31 March 2010

WE ARE AN EASTER PEOPLE!

Message of His Excellency Most Reverend Socrates B. Viilegas, Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan for the people of God to be read as homily during the Easter Sunday Masses in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan.

It is Easter. We celebrate the greatest mystery of our faith—the words of love at the Last Supper Holy Thursday led to the act of love at Calvary on Good Friday which led us to the triumph of love at the empty tomb today Easter Sunday.

The WORD of Holy Thursday and the DEATH of Good Friday plus the RESURRECTION on Easter morning together make up a whole. It is what our Holy Father Benedict XVI calls the trinity of the paschal mystery.

The paschal mystery is at the heart of our Christian faith. Believing the paschal mystery and living the paschal mystery is what the Church is all about. Without the paschal mystery, all our prayers, projects and teachings become meaningless and unprofitable.

The Church teaches year after year: “The Easter triduum of the passion, the burial and resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year.”

But the crucial question is: Is there really and effective and dynamic link between our mission and our ministries and the paschal mystery? Is the paschal mystery truly the wellspring and inspiration of the projects and activities of our Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan? Do we posses, or better still, are we possessed by a spirituality of the paschal mystery?

As your pastor, I have been trying my best to listen to you by visiting you in the parishes, schools and barangays. I have met many of you through our church seminars, recollections and social gatherings. As I listen to you, I also listen to God and pray to God to help me guide you.

From my conversations with God and with you, I wish to present for your reflection a possible statement of vision that we can follow in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan especially in the context of the Easter season.

ICTHUS.

ICTHUS in early Christian tradition was an acrostic referring to Jesus Christ, God’ Son, Savior. ΙΧΘΥΣ is Greek word for fish. For the early Christians, to say ICTHUS was to endanger themselves. It was to risk being killed by the emperor. Much more than a declaration that Jesus is Son of God and Savior, ICTHUS was a declaration of commitment to live one’s life as a follower of Christ, crucified and risen. Let us spell the letters of the word ICTHUS.

I is for Integration of faith and life. It is important that we live what we profess. The world does not listen to speakers anymore but to witnesses. Integrity of life is the opposite of split level Christianity. Integrity is wholeness. Integrity is the new name of holiness. The values of the Gospel must be allowed to transform society. We must evangelize politics, culture, economics and all aspects of human life. If we seek integrity from our public officials, we must first live integrity as Church people.

C is for Catechesis, evangelization and mission. We must be a missionary Church surely ad intra, and hopefully in God’s time, ad extra. The call of Christianity is to plunge into the deep and become fishers of men. The harvest is rich but the laborers are so few. We need to wake up a sleeping giant in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan—the laity. Every Christian must be a catechist. Every Christian must evangelize. Every Christian is a missionary.

T is for Thanksgiving. This is the middle letter, the focal point, the source and summit of our vision—the Eucharist. In envisioning to become a Eucharistic people, we do not only mean being “liturgy-centered”; we are called to live what the Eucharist celebrates which is to live and die for one another. The Church makes the Eucharist. The Eucharist makes the Church.

U is for Unity in diversity. We have diverse linguistic and ethnic groups—Pangasinan, Ilocano and Tagalog and even Chinese tongues. We come from varied economic levels. Our Christian heritage is our source of communion. We all came from an ancestry of heroes like Urduja and Palaris. Our faith and our heritage of heroes in Pangasinan must make us one in spite of our linguistic or ethnic differences.

S is for Service, Justice and Charity. We shall promote social service and development. We shall seek justice and liberation for the captives of poverty, loneliness and oppression. At the sunset of life when we shall all be judged according to love, may God find us worthy to sit in His kingdom.

My brothers and sisters of the Risen Christ: Are you ready to be ICTHUS again like the first Christians? Let us be ICTHUS! We want to be like Jesus! When the Lord comes again, may he see us and find himself glowing through us! Happy Easter again. I bless you with Easter life and Easter joy!

From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, April 4, 2010, Easter Sunday

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan

30 March 2010

Stations of the Cross at Lipit-Inmalog now on its 7th edition

30 March 2010 – San Fabian.  The Stations of the Cross help the faithful to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death, and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn.

The hills and mountain of Brgys. Lipit and Inmalog Sur have been the scene of the Stations of the Cross since 2004. This years meditation on the Way of the Cross in Lipit-Inmalog is on its 7th year. It has attracted more and more parishioners to participate in this unique holding of the Stations of the Cross.

The members of the Parish Youth Apostolate Committee have been re-enacting the scenes of the 14 stations of the cross since 2007.

The members of the Parish Youth Apostolate Committee re-enact the scenes of the fourteen stations of the cross.

To see more pictures, please click HERE.

