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CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
Volume 39 • Number 9 3
Christian Marriage and Family
Towards A Legal Defense
of Christian Marriage and
Family Life
by Leonardo Y. Medroso, J.C.D., D.D.
T
he traditional family is under siege; As John Paul II eloquently puts it: “It the family in each individual person living
Christian marriage is under attack. (family) is a path common to all, yet one on earth, saw the family as a sacred place
The assault is getting more and more which is particular, unique and and without apprehension called it the
searing through the passing of each day. unrepeatable, just as every individual is “sanctuary of life”. It is here that life is
Forces from many differing sectors are out unrepeatable. Indeed, a person normally transmitted and nurtured. It is here too that
to destroy it. A tragic situation no doubt, comes into the world within a family, and faith and love of God is handed over. It is
for we know how noble and important the can be said to owe to the family the very a Church, a domestic Church (see LG, 11).
family is. fact of his existing as an individual… The family therefore has a very impor-
Marriage and family is an institution Even if someone chooses to remain single, tant role to society. It bears a very sensi-
that is based on human nature with objec- the family continues to be, as it were, his tive function to humanity. Family founded
tive criteria drawn from the nature of the existential horizon, that fundamental on marriage is a patrimony of humanity, a
human person and of his acts” (cf. GS, n. community in which the whole network of great good of priceless value, necessary
48). God himself is its author and the Church social relations is grounded, from the for the life, development and the future of
is the staunchest defender and promoter. closest and most immediate to the most peoples. As the late Pope John Paul II
Its existence and its concomitant rights are distant” (N. 2, Letter to Families, 1994). often put it: “The future of humanity passes
duly protected and shielded. In fact, there The family is therefore the natural by way of the family.” (cf. Familiaris
is no other single subject which is treated setting in which the genealogy of every Consortio, 86).
more extensively with so many canons in individual person begins. Cardinal Sin with
the Code of Canon Law than that of mar- his characteristic way of describing reality Family Threats
riage and family. That is how the Church in crisp and simple lines puts it: “I would
appreciates and gives premium to the no- like to consider the family always a place This is the institution that is under
bility and importance of marriage and the of joy, serenity and peace. But it is not a attack, the basic unit of human society that
family. static milieu. In the family there is a great has to parry the external threats for its
deal of interaction, of interpersonal rela- continued existence and survival. The
The Nobility and Importance of tionships. Our parents, brothers and sis- threats come in different guises and in
ters, and other relatives, all contribute to differing modes. Sometimes they come in
the Family
our fulfillment as persons. If we trace the the form of legislations in the name of
The family is the most basic unit of history of each one of us, we can easily see common good; at other times in the guise
society. Based on the marriage of one man that it is in the family that we learn the of medical necessity or psychological
and one woman, it is a nuclear community basics of life” (Address, The Family: At needs. The delegates of the International
of persons that is open to the transmission the Center of Human development, pub- Interfaith Conference on the Family held in
of life and is committed to the rearing and lished by the Office on Women, CBCP, Manila last 28th March 1999 in its collegial
education of children. As such it is the first 2001, p. 1). statement enumerated some of these
and the most important setting in which Furthermore, the late Pope John Paul threats to the family, namely: 1. Attempts
every single person has to pass through. II, reflecting more intently into this role of to replace the traditional or natural family
Volume 39 • Number 9 5
A R T I C L E S
O
nce again, ‘tis Christmas time, the
season ain’t only gushing forth
December’s cold winds but, no
doubt too, the euphoric hustle-and-bustle
Reason
and thousand-and-one ways—all but fash-
ioned in commercial alacrity—of celebrat-
ing Christendom’s 2005th anniversary of
Christ’s birth. But far from reckoning—
with spiritual candor, better so—on the
true meaning of Christmas, the season’s
for the
contemporary holiday flurry has, more likely
than not, drifted so far and so frivolous
from the intrinsic truth or reason of the first
Christmas, the reason and significance of
Christ’s Incarnation.
Conspicuously, the contemporary
Season
milieu rather spawn with a consumerist or
commercialized view of Christmas that
skew its lofty significance, or simply with
the egregious socio-economic-political
conditions that render, if not handcuff,
the true message of Christmas as futile or
irrelevant. For some, if most, Christmas
has inevitably become synonymous with:
giving and receiving material gifts (albeit
the current economic crunch has in-
creased the propensity for receiving than
giving), extravagant meals, parties, orna-
ments, decorations, holiday trips, credit
card debts—and a lot more forms of cor-
porate or consumerist interpretations of
Christmas. Similarly, on the other hand,
the country’s overwhelming problems—
the wrenching economic and political cri-
sis largely precipitated by patronage
politics and profligate graft and corrup-
tion, the escalating social inequities, un-
employment and stagnating incomes,
debilitating poverty, and not to exclude,
the abattoir of moral crisis—have all but
impeded the relevance or significance of
the message of Christmas or Christ’s com-
ing. by Bob Acebedo
Indeed a flinching paradox it is,
today’s season of Advent is the favored
time of year that gushes in—yes, not only is, the account of Jesus’ birth (Lk.1-21), for accords as GATT and WTO—all forged
December’s cold winds—but even also the first Christmas, may well provide some with vested interests) for man and to the
some despicably formidable tragedies for significant elements, among others, from world. And ‘silence’, not the cacophonic
the country or humanity. The November which we could yet draw—at the risk of hustle-and-bustle of the Christmas sea-
of 1992 Ormoc disaster, the LRT bombing oversimplification—some ‘reasons for the son, may just be a worthy requisite to
of December 2000, the December Asian season.’ One, for instance was the reign- heeding God’s word, as Kierkegaard once
tsunami and Quezon floods of last year, ing ‘peace’—Pax Romana—at the time of noted: “If I could only prescribe one rem-
this year’s Mindoro floods—and even Jesus’ birth; and, fact is, the angels ap- edy for all the ills of the modern world, I
perhaps, God forbid, the brewing coup peared and announced Jesus’ birth to the would prescribe silence. For even if the
plots against the Arroyo government of shepherds in the ‘silence’ of the night. word of God were proclaimed, no one would
the moment—all but sharply hewed to the Christmas, veritably, thus celebrates the hear it; there is too much noise. Therefore,
season of Advent. No, they pose not as coming of the Prince of Peace, Jesus the create silence.”
grim foreboding of things to come, but Christ, who bestows the all-encompass- Another meaningful element of
there is no arguing that such crushing ing peace—not the ‘elusive’ one (akin, for Christ’s birth is His having been born in a
events do not at all herald glad tidings for example, to paltry alliances or pacts— manger. Christ’s gift—of Himself—to
the season. political collaboration spins, business or humanity is wrapped in “swaddling clothes
Whereas whence, worth reckoning it corporate complicities, inequitable trade and laid in a manger” (Lk.2:7). Appropri-
Volume 39 • Number 9 7
A R T I C L E S
O
ne of the nicest things about spend didn’t feel like I was in my natural habitat; eling snow. I wouldn’t be honest if I don’t
ing Christmas here at home is that I was no different from a fish out of water. admit that I used to dream of a snowy white
I don’t have to shovel snow (I Before returning to the Philippines on Christmas as a child but two weeks of it in
know most people wouldn’t appreciate Thanksgiving Day of 2004, I teased some NYC and Long Island during my first win-
that), like I did two years ago when I was of the church-goers in Woodlawn, “Re- try Christmas in the 1990s nearly sent me
in New York City for a research mission member me when you shovel snow this packing for an early flight back home.
(with apologies to my friends, priests and year, I’ll remember you on a beach some- I actually love winters and rainy sea-
lay there). I would shovel snow with my where in the Philippines”. One of them sons, except that they could cast so much
pastor around St. Barnabas Church in said, “Oh, Father, that’s a cruel joke to pall of gloom. It used to give me much
Woodlawn, the Bronx, where I was stay- say!” After that it occurred to me that amusement to see some of my American
ing, to clear them for Church services. Not among different people with different fam- friends’ incredulity whenever I’d answer
that I hated snow (one of my sisters would ily, cultural, racial or social backgrounds, their question, “How do you spend Christ-
tease me from the Philippines, “Just make there seems to be a consensus: Being on mas Day in the Philippines?” by saying,
halo-halo during your breaks”). It just a beach is a much better thing than shov- “After the Mass we go straight to the
beach to party with family and friends.”
They thought I was pulling their leg. But
by Leo Basada I actually spent Christmases in Eastern
Samar that way, especially in my home-
town where beaches (no, not exactly like
Light In Our
Boracay but they do) abound. Besides, I’d
tell them, don’t forget we’re in the tropics.
But let me go back to the pall of gloom
at this season. It doesn’t mean that places
where there are winters have the monopoly
to gloom during Christmas. Especially in
Darkness
the Philippines the gloom this Christmas is
particularly uninviting, what with the cred-
ibility of the incumbent president still in
question, with the overseas Filipinos prac-
tically saving our economy by their Christ-
mas remittances and keeping us afloat,
with seemingly endless political squab-
bling on our daily horizons, with a growing
number of unsolved crimes and killings
perpetrated by people with connections
to the military, with the specter of a see-
saw of oil price and that of other prime
commodities. One could actually go on.
