in the language of an Inquirer editorial, ‘clueless’.  [Just like the PDI and...you!]

'Receiving the fund from the PCSO is NOT the real issue, the crux of the matter is the fact that PCSO donations did not happen within a vacuum, as a happy case of happenstance, with no strings attached and no payback expected.'  [And Mercado is so sure about this.  But look who's talking?  I'll tell you later.]

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz is quoted to have said that it was 'impossible' for President Arroyo to accommodate the bishops without some quid pro quo. 'Kapag humingi ka sa gobyerno, nakatali ang kamay mo.'

The payback required was the silence of their 'excellencies'.  [You can see that there is an insult behind this reference on excellencies.]

'When the nation needed the moral strength and clarity of the Church as the Arroyo administration lurched from one outrageous impropriety to the next,' there was SILENCE! The bishops’ silence was, indeed, deafening and the PCSO gifts of SUVs clearly come into real perspective. It was around this time, also, that the derisive sobriquet: the 'Malacañang Dioceses' came to existence.  [And where were you went Misuari was robbing the coffers of ARMM, huh.  Oh yeah!  Partying with him.]

Now, ‘get mo na’!  [No, hindi pa.]

There is nothing illegal in the gifts. There is nothing unconstitutional about the gifts. And there is nothing unlawful about the gifts. [But this is the argument launched by the anti-Catholics and by PCSO and Malacañang.] But mind you, there is a PAYBACK time for the gifts! It is no free ride, Virginia!

Again in another editorial, St. Thomas More’s famous quote against his perjurer was artfully conjured… 'Ah! What profits a man to gain the whole world… but for pajeros, your Excellencies?' [What will you profit Jun Mercado...but for PANSIN?  And the budget of IAG?  Uyyy.,,,aminin!  Wag plastik!  Kurakot ka din.]

But in a more worldly scale of power and gold, an SUV gift is, indeed, a real bargain for a price of silence and cooperation of a bishop. PGMA was noted for giving generous gifts and envelopes knowing full well that for each SUV and envelope, there is a payback! [*belch*]

It was a no mean feat that she survived her nine years of presidency notwithstanding the issues of legitimacy of succession; the Hello Garci scandal; NBN and Fertilizer scams; and that is simply to name a few. For 7 Pajeros? That is super cheap! ‘Kuha mo?’  [Idjit!  He kept on insisting in the Pajeros when in fact there is no Pajero given.]

The CBCP’s letter is a hodge-podge apology of two strands. The first strand consists of the first five paragraphs revealing that the writers have remained 'clueless' about the whole issue of SUVs. These are well-couched paragraphs, on the main, an apologia pro vita sua. The last paragraph is a stand-alone and it reveals that there is a saving grace notwithstanding the attempt to justify. [How he can even do an analysis of the Pastoral Letter which this PhD holder of an Idjit, yup he has a PhD, did not even bother to know that there were NO PAJEROS GIVEN!]

The last paragraph could have been THE letter: short and 'pointed' devoid of any pretense and finally addressing the real issue involved in the SUVs as it quotes Psalm 51: 'a humbled and contrite heart' as they stand before the Lord that in the secret of their hearts, they may be taught God’s wisdom. Finally, 'KUHA NA!' [Look who's talking!]

***

I know this guy.

He loves to claim to have done lots of things when in fact he is nothing but plain talk.  A noisy gong, a clanging cymbal.

He also loves to tell people that he is friends with the influential and the powerful, when the truth of the matter is, he just met them casually at an event.

I know what he did and what he does in Cotabato.

He enjoyed the protection of Fidel Ramos when the man with the tobacco was president.  He ran a university in absentia and reported that the university is "A Ok" when in fact he mismanaged it and the university operating under a ton of debt!

He should be dragged into the cases against former MNLF chairman and ARMM governor Nur Misuari.  He is to blame how the peace process is not progressing in Mindanao.

That is who this man is, a CHARLATAN and a JOKE!

And he has the audacity to question the motives of the bishops, one of which is his brother in his own congregation, no other than Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, OMI of Cotabato Archdiocese.

Now you know the character of this man.

If you want to see the face of a Pharisee, self-righteous, always seeking attention..A WHITEWASHED TOMB...

You are looking at him!

She is really not allowed in San Agustin

Idjit!