28 March 2010

Palm Sunday in the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr

28 March 2010 – San Fabian, Pangasinan. Below are some photos during the blessing of the palms in one of the masses celebrated in the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr. The mass was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Felipe Matias.

palm10.4

palm10.3

 palm10.5

27 March 2010

Holy Week Schedule

28 March 2010 Palm Sunday
29 March, Holy Monday  
            2,30 PM Parish Lenten Recollection
            4,30 PM “Kumpisalan ng Bayan”
30 March, Holy Tuesday  
             3,00 PM Stations of the Cross, Lipit-Inmalog Sur
             4,30 PM Holy Mass (Inmalog Sur)
31 March, Holy Wednesday  
              2,00 PM Stations of the Cross, Cayanga-Sagud Bahley
1 April, Holy Thursday  
              4,00 PM Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
              6,00 PM – 12 MN -Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
2 April, Good Friday  
              12 Noon Meditation on the Seven Last Words of Jesus
      -Novena to the Divine Mercy
  -Stations of the Cross
                4,00 PM -Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
-Procession
-Veneration of the Santo Bangkay
3 April, Holy Saturday  
                9,00 PM Easter Vigil
4 April, Easter Sunday  
                5, 00 AM “Abet-Abet”
                6, 00 AM First Mass
                7,00 AM Second Mass
                8,00 AM Third Mass
                4,30 PM Fourth Mass

Palm Sunday Readings

Ononan Babasaen     Isa. 50:4-7
Babasaen ya inaon ed libro na propita Isaias

Imbangat na Katawan a Dios ed siak so salitaen ko, pian napabiskeg ko so linawa na toon mapaga.  Kapag kabwasan iitdan to ak na pilalek ya ondengel ed ibangat to.  Say Katawan initdan to ak na pakatalus, et ag ak linmaban ed sikato odino inarawian ko.

Intaryak so beneg ko ed saray nansiplat ed siak.  Ag ko ra binaat nen pinabaingan da ak, nen binagut da ray balbas ko tan nilulukdaan day lupak.

Balet ag ak nasakitan na saray panamabaing da lapud tutulongan ak na Katawan a Dios.  Pinakapal koy lupak pian nitepel ko ra.  Amtak ya ag ak napelag ed kababaingan.

Salita na Katawan.

Ebat a Salmo
E. Dios ko, Dios ko, Akin et inkaindan mo ak?

Kumadwan Babasaen Fil. 2:5-11

Babasaen ya inaon ed sulat nen Pablo ed saray taga Filipos
Nepeg yon aligey ogali nen Cristo Jesus: Anggaman a walad sikatoy inka-Dios, ag to impasoot a mansiansian kaparay Dios.  Nilakseb to ingen so inka-Dios to, tan inala toy kipapasen na aripen nen nagmaliw a too.  Nampaabeba tan maonur ya anggad patey – on, anggad ipapatey ed krus.  Kanyan say Dios intanduro to ed sankatageyan, tan initdan toy ngaran a matalonggaring nen say dinan man a ngaran.  Diad ontan, amin da ray apalsan walad tawen, diad mundo tan dalem na dalin ontalimukor iran mangigalang ed ngaran nen Jesus.  Ibawag met ed satan na amin a katoowan a si Jesu-Cristo so Katawan.  Lapud saya, say Dios Ama so nagalang.

Salita na Katawan.


 Birsikulo Kasakbayay Ibanghilyo
Si Cristo nagmaliw a maonur para sikatayo ya anggad patey ed krus.  Kanyan say Dios intanduro to ed sankatageyan, tan initdan toy ngaran a matalonggaring nen say dinanman a ngaran.

Ibanghilyo                Luc. 23:1-49

Babasaen ya inaon ed masanton ibanghilyo onung ed kinen Lucas


Inmalagey iray mamatakken na baley, saray manonan papari, tan saray iskriba, insan da inyakar si Jesus ed kinen Pilato.
Ginapoan dan inakusa, “Narel mi yan too,” inkuanda, “a sosogsogan to ray totoo mi a manggaway aliwa.  Isesebel to met so pambayar na buis ed Impirador.  Ibabaga to nid saray totoo a sikatoy Cristo, say sakey ya ari.

Tinepet nen Pilato, “Sikay ari da ray Judio?”
       

“Sika lan dili so mangibabaga,” ebat nen Jesus.
Inkuanen Pilatod satan ed saray manonan papari tan saray totoo, “Anggapoy naalmok a kasalanan to yan too.”

Balet lalon kuandan impasoot, “Diad panamegley na pambabangat to, nasosogsogan iray totoo.  Inggapo tod Galilea, insan diad intiron Judea, tan wadya la natan.”