There is gloom in the country, in the planet.
In the U.S. I could just imagine the continu-
ing gloom from the Iraq war, questions on
President Bush’s war on terror etc.
Which reminds me of a story of an old
man who asked his grandson to take him to
the beach one early Christmas morning. It
was just past five. The grandson asked,
“Are you there for exercise, Lolo?” The
grandfather answered, “No. I’ll just watch
the sun rise.” The grandson gave his grand-
father a perplexed look and said, “Oh. I
thought it was something more interest-
ing.” The grandfather resented the remark.
“Nothing is more interesting than that.
Don’t you want to see how, when the sun
rises, darkness is gone?”
That is essentially the wonder of
Christmas. We live in a gloomy world. But
on Christmas the light comes and never
leaves us again (the trouble is, it is we who
often leave that light). It’s sad when people
Light In / p. 22
I
t's again Christmas! This year though,
© Royalty-Free/CORBIS
the mood seems to be a bit subdued, the
atmosphere toned-down. The blinking
lights and other garish decors appear to be
concentrated only in the malls waiting to
be bought.
Economists, of course, are quick to
explain. People are wary about our current
social, economic and political situation,
they say. In spite of the heavy cash inflow
from our OFWs, our heroes and saviors,
people tend to be Scrooges this time.
Just as well. True Christian believers
welcome this predicament, since it can
help us in savoring the authentic spirit of
Christmas. They believe that everything,
no matter how considered humanly, will
always work for the good.
Sometimes hardships and sacrifices
occasion deep spiritual realizations and sharp
insights of faith. They help us in getting
liberated from the clutches of a purely mate-
rialistic, if not thoroughly sensual world.
They can launch us to the far richer
world of the spiritual and supernatural,
using the language of faith and piety.
That’s why Jesus’s life was one of suffer-
ing and privations. He asks us to carry the
cross and to enter by the narrow gate.
Pope Benedict recently echoed what
we already know quite well. “In present
day consumer society,” he said, “this pe-
riod suffers, unfortunately, a sort of com-
Volume 39 • Number 9 9
A R T I C L E S
Mary, Witness to the Eucharist as We cannot give what we do not have. work for the spread of the Gospel and the
the Source and Summit of the Mary has Jesus first and, that is why, when imbuing of society with Christian values”
Church’s Mission she sets out to her cousin Elizabeth she (Mane Nobiscum Domine, No. 24). Mary
brings her as well as Elizabeth’s child in her set out to the hill country of Judah; the
Mary Receives and Brings Jesus to Others womb joy. It is the presence of Jesus in us disciples of Emmaus set out to the apostles;
that brings joy to others. He is the Good we, too, must set out to bring Jesus in the
R
emember how in our catechism News, the real gospel of joy which comes Eucharist to others.
classes we were told that we are all from the salvation Jesus brings.
apostles because to be an apostle Mary’s Communion With Christ
means to be ‘sent’? I was once sent by a The Living Body of Jesus, Mary’s Son, in Embodies the Goal of the Mission of
priest friend to a hospital to celebrate the Eucharist is Source of Spiritual Evangelization, Realized and Expressed
Mass in his place. Since it was my first time Power for the Church’s Mission by the Eucharist
at the hospital I had to introduce myself to I used to travel to and from Tacloban A school superintendent told some
the hospital sacristan. I said, “Father So- via Buray, Western Samar. It was a long, graduating students that in her observa-
and-so sent me here to celebrate Mass in long trip to Borongan. I often got tired and tion, even as confirmed by surveys and
his place because he has to attend to hungry on the way home. Thank God, there studies, people who have a goal and a plan
something.” The sacristan said, “Yes, he were restaurants in Buray. Together with of life prove to be the most successful. She
told me you were coming, Father.” It was other passengers and the bus drivers and reminded me of a certain philosopher named
easy because the person who sent me and conductors it was standard procedure to Nietzsche who said: “He who has a why to
the person who talked to him is one and the stop and eat at the restaurants. Only after live for can bear with almost any how”. Do
same person. Jesus in the Eucharist and eating did we find the strength to continue we know what our goal in life is? Do
Jesus who went through the Paschal Mys- the long journey. Evangelization in many we know what our goal as
tery is one and the same person sent by ways is a long, long journey of bringing the people-sent-in-mis-
one and the same Father. That is why the gospel of God’s life to people and people to sion is? It is to bring
document Ecclesia de Eucharistia says, the gospel of God’s life. While on the road people into
“The Church’s mission stands in continu- of life we need the strength and power to communion
ity with the mission of Christ: ‘As the continue our journey and its task. It is the w i t h
Father has sent me, even so I send you (Jn Eucharist which gives us that power. Pope
20:21)’” (EdE 22). John Paul II says of this: “From the perpetu-
Through the Eucharist I celebrate as a ation of the sacrifice of the Cross and her
priest I bring Jesus to others. But even communion with the body and blood of
before the sacrament was first celebrated Christ in the Eucharist, the Church draws
its essence is made manifest in Mary. First the spiritual power needed to carry out her
of all, she receives the Word in herself and mission” (EdE 22). In his apostolic letter
in herself the Word is made flesh. She is the Mane Nobiscum Domine (Stay With Us
first to unite with the Word-made-Flesh by Lord), Pope John Paul II sees the link be-
her “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be tween the Eucharist and the Church’s mis-
done to me according to your word” (Lk sion by way of the experience of the two
1:38). But having received the Word and disciples at Emmaus. The whole dynamics
being in communion with him does not of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is also at work
leave Mary in a state of suspended ecstasy. in them. Once Jesus’ words and his break-
Luke the evangelist tells us that the first ing of the bread ‘opened’ their eyes, these
thing Mary does is to “set out for a town in disciples, “upon recognizing the Lord, ‘set
the hills of Judah” at which she “entered the out immediately’ (Lk 24:33). Once we have
house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. truly met the Risen One by partaking of his
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the body and blood, we cannot keep to our-
baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled selves the joy we have experienced. The
with the Holy Spirit and, giving a loud cry, encounter with Christ, constantly intensi-
said, ‘You are the most blessed among fied and deepened in the Eucharist, issues
women and blessed is the fruit of your in the Church and in every Christian an
womb!’ How is it that the mother of my Lord urgent summons to testimony and
comes to me? The moment your greeting evangelization…based on the words of
sounded in my ears, the baby within me Saint Paul: ‘As often as you eat this bread
suddenly moved for joy. Blessed are you and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s
who believed that the Lord’s word would death until he comes’ (1 Cor 11:26). The
come true!” (Lk 1:39-45). Apostle closely relates meal and proclama-
We must note that Mary who visits tion: entering into communion with Christ
Elizabeth has Jesus within her. In Eucha- in the memorial of his Pasch also means
ristic language Mary is first in communion sensing the duty to be a missionary of the
with the Savior who unites her with God event made present in that rite. (22). The
and with God’s People. This is the first dismissal at the end of each Mass is a
sine-qua-non of the mission of the Church. charge given to Christians, inviting them to
MARY, Witness
to the Eucharist
as Source and
Summit of the
Church's Life
and Mission
Last Part
Volume 39 • Number 9 11
A R T I C L E S
M
anhattan and Dapitan are sym-
bols of two realities. We need to
understand both to educate the
young. Manhattan would be the pinnacle
of “globalization”, whose heart is abstract.
It is a finance market where shares, curren-
cies, and derivatives at $3 billion daily moved
on dealers’ screen in email time. A digital
ticker tape proudly proclaims at Wall Street,
“The world puts its trust in us.”
Dapitan is one of the four streets
which bound the University of Santo
Tomas (UST). Behind the world food
chains are bed spaces, housing UST stu-
dents and employees. Dapitan is a micro-
cosm of the Philippines with an entrenched
income pyramid. The poorest 70% have to
make ends meet with a declining portion of
income from 37% in 1998 to 34 percent in
2000. The top continue to gain from 36% to
38% for the same time period.
Manhattan represents turbo-capital-
ism when products, services and news as
well as capital and labor power attain a new
level of mobility and acceleration. Dapitan
represents dualism, typical of developing
economies. The “modern sector” like the
global food chains conforms to interna-
tional standards of hygiene, work hours,
and processes. Since the majority is ex-
cluded from such narrow enclaves, they
have to create income opportunities to
survive. They constitute what is known as
the “informal sector.”
In Manhattan, the “blossoming of the
human potentials” is possible. Dapitan
evokes a sense of belonging and identity.
For us in UST, Dapitan is home with its
dualism, its street food, and friendships
we have forged while living there or earn-
ing a living near there.