You think San Agustin would go out of your way to INFORM you that YOU are UNDESIRABLE NUMBER 1 to 1,000,000?! Hurt my feeling ka dyan!  Utot mo!

It is not the higher ups, but the Augustinians themselves who banned you from a PRIVATELY owned place.  The museum is still owned by the Augustinians, you moron!

I guess she does not know what a pastoral edict is also.

Idjit!

The vehicle Archbishop Quevedo of Cotabato got from PCSO

The officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the spokesmen of Pres. Aquino call it "Mitsubishi Pajero".  The vehicle shown here is being used by the Archdiocese to help Muslim and Christian residents of the city who were affected by the massive flooding caused by water hyacinths clogging the Rio Grande de Mindanao.  It was used to give potable water to the residents.

And the ilk of Carlita Celdran and the Filipino FreeDumbers and Catholic-bashing-atheists (who turned atheists to look smart) call these vehicles "luxury vehicles".

Was I living under a rock for a while and I did not realize that Mitsubishi motors released a van named Pajero?  And when was riding in a van a luxury?

PCSO and presidential spokesmen...bunch of idiots.

Carlita..FreeDumbers...atheists, pray to your Almighty Brain.  Oh, it cannot answer you!  It just had a massive hemorrhage trying to think which is which.

Philippine Daily Inquirer...still collecting PR checks.

Damn you!

***

Say what did those bishop bashing Carlita and the FreeDumbers and atheists did during the time the people of Cotabato were suffering?

Carlita some said was "homo-ing" in Canada.

Wow!  Great service!

Which translation to use?

Which English Translation to Use Abroad


ROME, JULY 12, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

Q: At least two new English translations of the Roman Missal will be put into use this year. England and Wales will implement their translation in September; the United States will implement its in November. My question regards which translation should be used for Masses in English when celebrating in Rome. Are the translations the same? Is one to be preferred? -- J.M., Rome

A: Although this question specifically refers to Rome, which has some special characteristics, its scope is wider than the Eternal City. It is of interest in all places where Mass in English is celebrated in countries where English is not an official liturgical language.  [there is an official liturgical language for each country?  I thought after Vatican 2, the lingua franca or national language of the country IS the language of choice for the liturgy.  Well, if you call that "official liturgical language"...]

By the end of the current year most native English-speaking countries will have introduced the new translation of the Roman Missal.

In English-speaking countries, and in countries that use English in the liturgy as a common second language, the bishops' conferences either publish their own missal or determine which version is to be used. These countries roughly correspond to the full and associate members of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). [Pronounced like "I sell"] The full members are: Australia, Canada, England and Wales, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Scotland, South Africa and the United States. Associate members are: the Antilles, Bangladesh, CEPAC (Pacific Islands), Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia-Singapore, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. With rare exceptions, only the approved Missal is permitted for use within the country.  [We use the US approved Missal here in the Philippines for Masses said in English.]

For all other countries a priest who celebrates Mass in English may use any approved version of the new English-language missal.

Exceptions to this general rule of thumb would be Masses celebrated in embassies, extraterritorial military bases, or the various national colleges in Rome which naturally use the missal of their respective countries. They are also usually allowed to use the calendar and particular liturgical uses of the home country. Parishes set up to attend to the needs of particular nationalities may also do likewise.

At the same time, the differences in the versions are slight and on most days the missals would be perfectly interchangeable.

The differences between the missal of one country and another usually involve the particular adaptations of each bishops' conference to either the text of the missal, the liturgical calendar and the norms of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM).  [this is where you see the hand of Fr. A. and G.]

There are relatively few variations from one country to another in the ordinary of the Mass and in the texts that are common to the entire Church. Among variations approved for the United States are additional prayers for the penitential rite and allowing for the renewal of baptismal promises on Easter Sunday.

More common are the national propers: collections of orations and formularies for feasts and commemorations proper to each nation. Instances of such celebrations are St. George in England, St. Patrick in Ireland (as a solemnity), Our Lady Help of Christians in Australia, and special formularies for Independence Day in the United States. [Sto. Niño in the Philippines.]

Individual missals may also have texts for special celebrations such as the Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life, which can be celebrated on Jan. 22 in the United States.