Nen nadngel ya nen Pilato, tinepet to, “Akin, taga Galilea yan too?” Nen akabatan ton si Jesus et nanlapud pasen a nasasakopan nen Herodes, imbaki toy Jesus ed sikato ta wadman ed Jerusalem ed saraman ya agew.  Makaliliket si Herodes nen anengneng toy Jesus, ta abayag lan mampipirawat a napilupaan to yan too, lapud amayamay lay abalitaan ton nipaakar ed sikato.  Maniilalon nanengneng ton manggaway milagro si Jesus.  Kanyan abayag a tinepetan to, balet ag balut inmebat si Jesus.  Inmasingger iray manonan papari tan saray iskriba tan ontan lay impangakusa rad kinen Jesus.  Si Herodes tan saray sondalo to niludlurey tan pinapabaingan day Jesus.  Sinolungan day marakep a kawes, insan da impawil ed kinen Pilato.  Diad saman ya agew, akapankaaroy Herodes tan si Pilato, saray gendat a mambobosulan.

Impatawag nen Pilato ray manonan papari, saray opisyal na baley, tan saray totoo, tan inkuantod sikara, “Inyakar yo yan tood siak, ta kuanyon sosogsogan to ray totoo a manggaway aliwa.  Natan, inosisak la tan naimatunan yo met, balet nalmoan ko ya anggapoy kasalanan to ed saray ipapakasalanan yod sikato.  Anggapo met so nalmoan nen Herodes a kasalanan to, kanyan pinapawil to diad sikatayo.  Anggapoy ginawa to yan too a makasengeg na pamateyan ed sikato.  Kanyan pasipsiplatan ko, insan ko la ibolus.”

Balet nankakasakey ya inmeyag iran amiy totoo, “Pateyen itan a too! Si Barabbas so labay min ibolus mo!” (Aprisoy Barabbas lapud golon agawad siudad, tan lapud impamatey to.)

Si Jesus balet so labay nen Pilato ya ibolus, kanyan nansalita lamet ed saray totoo.  Balet lalon inmeyag ira, “Ipasak mod krus!” Ipasak mod krus!”

Pinitlo nen Pilato ya inkuan ed sikara, “Akin, antoy ginawa ton kasalanan? Anggapoy naalmoan kon ginawa ton makasengeg na pamatey ed sikato!  Kanyan pasipsiplatan ko, insan ko la ibolus.”

Balet lalon inkasikasil dan ineyag a nepeg ya ipasak ed krus si Jesus.  Diad kaonuran, analoy impaneeyag da.  Kanyan insintinsia nen Pilato ed kinen Jesus imay kekerewen da.  Imbolus to may toon papaibolus da, samay apriso lapud impanggolo tan impamatey to.  Insan impalima toy Jesus ed sikara, pian nagawaan dad sikato so labay da.

Nen iyaakar dan ipasak ed krus si Jesus, nabet day sakey a lakin nanlapud barrio.  Taga Cirene yan too, tan manngaray Simon.  Sinabat da, tan impasakbat day krus ed sikato, insan da pinatombuk ed kinen Jesus.

Amayamay iray totoon tinmotombuk ed kinen Jesus, pati saray bibiin mannangnangis tan maneermen lapud sikato.  Nilingaw nen Jesus ira tan inkuanto, “Bibiin taga Jerusalem! Ag yo ak nanangisan.  Nangisan yo ingey sikayon dili tan saray anak yo.  Ta onsabi la ray agew ya ikuanda ray totoo, “Mapalar iray bibiin lepes, saray ag mananak, tan saray ag nampasuso!’ Diad sarayan agew, saray totoo ikuandad saray palandey, ‘Tumbaan yo kami!’ tan diad saray pokdul.  ‘Tabunan yo kami!’ No gawaen da yad siak a kaparay mabilay a kiew, anto la kasiy gawaen dad sikayo a kaparay amagaan a kiew?”

Wala met iray duaran kriminal ya inyakar dan pateyen a kabansag nen Jesus.  Nen sinmabi rad pasen a tatawagey “Lapis-lapis na Olo,” diman da impasak ed krus si Jesus.  Impasak da met ed sansakey a krus ira may duaran kriminal, say sakey diad nikawanan tan say sakey diad nikawigi nen Jesus. 

Inkuanen Jesus, “Ama, pirdonam ira, ta ag da amtay gagawaen da!”

Kayari tan nampapalaranan iray kawes to, inapag da.  Manalalagey iray totood man tan bambantayan day Jesus; balet saramay opisyal na baley niludlurey da.  Inkuanda, “Inlaban to ray arum.  Ilaban to met komuy laman ton dili, no tuan sikatoy Cristo a piniliy Dios!”

