(Highlights of the Pastoral Letter by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Social Concerns read in a press conference July 10, 2006.For the full text, click here.)
In the light of the social doctrine of the church, we state the CBCP position on the following burning social issues:
The Family under siege:
We are deeply troubled by attempts of legislate or make a state policy ideas that tend to weaken or even destroy cherished religious values regarding the nature of life, the nature of marriage as union of man and woman, child bearing, the values formation of children, etc.
Such ideas are part of an orientation that is fundamentally secularistic and materialistic, separated from their religious and moral roots. We find them in pending bills about population, marriage and family, reproductive health, and sex education in schools.
The Filipino family is ill served by these developments. As the foundation of a civilization of life and love, the family is most seriously threatened. Therefore, Catholic lay groups as well as our Bishops’ Commission on Family and Life have made many public interventions about these and they shall continue to do so.
Charter Change
We reiterate what we said in January this year: Elections in 2007 must not be cancelled. The Church recognizes that in a democracy, power emanates from the people –i.e., that “the subject of political authority is the people considered in its entirety… This people transfers the exercise of sovereignty to those whom it freely elects… but it preserves the prerogative…[of] evaluating those charged with governing, and in replacing them when they do not fulfill their functions satisfactorily.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 395)
While we agree that certain aspects of our Constitution may need amendments and revisions, we do not support hasty efforts to change this fundamental law of the land without the widespread discussion and participation that such changes require. We continue to believe as we did our statement on Charter Change in 2003, that changing the Constitution involving major shifts in the form of government, requires widespread participation, total transparency, and relative serenity that allows for rational discussions and debate. This is best done through a Constitutional Convention. The reasons for constitutional change must be based on the common good rather than on self-serving interests or the interests of political dynasties.
Impeachment
We wish to make the CBCP position clear and unambiguous on the present impeachment plans:
1. We are undoubtedly for the search for truth. Therefore, in all sincerity, we respect the position of individuals or groups that wish to continue using the impeachment process to arrive at the truth.
2. But as Bishops reflecting and acting together as a body in plenary assembly, in the light of previous circumstances, we are not inclined at the present moment to favor the impeachment process as the means for establishing the truth. For unless the process and its rules as well as the mindset of all participating parties, pro and con, are guided by no other motive than genuine concern fro the common good, impeachment will once again serve as an unproductive political exercise dismaying every citizen and deepening the citizens’ negative perception of politicians, left, right and center.
Electoral Reform
We reiterate our call for a thorough reform of the Commission of Elections to restore trust in our electoral process. The call for registration or even prosecution of a number of the Commissioners should not be lightly brushed aside. The electoral process, including counting of votes, needs to be reformed and modernized before the next elections.
Extra-Judicial Killings
On extra-judicial killings, the CBCP stand is of long-standing. We have issued statements on this issue in the past. Needless to say, we join the outcry of groups that have denounced the increasing number of extra-judicial killings of journalists and social activists suspected as sympathizers of insurgents allegedly by some ultra-rightists elements in the military. But at the same time, we cannot close our eyes to the great number of extra-judicial killings that sometimes do not come to light in newspapers but are known to us in our dioceses. These are killings reported by our people as allegedly perpetrated by insurgents for various reasons such as agaw-armas operations, the failure to pay a revolutionary tax, or “blood-debt to the people.”
Those we also unequivocally denounce. The defense of human rights and of human dignity must itself be just. It has to be impartial, irrespective of religious belief or ideology.”
TO ALL;
Pakiusap lang, avoid attacking the church for their wisdom; we can disagree without being disagreeable. Let us be reasonable. Kung ang desisyon ng simbahan hindi natin kayang igalang ano pa kaya yun desisyon ng mararalitang Pilipino na hindi sasang-ayon sa gusto nyo?
Walang murahan at bastusan, please po!!!!
Sino ba ang nagmumura, Jefferson?
As you read TO ALL as a reminder, for sure marami na naman ang magpapadala sa emosyon. Katulad sa kabila meron nagmura pero marami parin pumansin, wag na lang pansinin yun mga bloggers na magaling magmura. Masayang isipin na pwede tayong magpalitan ng kuro-kuro ng hindi kailangan magmura! 😉
Inquirer: CBCP does not favor impeachment vs Arroyo. I am shocked! The impeachment process is a process wherein the accusations get answered, the truth get exposed and finally, the innocent gets exonerated. It is a chance for all to see that GMA is afterall innocent and deserves to be respected as our leader. It is a chance for all Filipinos to rally behind her as her government implement measures that will bring us to prosperity that has been long denied to us. Bakit hindi makita ng iba ang value ng chance na ito? Bakit ayaw nating alamin ang truth? Sayang na pagkakataon. Ayaw na ba nating umasenso? I am so shocked!
lakay read this between the lines;
For unless the process and its rules as well as the mindset of all participating parties, pro and con, are guided by no other motive than genuine concern fro the common good, impeachment will once again serve as an unproductive political exercise dismaying every citizen and deepening the citizens’ negative perception of politicians, left, right and center.