Adaptations to the General Instruction also vary from country to country. Such variations are generally incorporated into the text of the GIRM itself prefixed with the phrase: "In the diocese of Country X." The United States has many adaptations regarding elements such as the choice of music for Mass, kneeling for the Eucharistic Prayer, standing for Communion, Communion under both kinds, materials for sacred furnishings and vessels, the vesture of lay ministers, the use of white for funerals and silver and gold for solemn feasts, and the use of instruments other than the organ for the liturgy. [ uhm. ]

Under normal circumstances such particular liturgical law is local and applies only to the country for which it has been approved.

One must usually follow the calendar of the country of celebration, irrespective of the language in which the Mass is celebrated. Thus using the Irish missal in Florence or Berlin does not convert St. Patrick's Day into a solemnity.

Nor do general permissions granted by the Holy See to a national conference travel with the missal. For example, it is always necessary to investigate the local norms regarding such things as the faculty to distribute Communion under both species, since these fall under the authority of the local bishop. [ this part here my friends makes one church unique with another, makes you to ask questions before you can participate more actively and consciously.  Before the liturgical revolution, when you attend Mass in whatever part of the world, it is all the same.  No need for asking questions for what feast or be surprised with whatever mumbo jumbo Price is Right or Barney entertainment we will see in the Mass.]

On the other hand, laws which simply codify existing customs but do not change the universal law may be followed. Thus U.S. citizens could continue to practice kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer during a European pilgrimage even though this might not be common practice in a particular country.

***

See how Fr. McNamara worded the last paragraph?  Kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer became optional, because there are bishop's conferences who want nothing of the reverence shown during the Consecration.  The act of adoration became optional.

Now you wonder why we have mocha and ube surplices?

Is it me or this thing just went into a food post?

PCSO denies tagging "pajero bishops"

The PCSO officials were grilled big time by the senators for who coming up with the term Pajero Bishops when there were no Pajeros given?  And why is the present PCSO giving donations to other denominations as well but they are not being investigated?

And to top it all off, the Commission on Audit did not mention anything about Pajeros?

This is what we call in journalism "keryente"

Guess the Presidential Spin Doctors are going gaga over how to rebound on this one.

Hey Inquirer!  Start thinking of a new game plan!

Read more here and here. 

Carlita Celdran stormed out of the Senate when she heard what the PCSO REALLY had to say, and not what she and us are hearing in the Pinoy Hell's Bible aka PDI.

And yeah, the Filipino FreeDumbers are pissed!

GULP Exam: Tons of Spot the Not

I'll leave the ranting to you guys.

Geez!

And to think that the priest here is the Diocesan Chancellor and the Diocesan MC!

Anyone who knows this priest can identify him.

I'll leave it up to you guys.

But this time, this exam would need to have you identifying the actual liturgical norm in the Church that this priest violated.

State it in your post or I'll think twice before I publish your comment.

I need to see if you learned.

Can't help it.  Teacher!

***

PS:  This happened in a Youth Rally or Mass or whatever in a Visayan City.  Thanks keb!

My take on the PCSO and CBCP donation fiasco

The CBCP has finally spoken about the issue.

***


MANILA, July 11, 2011—The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) apologized Monday as the Church is stung over allegations that some prelates received vehicles from a state-run lottery agency.

In a pastoral statement, the CBCP said the bishops involved in the controversy are willing to be investigated and accept responsibility for their action.

“… We are sorry for the pain and sadness that these events have brought upon you,” reads part of the statement read by outgoing CBCP President Nereo Odchimar in a press conference.

“We assure you that the bishops concerned are ready to accept responsibility for their action and to face the consequences if it would be proven unlawful, anomalous, and unconstitutional,” it said.

The Catholic hierarchy has been reeling under heat after the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) accused at least seven prelates of accepting vehicles from the agency.

The PCSO alleged that the vehicles were used by the past administration for political patronage at the time when calls for resignation had been hounding former President Gloria Arroyo.

The CBCP, however, maintained that the seven bishops’ request for vehicles from the PCSO “was done without malice.”

“Out of their sincere desire to help their people, they failed to consider the pitfalls to which these grants could possibly lead them,” Odchimar said.

The bishops also asked the public “to be slow in judgment” and to “conscientiously” seek the truth behind the scandal. “Let us seek the truth always in charity,” said Odchimar.

The pastoral statement titled “A Time of Pain, A Time of Grace,” was made after the CBCP’s three-day 103rd plenary assembly which ended Monday noon.