Niludlurey met na saray sondalo; inasinggeran da, initdan day alak tan inkuanda, “Ilaban moy sikan dili, no tuan sikay ari da ray Judio!”

Onyay akasulat ed olowan to: “Sikato yay Ari da ray Judio.”

Pinapabaingan na sakey ed saramay mambitbitin a kriminal.  Inkuanto, “Aliwa tan sikay Cristo?  Ilaban moy sikan dili tan pati sikami met!”

Balet nampasnukan na samay kaiba to ya inkuanto, “Ag mo tatakotay Dios, anta namparay dusam ed sikato?  Nepeg tan dua so nadusay onya lapud ginawa ta, balet sikato anggapoy kasalanan a ginawa to.” Insan inkuantod kinen Jesus, “Nunot mo ak, Jesus, no kasabim ed Panarian mo!”

Inkuanen Jesus ed sikato, “Kuankod sika: diad sayan agew, kaiba mo ak ed Paraiso.”

Sakey ya alas dosid kaagewan ya anggad alas tris ed ngarem nen binmilonget so intiron dalin, naandiay liwawa so agew, tan apaldua so kurtina na Timplo.  Inmeyag na maksil si Jesus tan inkuanto, ‘Ama, iyawat kod saray limam so ispirituk!” Kapangibaga to ya, inatey.

Nen naimatunan yan agawa na kapitan da ray sondalo, indayew toy Dios.  Inkuanto, “Tua a matonung yan too!”

Sayan agawa naimatunan na amin da ra may dinmagop a nambantay, tan sinmempet iran tapuk-tapuken day kapagewan da.  Manalalagey ed bandad arawi ray amin a kakaaro nen Jesus, pati saramay bibiin tinmombuk ed sikaton nanlapu lad Galilea, tan naimatunan da ra yan agawa.

Ibanghilyo na Katawan.

26 March 2010

Local Candidates sign “Covenant for Peaceful Elections”

24 March 2010 – San Fabian. The five mayoralty candidates and their allies signed a “Covenant for Peaceful Elections” during the mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, the parish priest. The signing coincided with the 4,30 PM mass last Wednesday. The majority of the candidates for the local positions in San Fabian took part in the signing. Mr. Bienvenido Azurin III, the local COMELEC officer was very confident that with the signing of the covenant, the elections in San Fabian would be peaceful and orderly.

The five mayoralty candidates are: Irene Libunao, Gerald Gubatan, Liberato Villegas, Jimmy Tiu and Myrna Torralba. They also took part in a recollection facilitated by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD, the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, for the local candidates in Pangasinan last 23 March 2010, at the Lay Formation Center. In that recollection, San Fabian had a perfect attendance from its mayoralty candidates.

The signing of the covenant in San Fabian was witnessed by the parishioners, the members of the Philippine National Police and the PPCRV of the Parish of St. Fabian.

The signing was done two days before the start of the campaign period for the local positions.

Please read Sunday Punch article on the above event. (Photo courtesy of Sunday Punch)

25 March 2010

Local Candidates undergo Spiritual Recollection and Day of Prayer

23 March 2010 – Dagupan City. With only few days before the start of the campaign period for local positions, a number of Pangasinan’s political candidates underwent a spiritual recollection and reflection facilitated by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD. They later promised a peaceful May 2010 Elections by signing a covenant for peace.

More than half a hundred of political aspirants vying for local positions (governor, vice governor, congressman, and mayor) pledged to ensure a clean, honest, accurate, meaningful, and peaceful (CHAMP) elections through a peace covenant signing with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and Philippine National Police (PNP). The signatories come from different political parties. The signing was held at the Lay Formation Center of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan (ALD) in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City.

The signing of the peace covenant, a spiritual recollection was facilitated by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD for the local candidates. The candidates were given moments of reflection through slides and sharings by Archbishop Villegas. The Blessed Sacrament was exposed and the candidates were also given time to reflect and pray. In front of the Blessed Sacrament, Archbishop Villegas prayed for and blessed the candidates individually.

The holy mass followed the recollection. During his homily, Villegas asked the candidates to assure peace during the campaign period and elections. The prelate opened his homily by saying, “Everyone wants a clean election. Nobody wants a dirty election. Everyone wants a peaceful election. Nobody wants an election with violence.” He further said that he would be praying three things for the candidates: “lakas ng loob”, “ganda ng loob” and “kalooban”.

Most Rev. Socrates Villegas, Archbishop of ALD, with Atty. Reddy C. Balarbar, Provincial COMELEC Officer, PC Supt Constante D. Azares, Jr, the Regional Director, PRO1, and PS Supt. Percival G. Barba, Provincial Director of Pangasinan Provincial Police Office (PPO) served as witnesses for the said event.

