29 May 2011

Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan on the RH Debate

CHARITY AND CONSCIENCE ON THE RH DEBATE

Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan to be read as the homily in all Masses on May 29, 2011, the Sixth Sunday of Easter. (Pangasinan Translation can be found at the end of the statement)

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Love is the core of the message of Jesus in today’s gospel. Love is indeed the trademark of the followers of Jesus. The Lord promises further in the gospel that if we choose the path of love and keep His commandments we will never be orphans.

The past few months have seen many of us who belong to the same Church and who share the same faith in Christ at odds with one another on the issue of the reproductive health bill in Congress. It is indeed sad and perhaps even scandalous for non Christians to see the Catholic flock divided among themselves and some members of the Catholic lay faithful at odds with their own pastors. If we fail to have love, we make ourselves orphans.

BRING BACK CHARITY

It is certainly not our intention to add more flame to the fire but rather to make an appeal for the triumph of reason and sobriety. We want to make a plea for greater charity even as we passionately state our positions on this divisive issue. At the end of the heated debates, we will all be winners if we proclaim the truths we believe in with utmost charity, courtesy and respect for one another. Charity is at the heart of the social doctrine of the Church Pope Benedict XVI reminds us. In the first letter of Peter today, he admonishes us today never to be without gentleness and reverence.

RETURN TO CONSCIENCE

We appeal to our Catholic brethren who stand on opposing sides on the reproductive health bill to return to the voice of conscience, to state their positions and rebut their opponents always with charity. Today’s second reading is a call for clarity of conscience beyond reproach. The moral conscience is man’s sanctuary through which the voice of God is heard, that voice that tells us to embrace what is good and reject what is evil. However, conscience is not the ultimate tribunal of morality. Conscience must be formed in the light of truth. Conscience must be enlightened by the Spirit of God. We appeal to both sides engaged in debate to pray, to seek the light of God and allow the voice of an enlightened conscience to prevail. We pray conscience does now allow itself to be swayed by statistics or partisan political positions. The only voice conscience must listen to is the voice of God. The only way for conscience to speak is through the language of Christ-like charity.

RESTORE UNITY

We appeal to our Catholic brethren to remember that the unity of the Church does not only pertain to the acceptance of a set of doctrines. Our Catholic faith has a moral mandate. It is not enough to recite the Apostles’ Creed; we must show that we are Catholics by living by the norms of Catholic morality. We are Catholics by creed and cult and code. We are Catholics in beliefs. We are Catholics in prayer. We are Catholics with one moral life.

In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things charity!

The issue of contraception belongs to the realm of faith not opinions. Blessed John Paul II repeatedly taught us during his papacy that contraception can never be justified. We must not make wrong right by the sheer force of surveys or legislation by the majority or the convenience of some. People in authority who mislead others on the matter of contraception put themselves in open conflict with the law of God and lead others to sin.

FIGHT ALL CORRUPTIONS

The Church holds close to her heart the dream of everyone to rise out of poverty and live the fullness of life. Pope Paul VI correctly pointed out to us that “the causes of underdevelopment are not primarily of the material order. They lie above all in the will, in the mind and, even more so, in “the lack of brotherhood among individuals and peoples”. In other words, the greater cause of underdevelopment is corruption of the soul and corruption of society. Contraception adds to the moral corruption of our society and family.

We all want progress for the nation and for the family of nations. We cannot progress without freedom. Jesus died and rose to set us free. Indeed EDSA 1986 taught us that. But freedom must always be grounded in truth. Freedom is not absolute. Freedom must submit to truth. Freedom without truth is only sentimentalism and will only lead to social laxity.

In fact, ethical relativism eventually leads to totalitarianism. Ethical relativism destroys freedom. Ethical relativism turns freedom into licentiousness. Licentiousness and laxity has destroyed many great civilizations of history. Those who ignore the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.

CHURCH AS MOTHER

We plead with our officials in government and our friends in media to look at the Church as a partner in the mission of development. The Catholic Church throughout its two thousand year history in the world and almost five hundred years in the Philippines has proven itself as a potent agent for holistic authentic human progress and not an obstacle for development. If the Church issues this stern warning about the reproductive health bill, it is not to impede national progress but to protect our nation from greater harms and tragedies in the generations ahead. On this highly divisive issue, the Church is still a mother protecting her children from greater dangers and moral traps which until now her beloved children are still unable to foresee.

We need God if we want development. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life for us. There is none like Him. We will be lost without Him. Ignoring Him and setting Him aside in pursuing progress we do only at our own peril.

From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, May 24, 2011, Feast of Mary Help of Christians.