Maraming ambisyosonng pulitiko na makikisakay sa issue for political gains and mileage. Maganda nga sana kung matuloy ang impeachment na yan, pero alam ng lahat magiging marumi lang ang kalalabasan tulad ng nanyari kay Erap! Pano ba huhusgahan ang taong sa umpisa pa lang AY pinagpipilitan ng GUILTY?!
I am just a ordinary person with no political power nor wealth power nor religious position to influence, nay, to control the actuations of my fellow Pinoys. I pity myself for not being able to do so and do something positive for my country BUT I pity more those who are capable of doing but are doing nothing. Kawawa ang mga anak natin. We are a third country sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.
This latest CBCP Pastoral Statement came not as a surprise. For those who are aware of the CBCP’s antics, it’s expected. Like the Magdalo report and the Ombudsman resolution of the Comelec scandal, this CBCP letter was “water downed”. The warning posed by some concerned sectors that the Bishops could have been tempted to receive gifts from this cheater in Malacanang seems to have proven to be a little true. For who knows what negotiation and compromise were agreed behind the scene? More percentage of shares from Pagcor proceeds or what? Impeachment is a process; in fact, the only available legal option to know the truth. For CBCP to say they are not in favor but respect the rights of the individuals to proceed with it is another sign of hypocrisy. Which is which? The CBCP never gives a straight answer. Often, their decisions and announcements are vague…as vague as the church’s teachings and practices. If Cardinal Sin were still alive today; it might have been different. At the height of Sin’s popularity and influence, he was the CBCP. What he said was IT. With Cory now an enemy of this midget in the Palace, Sin was expected to be with Cory and could have joined the movement to oust this midget. But, the good Cardinal has died…died with his sins. Wherever he is, I hope he does something about this. If it’s necessary that his ghost haunts the midget in Malacanang, please do so before it’s too late.
Such hypocrisy! CBCP all they want was for the truth to come out which is the reason they as a group supported in impeaching Bogus Gloria Arroyo. So, they say. But, like everything else in the Philippines has its own price and can be bought including integrity, honesty, etc. CBCP are no exception and they’re the poor example or model to follow. It once again, Philippines where evils always triumph over good. So, it’s not so surprising that the CBCP changed their behavior after a party in Malacanang. All it took was to be invited to the house of the people and some Rice and Adobo, among other things. Impeachment process is constitutionally part of the legal venue as we all know, and their are no other legal mean to search for the truth of Hello Garci, fertilizer scam, election cheating, et al for as long as Gloria remain in power. I wish their are ther way of saying it, but CBCP are also the cause of the many problems in the Philippines. They’re exacerbating the problems ever larger than helping rid of them. Cardiinal Sin was a very good example. Either preach the good book or be a politician – can be both.
CBCP dumps impeach after Palace dinner-meet
By Marie A. Surbano
All it took to woo the bishops were Malacañang dinners hosted by President Arroyo for the prelates for them, as a body, to state in their pastoral statement that they are not in favor, at the present time, the mode of impeachment as a means of “establishing the truth” for which the bishops claimed to be continuously and “relentlessly” pursuing.
At the same time, other bishops admitted that they did meet and dined with the President, and even discussed political matters with her while confirming that there was the continued offer by Malacañang for continued largesse for the bishops, such as the Botica ng Bayan and Bigasan ng Bayan projects. The bishops, however, claimed that these offers should not be considered as bribes or gifts for Mrs. Arroyo to win over the bishops critical of the administration.
*** Nakuha uli sa pagkain at dinner ang mga obispo. Siyempre may kasamang mga sobre. Paaalisin ba sila ni Pandak na walang pabaon. Expect more Catholics to leave the church again…
Isang subo lang pala ng litson at pansit bumaliktad na ang CBCP. Magaling talaga si ate Glue.
Ellen,
I’ve always been opposed to a congregation of bishops in the country, Catholics or not, who are taking a strong stand on issues that are completely political in nature only to say nothing. We certainly don’t want a repeat of what Cardinal Sin had done who said many things but failed miserably in the end to do the right thing.
I would however, support any member of the Catholic clergy on an individual basis like Archbishop Cruz and that other Bishop who filed an impeachment complaint.
They do it on their own as citizens of the Republic of the Philippines. That they happen to be men in holy robes is incidental and not the reason.
To me, when an individual ‘distabilizer’ cleric (that’s what Gloria calls those who oppose her so I presume she says the same of individual clerics who don’t believe her lies), cleric say or does something to oppose Gloria as his conscience so dictates (and not as the CBCP so dictates), he must be encouraged.
So never mind the CBCP. For quite some time now, they’ve managed to put the imprimatur of legitimacy on Gloria’s illegitimate mandate by their organized, well-crafted “silent eloquence” (what an oxymoron)and done more to confuse the issues rather than clarify them… I’d rather they just continued “praying” for the nation and its people instead of holding press conferences to be heard while they say nothing.
So my stand is simple: I am not interested in what CBCP as a union or organization of princes of the church and their assistant clerics have to say. I will be interested only if its members say and do things individually. (I’m afraid, I’ve lost faith in the Philippine Catholic Church but I have not lost faith in the real Roman Catholic Church.)
That’s why more and more people are now against organized religions. Sometimes, religious groups have become like political groups to serve their own interest.
Individually, there are many well meaning bishops and priests who are sincerely working for the betterment of the people. But as a group, this CBCP is nothing but a piece of toilet paper.
Why not call spade a spade? Why not be direct with their statement? Their statements create more questions than answers to the country’s problems. Do they still want Gloria or not? CBCP has been consistenly vague in their policies and decisions. They say one thing but mean another thing. They have been playing games for so long. And yes Anna, it all started with the late Cardinal Sin, the meddling Cardinal. Sa pula sa puti. Walang isang salita. Malabo ang paninindigan. Walang direction. Walang credibility. Puro mga ipokrito!
I’m not Catholic, so I will not dare infringe on the internal affairs of the Catholic Church, but I will surely criticize any attempt by the Bansot to use this church and other churches for her personal gains.
Apparently, there has been attempts to approach the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to which I belong to support her candidacy in the last election because of the amazing speed of conversions in our church, but she was politely declined as we do not talk politics within the walls of our church. It is enough that the members of our church are counseled to listen to the voice of the Holy Ghost when making important decisions even pertaining to one’s community, country and people. Other than that, our leaders do not talk of politics when bearing their testimonies about the truths that we have learned in our search for God and truth.
For this I feel sorry for members of other faiths whose leaders are all so engrossed in this kind of politics that they are oftentimes themselves corrupted and cannot amply provide the necessary spiritual guidance to their members who are left in the dark!
On the other hand, I do not believe that God gives consent to all these works of darkness, but that in His kind and loving way, He has provided angels like Ellen, or Anna, et al to help lead these helpless souls to the light! And I know that in God’s own good time, the devil called “Bansot” will be banished from the palace by the murky river forever. It may be soon depending on the faith of the 83% Filipinos or more.
Who knows? But God may even raise up someone like Moses from among the lowly or someone now in custody to banish all these crooks for nothing indeed is impossible in the Lord!!!
Meanwhile, the chastisement continues!
I want to
I want to share this with you that was sent to a Glue voter:
In a message dated 7/10/06 5:45:39 AM, Liwayway2 writes:
Gosh, naputol but here’s the message:
In a message dated 7/10/06 5:45:39 AM, Liwayway2 writes:
Something is wrong. Hope this
Something is wrong. Hope this one goes through.
Taos puso kaming nakikiramay sa iyong”crying in the wind” sa mga OFW and their voting rights. Nagtapos din po kami sa U.P. puno ng pangarap at tapang sa mga adhikaing kay ganda. Bilang iskolar ng bayan, nagdanas ng hirap at pagod sa GRASSROOTS(masa), marami sa amin nagbuhos ng dugo at buhay, mapanatili lamang ang pantay-pantay at makabuluhang pamumuhay. Ngunit hindi nagtagumpay.
Napadpad sa ibang bayan. Nagpunyagi muli. Nagsumikap.Nananahimik.
Kami’y mga hamak na mangagawa lamang,OFW, malayo NA sa mga “HUWAD” NA pilipino, BAYARANG PILIPINO, politikong pilipino, TAMAD na pilipino. Hayaan mo na lang po kami. Bayaan mo na lang “mag-cry-cry” ang mgang iyon.
Pati counting of OVERSEAS votes DADAYAIN pa rin para manalo. Nangyari na po ito. SPARE us from too much POLITICS (VERY DIRTY)
NANANAHIMIK NG MAPAYAPA..
ano po ba ang nararapat gawin?
JOECO
ALPHA PHI OMEGA FRATERNITY(U.P.)
Friend sent this,
——————————-
To Kill an American
You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.
So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is . So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)
“An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.
An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.
An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.
An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.
An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.
When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!
As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best of everything…the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.
The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.
Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It’s been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists. So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.
Sorry to say this but I think the last two postings were not connected to the topic in this thread. We’re discussing about the CBCP pastoral letter. They could have been better sent in other threads. Having said that, Malacanang is mum on the report that bansot invited some bishops to lunch and dinner. Donations were also given to these bishops for their community. It was only Mike Defensor who was quick to defend bansot (again) by arguing that there was nothing wrong inviting bishops to dinner for this is being done regularly by his boss. And there was also nothing wrong giving out donations because it’s the duty of the government to help the people. Well, okay…but why should she do that a day or two before the release of the CBCP pastoral statement? A coincidence? Both sides should have at least the delicadeza not to engage in such social activity when the pastoral letter was still being formulated.
I cannot understand why the Bansot blames the Opposition for her failure in leadership. If she is really good, she will be able to make changes or improvements that no Opposition in fact cannot take credit for. Even an idiot will understand that I guess.
Take the case of Koizumi. When he joined the war on Iraq against the consensus in Japan, what he did was ignore the criticism against his policy, and went on appeasing his critics by improving then sagging Japanese economy. First thing he did in fact was to ask a professor of Economics at Harvard University to come home and help him draw some economic guidelines to bouy up our economy.
I don’t know how much the professor was offered in compensation and fringe benefits, but he accepted the position of Minister of Finance, and he took his job seriously so much that within a year or two, we’re back on the right path, and people kept quiet about his warmongering in Iraq with the promise that he would not force Japanese soldiers to do things against the pacifist Constitution of Japan.