Among those present in the meeting were Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales of Manila, retired Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, and former CBCP head Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro.

Five of the seven bishops involved in the controversy were also present. They were: Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, Abra Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad, Bontoc-Lagawe Bishop Rodolfo Beltran and Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos.

The other accused, Archbishops Romulo Valles of Zamboanga and Ernesto Salgado of Nueva Segovia, did not attend the meeting. Salgado is reportedly in the US for an appointment.

The bishops admitted the issue “deeply wounded” the Church causing confusion among the Catholics “because of the apparent inconsistency of our actions with our pastoral preaching.”

“Some members of the Church believe in the innocence of the bishops involved in the issue, while others do not. There is no doubt that everywhere in the Church there is great sorrow,” they said.

The bishops then vowed it would “re-examine” the manner of their collaboration with government agencies for purposes of helping the poor “making sure that pastoral sensibilities are respected and the highest ethical standards are observed.” [So agree!]

“We express again our deep sorrow for the pain that the recent events have brought to you our beloved people. The good Lord knows our love for you,” they said. (CBCPNews)

***

Here is my take:

First, I believe ALMOST ALL of the bishops mentioned have good intentions for their requests save for one, who did not have the sense of propriety or in Tagalog delicadeza to even think twice in writing the former president for a brand new vehicle as a birthday gift.   The bishop in question might have the best of intentions but his method of asking leaves a bad taste in the mouth.  The CBCP might have mentioned that the seven bishops in question have no malice when they asked for it, but I beg to disagree since the letter of that ONE bishop clearly says that it is for a birthday gift.  If his intention was really for a vehicle for a charitable cause, isn't that a very good reason enough to request for one?  Why use his own birthday as reason for asking for the vehicle?  Again, delicadeza.

Second, the PCSO would like us to believe that it is ONLY some Catholic bishops who received donations from them.  Oh come on!  The INC did not get any from Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo?  Call me Johnny and kick me in the butt twice, but you won't let the little Jimmy make me believe that!  Has anyone asked who are the people in the TESDA nowadays?  And what church is benefitting from the programs of TESDA.  Google and look who is at the helm.  Take 1 and 1 together and presto!  You got the answer.  My parish just got a big NO from TESDA because it already has no funds.  Why?  Because Bishop Eddie has it all!  Will the PCSO reveal the names of other churches and the religious organizations who have received donations from them as well?  I don't think so.  The Palace cannot risk losing allies in the fight for the RH Bill to pass Congress.  And the easy prey in all of this is the Catholic Church.

At the end of the day, those spin doctors in the presidential palace think they can do a fast one against the Church with this issue.

Try harder!  The Church has been in existence for thousands of years.

New CBCP Leadership

MANILA, July 9, 2011- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines elected Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma as its President during the 103rd Plenary Assembly held at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center this city.

According to the CBCP Statutes, Palma will take position as the new CBCP President on December 1, 2011.

He will succeed Tandag Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar, who did not seek reelection.

Coming from the Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo, Palma was ordained to the priesthood on August 21, 1976 and named Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu on November 28, 1997. At age 47, he was ordained to the episcopacy and named bishop of the Diocese of Calbayog on January 13, 1999.

He became Archbishop of Palo on March 18, 2006 and later appointed Archbishop of Cebu on October 15, 2010.

Elected new CBCP Vice President is Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

Dumaguete Bishop John Du was elected Treasurer succeeding Cubao Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco.

The assembly also elected Msgr. Joselito Asis, then assistant secretary general and assistant treasurer, as Secretary General succeeding Msgr. Juanito Figura who will now return to the Archdiocese of Jaro.

***

Congratulations to the new leadership.

See a special pattern here on who got elected?

See those names pop up again in the next few weeks and months that would affect the leadership of the Church in the Philippines.

Atheism boosts your childish ego

One common thing I noticed with so called Freethinkers and atheists. They bamboozle you to make themselves look intelligent and you a complete dimwit. They worship science and math as their rule of life. But here is a simple question that they cannot answer, in answer to the so-called same sex "marriage", and this my folks is SCIENCE BASED that even an elementary pupil can answer:

DO LIKE POLES ATTRACT or BOND?

Pow!

Abortions soon to be illegal in Poland

So, a Catholic country is reversing its laws on abortion.

What do you have to say about that Hontiveros?