Villegas also urged the candidates to be faithful to the covenant that they were about to sign. He said, “Put your conscience on it. Put God on it. For if not, it will just be a palabas.”

The Recollection, Holy Mass and Peace Covenant Signing was a joint event of Pangasinan PPO, Pangasinan COMELEC and Archdiocesan Social Action Apostolate (ASAP) of ALD.

Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, the Social Action Director of the Archdiocese speaks before the Archbishop and General Azares, the Regional PNP Director, before the covenant signing.

More than 50 of the 158 candidates attended the recollection and covenant signing.

All photos, courtesy of Rev. Fr. Mario Dominic Sanchez of the Lay Formation Center

News Report by Mr. Franklin de Guzman

PREX Class 42

Pictures of Parish Renewal Experience (PREX) Class 42. The weekend seminar was held last 5-7 March 2010, Friday to Sunday at the Parish Center, Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr.

prex42.1 prex42.2

prex42.3 

prex42.4

prex42.5

13 March 2010

Religious Education in the Archdiocese

13 March 2010 -Dagupan City. In a letter addressed to all the Directors of the Archdiocesan Schools, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD, laid out the policies that will guide every Catholic School become a school of holistic evangelization. The new guidelines and policies are to be implemented in all the schools under the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Below is the letter:

Prot. 2010/2/Schools

Dear Father Director:

In pursuit of our mission to make every Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan a school for holistic evangelization; in our desire to truly live up to our self imposed commitment to make Catholic religious education the core of our school curriculum, the following academic policies must be implemented in all the Archdiocesan School of Lingayen Dagupan:

1. All students (pre-elementary, elementary and high school) must receive at least one hundred eighty hours (180 hours) of Religious Education every week using a CBCP approved religious education textbook series. These academic hours allotted for Religious Education are distinct and separate from the Values Education requirements of the Department of Education. The school directors must insure that the teachers for Religious Education are adequately prepared and regularly supervised.

2. All students of our archdiocesan schools—including the non-Catholics–must attend Religious Education classes. The grades in the Religious Education classes must be included in the computation of the general average grade at the end of the school year. A student who fails in any Religious Education subject in the course of the academic year is disqualified from receiving academic honors for that year.

3. Every school must have a First Communion catechetical program for all pupils in Grade II. It is not pastorally sound to delay this sacramental event to a later year as indicated by recent instructions from the Holy See. The schools must also make available a Confirmation Program for all Grade VI pupils. In high school, a special Confirmation Program may be made available for First Year students especially for the transferees. For both events, it is advisable for the students to wear the school uniform in order to avoid added expenses. There should be no additional school fees connected with these sacramental occasions.

4. The School Director must hold monthly adult religious formation sessions for all the teachers in our Catholic schools. The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church or the Catechism for Filipino Catholics may be used for these sessions. The Superintendent is mandated to monitor the implementation of this catechetical program for teachers.

5. The School Principal is to be directed to schedule the Religious Education classes at the time of the day when students are most attentive and receptive. Religious Education must be given priority quality time.

6. The rosary is to be prayed daily in the classroom at the beginning of the class day. The Angelus at twelve noon and the Divine Mercy Prayer at three o’clock in the afternoon must also be prayed in the school campus during class days.

7. In collaboration with the parish priest, all students and teachers must be able to make a sacramental confession at least once a year.

8. All students and teachers must carry a rosary in the pocket everyday as a devotional practice.

9. All students and teachers must participate in the Sunday Eucharist. The Director, in collaboration with the parish priest must insure that one Mass within the Sunday schedule is identified as a Mass for Catholic school students and teachers.

10. Religious core values must be integrated in the lesson planning for mathematics, science, language, etc.

The Church has schools because the Church’s mission primarily is to teach. The world does not listen to teachers anymore but to living witnesses. May every school director, administrator, teacher and pupil in our schools be proofs of the presence of Christ in society. May all our schools become beacons of light showing forth that Christ truly lives among His people.

From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, Dagupan City, March 5, 2010

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan

Circular Letter: Reception of Christians into the Church

APPENDIX TO CIRCULAR PROT 2010/4

Excerpts from Canon Law Digest of the Philippine Catholic Church by Florencio I. Testera, O.P., pp. 31-37

RECEPTION OF BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS INTO THE CHURCH

The brethren born and baptized outside the visible communion of the Catholic Church…,have no need to be absolved from excommunication, but after making profession of their faith according to the regulations set down by the local ordinary, they should be admitted to the full communion of the Catholic Church.

