CATHOLIC

CHURCH REFORMS 2: INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION

BY
MOST REV. OSCAR L. FLORENCIO, D.D., S.T.D.
Bishop of the Military Ordinariate, Philippines
Bishop Advisor of the Love Our Pope Movement (LOPM)
October 1, 2023, Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

"I’ve known our prolific author since the late 1980s and have become acquainted with his more than a dozen works, including his three-volume work on the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines.

HIS STYLE. This is what I admire about his style: His deliberate way of simplifying certain theological and canonical nuances by using conversational and down-to-earth language, of course, without sacrificing scholarship and rigorous research.

He is good at telling the story of our Mother Church, but he does not stop there. How he presents a historical synopsis, selectively focusing on events related to Church reforms, is impressive.

How he interprets those events in the light of the Scriptures, Tradition, and Magisterium is equally remarkable.

The author moves back and forth from the past to the present, from Vatican I to Vatican II to the pontificate of Pope Francis.

By doing that, he tells us that those crises have accompanied Christianity through the ages due to the human side of the Church, thus putting his message across that “the Church is always in need of purification and renewal.”

He assures us that the shocking clerical and moral crises that we sadly experience today are nothing new and that the Holy Spirit is in charge, as always.

HIS OBJECTIVE. Catholics are easily scared by the term “reform” because, blatantly, history has associated this term with the idea of revolutions or big changes. But to read this book is to understand his basic premise, which is very positive, even laudable.

The author talks about pastoral revolution and goes to examine Lumen gentium 8 of the Second Vatican Council in its two aspects, namely: That the Church is holy and at the same time “always in need of being purified,” Ecclesia semper purificanda, and that the Church “always follows the way of penitence and renewal.”

DR. MAXIMIANO’S INTENTION IS CANDID: He wants us to value all the renewal efforts Pope Francis has made and is still making in his nearly eleven-year pontificate, but at the same time reminding us that all the pastoral reforms in the Church – yesterday, today, and tomorrow – pertain to the changes not in the immutable truths of the Christian doctrines but in non-immutable rules, her discipline, her structures and systems, and her rapport with the world.

HIS METHOD. What is also remarkable is the author’s method and way of organizing his book.

The selected chronologies or historical events are systematically taken up, interpreted, reconstructed into a unified whole, and divided into ten easy-to-read chapters; the 10th chapter is dedicated to a summary of conclusions.

His narratives are limited to the essentials. His descriptions and characterizations of the movers and shakers of Church reforms are kept under a tight rein.

I guess the challenge while writing this book was to present crisp historical and thematic essays that are both rigorously researched and delightful to read…

Congratulations, Jojo, for giving us a scholarly and meaty second volume of the series on Church reforms: Ecclesia semper purificanda.

May more and more people be inspired and benefit from this work of yours as they read and enjoy the fruit of your scholarly labor."

BOOK SIGNING AT SMX ON SEPT 15

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LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT [LOPM] MISSION-VISION: OUR DREAMS

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1. YEAR AFTER YEAR, we shall reach out to all Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools, hospitals, and universities, and all other institutions and mobilize the Catholic faithful to offer support to Pope Francis and to every Successor of St. Peter.

2. We shall harness positive experiences, venues, and tools of all kinds to defend the papacy and all the ad intra Church reforms the Pope has championed (in the case of Pope Francis, his papal teachings: Laudato si', Amoris laetitia Fratelli tutti, Traditionis custodes, Praedicate Evangelium, the Synod on Synodality, and others).

3. We shall openly discuss “the perpetuity, the meaning, and reason for the sacred primacy of the Roman Pontiff and of his infallible magisterium” (Lumen Gentium 18) by creative and dynamic means of the new evangelization.

We shall make the present Pope, the Father of the Family called the Catholic Church, feel the profound love, obedience, and filial piety of his spiritual children from every corner of the planet.

LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT: NATURE AND CHARACTER

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1. Volunteerism is its physical arm, synodal its process, prayers with sacrifice its spiritual weapon, and the new evangelization its focus – under the guidance of their bishops and parish priests as always.

2. Because LOPM is a work in progress, we allow the HOLY SPIRIT to direct us, for the Spirit is “the heart of synodality, the driving force of evangelization, il motore dell’evangelizzazione” (Papa Francesco, Omelia, Pentecoste, 28 Maggio 2023).

3. The LOPM International is one of the most meaningful fruits reaped from the synodal process initiated by His Holiness Pope Francis in 2o21, with the Father of the Family “walking together” with his children.

4. It is an international Catholic movement in line with the synodal Church: communion, participation and mission.”

5. As a movement and/or organization, it is does not solicit for monetary contribution or donation from the public.

UNDERSTANDING POPE FRANCIS’ EVANGELII GAUDIUM, LAUDATO SI, FRATELLI TUTTI…

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AND THE CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGS

OBJECTION. A Catholic once wrote the bishops (not in the Philippines): “Jesus Christ did not commission you to save the environment. Nor did he commission you to rescue illegal aliens. Nor did he commission you to solve the issues of poverty, healthcare or education. That’s the laity’s job, not yours. Rather, Jesus Christ commissioned you to save souls by baptizing them, getting them to forsake sin, and bringing them into a sacramental life within HIS Church. You literally have only one job. Please, just do that.” [end of quote]

1. PRELIMINARIES: CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING IS BASED ON THE SOCIAL MINISTRY OF JESUS. And the social mission of each bishop, priest, religious, and lay person is based on the social mission of Jesus Christ.