Responding to the
“Signs of the Times” in a
Business School
12 IMPACT • December 2005
shares in the joys and hopes of people, Reflections on Globalization
helping dry their tears and calming their
anxieties. Responding to the “signs of Noreen Hertz (2003:8-9) argues that
the times” is a theme taken from Gaudium global business have been successful in
et Spes. John XXIII and the Vatican Coun- their “silent takeover” of national econo-
cil used it to promote the pastoral pur- mies as well as politics. Business is in the
pose of the Council as well as the open- drivers’ seat and determines the rules of
ness to dialogue with the world. A sub- the game while governments have be-
commission was set up to study the con- come referees, enforcing rules laid by the
cept and, without diminishing the scrip- others. The final stage is the end of poli-
tural sense, understood “the ‘signs of the tics itself, collapsing into cycles of pro-
times’ to be the social, political, eco- test, repression, and despair. Barnet and
nomics and cultural, and religious phe- Cavanagh (1994:19) contend that the “for-
nomena that occur so frequently and midable power and mobility of global
pervasively in human life that they seem corporations are undermining the effec-
to characterize a given period and seem tiveness of national governments to carry
to express both the needs and aspira- out essential policies on behalf of their
tions of humankind at the time; these are people.”
not simply events or phenomena, but Friedman (2000:34) opines: “How the
somehow signs of the presence and ac- age-old quests for material betterment
tivity of God in human history, signs of and for individual and communal iden-
the presence and activity of God in hu- tity… play themselves out in today’s domi-
man history, signs that need to be recog- nant international systems of globaliza-
nized, interpreted and responded to (Ed- tion. This is the drama of the Lexus and the
ward J. Sullivan, C.S.B., The Use of the olive tree.”
Concept “Signs of the Times” in Papal The Lexus, the Japanese luxury car
and Conciliar Texts, 22,47 (Quoted in produced more by robots than humans,
Bisson: 2004, p.1) stands for material betterment. The olive
Globalization and popular movements tree symbolizes our roots, our communi-
stressing local roots are ‘signs of the times” ties, or our tradition. If we are to function
in our world today. The Catholic Univer- well, preserving the olive trees while work-
sity is born from the heart of the Church ing towards the Lexus becomes neces-
(Ex corde ecclesiae). Since our business sary. We cannot be persons alone and
school is an integral element of a Catholic hence, we need to be rooted in an olive
University, we would like to respond to grove. Rabbi Harold S. Kushner interprets
these related phenomena. a scene from One Hundred Years of Soli-
tude by Gabriel Marquez: “…if we forget
Dimensions of globalization whom we belong to, and if we forget that
there is a God, something profoundly
Global integration has been rapid but human in us will be lost” (quoted in Fried-
unbalanced. Nowhere is this more dra- man, 2000:33).
matic than in transportation and communi- Finally, Pope John Paul II reminds us:
cation. During the 1930’s, air revenue per “The church cannot but express profound
passenger mile was 68 cents. Contrast this concern that our world continues to be
Education is seeing connections. with 11 cents for the 1990’s. A telephone divided no longer by the former political
What happens in Manhattan influences call, three minutes from the New York to and military blocs, but by a tragic line
the way we are to educate our students. To London, was billed at $245 in the 1930’s. In between those who can benefit from these
cling to the familiar Dapitan neighborhood the nineties, the same costs a measly $3.00. opportunities and those who seem cut off
while ignoring distant Manhattan could Barnet and Cavanagh identify four from them.” (Remarks to President Bush,
lead us to irrelevance in today’s world. As global webs: the cultural bazaar, shopping March 12, 2000)
educators, we help our students see these mall, workplace, and financial network.
connections. When we do this, we remind The global cultural bazaar is the newest Responding to the “Signs of the
them of expectations from them which and most nearly universal. Films, televi- Times” in a Business School
constitute obligations. The Second sion, radio, wire, magazines are included,
Vatican Council exhorts our graduates to whether for education or entertainment. Gaudium et Spes is the Pastoral Con-
be outstanding in learning, ready to shoul- The dazzling array of what we eat, drink, stitution of the Church in the Modern
der the burdens of society, and witness to wear, and enjoy are in global shopping World. It is here that we encounter the
faith. Parallel to these goals in UST, we try mall. The global workplace includes facto- “signs of the times”. As Christians, we are
to develop competence, compassion, and ries, law firms or hospitals. The maze of challenged to observe, judge, and act in
commitment among our students. credit cards as well as currency transac- the tradition of Catholic Social Thought.
2005 marks the 40th anniversary of tions—forward or swaps—comprise the Manhattan could symbolize the
Gaudium et Spes. The Catholic Church global financial network. heights of affluence while Dapitan could
Volume 39 • Number 9 13
From Manhattan to Dapitan
represent the depths of want. In both, ships to schoolchildren living in Benguet based mainly on an action-research expe-
there is likely to be unequal opportunities, and Iloilo. rience with fishing village women. Triple L
a contradiction of the Gospel truth of equal- refers to listening, leadership, and liveli-
ity as children of God. As globalization Triple E: Entrepreneurship and hood.
gallops in Manhattan, we need to be more Ethics education towards Equity Forming the hearts of the students is
rooted in Dapitan, where we are obliged to the primordial goal of the Triple E curricu-
fulfill our life mission. In response to the The Triple E major is for the gradu- lum. Students’ interaction with low-income
worsening economic situation in the Phil- ates to be able to sell affordable goods groups could lead to encounter-dialogue,
ippines and the attention needed by those and services as well as to provide paid enabling skills among the communities,
cut off from globalization, we revived a work for low-income communities. A core and ultimately, students embodying ide-
major area in entrepreneurship: Entrepre- team of interdisciplinary faculty was als of service.
neurship and Ethics education toward formed in January 2004. In order to further
Equity (Triple E). inculcate Triple E ideals, student sec-
Lessons
We realize that globalization is both tions were named after the great social
pervasive and pernicious. One way to encyclicals: Rerum Novarum, Populorum We learned much in the process of
embrace it, while avoiding its pitfalls is to Progressio, Laborem Exercens and responding to the ‘signs of the times”:
link arms with people of goodwill to help Gaudium et Spes. · Students and parents are our clients.
shape a better world, infused with human Since self-mastery is a key to entre- We respond to their needs.
values. preneurship, self-awareness and team · Our strategy follows our vision and
building sessions were held with stu- mission while
Linkages dents. Under the principle of “Know your · We consider the realities of : Manhat-
market,” community field visits were con- tan—turbo-capitalism/material better-
The first is a research linkage of four ducted. Low income neighborhoods were ment. Dapitan—dualism/roots
universities bonded by their Thomistic selected in Antipolo, Bulacan, Tagaytay, · We continue leadership in areas of
beliefs and values: and Sta. Mesa. The approach is commu- excellence i.e. the UST— AMV Col-
· UST Manila: economically developing nity-based because social scientists agree lege of Accountancy while
country that vernacular spaces “…provide mean- · We pioneer in promoting the “excluded”
· The Ukrainian Catholic University in ingful solutions and are able to surf over e.g. Triple E or social marketing
Lviv, Ukraine—also with participation waves and threats” (Rahnema in Sachs
from the St. Thomas Institute in Kyviv: 1992) while local communities combine Challenges
ex-communist country economic imperatives with social ben-
· The UST, Minnesota, USA, in particu- efits (Dahrendof 1995) As a Catholic university, we need to
lar, the Center for Catholic Studies: The Triple E program is anchored on think global and act entrepreneurial while
Midwest US the Triple L model of working with being true to being universal. In the global
· The Pontifical University of St. Thomas grassroots communities. The Triple L economy, we observe a “silent takeover”.
(Angelicum), Rome, in particular, the model recognizes that women play a prin- Powerful finance rules the world. Power
Faculty of Social Sciences: Roman pon- cipal role in community mobilization and is lies with corporations since they decide
tifical university
The College of Commerce is a member
of the network whose present focus is on
Catholic Social Thought and Corporate
Social Responsibility.
In February of 2005, a memorandum
of understanding was signed between
the University of Atma Jaya Yogyakarta
and the University of Santo Tomas with
the College of Commerce as principal co-
operating entity. Business ethics as well
as small and medium enterprise are a pri-
ority. Yogyakarta is known as the handi-
craft center in Indonesia. The chairs of
the General Education and Economics
Departments as well as a Triple Ecore
faculty visited Atma Jaya last June 4-9,
2005.
“Unity in Diversity” was the theme of
a cultural exchange program in the last
quarter of 2004. Thirty students from
Sophia University in Tokyo visited UST
with commerce students as their hosts led
by the Economics Society president. The
Japanese teenagers are donors of scholar-
www.ovc.blogspot.com
appeared and flourished with the use of Canon 1097, 1098, 1102
technology. 5. Annotations on Rotal Jurisprudence on
We have to be entrepreneurial; we Canon 1103
unite our “knowing” with our “doing.” 6. Annotations on Rotal Jurisprudence on
Since we know that the poor are in the rural Canon 1095
7. Annotations on Rotal Jurisprudence on ase!
areas, we give them priority.