COMMENTARY:

The Director on Ecumenism makes a clear distinction between those “born and baptized outside the visible communion of the Catholic Church, are those “who thought baptized in the Catholic Church, have publicly and knowingly abjured their faith,” like heretics and apostates.

What should be done, then, when baptized non-Catholics, say, an eastern Christian, a Lutheran, an Episcopalian, etc., seek full communion with the Catholic Church? The following procedures should be adopted:

1) The pastor is to establish, first of all, the validity of baptism. If the baptism of the candidate is found to be valid, then, it should be recognized as such and may not be repeated. A conditional baptism is not permitted unless there is a reasonable doubt about the fact of baptism or its validity (c.869,2). There can be no doubt cast upon the validity of baptism as conferred among separated Christians. It is enough, therefore, to establish the fact that baptism was administered.

The same is true of Churches operating in the Philippines whose baptism has been recognized by the Catholic Church as valid. The official baptismal certificates should be enough proof of its validity. As
for other Churches or religious groups in the Philippines each case is to be examined individually.

2) The profession of Faith is to be made before one can be admitted to full communion with the Catholic Church. No abjuration of heresy or absolution from excommunication is needed, unlike in cases of heretics and apostates. However, a thorough doctrinal and spiritual preparation of the candidate must precede the rite of admission.

The formula for the Profession of Faith is as follows:

“I _________ with firm faith, believe and profess everything that is contained in the Symbol of Faith, that is:

I believe in God……..and the life everlasting. Amen. I further believe and confess everything the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and proclaims as divinely revealed.

3) The reception of the candidate is to be arranged without any great burden or inconvenience to him, in accordance with the proper rite and preferably within the Mass and with Holy Communion.

The local bishops have accepted for this purpose the ICEL edition of the Ritual used in USA.

CATECHUMENATE FOR BAPTISM AND MARRIAGE

Our bishops agreed to ask their priests to introduce gradually some catechesis at the occasion of baptism and marriage.

MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF BAPTISM BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church in the Philippines expressed their mutual recognition and the validity of the Christian baptism administered according to the rites of the respective Churches. Therefore, the baptism is not to be repeated under any circumstances, not even conditionally. The agreement is retroactive.

AGREED STATEMENT BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Bishops’ Conference approved the proposed Agreement on Baptism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Philippine Episcopal Church together with the notation appended to it. By virtue of the Agreement, the Rite of Baptism performed by the two Churches is valid and therefore is not to be repeated even conditionally.

The Agreement does not mean that ministers of either Church are, or even can be, authorized to perform the ceremony of baptism for the other, nor can the said Agreement used as a pretext of proselytism.

The appended notation to the Agreement makes it clear that the concord of full communion between the Philippine Episcopal Church (PEC) and the Philippine Independent Church (PIC) “neither implies nor affects the union of the PEC and PIC, nor are the two Churches in anyway merged.” Therefore, the present Agreement covers exclusively the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines and the Philippine Episcopal Church.

In view of the varying pastoral conditions in the country, even after the signing of the Agreement, a bishop may still decide not to implement it in his diocese.

VALIDITY OF BAPTISM OF OTHER CHURCHES IN THE PHILIPPINES

The following Churches in the Philippines administer a valid baptism:
Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP)
Philipine Episcopal Church (PEC)
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)
Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF)
United Methodist Church in the Philippines (UMCP)
Convention of the Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC)
Presbyterian Church
Seventh-Day Adventist Church

The baptism administered by these Churches is to be considered valid and is not to be repeated even conditionally. The official baptismal certificate should be enough proof of its validity.

As of other Churches or religious groups in the Philippines, each case is to be examined individually.

BAPTISMS ADMINISTERED BY THE VARIOUS AGLIPAYAN GROUPS

The problem of the validity of the baptism administered by the various Aglipayan groups is a particularly difficult one. The main group the Philippine Independent Church (PIC), is juridically and officially the “Iglesia Filipina Independiente”. The official Rite of Baptism of “Iglesia Filipina Independiente” is in itself valid. However, the practical implementation of its official baptismal liturgy is not universally certain. Hence, the validity of the baptism administered by all Aglipayan groups, including the Philippine Independent Church, is still to be examined individually.

BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATES AND AFFIDAVITS

The baptismal certificates, issued within six months, for the purpose of marriage, shall always be required from parties, if they are not baptized in the parish where the investigation is conducted or where the marriage is solemnized.

Whenever the baptismal certificate cannot be obtained, a sworn statement according to c.876 will suffice.

COMMENTARY:

The ordinary proof of baptism is the one established by the baptismal certificate (c.877) as transcribed from the baptismal register signed by the pastor in charge of the records and, if possible, duly authenticated through the parish seal. A baptismal certificate drawn in this way meets all the requirements of a public ecclesiastical  document (c. 1540) and as such affords complete proof of the items directly recorded therein (c. 1541).