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan

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PANGASINAN TRANSLATION

PANANGARO TAN KONSIENSIA ED DEBATE NA RH BILL

Pastoral Statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan to be read as the homily in all Masses on May 29, 2011, the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

Pinablik iran agagi ed Kristo:

Say panangaro so walad utel na mensahe nen Jesus ed say Ibanghilyo natan. Say panangaro so twan tanda na saray mananombok nen Kristo. Walay sipan na Katawan diad ibanghilyo ya no pilien tayo so dalan na panangaro tan tooren tayo ray ganggan to, ag itayon balot magmaliw ya olila.

Diad saray apalabas ya pigaran bulan et anengneng ed saray dakerakel ya kabiangan na saksakey a Simbaan tan minanabang ed saksakey a pananisia ed Kristo so mansusumlangan nipaakar ed say isyu na reproductive health bill diad Kongreso. Saya so twan makapaermen tan ingen makapa-iskandalo para saray aliwan Kristiano ya makakanengneng ed saray dibisyon na saray Katoliko, tan saray arum  a Katolikon laiko so walay sumlangan dad saray pastol da. No agtayo mangaro, pagmamaliwen tayon olila so dili tayo.

IPAWIL SO PANANGARO

Anggapod getma tayon aruman a parlangan so apoy, no ag say panpikakasi tayo ya mantalongaring komon so dunong tan kareenan. Labay mi so mikasi para say mas baleg a panangaro, anggaman masimoon min ipapalapag so posisyon mi nipaakar ed sayan isyun mangiiter na dibisyon. Kasumpal na sarayan ampetang a sangsangan, sikatayon amin so mantalongaring no ibelyaw tayo so katwaan ya panisian tayo a katekep na panangaro, respeto tan pamagalang ed balang sakey. Say panangaro so walad puso na social doctrine na Simbaan. Saya so ipapanunot nen Santo Papa Benedicto XVI ed sikatayo. Diad unaan a sulat nen Pedro, mangiiter na simbawa ed sikatayo si Pedro ya ag balot komon itayo naandian na kasimpitan tan pamagalang.

SAY IPAWIL ED KONSIENSYA

Manpipikasi kami ed saray agagi min Katoliko ya walad nanduroman dapag nipaakar ed say Reproductive Health Bill ya ompawil ed say bosis na konsiensia, ipalapag day posisyon da tan ebatan da ray walad duman dapag a katekep toy panangaro. Say kumadwan babasaen natan so manatawag na kalinewan na konsiensia ya anggapoy pakabalawan. Say konsiensia ya moral so ayaman na too ya pakarengelan na bosis na Dios. Sayan bosis so mangibabagan lakapen tayo no anto so kamaungan tan ipolisay tayo so kaugsan. Balet, say konsiensia so aliwan sampot ya okoman na moralidad. Nepeg a say konsiensia so naliwawaan na katwaan. Say konsiensia so nepeg ya naliwawaan na Ispirito na Dios tan abuloyan ya say bosis na aliwawaan ya konsiensia so tumboken. Manpipikasi kami ya say konsiensia so ag komon natenyeg na statistiko odino say posisyon na partisan politics. Say saksakey ya bosis ya dengelen labat na konsiensia et say bosis na Dios. Say saksakey ya pansalita na konsiensia et nepeg unong ed say panagsalita na panangaro nen Kristo.

IPAWIL SO PANKAKASAKEY

Manpipikasi  kami ed saray agagi min Katoliko ya ag da lilingwanan ya say pankakasakey na Simbaan et aliwa labat nipaakar ed say pangawat na saray doktrina. Say Katolikon pananisia et walay kabiangan ton ganggan nipaakar ed say moralidad. Agto sarag ya amta tayon dasalen labat so “Manisia ak”; nepeg ya ipapanengneng tayon sikatayo et Katoliko diad panamegley na pangibibilay tayo ed saray Katolikan moralidad. Sikatayo so Katoliko unong ed say pananisia, panangidayew tan moralidad. Katoliko tayo ed saray pananisia tayo. Katoliko tayo ed panagdasal tayo. Katoliko tayo ed say saksakey a panagbilay tayo na  moralidad.

Diad nipaakar ed pananisa, pankakasakey; diad nipaakar ed opinyon, kawayangan; diad nipaakar ed amin ya bengatla, panangaro!

Say isyu nipaakar ed contraception et walad sayakop na pananisia aliwan opinyon. Inulit-olit ya inbangat nen Beato Juan Pablo Segundo nipaakar ed say anggapoy katonongan na contraception. Ag nepeg ya pagmaliwen tayon matunong so aliwa unong ed say pakayari na saray surveys odino diad panggaway ley na mas dakel odino unong ed say pakainawaan labat na arum. Saray totoon walad pakayari ya mamapalikdo ed arum nipaakar ed say contraception so aawiten day dili ran onsusumlang ed say ley na Dios tan tatanguyoren daray arum ed kasalanan.

LABANAN SO AMIN A CORRUPTION

Asingger ed puso na Simbaan so pirawat na amin ya ombangon ed kairapan tan nagamuran so kagnapan na bilay. Twan intoro na Santo Papa Pablo VI ya “saray rason no akin walay underdevelopment et aliwan manunaan lapud say materyal ya kipapasen.” Diad arum ya pangibaga, say mas nin rason na underdevelopment et corruption na kamarerwa tan corruption na sociedad. Makaaro-arum ni so contraception ed say corruption na moralidad na sociedad tayo tan say pamilya.

Labay tayon amin ya say bansa tayo tan say pamilya na mundo so onaliguas. Agtayo maka-aliguas no anggapoy kawayangan. Inatey si Jesus ed krus tan inmolid bilay pian inter toy kawayangan tayo. Saya so bangat na EDSA nen 1986. Balet nepeg ya say lamot na kawayangan et naalmo ed katwaan. Aliwan nagnap so kawayangan. Nepeg ya panlinkuran na kawayangan so katwaan. Say kawayangan ya anggpo ed katwaan et aliling toy liknaan labat. Saya so manbunga na mapaolyan ed moralidad diad sociedad tayo.

Say twa, say ethical relativism so manbunga na totalitarianism. Deralen na ethical relativism so kawayangan. Lapud ethical relativism, say kawayangan so magmaliw a karumsisan. Say karumsisan tan mapaolyan ed moralidad o laxity so nanderal na dakel tan datin mabiskeg iran civilizations. Saray ag mangasikaso na lingo na akauna nen sikara so kapalaran dan mauges ya man-ulit ed saraya.

SAY SIMBAAN A SAKEY YA INA

Manpipikasi kami ed saray opisyales na gobierno tan saray kakaaro tayod media ya mi-kabiangan ed say Simbaan diad misyon na paka-aliguas na bilay o development. Say Simbaan Katolika diad dwan libon taon to la diad mundo tan masulok ya liman lasus diad Pilipinas et nipanengneng to la ya say Sikato et mabiskeg ya instrumento na matwan aliguas na too tan sikato so aliwan makasebel ed aliguas na bilay. Diad sayan isyu ya mangiiter na baleg a dibision, say Simbaan ni so sakey ya ina ya mangilalaban ed saray anak to ed saray mas baleg ya kaatapan tan patit a moral ya anggad natan saray pinablin anak to et agdani naneneng-neng.

Nakaukolan tayo so Dios no labay tayo so onaliguas. Si Jesus labat so Dalan, say saksakey ya Katwaan, say bokor a Bilay tayo. Anggapo la so mipara ed Sikato. Nabalang tayo no anggapo’y Jesus ed sikatayo. Diad dilin pakarisgo so onsabid sikatayo no gamuren tayo so aliguas ya  paolyanan tan ipireg tayo si Jesus.

Diad Katedral nen San Juan Evangelista, Mayo 24, 2011, Fiesta nen Maria, Mananulong na saray Kristiano.

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS Arsobispo na Lingayen-Dagupan

26 May 2011

PREX Class 44

Parish Renewal Experience (PREX) Class 44 was held last 25-27 March 2011. Below are the Faith Families and the class group picture.

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(Pictures courtesy of Sis. Eunice Kuan,  from her Facebook Album)

25 May 2011

Feeding our Future

By Ms. Shirley Tersol

San Fabian, Pangasinan – 25 May 2011. In a recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations, some 20.5 percent of Filipinos or about 4.1 million families are going hungry, an increase almost seven points above the 12-year average of 13.8 percent. Also, 51 percent or some 10.4 million families are considering themselves "mahirap" or poor – two points up from November’s 49 percent, according to a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations.

The problem of malnutrition is also a persistent problem closely connected with the problem of hunger and poverty. The malnutrition prevalence among children in the Philippines has remained alarmingly high in the last 10 years. Results of the 7th National Nutrition Survey conducted by Food and Nutrition Research Institute in 2008 showed that there are still about 3 out of 10 children ages 0 to 10 years who are underweight (26.2% for children ages 0-5 years old and 25.6% prevalence for 6-10 years old). About the same proportion (27.9% and 33.1% respectively) are under height which indicates chronic or long-standing malnutrition.

MISA in San Fabian

In response to the prevailing problem of hunger and malnutrition among the children aging 6 months to 6 years old, the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Ministry of Social Action (MISA) in partnership with HAPAG-ASA, an integrated Nutrition Program connected with the Church based Pondo ng Pinoy of the Archdiocese of Manila and Assisi Foundation and Feed the Children Philippines, embarked on a holistic feeding program in some selected parishes in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. These parishes are the pilot parishes for the feeding program of the Ministry of Social Action.

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr is one of the seven parishes involved in the program. The parish has chosen Brgy. Longos Parac-Parac as its pilot barangay. The others are the St. John the Evangelist, Dagupan City, Annunciation of the Lord in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City, St. Ildephonse, Malasiqui, Holy Cross, Laoac, St. Dominic, San Carlos and Epiphany of our Lord, Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Hapag Asa: Feeding our Future

hapagasa1The Hapag-Asa Integrated Feeding Program was launched in July 2006 by Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales. It aims to develop the culture of SHARING and LOVING as demonstrated in the Miracle of the Multiplication of loaves and fish (Mt. 14:13-21) to children, their families and communities; to reduce malnutrition prevalence rate among 0 to 12 years old children and to improve capacity of parents to care and provide for basic needs of their children.

The program feeds 6 months to 12 year old undernourished children in the community once a day, five days a week for six months. Each meal is enriched with Vitamins and Minerals through the addition of Vitameal a mixture of rice and lentil.

Longos Parac-Parac, San Fabian: Pilot Barangay

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, has chosen Barangay Longos Parac-Parac as its pilot barangays for the program. Rev. Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, parish priest of St Fabian said that that there are 118 children and 66 pregnant and lactating mothers who are enrolled in the feeding program in Brgy. Longos Parac-Parac.

Bro. Antonio Supremido, the Parish Program Coodinator, said that the children were first weighed and their height measured before they were enrolled in the Hapag-Asa program.

He explained that the program focuses on 6 months to 12 years old undernourished children and underweight pregnant and lactating women. “The program gives priority to younger age group – 6 years old and below”, he said.

He explained that the program provides one meal a day, five days a week for six months or a total of 120 days. The food can be complete meal or heavy snacks. The workforce is provided by the parents of the enrolled children.

Ms. Michelle A. Vallejos, the Barangay Program Coordinator, said, “The supplemental feeding is just one of the components of the program.”

She said that two other components which are vital to the success of the program are the “Parents’ Education Classes” and the “Livelihood and Skills Training”. The classes are scheduled every Sunday afternoon, while the feeding component is scheduled at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, from Monday to Friday. The seminars will be on affective parenting, livelihood and skills training; health and nutrition; values formation; and responsible parenthood to ensure that the parents can take care of their children even after the feeding.

The Hapag-Asa Integrated Feeding Program has been implemented in 836 parishes all over the Philippines as of November 2010. It has served 128,104 children.

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, will formally launched the program this coming June 2011.

(Shirley Tersol is a member of the Parish of St. Fabian Ministry of Social Action. She is also at present the Teacher-in-Charge of Jose N. Juguilon Elementary School, Colisao, San Fabian, Pangasinan).

20 May 2011

Bakit ayaw namin sa RH Bill?

No to RH Bill

03 May 2011

Holy Family Village on Top of a Hill

by Dado Gerard C. Vallejos

1 May 2011 – San Fabian, Pangasinan. The project which was born from the devastation of Typhoon Pepeng is nearing its completion. The Holy Family Village which will house twenty-five families who lost their lands and houses by Typhoon Pepeng’s rampaging waters is nearing completion. The basic structures of the first eight row-houses are now standing since the project was started on July of 2010.

The foundation and the lay out of the second row-houses are now being  constructed. The houses will be built on three slopes of a hill bought by the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan specifically for the project.
It has been a slow but steady work for the twenty-five family beneficiaries who are providing the labor in building the houses which they will soon occupy. Seeing the first row of houses brings hope and joy to them. The “Food for Work” program has been on-going and is providing the needed continued support for the families.

“Sometimes, we do not know where to get the needed funds, but help would come at the most unexpected time and sources.” Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, the parish priest of San Fabian, said with regard to the Food for Work component of the project.

“God sends generous people always, all the time”, he further said.

The Franciscan Movement for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (FMJPIC) provides the much needed funds for the materials in building the houses.
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The first 8 row-houses located at the topmost level of the Holy Family Village
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The second 8 row-houses on the second level of the hill.

(Dado Gerad C. Vallejos is a member of the Parish Ministry of Social Action (MISA). He is Teacher-I at the Longos Central Elementary School, San Fabian, Pangasinan)