We have to be true to our being uni-
Canon 1101
8. Evidence in Marriage Nullity Cases Rele
versal, to embrace all that concerns the
human person and to embrace all human
9. Impediments to Canonical Marriage
10. Markers
New
persons. We are inspired by Dietrich 11. Penal Process for Dismissal from the
Bonhoffer, imprisoned and eventually ex- Clerical State
ecuted by the Nazis: “It is an experience 12. Provincial Council, Diocesan Synod,
Pastoral Assembly For Orders Contact:
of incomparable value to have (the) 13. CBCP Guidelines on Sexual Abuse and
learned to see the great events of history Misconduct: A Critique
from beneath: from the viewpoint of the 14. Board of Conciliation and Arbitration National Matrimonial
useless, the suspect, the abused, the pow- 15. Viewpoints at the Onset of the New
erless, the despised,—in a word, from the Millennium Tribunal Office
viewpoint of those who suffer.” 16. Media in our Midst Tel. No. (632) 5274160
17. Administration of the Temporal Goods of
There is a ‘new agenda” versus the the Church CBCPWorld Office
silent takeover: inclusiveness, 18. Curia Management Telefax (632) 4041612
reconnection of the social and the eco- 19. Clergy Compensation
nomic, as well as a determination that
everyone has access to justice. But there
is a lack of moral imperative, responsibil-
ity, or political will. Here, as a Catholic
university, could we provide the moral
leadership as well as assume responsibil- A monthly publication on issues
concerning Catholic faith and morals.
ity towards a world with more justice and
truth?
Volume 39 • Number 9 15
The
SCOURGE of
LEGALIZED GAMBLING
16 IMPACT • December 2005
C O V E R S T O R Y
W
ilfredo “Boy” Mayor was right, it turns Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and
out. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corpora-
failed to expressly state that she is seri- tion (PAGCOR), both under Government Owned
ously against jueteng, an illegal numbers game, and Controlled Corporations (GOCC), and touted
because its direct consequence will be to her own as the most profitable government corporations in
disadvantage. Aside from being alleged as the the country established to generate funds for the
direct beneficiary of the illegal gambling money, government’s developmental projects and help
she despises the Erap and Chavit-Singzon sce- curb illegal gambling.
nario—that she might also fail to complete her six PAGCOR’s net revenues kept rising from P14
year-year term. “Gambling lords has an ace up their billion in 2000, P17 billion in 2001, P20 billion in 2002,
sleeves. And when push comes to shove they can P21 billion in 2003 and P22 billion in 2004. To recall,
pull that ace out and try to maneuver the situation,” some legislators have proposed to privatize the
Mayor said. casinos, but it did not prosper. Why? Because there
It has been five months since the jueteng are several government agencies and programs that
controversy spawned by sensational exposes are being subsidized out of casino earnings as
hounded President Arroyo and her family. On an mandated by law—among them are the Philippine
estimate count, nearly 90 % of jueteng operations Sports Commission (PSC) and the National Power
nationwide have been affected and more than Corporation (NPC). The moment PAGCOR is abol-
200,000 jueteng workers were reportedly displaced. ished, fund subsidies for these agencies will like-
Now, however, after what seemingly must be the wise stop.
outpouring success of the government’s initiated Lotto earning, meanwhile, reached P9.6 billion
crackdown on jueteng, a semblance of normality is in 2003 and P11.3 billion in 2004. According to the
setting in. Jueteng—and yes, big time operators— PCSO, 30% of total revenue goes to charity, 55% to
are reopening; and cabos and cobradores are now the prizes and 15% to their operational costs.
back in the streets welcoming the local folks to They’ve also confirmed that the unclaimed win-
betting that not long ago were silent. Because of the nings from online lottery and sweepstakes have
government’s claim that the only way to win the reached P624 million from 1996 to 2002. Now, the
campaign against jueteng is to give its beneficiaries PCSO is set to institutionalize another form of
an alternative livelihood, they’ve come out with an gambling purportedly to eradicate jueteng—small
idea of legalizing it. The government has plenty of town lottery, where the government stands to earn
reasons, but one gnaws at them just like other from P6 billion to P10 billion annually.
legalized gambling: the revenues. But like Mayor, self-confessed jueteng opera-
Over the past few years, more and more Asian tor, many anti-gambling groups are getting appre-
countries, developed or developing, are discarding hensive of the supposed advantages being dangled
their traditional gambling stand and shifting gam- by the government. Gambling’s negative conse-
bling into major sources of public funds. For ex- quences are even more formidable than the flaunted
ample, the Singaporean government has finally revenues to subsidize purportedly government’s
allowed casino operations because of their dimin- social services programs.
ishing inflow of tourism and was afraid of being One problem is crime. Historically, crime in-
surpassed by other nations in terms of tourism creases where gambling is legal. Studies showed
industry. They have acknowledged the fact that it that problematic gamblers sometimes turn to crimi-
could generate an additional $1.5 billion revenues nal activities to support their habit. Gamblers often
and create more than 35,000 jobs. Today, casinos deal drugs, embezzle, or steal to get money to
and other gambling dens are also thriving in Cam- gamble or to pay gambling debts. Prostitution, and
bodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepal, Malaysia, general sexual immorality, likewise rises because of
Myanmar and even in tiny Laos. immoral entertainment provided in and near gam-
In the Philippines, the government has been bling houses. In fact, alongside with most gambling
expanding and promoting gambling through the dens in Metro Manila KTV bars have sprouted like
Volume 39 • Number 9 17
C O V E R S T O R Y
T
he gospels speak of a touching mo Far from the common wisdom that pre- Countless, if not the predominant majority of
ment in the last days of Jesus that vails among those who are “well-off,” the the upper and middle class, view the multi-
evokes powerful undertones of how cause of poverty in the world and particu- tudes of laboring poor merely as unworthy
the Lord viewed the poor and the burden larly in our country today is neither the tools and undeserving beneficiaries of their
of poverty. That episode is mentioned in fatalistic laziness of the poor nor their lack of economic enterprises. This condescending
all four Gospels, especially in the recollec- enterprise. Jose Rizal exposed this elitist attitude is craftily disguised in lip-service
tions of the aging evangelist who loved stance when he wrote about the “indolence” attempts at poverty-alleviation – charities
the Lord demonstrably as a brother and of the Filipinos. The single most telling and even movements that barely scratch the
mentor—the apostle John. The setting is cause of widespread, debilitating poverty is surface of poverty and ironically aggravate
a banquet, most likely in the nearby Jerusa- that so many self-proclaimed followers of the problem by perpetuating the self-defeat-
lem suburb of Bethany, hometown of Jesus have inflicted their greed and thievery ing syndrome of mendicancy. Over the
Lazarus, the friend Jesus resurrected from on the powerless poor, dehumanizing them decades, elaborate schemes concocted by
the grave. Two accounts identify the host and reducing them to passive, dole-out- business, civic and government sectors have
as the prominent Pharisee Simon, possibly dependent chattel. The “haves” have con- ended up only in massive fraud, graft or
a leper cured by Jesus. structed invisible, insurmountable barriers thievery. Yet the incidence of poverty con-
Quite suddenly, a disturbance freezes between themselves and the “have-nots”— tinues to balloon—from the single-digit level
the celebration. A woman enters the male- the barriers of education, technology, capi- it was four decades ago to the scale of over
exclusive party; she “gate-crashes,” as it tal, opportunity—and the most immobilizing three-fourths of the entire population that it
were, and is obviously made to feel unwel- barrier of all—the barrier of stoic, insensi- now is. Indeed, widespread poverty has
come. Most of the men turn hostile glances tive, self-righteous indifference. been unconscionably used to engineer mas-
at the intruder. Some of them recoil at her The Philippine social elite and so-called sive corruption, which in turn rudely exacer-
sight. In their secret thoughts, they wonder “middle class” regard the idle “masses” as an bated poverty.
if this is the “sinner” the adulteress they unwanted but necessary evil in society. Perhaps a different outlook deserves
couldn’t stone to death when Jesus exposed
their own sinfulness. Boldly, the woman by Antonio B. de los Reyes
tames her cowering fear; she is a sinner
fraught with remorse, numb to ridicule, but
determined to pay homage to the One who
saved her life and defended her dignity. She
kneels before Jesus and pours expensive
fragrant oil on the Master’s hair; then she The POOR:
CURSE OR
washes Jesus’ feet with tars of repentance
and joy. Judas, the treasurer, whom John
labels a “thief” and “the one who would
betray Jesus,” indignantly blurts out the
CHALLENGE?
conventional hypocrisy: “why was not this
perfume sold? It could have brought three
hundred silver pieces, and the money have
been given to the poor.” Then, Jesus,
looking at Judas, replies, “Leave her
alone…The poor you will always have with
you, and you can be generous to them
whenever you want to, but you will not
always have Me.” (John 12:7,8; Mark 14:6,7)
“….The poor you will always have
with you…” Jesus’ remark has resounded
through the centuries, enshrined in cyni-
cal minds—conveniently but wrongly con-
sidered to be the Lord’s resigned accep-
tance that poverty is inevitable, a condi-
tion mankind simply embrace as an evil
that flows from the nature of man. Yet this
was so utterly far from what Jesus had in
mind. Rather, it speaks of where Jesus
thought His disciples should be—with
the poor, sharing whatever they have,
providing for their needs of soul and body.