This, however, is not the only legitimate way of establishing the fact of baptism as evinced from c.876. The law admits the sufficiency of an affidavit whenever the proof of baptism cannot be ascertained through official records:

“If  it is not prejudicial to anyone, to prove the conferral of baptism, the declaration of a single witness  who is above suspicion suffices or the oath of the baptized person, if the baptism was received at an adult age.”

It is obvious that, under ordinary circumstances, the admission of a person to the sacrament of matrimony is prejudicial to no one and, therefore, the affidavit prescribed  by law could be accepted as a substitute for the baptismal certificate. On the contrary, a sworn statement cannot be considered  sufficient proof of baptism in a case of declaration of nullity. In this instance someone will be prejudiced thereby.
Who are the persons that may be considered trustworthy in bearing witness in such cases? Of course, the minister himself, the sponsors, the parents and close relatives should come first in line. If still none of these persons is available to bear testimony, the pastor himself can draw an affidavit on the basis of these or similar data: the person, whose baptismal certificate cannot be reproduced through the parish records, was born in a place where everyone is baptized Catholic educated in the Catholic religion; he knows the Catholic doctrine and has lived as a Catholic; he still remembers the names of the deceased Catholic sponsors, the church where he was baptized…Whatever the findings, the pastor ought to attest in the affidavit the evidence gathered and the sources thereof.

An affidavit drawn up by the pastor in this manner and under such circumstances should, by all means, be regarded as a sufficient proof of baptism. The parish priest should not content himself by merely reporting the loss of official records in the parish. He must make it a point to research and gather all possible evidence on the case.

BAPTISMAL ENTRY OF AN ADOPTED CHILD

Taking into account c.877,3, regarding the baptismal entry of an adopted child, the following norms are to be observed:

a) If the adoption takes place after the baptism of the child, the full name of the adopting parents shall be added to the baptismal entry mentioning at the same time the number and date of the decree of adoption issued by the civil court;

b) If the adoption in the baptismal before the baptism of the child, and the adopting parents request that the name of the natural parents be  kept confidential, in accordance with civil laws, the following norms are to be observed:

1) The full name of the natural parents shall not be entered in the baptismal records of the parish, but shall be forwarded to the secret archives of the chancery, to be released only upon approval of the local ordinary and for a serious reason.

2) It shall be annotated in the baptismal register with the following remarks: “for marriage purposes, consult the secret records of the diocesan archives.’

Commentary:

The pastor of the place where the baptism is celebrated must carefully and promptly enter in the baptismal book the names of the baptized, the minister, the parents, the sponsors, witnesses, if any, the place and date of baptism and of birth (c. 877,1).

The recording of baptisms of illegitimate and adopted children presents a special problem when it comes to the insertion of the natural parents’ names. Even in such cases, the recording  should be as complete as possible but protecting the reputation of the parents. In case of an adopted child, the names of the natural parents may be recorded or kept confidential in accordance with civil law and the norms issued by the local Bishop.

Archbishops of Lingayen-Dagupan

Bishop CESARE MARIE GUERRERO was born in Ermita, Manila on January 26, 1885 and received priestly ordination on October 28, 1914. He was consecrated bishop on May 24, 1929. He was Bishop of Lingayen from May 24, 1929 until December 16, 1937. He died on March 28, 1961 as Bishop of San Fernando in Pampanga.

Archbishop MARIANO MADRIAGA was born in Agoo, La Union on May 5, 1902 and received priestly ordination on March 15, 1930. He was consecrated bishop on May 24, 1938 for the Diocese of Lingayen. It was during his tenure that this ecclesiastical jurisdiction was renamed Diocese of Lingayen Dagupan on February 11, 1954. When the diocese was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese, he became the first Metropolitan Archbishop on February 16, 1963. He was the Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan until February 7, 1973. He died in Agoo on November 1, 1981.

Archbishop FEDERICO G. LIMON, SVD was born in Mangaldan, Pangasinan on October 3, 1915 and received priestly ordination on May 14, 1942 for the Society of the Divine Word. He was consecrated bishop on February 13, 1972 and became Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan from February 7, 1973 until July 15, 1991. He died on June 13, 1996 in Dagupan City.

Archbishop OSCAR V. CRUZ was born on November 17, 1934 in Balanga, Bataan and received priestly ordination on February 10, 1962. He was consecrated bishop on May 3, 1976. He was the Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan from July 15, 1991 until September 8, 2009.