Amazingly, instead of going up, prices went down to encourage the much wiser Japanese to buy more because in times of economic crisis, people here avoid even eating outside unlike Filipinos, who crowd malls and shopping centers even when they do not have to the cash to spend and you see a lot of them stealing and pickpocketing in such malls and shopping centers! Ugh!
And that is what is called “good leadership” despite Koizumi’s craziness about Elvis!
In short, the Bansot should step down. She should give the position she stole anyway to a more capable one. As Ellen has stated in her articles, she should allow someone with greater love of country and concern for his/her people to lead the Filipino people to glory.
She may try calling back the brainy Filipinos she has shooed away from their country that needs more their expertise. I know a lot of them would like to go home, but are prevented from doing so by the dismal state of the country today. And with such medievalistic attitude of branding progressive not in conformity with the Bansot brand of hocus-focus leadership as “Communist,” who would want to go home and share what they have learned from other more progressive peoples?
Sorry, Jorgie, but it is not your prerogative to say who and what should be posted in any of blogs here, because what I have posted for example (I don’t know with the other guy because I don’t read his posts now), is VERY relevant to the issue of the Bansot whether or not it is connected it the Pastoral Note from the CBCP that I remember was very active even in sending people overseas during the time of Marcos to indoctrinate Filipinos and foreigners against the Marcos dictatorship that compared to the present administration was far better even just in terms of infrastructure developments!
Funny how the CBCP seems to alienate itself now from the underground movement of the CPP the way it did during the Martial Law years. Is it because it is afraid now to be deprived of its privilege of getting collections from the PCSO, etc? Or the Gestapo of Bansot raiding the CBCP headquarters to stop it from supporting the move to remove her by branding the priests and nuns there as communists that she had ordered wiped out?
You bet, it’s a big hypocrisy. And you and I know how God deals with hypocrites. For the sake of those who may not be familiar with the Bible, here are some quotations from it:
Matt. 23: 13-15, 23, 25, 27, 29
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
• • •
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
• • •
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
• • •
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
• • •
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Matt. 6: 2, 5, 16
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
• • •
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
• • •
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
• • •
Isa. 10: 6
6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
#
Isa. 33: 14
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
#
Matt. 7: 5
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Matt. 16: 3
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring, O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
#
Matt. 22: 18
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
#
Matt. 24: 51
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
#
Mark 7: 6
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
#
Luke 6: 42
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
#
Luke 11: 44
44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
#
Luke 12: 56
56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
#
Luke 13: 15
15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
The problem with the CBCP is that they are hipocrites. They want gloria out but they can not say it directly. And I guess they have to play for monetary gains. they will let church people join the impeachment case but they denied they are for it. See?? The catholic bishops ay pagsinungaling din……sana hindi sila mandaraya at magnanakaw.
Paano kung lahat ng bishops, madre at pari ay sumali sa pagtataguyod ng impeachment……anong iisipin ni gloria?? Hindi ba niya mararamdaman na siya ay pinaglalaruan ng CBCP?
The problem with the CBCP is that they are hipocrites. They want gloria out but they can not say it directly. And I guess they have to play for monetary gains. they will let church people join the impeachment case but they denied they are for it. See?? The catholic bishops ay may pagkasinungaling din……sana hindi sila mandaraya at magnanakaw.
Paano kung lahat ng bishops, madre at pari ay sumali sa pagtataguyod ng impeachment……anong iisipin ni gloria?? Hindi ba niya mararamdaman na siya ay pinaglalaruan ng CBCP?
DOWN WITH CBCP!!! lansagin na iyan. Isa pa iyang pahirap sa bayan. Kung humingi sila ng donasyon sa bayan at sa pamahalaan ay ganun na lang. Iamgine!!! Naghahanap daw sila ng katotohanan, pero ayaw nila ng impeachment? Ano iyon??? Liars!!!
Noong panahon nila Andres Bonifacio wala naman iyang mga CBCP na iyan!!!
Nagtataka ako sa inyong mga Pilipino bakit hanggang ngayon ay naniniwala kayo dyan???
Hindi para sa bansa ang itinataguyod ng CBCP.
Para sa kapakanan ng Vatican at mga elite ang pinoprotektahan nito!
Hindi pa ba maliwanag sa inyo ang pakikisawsaw nito sa liderato ng malakanyang?
Isa sana sa buwagin itong palasyo ng malakanyang at CBCP dahil ito ay naging simbolo ng pang-aabuso sa sambayanang pilipino!
Kaya nga humiwalay si Aglipay at nagkaroon ng Aglipayan Church dahil hindi pumayag na ang Simbahang Katoliko ay sumailalim sa Vatican. Hindi pumayag na ang mga abuloy ay dadalhin palabas papuntang Vatican.
Wala ngang CBCP noon pero ganyan din ang patakaran ng simbahan. Noon pang panahon ng Kastila’y nakikialam na iyan sa estado. Hindi niyo ba napansin na kahit noon hanggang ngayon, kapag may munisipyo ay katabi ang kapilya?
Ewan ko sa inyong mga taga-sanlibutan!!! Namamayagpag pa rin si Padre Damaso. Mga peke at nagpapanggap na maamong tupa……..pahirap din kayo sa bayan. DOWN WITH CBCP!!! Mga ipokrito!!!!
sharing you this one …
VIRTUAL BUSINESS
By Tony Lopez
The legacy of the house of Sin
The nation buried Cardinal Jaime Sin Tuesday, in a three-hour ceremony that was solemn, sonorous, timorous and humorless. The high and the mighty of the government, led by President Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro, and of the Catholic Church, led by Archbishop Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu and Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales of Manila, and leading prelates from Asia were in attendance.
Cardinal Sin leaves a legacy in three areas—in the finances of the Catholic Church, his political activism and his impact on the national economy.
Before Sin took over as prince of the Roman Catholic Church in 1976 and as president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in 1977, the local Catholic Church was one of the richest in the world. It had substantial investments in blue-chip companies like San Miguel, Bank of Philippine Islands, Ayala and the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. It owned Philippine Trust and Monte de Piedad, in the name of about 100 bishops. Those investments are gone. Philtrust was bought by publisher Emilio Yap. Monte de Piedad was bankrupted by graft and is now known as Keppel Bank.
The Medical Center was taken over by the Chinese and is now one of the best equipped, for the money, hospitals in Metro Manila, second perhaps in quality of equipment and medical personnel to St. Luke’s which is also Chinese-managed.
The norm now in churches in the national capital is two collections per Mass—one for the local church and another for the mother church. Sin was not as good a financial manager as the late Cardinal Rufino Santos. Santos rebuilt the Catholic Church from the ravages of war, renovated the Manila Catholic Cathedral and at the time of his death, the Church owned at least three major banks. Those banks are gone.
Cardinal Sin brought political activism to the extreme. He employed a press secretary and a full time close-in photographer and gave calibrated interviews, mostly to foreign correspondents like me.
He brought down two once hugely popular presidents, Ferdinand E. Marcos in February 1986, and Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada in January 2001. Their successors are two of most controversial and unstable presidencies ever. The record of Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as chief executives is mixed at best. In a sense, you can say Sin was the father of People Power.
However, People Power didn’t bring about good governance nor sustainable economic growth.
During 14 years of martial law, Sin was the beacon to whom Filipino Catholics looked up to for guidance and courage. He stood up to the dictatorship. With the media muzzled and the military pampered, having become Marcos’s private security agency, Sin was often the lone voice of dissent and righteousness. As early as 6 p.m. of February 22, 1986, he was on the radio summoning the throng to EDSA, lending credibility and mass power to the revolt of Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and Army Col. Gringo Honasan. The Armed Forces vice chief of staff, Fidel V. Ramos, gave support at 2 p.m. of the same day but it was very late in the day when he went to Camp Aguinaldo to join Enrile on national radio and television. As early as October 2000, Sin was asking for the resignation of Joseph Estrada following revelations by Northern Luzon warlord Chavit Singson that the president was the lord of all jueteng lords.
Despite People Power, the Philippines degenerated from being the second most robust economy in Asia into the region’s economic laggard. Per capita growth ground to 1.2 percent, from 1975 to 2002, the slowest in Asia, bar none, per statistics of the World Bank.
Poverty incidence doubled from 15 percent to more than 30 percent. The number of poor doubled to more than 30 million. This happened at a time when the Church policy was “a preferential option for the poor.” In the countryside, young priests became communist guerilla commanders and parishes their virtual headquarters. Today, the same 200 elite families that control the economy and the politics of the country remain ascendant.
During Sin’s cardinalship, population growth, at a frenetic 2.3 percent a year, or 1.9 million babies a year, became one of the fastest in the world.
Sin justified his political activism by claiming that all human activity has a moral dimension, a right and a wrong. I suspect that at one point, he entertained becoming president of the Philippines. In fact, many times, he acted like one.
Ultimately, however, the biggest immorality in this country is not jueteng, not the thieving people in the government, not the private affairs of many prominent people. It is the massive poverty of the people.
* * * * *
From Manila Times June 29,2005
THE SIN(FUL) CARDINAL, Jaime!!!!
goldenlion,
hindi ang people power o peaceful revolution ang magandang naiambag ni Sin. kundi ang pagdami ng mga pilipino at lumobo ang populasyon. syempre nga naman matutuwa ang Vatican kapag mas marami ang Christian na panlaban sa dominanteng populasyon sa South East Asia.
Kung matatandaan ninyo noong 2002,bago sya mamatay, naibalita sa ‘libre’ dyaryo na itong si Sin ay ini-encourage pa itong mga manlalayag o mga seaman na mag-anak ng mag-anak kung saan man sila mapadpad.syempre dadami na naman ang mga “binyagan”.
duon sa mga journalist na kumakagat sa peaceful revolution kuno c.1986! pwe! kung peaceful ang pag uusapan eh dun kana sa Portugal noong 1974, carnation!
Let us be reminded by how Pope John Paull II helped free Poland and his unrelenting activism that led to the downfall of Communism. What better way to show these bishops how the clergy should aid in changing society. The CBCP reeks of impunity and apathy. Ad they have the gall to call themselves shepherd of men. While they bask in the looted riches of the palace, their subordinates signed the impeachment complaint. The priests and nuns who know nore what happens on the ground as they have daily interaction with their flock.
Schumey:
I don’t know if the late John Paul really had anything to do with the downfall of Communism in Poland because he was a Communist himself. It was for this reason I guess that the CBCP that patronized the Communist movement in the Philippines till now flourished. I should know.
Everybody in Tokyo knew in fact of so-called lay missionaries sent by the CBCP to Japan who were in fact communist cadres in the Philippines with one of them even pretending to be a priest and collecting donations from gullible Japanese sympathizers to help buy arms for the movement there in the Philippines during the Marcos dictatorship.
They came to Japan as missionaries with credentials in fact issued by the CBCP. I just don’t know if they gave half of their collections to the CBCP, but the police here had discovered that they were buying guns with the money they collected. In fact, the fake priest was refused entry to Japan after one or two trips here.
Frankly, it is one thing that our church will not dare engage in, for in our religion even white lies are a sin! We definitely do not want to be in any secret combinations that we are prohibited from engaging in or getting into, because it is of the devil.
This relationship the CBCP with the Bansot is definitely one secret combination. I wonder if the Vatican has anything to do with this present pastoral letter of the CBCP that the Bansot is using as one of her credentials.
P. S.
I actually have the mind to challenge kindred spirit in this blog to fast with me for a spiritual experience of how God indeed answers prayers and wrought a miracle that may help Filipinos to have faith in God again the proper way. No cheating when you do as when you miss two meals, no food and no drink for 24 hours, and give your fast offering for the two meals to your favorite charity.
I know Anna and I did such a year ago, and got the Garci tape expose as an answer to our prayer. Right Anna? Remember when we fasted for some miracle?
Perhaps, the more we are in this sacrifice, the greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward!
goldenlion, you mentioned “ewan ko sa inyong mga sanlibutan…” Why made you say that? Do you belong to a church or religious group that has a monopoly of salvation; hence, you call others as “sanlibutan” or in English “people of this world”? I think you belong to a group that’s in my mind.
Who said that crime doesn’t pay. Just study the history of the Philippines and those who got rich in the Philippines, and now the CBCP getting into the quick bonanza while things are getting good. So, why not take advantage of it like everybody else in the Philippines. If you can’t fight Malacanang, so join them. Thanks CBCP for showing us the way.
There is not much to be said, it was demonstrated right at at our own eyes, of what we hope the last bastion of democracy, and the future we’ve wish for the next generationj ust went down the sewer along with all the human rights. CBCP sold us out for gifts and dinner among other things. Bogus Gloria Arroyo and the devils once again won and the future of the Philippines will have to wait – whenever. Undoubtedly, CBCP can’t be trusted to the future of our Philippines and to regain the respect that has eluded us for many years. When CBCP publicly announced that impeachment is just a waste of time that will lead to nowhere, CBCP was saying the constitution doesn’t mean a thing, the piece of paper its written on. CBCP are telling us quite clearly that lying, cheating and stealing should be part of the CBCP’s teaching since they’re willingly and has given up their principles in exchange to Gloria’s gifts and promises. Sad day in the Philippines. But, lets us not so hard on the CBCP’s behavior, they’re also human subjected to human weakness. It’s not the CBCP’s fault, yet the devil made them do it.
Hmmm…just as we expected, the usual and common alibi “they’re also human like us who have weaknesses…” But, whatever to the so called spiritual guidance; divine intervention, power of the Holy Spirit? Don’t they call themselves as “Prince of the Light and God”? Are they guided by God or some other being? Here’s for you again and for those who still close their eyes on these hypocrital bishops:
United Opposition (UNO) President Jejomar Binay yesterday also scored the Arroyo administration’s “donation” to the CBCP, saying this was a violation of the principle of separation of Church and State.
Binay said the “donation” was specially suspect as it came in conjunction with the CBCP’s declaration that it was no longer in favor of the impeachment moves against Mrs. Arroyo.
“This looks like a clear quid pro quo,” he said.
Binay also criticized the Palace for what he termed as its “selective interpretation” of the principle of the separation of Church and State.
He recalled that Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita had invoked the same principle when he expressed dissatisfaction over the CBCP’s pronouncement that they would not sanction Caloocan City Archbishop Deogracias Yniguez’s act of being a complainant in the impeachment case against Mrs. Arroyo.
But now, he said, Malacañang itself has donated public funds to a particular sect or a religious denomination.
“Why is it wrong if it goes against their interest, but is alright if it works to their advantage?” Binay asked.
He explained that even if the intended use of the donated funds is for so-called development projects that would benefit the people, it is still highly questionable since it singles out a particular religion.
Binay said there are enough government agencies which can undertake or oversee such development projects, which would make it totally unnecessary to channel public funds to a religious institution such as the Catholic Church. That, he stressed, is what makes the donation highly suspect.
Binay also said he would not be surprised at all if those belonging to other religions, such as Muslims, Protestants, Buddhists, and others, would condone the actions and statements of Malacañang on this matter.
CBCP is no different from the House of Representatives. It can be bought and at the right price-the highest bidder. Nobody is saying, but this is actually what’s in the back of everybody’s head, so let’s be honest with ourselves, enough with the acting, pa-cute, spell it no matter how brutal, and no matter who gets hurt. We recall that after Bishop Yniquez filed his complaint, everybody expressed their support, 100%, but after they were treated with free dinner and “GIFTS”, that’s how they called it, they began to sing a different tune. It’s now very clear to all and sundry that all the noises they made about the 100% support were all talk. It was in fact a very clever form of blackmail in the highest order. The noises was meant to inject a maximum effect to raise the stakes so as to extract the maximum benefit. They can always say that it’s mnot true and who will dare say it was? Nobody asked for anything, they just waited for something to pop out, and when that something came about, “the GIFTS” – deal done. How ingenious really.
In their statement they say that it’s not the right time to pursue, but still continue to search for the truth. They want the truth (according to them) but they don’t approve of impeachment, so in what way and manner shall we find the truth. They don’t approve of extra-constitutional either; but they didn’t even bother to offer any suggestion on how to do it. And if it’s not yet the right time to pursue, when will be the right time? After 2010 or pagputi ng uwak. What do they want then? “GIFTS” from the highest bidder? Right, wala na rin yatang konsiyensiya ang mga bishop na ito. Kitang-kita nila ang kawalanghiyaan, kabuktutan, pangungurakot at paghihirap ng mga tao hindi man lang sila natinag. They really doesn’t care for the people. Self-interest pa rin ang nangingibabaw sa kanila at yong “gIFTS” PA RIN ANG MAS MAHALAGA. Oh, my goodness, how can you beleive these men of cloth? They portrayed themselves as godly and leaders, but they never set any good example and deed for their flock to emulate and follow. What impression then they left in the hearts and minds of their faithful, especially the young. No wonder our beloved Philippines is going to the dogs, wala na ngang matino sa gobyernong ito, even bishops now are corrupt and can be corrupted. Hindi ko sila nilalahat, batu-bato sa langit, ang tamaan magalit na kung magalit, I don’t care. Nakakaawang bansa.
Somebody up there talks about wisdom of the church decision. Maybe this guy doesn’t know what wisdom is or doesn’t know what he is talking about. What wisdom is there in not helping to bring out the truth. What wisdom is there in receiving gifts in exchange for the withdrawal of support and silence. It’s more appropriate if you called it Gift behind the church decision, then you can say that you bulls-eyed the target.
He did say also something about impeachment. Kaya naging marumi ang impeachment noon kay Erap kasi binaboy nila, at sino ang bumaboy? Kilala mo ba? At sa impeachment kay evil queen, noong una sino naman ang bumaboy. Who were those people who undermined the rules? Kilala mo rin ba? Impeachment is supposed to be a process to ferret out the truth of a complaint, pero kung ito ay binababoy ng isang panig, gingawang partisan, nagiging marumi ito. Don’t you think so?
El Shaddai leader backs CBCP stand on impeachment
By Edu Punay
The Philippine Star 07/12/2006
El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde joined the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday in opposing the
impeachment process as a means to arrive at truth behind unresolved
poll fraud charges against President Arroyo.
In an interview over the Roman Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas,
Velarde said he agrees with the bishops in believing the impeachment
process being pursued by political opponents of Mrs. Arroyo is just
a “futile exercise.”
“The CBCP is right when it said the impeachment, although a necessary
process, will be an unproductive political exercise since we all know
it’s just a numbers game,” he said.
Velarde appealed to lawmakers to instead focus their attention
on “more important” bills like the national budget: “I think our
congressmen should devote their time on passing the proposed budget
since up to now we are still using the old budget.”
The CBCP virtually spoiled recent attempts of opposition lawmakers to
oust Mrs. Arroyo when it stood against the impeachment process in a
pastoral statement issued after its semi-annual meeting in Manila.
———————————————————-
Surprised why El Shaddai’s Bro. Mike Velarde echoes the CBCP
position? More than any other religious leaders, Bro. Mike enjoys so
much benefits and privileges from this Arroyo government such as
housing loans and appointment to government position of his members
like Mel Robles. Very few knew that Bro. Mike was present in some of
the anti-GMA meetings such as the one called by the Black & White
Movement.
ang akin lang, ako’y lumaki sa loob ng apat ng sulok ng seminaryo. alam ko ang ugali, pag-uugali, o ano pa man na pwede mong alamin sa isang pari… wala silang pwedeng ipagmalaki… many of them are “wolves in the sheep’s clothing” ika nga! ang masasabi ko dyan sa CBCP, para silang double-bladed knife. playing safe ika nga ng karamihan para kung hindi maialis sa power si punggak, okey pa rin sila. pero kung si punggak ay matanggal, okey pa rin sila sa kanilang mga parishioners dahil sa sinabi nilang hindi nila pinipigilan ang sinumang nagtataguyod ng empeachment. O di ba… ??? san ka pa??? 🙁
sadiki, maitanong ko lang…bakit ka umalis sa seminario? Marami bang kababalaghan? Hindi mo ba masikmura? Kung ipinagpatuloy mo, di sana’y pari ka na ngayon at baka obispo pa. At nadagdagan sana ang bilang ng grupo nina Cruz, Yniguez, Tobias.
God works in mysterious ways indeed. Okay, Gloria’s protectors in the CBCP won judging by their stand in the impeachment issue.
But they did not reckon that the stories on gifts/bribes from Malacañang would come out. Now, they have been unmasked. Sources said CBCP is worried about the erosion of their credibility.
Gloria Arroyo indeed has the opposite of Midas touch. Everything she touches becomes dirt. She didn’t even spare the bishops.
pastoral statement the CBCP came out with thaThe report that malacañ
People of the Philippines known as Plaintiffs vs. CBCP and the House known as Defendants:
Defendants are hereby charged and found guilty against the people on crimes as follows:
1) Accessories in the stealing of the presidency of the Philippines not only once but twice;
2) Harbouring and abetting of criminals;
3) Corruption and plunder of peoples money.
CBCP and the House are made of the same stuff-protectorate of the evil. They truly deserved each other.
Yes, God works in mysterious way…even to our health. He is our Creator and the only One who can take away everything on earth. But sometimes and the bible makes mention of this, God allows such evils and things to happen to make us distinguish between good and evil. He has reasons for allowing this CBCP to behave the way it is now and did in the past.
just sharing ….
Wikipedia eclipses CIA
Where’d the gatekeeper go?
By Gavin Clarke in San Francisco Published Wednesday 7th September 2005 08:33 GMT
Wikipedia is fast becoming the number-one online resource for web surfers hungry for context about breaking news, in what must be a sad comment on the ability for traditional news media to keep its audiences well-informed.
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia assembled in realtime, has reportedly experienced a 154 per cent hike in traffic during the last year, according to internet traffic watchers at Hitwise.
The Wiki-fiddlers’ big-book o’ facts appears to be benefiting from a happy coincidence of a lot of big-headline news combined with the apparent inability of so-called traditional news channels – both online and off-line – to satiate surfers’ need for reference material. A high ranking in Google, boosted by the replication of the Wikipedia material, hasn’t harmed the project either.
Wikipedia attracted 22.3 per cent of users searching for information about the Gaza Strip as Israeli troops closed down settlements and withdrew from the region. Wikipedia’s market share numbers meant it drew five times more traffic than Google News, Yahoo News or the BBC and tied with CIA World Factbook for information on the strip.
Wikipedia tied as the second most visited site among US web users eager for details about Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II’s successor. The top destination was Newadvent.org, the old-school Catholic encyclopedia that has resisted the temptation to go Wikipedia-style.
The service has also eclipsed Dictionary.com is the internet’s number-one reference site.
Hitwise failed to make more information on Wikipedia traffic, specifically the number of page views, publically available.®
* * * * * * *
😉
Gloria Arroyo was asked today about the second impeachment complaint. Her reply:”Only God can judge whether I am good or bad.”
That means, tayong mamamayang Pilipino ay walang karapatan. She thinks she is God’s favored creature.
Here’s the latest on these bishops…nakakadiri at nakakasuka sila!
Palace gave ‘victory’ dinner for bishops – CBCP source
Tags religious affairs usec as host
By Christian V. Esguerra
Inquirer
Last updated 01:38am (Mla time) 07/14/2006
MALACAÑANG arranged what appeared to be a victory dinner for prelates sympathetic to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) decided to stay away from fresh efforts to impeach her, the Inquirer learned yesterday.
A CBCP source, who did not wish to be named for fear of compromising his position in the Church hierarchy, said the affair was arranged by Fatima “Nena” Valdes, undersecretary for religious affairs. The source described the dinner party as a “reward.”
The reported emergence of Valdes in the apparent Palace effort to influence the outcome of the CBCP plenary over the weekend appeared to contradict claims by pro-Arroyo congressmen that the reports were “the devil’s handiwork … meant to discredit not only the Palace but also the Church.”
The Inquirer attempted but failed to get a comment from Valdes, who holds office in Malacañang.
In the pastoral statement issued on Monday, the CBCP said it was “not inclined at the present moment to favor the impeachment process as a means of establishing the truth” on whether Ms Arroyo manipulated the 2004 vote. Critics have denounced the CBCP position as vague and ambivalent.
Valdes, together with a certain “Attorney Adriano” and their staff, was also behind the reported distribution of envelopes containing cash to bishops during their weeklong retreat and plenary.
Valdes signed the letter offering cheap rice and low-cost medicines to some of the poorest dioceses in the country incidentally headed by known anti-Arroyo bishops.
This letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer, was distributed to dioceses earlier this year.
The Inquirer source in the CBCP said Undersecretary Valdes had arranged the dinner on Sunday upon the conclusion of the bishops’ plenary at a restaurant near where they had met at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center on United Nations Avenue in Manila.
Inquirer sources earlier reported that Malacañang had offered relief aid for Church projects for the poor as they gathered in Manila for their weekend plenary and handed out envelopes to the bishops containing P15,000 to P30,000.