And yet it also speaks of how precisely
Jesus knew Judas’ heart; whenever His
disciples bear the heart of Judas, there will
always be poverty. The heartlessness of
Judas is the root cause of poverty.
Volume 39 • Number 9 19
The Poor: Curse or Challenge? Christian Marriage and F
to be tested—and approach that disciples Manila, reveal a young population. From a Christian Marriage / from p. 5
of SERVIAM have piloted over the past total count of 138, 77 or 56% are children and
year. “SERVIAM LifeCare” is an integrated youth aged 18 and below. All families are 1917 Code is dropped. With the new formu-
mission program that actively expresses within the lowest 25% income group, the lation, it comes out that marriage is ordered
our community’s commitment to share in “poorest of the poor.” 48% of the families to the twofold end: the good of the spouses
the pastoral care and economic restora- subsist on less than Php. 17 per capita income and the good of the children. The ends of
tion of the most deprived and marginalized per day. 96% of the heads of families are marriage are actually one, complimentary,
families and communities. We propose to unemployed or have irregular and sub-mini- inseparable. The effect of this re-structur-
minister to the spiritual needs of the poor- mum earnings. General educational attain- ing of the purposes of marriage is the under-
est of the poor by first raising the quality ment is low and insufficient. Malnutrition is scoring the very dignity of the persons in
of their human life and the dignity of their prevalent with both the young and the adults the family and their being a community.
human person, personally helping them alike, affecting 50% of the children. Hyper
meet their minimum basic needs, particu- Cholesterol and Elevated Blood Sugar were Structural Response
larly health and nutrition, livelihood, edu- detected in 40% of all adults. Pulmonary
cation and employment and shelter. tuberculosis (PTB) afflicted both adults and The most important juridical structure
SERVIAM as a Community believes youth at 10% and 6% respectively. Housing established by the Church in order to defend
that the optimum level of ministry in our conditions are destitute, with rented space at and promote the family is the Pontifical Coun-
holistic life-care approach is the family, the an average of 5 square meters for an average cil for the Family. It was established in 1981
nexus between the person and society. family of six (6) members. No. running water by John Paul II as a Vatican “dicastery” with
The family as a whole is our unit of “inte- is available; only common or makeshift toilets many areas of competence dealing with
gral evangelization.” We therefore are used. All the families are reported as marriage, family and human life. Headed by
choose to adopt a family-to-family minis- Roman Catholic. the Cardinal Prefect himself, the Council
try, where human personal relationships There is only one viable way to reverse primarily promotes the pastoral care of fami-
become the infrastructure for poverty alle- our nation’s self-inflicted curse of poverty. lies and fosters their dignity and inherent
viation and human transformation. We must shatter the self-constructed bar- rights in the Church and before civil society.
SERVIAM trains and fields “Mission Shep- riers between the “haves” and“have-nots” As counterpart to this international Pontifi-
herds”—married couples or single pairs— and faithfully follow the way of Jesus, the cal Council for the Family, the Commission
who personally relate to “Families in way of real solidarity and sacrifice. We on Family and Life was constituted by CBCP.
Need” in their journey to medical, nutri- must be personally present to the poorest It acts as lead agency for the defense and
tional, social and economic restoration. of the poor, and share our gifts and tal- promotion of family concerns in the local
The range of assistance is sequential. ents—nay, our very hearts and minds— churches in the Philippines. Meanwhile each
The Program first surveys a pre-selected with them, as Jesus did. His way, the way and every diocese of the Philippines is also
community (barangay) to determine, on a of Christian sharing, is recorded in the life expected to put up its own structural coun-
set verifiable criteria, the “poorest of the of the earliest post-Pentecost Christian terpart to oversee that the family and its
poor”: sacramental, or at least legal, mar- communities: values are duly protected and promoted at
riage; maximum per capita daily income of “The community of believers were of the grass root level. Through these juridical
Php. 50; no source of regular income; no one heart and one mind. None of them structures, several programs and activities,
owned real property; and at least two chil- claimed anything in common. With power international as well as local, related to the
dren. Identified families are then visited to the apostles bore witness to the resurrec- promotion and defense of the family have
confirm these conditions and determine tion of the Lord Jesus, and great respect been organized. The latest activity is the
their actual needs. After groups review, the was paid to them all; nor was there any- Fourth World Meeting of Families held here
Mission Shepherds initiate face-to-face one needy among them (Acts 4:32-34)
personal relationships with identified Fami- Those who believed shared all things in
lies in Need and make bi-monthly visits. common…dividing everything on the ba-
Health and Nutrition are the standard entry sis of each one’s need. (Acts 2:44,45).”
points for assistance; the poor must be This is the way we Christians should
made healthy and fit before they can be live together as a community and nation—
helped to help themselves. After medical a challenge for us who dare follow the true
examinations and basic treatment, nutri- steps of Jesus.
tional assistance follows. By networking Poverty is not a foregone conclusion in
with relevant agencies, Families in Need are the story of mankind. It can be avoided and
offered skills and livelihood development. surely can be overcome. It exists only be-
A group savings and enterprise training cause we choose to bear the heart of Judas
program provides the discipline for liveli- in place of the heart of Christ. “For your sake
hood management, funded through micro- Jesus made Himself poor although He was
finance. The program grants long-term indi- rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) Might we, too,
vidual loans for vocational training of quali- make ourselves less rich, so that we can
fied members of Families in Need. relieve suffering, pain and ignorance? Per-
Baseline data from a Needs Inventory haps then we can restore—in justice if not in
conducted among the first twenty-five fami- love—the dignity and welfare, and most
lies in SERVIAM’s pilot Mission Area, likely the faith, of the multitudes who now
Barangay Cemboin the City of Makati, Metro crawl in the dust of destitution. I
in Manila last January 2003. in which the human person is formed (cf. like those between parents and children, are
Familiaris Consortio, 19-27), is indispens- constitutively relations of justice, and for
Pastoral Appeals able for a true “human ecology” that reason have in themselves juridical
(Centesimus Annus, 39). significance. Married and parent-child love
Appeal to men of good-will. Appeals Appeal to those Experts in Law. In the is not merely an instinctive inclination, nor
to save the family and the rights of its International Interfaith Conference on the an arbitrary and reversible choice, but is
members have been voiced by the Church. Family held in Manila on the 28th March rather a love that is due” (op. cit.).
The impassioned ones are contained in 1999, the participants came out with an Correct approach of the law therefore
Familiaris Consortio of John Paul II who appeal: “We call on all the families of the demands the integral vision of man. This
among others said: “The future of humanity world to join hands and work together in implies knowledge of the human person in all
passes by way of the family. It is therefore creating appropriate legal structures to its reality. It has first of all to keep in mind the
indispensable and urgent that every per- counteract forces destructive to family life essential nature of the person, the essential
son of good will should endeavor to save and marriage institutions and move to nature of his conjugal dimension and the
and foster the values and requirements of promote growth and development. Every resulting natural inclination to marriage.
the family. I feel that I must ask for a a member of the family always has signifi- Human person, that is, a free and conscious
particular effort in this field from the sons cant role to play. One voice can always agent in relation to another, has a “nature”
and daughters of the Church. Faith gives make a difference” (cf. op. cit., Family: At in the metaphysical sense. By virtue of his
them full knowledge of God’s wonderful the Center of Human Development, p. nature, the person is subject to essential
plan; they therefore have an extra reason for 243). To empower these families addressed rights and obligations of marriage which are
caring for the reality that is the family in this by the Declaration, those knowledgeable objective and juridical (cf. op. cit., 5).
time of trial and of grace”(n. 86). with Church’s laws are to come out and Integral vision of man includes man as
Another impassioned appeal was help them with their expertise. redeemed. It envisioned man with a sound
made recently by John Paul II in his Ad- Meantime the addresses of the Holy realism “in its conception of personal free-
dress to the Fourth World Meeting of Father to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota dom, placed between the limits and influ-
Families held in the Philippines last Janu- could shed some lights on how to effec- ences of a human nature burdened by sin
ary 25, 2003. He said: “Christian couples, tively approach the laws of the Church, and the always sufficient help of divine
be “good news for the third millennium” properly interpret them in consonance to grace” (op. cit. 4).
by bearing convincing and consistent these guidelines and apply them accord- A novel approach to the law and its
witness to the truth about the family. The ingly. interpretation this is. The canon lawyers
family founded on marriage is a patrimony Address to the Tribunal of the Roman are enjoined to enter into it. If apprehen-
of humanity, a great good of priceless Rota, 27 January 1997. Here, the Holy sion takes the better of them, they should
value, necessary for the life, development Father observed that the Second Vatican be reminded of what the Holy Father said
and the future of peoples. According to Council’s vision of marriage and family to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. He said:
the plan of creation established in the contains personalist aspects. As this view “On these subjects the Magisterium of the
beginning (cf. Mt. 19: 4.8), the family is the of marriage has entered in the codification Church goes well beyond the mere juridi-
setting in which the human person, made of 1983 Code of Canon Law, the Holy cal dimension, but it does keep it con-
in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen Father has been asking what would be the stantly in mind. As a result, a preeminent
1:26), is conceived and born, grows and juridical consequences that would neces- source for understanding and correctly
matures. The family, as the primary school sarily flow from these personalist aspects applying canonical marriage law is the
of marriage and family. His answer is to Church’s same magisterium, which is re-
place the persons at the center of the sponsible for authentically interpreting
civility of love. For him this approach will the word of God concerning this reality
not exclude the law. In fact “it demands it, (see Dei Verbum, no. 10), including its
leading to a rediscovery of law as an inter- juridical aspects. The canonical norms are
personal reality and to a vision of juridical only the juridical expression of an under-
institutions that highlights their constitu- lying anthropological and theological re-
tive link with persons themselves, which is ality, and we must be in constant touch
so essential in the case of marriage and the with reality if we are to avoid the risk of
family” (Address of John Paul II, 27 Janu- facile interpretations. The guarantee of
ary 1997). It means that correct interpreta- certitude, in the structure of the People of
tion of the law and its application can only God as communion, is offered by the living
happen when the person involved is con- Magisterium of the Pastors” (op. cit., 3).
sidered in all his/her reality and duly ap-
preciated. Address of John Paul II to the
Law is an interpersonal reality; juridi- Prelate Auditors, Officials and
cal institutions demand the constitutive Advocates of the Tribunal of the
link with persons themselves. Hence, there
Roman Rota, 30 January 2003 .
is no conflict between law and the interper-
sonal aspects of marriage. Take for instance In this address, the Holy Father high-
the “relations between the spouses, in fact, lights the importance and the significance
Volume 39 • Number 9 21
I M P A C T M A G A Z I N E
of the religious dimension of marriage and Light in / from p. 8 Rescind the / from p. 27
the family. He cited the phenomenon of
many recent matrimonial cases and ob- see Christmas lights as mere decora- 4. The DENR Order has set the clock
served that there is a pattern. The pattern tion; if anything, it is a symptom back on social justice in the country. So-
is the diminishing awareness of the that gloom is right inside our hearts. cial inequity in the Philippines can hardly
spouses of the significance of the be uprooted overnight. But it is powerfully
We can be so distracted by so many
sacramentality of the Christian marriage. given a boost by the Order. A corporation
artificial lights around us that we
Spouses do not consider anymore the owned by a member of the country’s elite
transcendence of Christian marriage, its could miss (as we often do) the real
LIGHT staring us full in the face. is now allowed to rake in more wealth for
intimate meaning, its intrinsic supernatu- itself while the masses of Samar’s poor will
ral value, its positive effects on the conju- Yes, Christmas is about the coming
of the Light, the Sun of Justice, Jesus only eke out of the crumbs and may even
gal life and family. He also observed that
the Christ. And just as the sun re- lose the little that they have of Samar’s
secularism has much to blame to this mod- God-given natural wealth. The Church
ern phenomena in Christian marriage. He moves the darkness in the world and
reveals its beauty and wounded- which sees the advancement of social jus-
said: “Today’s strongly secularized men- tice as duly constitutive of the preaching
tality tends to affirm the human values of ness, Jesus comes to us and exposes
the institution of the family while detach- our sins in the light of day so as to of the gospel (Justice in the World, no. 21)
unwrap before our very eyes the cannot merely view this state of things and
ing them from religious values and pro-
claiming them as fully independent of God. beauty that makes us God’s chil- let it be. She must raise her voice and say
dren. Most of all, Christmas is about no.
Influenced as it is by models of life that are
too often presented by the mass media, the Son of God becoming visible so 5. St. Augustine used to say, “Love
today’s mentality asks, ‘Why must one and do what you will (Ama et fac quod vis!)
that we could get a full view of the
spouse always be faithful to the other?’ A That is what we are called to do primarily
God we cannot see, the One St. Au- as Disciples of Jesus Christ! Let us love
person of faith can easily answer that gustine calls “Beauty ever ancient,
question; but a person who is cut off from our God who has given us the earth and
ever new”. Yes, a full view because everything in it! But let us especially love
that religious dimension of marriage is in a Jesus comes to reveal God to us fully
quandary. Caught in a crisis, this person of our people and do what we must: save
and not just in fragments, as in the their forests and save our patrimony!
no faith “will even reformulate the preced- olden days. “In times past, God
ing question in this way: why it is always We urge the government and espe-
spoke in partial and various ways to cially Secretary Michael T. Defensor to do
necessary to love the other spouse even our ancestors through the proph-
when so many apparently justifying rea- the same. Look beyond mere political and
ets; in these last days, he spoke to economic accommodations: Truly love
sons would lead one to leave?” us through his son, whom he made the people and serve their welfare! How?
Confronted with such a phenomenon,
the Holy Father enjoined the audience to heir of all things and through whom Rescind the August 15, 2005 DENR Order
he created the universe, who is the allowing commercial logging in Samar
help the families to value the significance refulgence of his glory, the very Island!
of the sacramentality of marriage in their
imprint of his being…” (Heb 1:1-3). May Mary, the Mother of the Savior,
own lives. He also urged them to always
consider the religious dimension when As a child I remember, one night, intercede for us and our worthy cause!
dealing with sacramental marriage. He said: feeling very scared of an object that
Yours in the Lord,
“The consideration of the sacramentality seemed to be moving in front of our
highlights the transcendence of your func- old house. I hid safely inside and Most Rev. Pedro R. Dean, D.D.
tion, the bond that links it to the economy watched the object to see if it was Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo,
of salvation. The religious dimension some “engkanto” or some “ aswang ” Leyte
should for this reason permeate all your threatening our very existence. Then Most Rev. Leonardo Y. Medroso, D.D.
the day after, with the sun fully shin- Bishop of Borongan, Eastern Samar
work. From handling scientific studies on
marriage to the daily activity of the admin- ing, I discovered it was just the leaf Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, D.D.
from a stump swaying in the wind. Bishop of Calbayog, Western Samar
istration of justice, there is no room in the
My fears vanished like smoke. It is Most Rev. Emmanuel C. Trance, D.D.
Church for a vision of marriage that is Bishop of Catarman, Northern Samar
merely immanent and profane, simply be- not unlike our situation. Before Jesus
Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol, D.D.
cause such a vision is not true theologi- we were so afraid of darkness and Bishop of Naval, Biliran
cally and juridically” (op. cit., 6). evil; they seemed invincible. With
Most Rev. Isabelo Abarquez, D.D.
Canon lawyers are in the position to Jesus, the powers of darkness lose Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of
defend and to promote the traditional val- their sting because the Light of the Palo
ues of marriage and family. Meantime the world shines on them, scattering Most Rev. Angel T. Hobayan, D.D.
Church Magisterium is enjoining them to them away. “All things came to be Bishop Emeritus of Catarman,
have an integral vision of marriage, appre- through him and without him noth- Northern Samar
ciate the significance of the sacramentality ing came to be. What came to be Most Rev. Maximiano T. Cruz, D.D.
of Christian marriage, and put the spouses through him was life, and this life Bishop Emeritus of Calbayog,
Western Samar
and children at the center of the law. I was the light of the human race; the
Clergy, Archdiocese of Palo, Diocese of
(Most Rev. Leonardo Y. Medroso, DD, the Bishop of light shines in the darkness, and Calbayog, Diocese of Borongan,
the Diocese of Borongan in Eastern Samar, is the the darkness cannot overcome it” Diocese of Catarman, Diocese of
Chairman of the CBCP Commission on Canon Law) (Jn 1:3-5). I Naval
E
inar Gilkyson (Robert Redford) lives practically alone
in his run-down ranch near Ishawooa, Wyoming. His disability does not make him an invalid
only companion is Mitch (Morgan Freeman), an old in every other way. To forgive life’s
ranch hand who is now an invalid after being mauled by a bear hurts, to reconcile especially with fam-
a year earlier. Caring for Mitch means giving him his daily dose The phrase “an unfinished” life is ily and in-laws, to love, to will to change
of morphine as well as bringing him his meals. As they go written on the grave marker of Einar’s — these may spell the difference in
through their daily routine, it seems their lives have come to son who passes away in the prime of life one’s life. (Date Reviewed: 09 Decem-
a stand still, with nothing more to look forward to. Then without fulfilling the promise of his ber 2005 @ cbcpworld.com/cinema)
suddenly, Jean (Jennifer Lopez), Einar’s daughter-in-law and
Griff (Becca Gardener), his granddaughter appear on his
doorstep. Einar hates Jean because, though his son died
accidentally 12 years ago, Einar thinks Jean is responsible for
his death. Einar does not know he has a granddaughter. Jean
CBCPWorld Training Programs
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Gary (Damian Lewis), she has decided to flee from him, though In pursuit of it mission which 3. SysAd - for systems ad-
she has nowhere to go. While Griff learns things easily on the is that of making the internet ministrators; a highly
ranch, Einar is indifferent, even hostile to the new arrivals. as a new forum for proclaim- technical 3-day course
Mitch prods Einar to be civil to his family but will Einar learn ing the Gospel, CBCPWorld on Linux and systems
to forgive and love? Jean’s boyfriend comes to force her to is conducting training administration
return to him but will she find the way to sort out her life? courses on information and 4. IT Awareness Seminar
Devoid of fantastic special effects or adrenalin communications technology. - for evangelizers; a
Last year, about a thousand 2-day hands-on semi-
pumping action stunts that dominate the screen these catholic teachers and church nar on information
days, the movie An Unfinished Life depicts quietly workers underwent various and communications
what seems to be the static life of persons isolated ITC training programs. technology
physically and emotionally. But the uneventful story at This year, CBCPWorld is 5. Catechetical Multi-Me-
the outset turns out to be an absorbing and touching offering the following train- dia Production - for
drama as the characters undergo personality changes ing modules: catechists; a 3-day
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deeply felt emotions. Redford’s role, not that of the nology in the subject cur- which are held on site or at
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Gardener as Griff all give performances that cannot be emphasis on religious to friends@cbcpworld.com or
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Volume 39 • Number 9 23
F R O M T H E B L O G S
G
ender orientation in no way dimi-
nishes the inherent dignity of a hu- While majority of the people get married,
man person. It is not what sex a there are those who simply do not for one
person has that makes the difference but reason or another. They do not feel that
what he or she does with it. Human sexu- marriage is for them. So they remain single
ality is an accompaniment of a person that for life. This is something connatural for
changes his disposition but not constitu- them which do not make them more or less
tion. That is why discrimination among persons.
persons has no place in civilized society. There are homosexuals who succeed
They are essentially equal. and who fail in temporal matters. So are
It is said that homosexuals are not mean there heterosexuals who shine or fade in
for the priesthood. This is however neither earthly pursuits. What makes them rise or
a degrading nor a discriminating observance. fall is not their sexual identity. It is rather
This is simple reality. It would be difficult for their talents as persons and their opportu-
a homosexual to be pushed into a hetero- nities as individuals.
© Graham Dean/CORBIS
sexual milieu. Such is neither logical nor fair. Do unto others what you want others
Let it be said too that heterosexual to do unto you. Who does not know this
males unduly inclined to women are nei- golden rule? Even children are taught this
ther meant for the priesthood. This too is elementary norm of living. It is a big shame
not discrimination but the admission of if adults themselves do not know and
truth. It would be unrealistic to impose on In the same way, just as women are not practice it. This is precisely the case of
them celibacy. Such would be asking them meant to become priests, men are neither those who discriminate against anyone on
something extraordinary which is also intended to become sisters. This is dis- account of gender orientation.
unfair and unreasonable. tinction. Not discrimination. This is real- www.ovc.blogspot.com
F
or many decades, the PCSO was an
institution completely synonymous
with charity. It meant charity on the
part of those who bought its tickets. Their
intention was charity. Their generosity was
for charity.
People then did not buy sweepstakes
Philippine Charity
tickets to win. They did not expect to win.
They wanted to help the poor, the sick, the
orphans. Most of them started buying
tickets when they were young. They be-
Sweepstakes Office
came old. They died. They never won.
Their loss was charity’s gain. That was the
way it was meant to be. And so it was.
But slowly and surely the PCSO was
made to evolve into something with less
nobility but with more avarice. It progres-
sively made its patrons less charitable but
more greedy. PCSO is now sadly adulter-
ated with downright gambling.
Gambling could be anything but char-
ity on the part of the gamblers. Helping Now, PCSO is promoting small town PAGCOR dedicated to gambling. There is
others is farthest from the mind of the lottery (STL). Again, it is said that this PCSO promoting gambling. And there are
gamblers. Winning, yes. Helping them- would replace jueteng. But just like the gambling lords operating many forms
selves, yes. Coveting the money of others, lotto, STL is precisely the cover-up of of gambling. Gambling does not a strong
yes. But doing charity, no! jueteng. And once more, STL is poised republic make. Gambling is a vice as well as
First, PCSO introduced Lotto. This to likewise procreate another form of a vicious activity. Gambling promotes any-
form of gambling was introduced alleg- gambling: pick-2. thing and everything—except industry,
edly to eradicate jueteng. The outcome is It is worth asking how the national integrity and honesty. And its victims are
well known. Lotto and Jueteng came to leadership feels about all these. The often always the same: the gullible poor and the
have a peaceful co-existence. Lotto even proclaimed strong republic is fast becom- indolent rich.
sired another form of gambling: lotteng. ing a gambling republic instead. There is www.ovc.blogspot.com
Volume 39 • Number 9 25
S T A T E M E N T S
Statement on the
ships between those in authority and their
constituents;
§that in fulfilling our task in sharing
Christ’s mission as prophet, the Church
Operation of a
lessen what is bad in it (PCP II 347);
§that one of the moral evils that exists
in society is gambling and whatever form
Casino at Barangay,
it takes threatens the moral values that
ought to shape and form the human per-
son into a responsible and God-fearing
La Union
establishment under the pretext of gener-
ating jobs for the unemployed, raising the
standard of living, increasing the gross
national product and providing economic
sufficiency;
§ that such facilities for gam-
bling would only spawn about un-
told evils including prostitution,
drug abuse, AIDS, all sorts of crime
and the destruction of family val-
ues;
§ that these evil consequences
would even far outweigh the pos-
sible benefits that such facilities for
gambling would produce;
§ that there can be other areas,
wholesome and profitable ones,
which need only to be explored for
the sake of providing job opportu-
nities for the unemployed and up-
lifting the living conditions of the
poor;
As a church we hereby declare
our opposition to the establish-
ment and operation of a casino com-
ponent to the hotel-resort at
Barangay, Poro, City of San
Fernando, La Union. We laud and
commend the provincial and city
government officials for the
progress and development they
A
t this time of crisis occasioned by a §that at all times we believe and stand have achieved for this province. We,
difficult problem that would bring for the integral development of the human however, believe that approving the op-
irreparable damage to our lives in person in all dimensions including the eration of a hotel-resort with a casino com-
this province, we, the bishop, priests, re- interior, that is, the spiritual dimension and ponent in the city of San Fernando was not
ligious men, and women and concerned eternal salvation of the human person necessary at all. Progress can be achieved
lay faithful in the Diocese of San Fernando (PCP II 294); even without it. We are against the promo-
of La Union, hereby declare: §that all human activities must be tion of economic sufficiency if only
§That at all times we carry the respon- exercised in the light of the faith of the through gambling.
sibility of reading the signs of the times Gospel, and the requirements of the Gos-
and of interpreting them in the light of the pel in regard to human dignity, justice, MOSTREV.ARTEMIORILLERA,SVD,DD
Gospel, if we are to carry out our task as the charity and the common good cannot just Bishop of San Fernando, La Union
universal sacrament of salvation (GS1); be sacrificed (PCP II 344); November 20, 2005
A
s pastors of the Lord’s flock we
have the responsibility to listen to
his voice in the cry of the least of
his brothers and sisters. No less than that
is our duty to care for the earth, even as we
humbly strive to imitate Him who looks
after the “birds in the sky” and the “lilies
of the field” to express his greater love for
his people (Mt 6:26, 28).
Moved by this unparalleled love of
the Lord for his flock, we, the Bishops of
Samar and Leyte, with the concurrence of
the Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo and
his Auxiliary, together with our respective
Clergies, petition the Secretary of Envi-
ronment and Natural Resources, Michael
T. Defensor, to rescind his August 15,
2005 Order allowing San Jose Timber Cor-
poration to pursue logging operations in
Samar Island.
There are vital reasons behind our
common stand.
1. In our judgment rescinding the
DENR Order is a demand of the people’s
welfare. That welfare, after all, is the high-
est law (salus populi suprema lex). As
long as the specter of destruction to life,
livelihood and property, to a balanced and
wholesome eco-system is poised on them RESCIND THE DENR ORDER
by the imminent loss of critical forest cover
and watershed, our people will not be
helped even by financial or economic gain.
TO RESUME LOGGING
In fact, material benefits alone do not de-
termine our people’s welfare because even OPERATIONS IN SAMAR
financial and economic considerations
cannot supersede such other vital human
concerns as our people’s security, spiri- A Joint Pastoral Statement of the Bishops
tual and moral health, among others. Work-
ing for our people’s true welfare means
and Clergy of Samar and Leyte
respecting our people’s true nature; for we
not only have bodies but spirits as well. “Simon, son
son of
of John,
John, do
do you
you love
love me
me more
more than
than
“Simon,
Physically and spiritually, we need our
forest cover intact and healthy. these?… Tend
these?… Tend my
my sheep,”
sheep,” (John
(John 21:15,
21:15, 16).