Archbishop SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS was born in Manila on September 28, 1960 and received priestly ordination on October 5, 1985. He was consecrated bishop on August 31, 2001. He was appointed Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan on September 8, 2009.

12 March 2010

Circular Letter on Chrism Mass

March 12, 2010
Prot. 2010/2

TO:  All Diocesan and Religious Priests
RE: Chrism Mass

My brother priests:

Please be reminded that the 2010 Chrism Mass for the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan will be held on Holy Thursday, April 1, 2010 at the Saint John the Apostle Parish Church in Dagupan City.  The Chrism Mass is one of the sublime expressions of the sacramental brotherhood of priests under the headship of Christ represented in our particular Church by your Archbishop.  It is a serious responsibility on the part of the local presbyterium to be present during this Mass and join in the public renewal of commitment to the priestly ministry. Every parish must bring fifty lay delegates representing the parish pastoral council, lay liturgical ministers, youth leaders, social action ministers and BEC heads.

The liturgical program will start at eight o’clock in the morning with Solemn Morning Prayers. It will be followed with the recognition of the most generous Mission Sunday contributors.  The Solemn Chrism Mass will follow right away.

All the concelebrating priests must come in cassock, religious habit or bring an alb for the concelebration.

The newly blessed oils may be claimed after Mass at the Saint John the Apostle Cathedral.  There will be a small reception for the priests at the Archbishop’s House after the liturgy. It is the feast of the instittion I am looking forward to your wholehearted participation in the Chrism Mass. Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
   Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan

08 March 2010

Rev. Fr. Roberto “ROY” C. Villamil (5 January 1951 – 5 March 2010

Funeral Mass for Fr. Roberto “Roy” C. Villamil will be on 12 March 2010, Friday, 9:00 AM at the Annunciation of the Lord Parish, Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City.

Interment will be at the Ossuary for Priests in Calasiao, Pangasinan.

Fr. Roy was the first parish priest of Annunciation of the Lord Parish, Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City.

06 March 2010

Requiescat in Pace

6 March 2010 - Dagupan City. Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, issued the following announcement today: "Our brother in Christ, Father Roberto C. Villamil died in the grace of the Lord on March 5, 2010 in Dagupan City at the age of fifty nine. At the time of his death, he was the procurator of the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary, Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City. He was born on January 5, 1951 and received priestly ordination on April 16, 1977. We request our Catholic faithful to pray for the repose of his soul.

His body lies in state at the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary. We will announce the burial arrangements later."

Fr. Roy Villamil (5 January 1951 - 5 March 2010)

Farewell, Father Roy!

(Photo courtesy of Fr. Luello N. Palacpac)

03 March 2010

Pastoral Guidance on the “Books of Conversion and First Communicants”

2 March – Dagupan City. Archbishop Socrates  B. Villegas, DD, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, has laid down the pastoral guidelines covering converts from those “who have received valid baptisms in other Christian churches, sects and denominations”. In the same document, the Archbishop Villegas also provided guidelines in the diligent and correct recording of the First Communicants in the parishes.

Below is the pastoral guidelines addressed to all parish priests and team ministry moderators:

March 13, 2010
Prot. 2010/4

TO: All Parish Priests and Team Ministry Moderators
RE: Book of Conversions and Book of First Communicants

In our desire to make more effective the documentation of the members of the Catholic Church who have received the sacraments of Christian initiation; by virtue of our office as Metropolitan Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan, we hereby decree that all parishes within our ecclesiastical jurisdiction maintain in the parish archives the BOOK OF CONVERSIONS and the BOOK OF FIRST COMMUNICANTS.  The diligent and correct recording of the conversion to the Catholic Church of those who have received valid baptisms in other Christian churches, sects and denominations is the responsibility of the parish priests or moderators of team ministries. The same diligence and care must accompany the recording of the First Communicants in the parishes. These two additional canonical books will be inspected during pastoral visits by the Local Ordinary or his delegate.

This archdiocesan ruling imposing the obligation to record all conversions and first communicants in the parishes will take effect on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010.

For your pastoral guidance, the following Christian churches have valid baptisms using the Trinitarian formula for baptisms:

 Seventh Day Adventists
United Methodist Church of the Philippines
Convention of the Philippine Baptist Churches
Philippine Episcopal Church
Lutheran Church in the Philippines
Methodists IEMELIF
Presbyterian Church
United Church of Christ in the Philippines

After receiving liturgical admission to the Catholic Church, the converts must receive Communion and Confirmation immediately and the necessary recording must be made in the canonical books pertaining to them. All other adult baptisms in Christian churches not mentioned above must be entered in the Book of Baptisms.

As I thank you for your usual faithfulness and pastoral diligence, I also invoke upon you the blessings of God.

Sincerely yours,

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan