Fixed Fees for the administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation abolished

8 December 2010 - Dagupan City. ARCHBISHOP Socrates B. Villegas, DD in a circular letter dated 8 December 2010,  informed the clergy of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan that the “fixed fees for the administration of the sacrament of Confirmation for both children and adults are abolished”. This landmark and significant pastoral action of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan through the Archbishop is but a fruit of the collective prayerful discernment of the presbyterium during a meeting held last 8 November 2010 at the Msgr. Cesar Guerrero Hall of the Archbishop’s House.

IN that meeting the presbyterium agreed on the eventual phasing out of the arancel system in the administration of the sacraments and sacramentals after a comprehensive and in-depth formation and catechesis on the spirituality of stewardship to be given to all the chaplaincies, parishes and schools of the Archdiocese. The total phase out of the arancel system is expected to come to its finality after two years.

The catechesis and the formation program should be able to clarify to the Catholic faithful that stewardship is a way of life. This should remove from the mindset of the parishioners and the faithful that the sacraments have a monetary equivalent; however neither must it be replaced by another mindset that the sacraments are cheap and require nothing on our part.

The Sacraments paid for by Our Lord Jesus Christ

IN the same letter, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas emphasized that the sacraments are not free. “They have been paid by the precious passion, death and resurrection of the Lord”, he said.

HE admonished the priests of the Archdiocese to administer the spiritual treasures of the Church with personal gratitude and pastoral charity. The priests have to do this, he said, as “a gesture of gratitude to the good Lord for His abiding goodness.”

The responsibility of the faithful and the parishioners

THE Catholic faithful on their part must be animated to share the love they have experienced from the goodness of God with others by sharing their time, talents or treasures cheerfully, responsibly and generously like faithful and wise stewards. Instead of “giving until it hurts”, the faithful are to share and give because it is a joy to do so!

The System of Church Support

The Church by her very societal nature has the inherent right, independently of secular authority, to acquire and retain, to administer and ameliorate, to apply and dispose of temporal goods. All these activities of the Church however are done always in the pursuit of the objectives proper to her divine constitution.

Canon Law provides the objective rationale behind this right of the Church which gives four reasons: for the requirements of Divine Worship; for the need of the Apostolate; for the works of charity  and for the support of the Church Ministers (Canon 1254, par. 2). Without this objective rationale appended to temporal realities, the Church would not really have any ownership right.

The Arancel System

The main System of Church Support in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in the Parishes, Chaplaincies and Pastoral Stations has been the Arancel System or the Table of Offerings. The system provides a fixed offering on the occasion of every Church service rendered.

Ad Limina Visit of Archbishop Soc and Bishop Rene

Ad Limina Visit: 27 November 2010

The visit ad limina means, technically, the obligation incumbent on certain members of the hierarchy of visiting, at stated times, the "thresholds of the Apostles", Sts. Peter and Paul, and of presenting themselves before the pope to give an account of the state of their dioceses. The object of the visit is not merely to make a pilgrimage to the tombs of the apostles, but, above all, to show the proper reverence for the Successor of St. Peter, to acknowledge practically his universal jurisdiction by giving an account of the condition of particular churches, to receive his admonitions and counsels, and thus bind more closely the members of the Church to its Divinely appointed head. (From The Catholic Encyclopedia)

Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD and Bishop Renato P. Mayugba, DD with Pope Benedict XVI

 

Photos from Servizio Fotografico L'Osservatore Romano

Holy Father approves transfer of new Metropolitan Cathedral of ALD

St. John the Evangelist Metropolitan Cathedral (Photo Courtesty of Fr. Jerry Cera)

9 December 2010 -Dagupan City. "I am pleased to inform you that the Holy Father has approved our petition that the Church of Saint John the Evangelist on Burgos St., Dagupan City be recognized as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Lingayen-Dagupan". Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, informed the clergy in his Circular Letter 11/2010 dated 12 October 2010. In the same letter, he said that Pope Benedict XVI also has withdrawn the title "Cathedral" from the Church of Saint John the Evangelist located at Zamora St. By an act of Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD, promulgated on 1 November 2010, the church on Zamora St., was made an archdiocesan shrine and became the  "Santuario de San Juan Evangelista".

History

In his article about the history of the Archdiocese, Msgr. Rafael S. Magno, Jr., the Vicar General and Chancellor of the Archdiocese, wrote that "all the parishes of Pangasinan fell within the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Nueva Segovia who had jurisdiction over the whole of northern Luzon". He further wrote: “On May 19, 1928, the Diocese of Lingayen (comprising the whole civil province of Pangasinan, 11 towns of Tarlac and 10 towns of Nueva Ecija, and 3 towns of Zambales) was separated from the mother diocese. The first bishop of the new diocese was the Most Rev: Cesar Maria Guerrero. He was shortly succeeded by the Most Rev. Mariano Madriaga. Since 1928, the episcopal seat of the new diocese was Lingayen.”

But on May 11, 1954, it was moved to Dagupan because of the destruction wrought by World War II. It took only 25 years for Pangasinan to become an Archdiocese. On February 16, 1963, Pope Paul VI reconstituted the diocese of Lingayen into an archdiocese comprising the whole civil province of Pangasinan. The towns from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija were returned to their respective civil provinces to form two independent dioceses each as suffragans of the new Metropolitan See. The Most Rev. Mariano Madriaga was eventually elevated to the rank of Archbishop. In 1970, the diocese of La Union was created and separated from Nueva Segovia becoming another suffragan of the now Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. On January 12, 1985, the western part of Pangasinan was made into the Diocese of Alaminos, and the eastern part, the Diocese of Urdaneta, both dioceses becoming suffragans of Lingayen-Dagupan along with the dioceses of Cabanatuan, San Jose (Nueva Ecija) and San Fernando, La Union.

"Santuario de San Juan Evangelista (formerly St. John the Evangelist Cathedral Church along Zamora St.)

Building of the Church of St. John, the Evangelist on Burgos St.

On 31 May 1964, the cornerstone of the present Metropolitan Cathedral was laid in simple rites headed by Archbishop Mariano A. Madriaga, DD, and assisted by Msgr. Evaristo Soriano, the parish priest. The construction of the church immediately started with an initial amount of Phil. Pesos 24,099.80. The amount represented the toal cahs donation from the faithful.

The church was built at the back of the old cathedral facing exactly the corner of Burgos and Calimlim Streets on the west side of the church grounds.

In 1966, the construction work was temporarily stopped due to lack of funds. Archbishop Mariano Madriaga with Msgr. Leon V. Bitanga who succeeded Msgr. Evarito Soriano as parish priest in 1969 persisted and continued the construction of the church. In 1972, Msgr. Federico G. Limon, DD succeeded Archbishop Madriaga as Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan.

On 26-27 December 1974, the St. John the Evangelist Church was inaugurated.

The Old Cathedral Church on Zamora Street

The church on Zamora Street was built in 1713. It was destroyed by a fire but subsequently rebuilt in 1892.

When the church along Burgos St. was built in 1974, the old Cathedral church was abandoned in favor of the bigger church.

The big earthquake of 1990 severely destroyed the old church. When Msgr. Oscar V. Cruz, DD, became the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, succeeding Msgr. Federico Limon, SVD, DD, in 1991, he took the initial steps in renovating the destroyed church. In 1992, the restoration and renovation work started. On 10 February 2001, a simple ceremony of Re-Dedication of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist was presided over by Msgr. Oscar V Cruz, DD.

Dedication of 1974 and the formal transfer on 27 December 2010

The new and bigger St. John the Evangelist Church along Burgos St. was consecrated as Cathedral of the Metropolitan See of Lingayen-Dagupan by Msgr. Bruno Torpigliani in 1974. However, the Holy See failed to receive and confirm the act of Msgr. Torpigliani. Thirty-six years after the dedication of Msgr. Bruno Torpigliani, Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, DD, formally petitioned the Holy See that it recognize the church along Burgos St. as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Lingayen-Dagupan. 

The formal transfer of the Seat of the Metropolitan Archbishop will be celebrated on 27 December 2010. It will be presided by Msgr. Edward Joseph Adams, the Papal Nuncio.

2nd Sunday of Advent (A): Pangasinan Reflection

"Impapatwa ray kasalanan da, tan binibinyagan to rad Ilog na Jordan." Si Juan a Managbinyag so dadagoen na totoo ya manpabinyag. Sakbay iran binyagan nen Juan, sikara so napapatwa na kasalanan da. Saya so nakaukolan ya gawaen da pian naawat da so binyag nen Juan. Sayan panagpatwa na kasalanan et katekep toy panagbabawi ed saray kasalanan. Sirin say binyag ya iiter nen Juan et binyag na panagbabawi: say panagpatwa na kasalanan tan say panagbabawi ed sarayan kasalanan.

Sinminger ira met so grupo na saray Pariseo tan saray Saduceo. Labay da met so manpabinyag. Balet, inarap ira nen Juan. Kuantod sikara: "Sikayon apoliyay oleg! Siopay angibagad sikayon naliktaran yoy pasnuk na Dios ya asingsingger lan onsabi? Ipanengneng yod panagbilay yo a binenegan yo la ray kasalanan yo." Ibabaga nen Juan ed sikara: Pian naawat yoy binyag ya iiter ko, nepeg ya akoen yoy katwaan na saray kasalanan yo, manbabawi kayo tan benegen yo ray kasalanan yo. Anggaman labay day manpabinyag, sarayan Pariseo et agmet ira akaparaan ya patwaan so kasalanan da, tan manbabawi ra. Para si Juan, anggapoy kakanaan na inyakar dad sikato ta anggapod sikara so tuan panagbabawi; say peteg ya pamasimbalo na bilay da, tan say grupo ra.

"Impapatwa ray kasalanan da, tan binibinyagan to rad Ilog na Jordan." Anggad anggapo so manpatwa ed saray kasalanan ya nanaimatonan tayo, anggapod sikatayo so pasimbalo na bilay tayo. Labay tayo ya say bansa, say baley, say pamilya, say dilin bilay tayo et walay kareenan tan pankakasakey pian nagamuran tayo so oksoy ya makapangiter na aliguas na bilay tayo. Balet ag nagamuran iraya anggad akoen tan ipatwa iray kakulangan tan kasalanan tayo.

Say Dios kabat to amin; say Dios a mapangasi so sobol na amin ya grasay. Diad arap na Dios itayo manpatwa so kipapasen na dili tayo pian napasimbalo tayo so bilay tayo: Anggad agtayo akoen ya walay liliknaen tayo ed arap na doktor, agtayo onabig tan naitday biskeg na laman:

Anggad anggapoy mangako ya walay corruption ya nagagawa ed gobierno, ag ontunda so takewan na public funds. Anggad ag ipatwa ya walay mangilalako na droga tan wala ray mansasaliw tan manu-usar, ag nabalang so drug addiction tan saray kaugsan ya katekep to yan bisio. Anggad ag ipatwa ya walay saliwan tan lakoan na boto no eleksyon, mansiansia ya marutak, aliwan peteg so panamili tayo na saray opisyales tayo. Anggad ag ipatwa ya walay manpapakorang na jueteng, tan walaray manproportekta ed saya, ag ontunda so sayan illegal tan immoral ya gawa. Anggad ag ipatwa ya sikatayo so nantila, nantakew, nan-labir ed arum, nan-sikot, ag tayo nagamuran so kaoksoyan na bilay tayo, tan bilay na pamilya tayo. Anggad sikatayo so mabulag-bulagan, mantelek-telekan, tan manemel-emelan ed saray kaugsan ya nanaimatonan tayo, panon tayon onaliguas? Panon ya nagamuran so kareenan? Panon tayon napasimbalo so bilay tayo? Panon ya abeten so Katawan ed say isabi na Inkianak to?

Sayan panaon na Adbiento et panaon na panparaan na dili tan say pamilya, baley tan bansa tayo ed say isabi na Katawan ed say Fiesta na Inkianak to. Manunaan ed sayan panparaan tayo et say panpasimbalo tayo unong ed say panbabawi na kasalanan tayo. Nepeg sirin ya ipatwa ya sikatayoy nankasalanan, pian peteg tan makabaliksan so panagbabawi tayo. Ontan pa komon. Amen.

Unaan a Simba na Adbiento: Pangasinan Reflection

Amin tayo amta tayo so kipapasen na manalagar. Ta inagew-agew, walan lay alagaren tayo. Kabangon tayo, manalagar tayon onublay ed comfort room; manalagar tayon nasumpal so almusal pian maka-onla tayo lad trabaho odino ondago ed eskwelaan; manalagar tayo na luluganen pian maka-onla tayod opisina, odino diad eskwelaan odino diad alog. Inasan manalagar tayo na oras pian sikatayo la so onsempet ed kaabongan tayo. Manalagar kayo ed andokey ya pila, pian labat makateen ed lotto. Insan alagaren so bola pian naamtaan no analo o andi.

Say panag-alagar so kaiba tan kabiangan na bilay tayon amin. Anggaman kabat tayo so liknaan tan experience na manalagar, nanduroma so panag-alagar tayo. Wala ray manalagar ya ag-makalagar. Magan-ganant ira, iratable tan mapaspasnok. Ag iraya makareen ed pila. Ag met ontunda so labir tan tami ra no wala rad pila, odino sikara so naaberya ed dalan.

Wala met so manaalagar ya maanos. Amta ran nasabi-sabi lan lamang so oras ya alagaren da, amta ran onsabi-onsabi so toon alagaren da. Kanian, imbes na walay tami tan pasnok, sikara so manaalagar unong ed say kipapasen na oras tan panaon ya kawalaan da. Walay pasiensia. Walay kabaliksan na oras tan panaon da. Walay panag-paraan ed isabi na alagaren da. Walay liket na panalagar.

Sayan Simba so unaan ya simba na panaon na adbiento. Tan sayan panaon na simbaan et panaon na pana-lagar tayo ed say isabi na Katawan tayon Jesukristo. Say isabi na Katawan ed mamitlo pananao. Unaan, say pakanudnunotan ed say isabi na Katawan nen dwan libon taon lay apalabas. Say Dios inyanak a sakey ya ogaw. Sikatayo ya may panaon na Christmas. Saya et alagaren tayon isilibra. Kumadwa, say panaon ya isabi lamet na Katawan ed sampot na panaon. Agtayo ya amta no kapigan. Balet, onsabin-onsabi so Katawan. Saya et alagaren tayo met. Kumatlo, say isabi na Katawan ed inagew-agew diad unong ed say panangasi to, say bendision to, diad saray sakramento na simbaan: a singa say mapangasin panamerdona na Katawan ed sakramento na kumpisar; say madibinon kiwawala na Katawan ed say sakramento na eukaristia diad say salita na Katawan, tan diad say pangako tayo na Masagradon Laman tan Dala na Katawan.

Panon tayon alagaren so Katawan ed sarayan isabi to? Makabaliksan kasi so pana-alagar tayo? Mas lalo tayo kasin magmlaiw ya maong, maaro tan maanos ya disipulo na Katawan ed sarayan panaon ya panalagar tayo? Odino, agtayo amta so manalagar?

Diad pana-lagar tayod Christmas, singa agtayo amtan alagaren iyan panaon. Ta September labat ni, say kuan tayo la Christmas la. "Ber" la kuantayo. Kanian, Christmas la. Andi ni. Pian, makabaliksan so pan sillibra tayo na Christmas, say inkianak na Katawan, itdan tayo so dili tayon manalagar. Tan diad panalagar tayo, manparaan tayo. Walay anos tayo komon ya iparaan so dili tayo ed say isabi na Katawan. Aliwan ganatan. Aliwan paspasan. Itdan tayoy panaon so puso tayon ekalen so pasnok, tan bosol. Diad panalagar tayo, linisan iray kasalanan tayo pian no silibraan tayo so inkianak na Katawan, twan maliket tayon awaten ed puso tayo. Let us become more generous to others. Let us forgive.

Ontan met so rason no akin et walay nine days ya novena tayo antes na Christmas diad say Misa de Gallo tayo. Aliwan say, pian masa masakbay tayon silibraan so Christmas, no ingen pian diad panalagar tayo, sikatayo so naitday spiritual ya panaon ya makapanparaan.

No natan la et sisilibraan tayo so Christmas ya singa agtayo la makaalagar, panon tayon silibraan iyan makabaliksan no agtayo akaparaan lapud apano tayo ni pasnok, bosol, kolkol, imot tan imon.

Agagik ira ed Kristo. Anggaman labalabay tayon silibraan so Krismas la natan, komon itdan tayoy dili tayon manalagar. Tan diad panalagar tayo makapanparaan tayo. Tan diad pakapanparaan tayo, mas makabaliksan tan makana so silibrasyon tayo na Fiesta na Inkianak na Katawan. Tan twan "Merry Christmas" so walad sikatayo. Ontan pa komon. Amen.