16).
2. The issuance of the Order came in
the wake of a morally compromised situa-
tion: two public officials sharing favors subdivision, agency, or instrumentality foot the “more prior” native rights of the
that seem mutually related to one another. thereof, including any government-owned people of Samar Island. The Order keeps
A Senator of the Republic helping to con- or controlled corporation, or its subsid- alive a business but it threatens the very
firm the appointment of a DENR Secretary iary, during his term of office. He shall not survival of peoples and very precious flora
who himself issues an Order allowing the intervene in any matter before any office of and fauna: 80% of Samar’s old growth
Senator’s logging company to operate the government for his pecuniary benefit forest, Samar’s critical watershed, 2,400
again clearly does not at all inspire confi- or where he may be called upon to act on acknowledged rare species of blooms, 197
dence in the absence of political trade-off account of his office.” Rescinding the species of birds, 25 species of reptiles and
between powerful people at the expense of Order, therefore, rights a wrong and re- 12 amphibians. A corporation’s right to
Samar Island and its hapless people. Nor kindles hope. It will, moreover, prove the exist and to operate had been deemed more
is it even tolerated by Article 6, Section 14 seriousness of the government’s thrust important than the survival of lowland
of the 1987 Constitution which bans Sena- against even a semblance of graft. farmers and their families or even of the
tors and Members of the House of Repre- 3. The DENR decision stands on the Philippine Eagle whose biggest number is
sentatives from being “directly or indi- wrong side of the moral equation. For in Samar Island, the Philippine Hawk Eagle
rectly interested financially in any con- example, the Order champions the sup- and the Philippine Cockatoo.
tract with, or any franchise or special privi- posed “prior rights” of one public official
lege granted by the Government, or any and one corporation but tramples under Rescind the / p. 22
Volume 39 • Number 9 27
F R O M T H E I N B O X
satisfied, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did. The couple of
your favorite bread and fresh milk...” I rushed to pull open the door, and times that you were angry with me, I thought to myself, ‘it’s because he loves
saw his anxious face, clutching tightly with his hands, the milk bottle me.’ I miss the times when you were still young around me.
and loaf of bread.... I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me.
Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he My world shattered!!! Then I cried ..... cried and cried......... for MY
does, and I have decided to leave the flower alone... MOTHER. A WONDERFUL MOTHER.
rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net
Sites on Focus
by DENNIS B. DAYAO
For more than two years, the content development department of CBCPWorld http://www.aspmdps.org
has been developing and hosting several Catholic websites. Among these
are school websites from their broadband clients nationwide. Inspired by the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul's
charism, the Mother of Divine Providence
School has been serving the youth since
In this December issue of Impact, we are featuring some websites, and more 1987. Located at Marikina City, MDPS
for the coming issues. If you find some time, do visit them! continues to provide quality education
for the young to become critical and cre-
ative thinkers.
http://www.cbcpworld.com/mdgc
http://www.cbcpworld.com/ylac
http://www.cbcpworld.com/sca
The Young Ladies Association of Charity
Unit (YLAC) was conceived to be the In 1951, St. Catherine Academy initially
younger version of the Ladies of Charity offered seconday education. Serving at
in France. Opened as a primary school in the heart of Porac, Pampanga, SCA
1949, YLAC continoues to to give a free continous to envisions itself as a vibrant
quality Christian-oriented education to and viable choice for Catholic families
the children of indigent families, for the who desire a high quality and faith-based
less privileged children in the city of Cebu. educational experience.
Calling to all open heartened, a donation
of Php 1,000- a year will definitely help a
child's education and future. May you find
true happiness in knowing you will be
helping pave a better future for a child in
need.
http://www.cbcpworld.com/cic
http://www.cbcpworld.com/
The College of Immaculate Concepcion carmelseminary
was founded on 1926 at Cabanatuan City.
This Diocesan Catholic continues to edu- Canonically erected by Bishop Alfredo
cate and evangelize in Christ- centeredness, Versoza and inaugurated on October 11,
excellence, and service for the integral 1942, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Semi-
formation of persons towards a jusy, hu- nary still continous to foster formation
mane and peaceful society. program for high school seminarians.
Volume 39 • Number 9 29
N E W S B R I E F S
AFGHANISTAN firmed by World Health Or- caused immediate survivors were those who
ganization (WHO) as the shockwaves in the Tokyo were standing or sitting near
Quake hits Afghan country’s ninth bird flu vic- market as traders tried to the door, the witnesses
Hindu Kush tim. Meanwhile, another In- guess which firm had made said.
donesian suspected of be- the mistake. Fearing the im-
An earthquake of 6.7 ing infected with the virus pact, traders sold shares in
magnitude has hit the moun- has died in hospital re- all Japanese broking houses SINGAPORE
tainous Afghan Hindu Kush cently. If confirmed, he and the sell-off led to the
region of bordering Paki- would be the 1oth fatality value of the Nikkei 225 fall- Migrant women face
stan early on December 13. from avian influenza in In- ing 2 per cent. It was only debt yoke, abuse
Residents in Pakistani donesia. later that Mizuho admitted
Kashmir, where tens of thou- that one of its traders had Women migrant domes-
sands were killed by an made the error. tic workers in Singapore
earthquake on October 8, IRAQ suffer grave abuses includ-
fled their homes. The tremor ing physical and sexual vio-
was also felt in India’s capi- Baghdad bus explosion NEPAL lence, food deprivation, and
tal, Delhi. kills 3, injured 13 confinement in the work-
Nepal’s situation nearly place, said Human Rights
An empty minibus loaded identical to that in Pa- Watch in a new report. At
CHINA with explosives detonated kistan: Jahangir least 147 migrant domestic
near al-Kindi hospital and workers have died from
74 dead in China mine east Baghdad’s Nadhaa bus Asma Jahangir, chairper- workplace accidents or sui-
blast station on December 12, kill- son of the Human Rights cide since 1999, most by
ing three Iraqi civilians and Commission of Pakistan said jumping or falling from resi-
At a time when a probe injuring 13 others, five of that Nepal’s political condi- dential buildings. Migrant
into the Chinese chemical them were police officers.
tion is nearly identical to domestic workers earn half
disaster in Harbin is inten- Meanwhile, a separate
that in Pakistan and urged the wages of Singaporean
sifying, there has been an- bloodshed in and around
Nepali judiciary to be care- workers in similar occupa-
other lethal disaster in Baghdad killed another six
ful to keep its sovereign sta- tions, such as cleaners or
China, this time in people, bringing the total to
Tangshan, Hebei province. nine. Recently, 32 people tus. Speaking on human gardeners.
On December 7, a coal mine were killed and 44 were in- rights situation in Nepal at a
explosion killed at least 74 jured when a suicide bomber program hosted by the Nepal
Bar Association recently, THAILAND
people. Last year, more than at Nadhaa station detonated
she said Nepal’s judiciary is
6,000 miners were killed in explosives inside a jam-
still upholding its indepen-
Thai media still under
fires, floods, cave-ins, and packed bus bound for a
explosions, making China’s southern Shiite city. dence despite their political threat
shafts the world’s deadli- situation.
The dropping of frivo-
est. Corruption, lax safety
lous defamation lawsuits by
rules, and poor equipment JAPAN
are among the factors often PAKISTAN Prime Minister Thaksin
blamed for the accidents 'Fat-fingered' trader Shinawatra against one of
rocks Japanese stock Over 40 die as wedding his chief critics is a welcome
bus catches fire step, but intimidation, fear,
and censorship still perme-
INDONESIA Via East Asia Watch,
Japanese stock trader em- A 72-seater bus packed ate the Thai media, Human
Indonesia records 9th ployed by Mizuho Securi- with more than 90 passen- Rights Watch said. Thaksin
bird flu fatality ties accidentally sold gers returning from a wed- dropped six criminal and civil
600,000 shares for 1 yen in- ding caught fire after fire- defamation suits against
stead of 1 share for 600,000 works exploded, killing 40 journalist and Manager
A 39-year-old man sus- yen on December 8. Despite people 14 others were criti- Media Group founder
pected of being infected the firm’s best efforts to buy cally injured on December Sondhi Limthongkul. In to-
with the bird flu virus died back as many of its own 11. Most of the victims were tal, Sondhi could have faced
in hospital A 35-year –old shares as possible, the “fat women and children. All more than ten years in
man who died in a private finger syndrome” afflicted bodies were charred, there- prison, and fines and dam-
hospital in North Jakarta last trader may have cost Mizuho fore, could not be identified. ages of over U.S. $50 million
November 19 has been con- 27-60 billion yen. The slip Police said that the only from the six suits.