2. THE CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGS did not begin only during the papacy of Leo XIII with his encyclical RERUM NOVA RUM (May 15, 1891), followed by Pius XI’s Encyclical QUADRAGESIMO ANNO (May 15, 1931).

3. John XXIII’s Encyclical MATER ET MAGISTRA (May 15, 1961) and Encyclical PACEM IN TERRIS (April 11, 1963), and Vatican Council II’s Pastoral Constitution GAUDIUM ET SPES (December 7, 1965) up to POPE FRANCIS’ apostolic exhortation EVANGELII GAUDIUM (2013), Laudato Si, Fratelli Tutti, etc.

4. The CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGS ARE BASED ON THE SOCIAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH. The pope and the bishop have the duty to provide guidance and directives for action. THAT’S HOW THE LAITY is guided accordingly.

5. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH is a tent hospital for the wounded (body and soul) for more than two thousand years. Jesus started it, the Apostles and early Christians followed the words and deeds of Jesus. THERE WERE PHYSICIANS, SCIENTISTS, DOCTORS, NURSES, PHARMACISTS among the clergy and religious sisters/nuns for centuries and the Catholic Church has been the largest health care provider in the world.

6. In 1971, the Global Synod of Bishops made a bold pastoral declaration: “Action in behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appears to us as A CONSTITUTIVE DIMENSION of the preaching of the Gospel” (Justice in the World). “Constitutive” means basically integral and essential to evangelization.

7. Hence, in the face of injustice and human suffering, the Catholic Church always made a firm stand in behalf of the victims and the lowly. THE POPE, BISHOPS, AND PRIESTS cannot sit back and just watch. THE SHEPHERD LEADS THE WAY.

8. POPE FRANCIS: “Social dimension of evangelization” in his apostolic exhortation. One full chapter (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 176-258).

9. Our Mother Church is the living testimony and active presence of our Lord on earth, always trying to be faithful to follow the footsteps of her Founder. She doesn’t merely work for the salvation of souls. THE ORDAINED MINISTRY is not only for administration of sacraments, but also works HARD for the total integral development of the human person.

10. She’s convinced more than ever that she needed to get involved and does something concrete in building a better world in the here and now—similar to what Jesus Christ did in His time. Hence, OUR BISHOPS SPEAK LOUD AND CLEAR on matters of social injustice, massive poverty, corruption, rape of mother nature, election fraud, etc.

11. THE SOCIAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS BASED ON THE SOCIAL MINISTRY OF JESUS. And the CBCP is just doing it right when they organize MINISTRIES for the prisoners, the sick, migrants, vulnerable members of society.

12. Jesus’ concern was not limited to the forgiveness of sins: “At all times He stressed a real solidarity with the poorest and lowliest (Matthew 11:28-30). He fought against injustice, hypocrisy, abuses of power…” (Guideline, 1989).

JESUS, in YOUR MERCY, You cured the sick, lepers and blind men, and many more. You fed thousands of hungry people. We beseech You, please come to our aid today. Amen!

WHERE PETER IS... (LOPM)

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“Where Peter is, there is the Church.

Where the Church is, there is Jesus Christ.

Where Jesus Christ is, there is eternal salvation.”

St Ambrose (340-397), Bishop of Milan

“There are kings of the earth who have despotic authority, which their subjects obey indeed but disown in their hearts; but we must never murmur at that absolute rule which the Sovereign Pontiff has over us, because it is given to him by Christ, and, in obeying him, we are obeying his Lord.”

“We must never suffer ourselves to doubt, that, in his government of the Church, he is guided by an intelligence more than human.”

“His yoke is the yoke of Christ, he has the responsibility of his own acts, not we; and to his Lord must he render account, not to us. Even in secular matters it is ever safe to be on his side, dangerous to be on the side of his enemies.”

Taken from JOHN HENRY CARDINAL NEWMAN (1801-1890) Sermon 15. The Pope and the Revolution (excerpts), preached on October 7, 1866, in the Church of the Oratory, Birmingham, UK.

AUGUST 2-6, 2023, POPE FRANCIS, at 86, DOES NOT SLOW DOWN (WYD, LISBON)

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NON-STOP ON WHEEL CHAIR OR WALKING STICK, with SCIATICA, INTENSE HEAT IN LISBON... MEETINGS, TALKING & LISTENING... JOURNEYING... LOVING, NON-STOP...THE VICAR OF CHRIST

1. In spite of the LISBON HEAT, series of attacks of sciatica, undergone multiple medical procedures, use of wheel chair, physical frailty, and in the midst of criticisms against him, the HOLY FATHER does not slow down to do God's will.

2. WATCH, HEAR, READ ALL THE THINGS HE'S DOING IN 5-DAY VISIT, AND YOU'LL SEE HE'S INDEED THE "PARISH PRIEST OF THE WORLD."

3. FROM DAY 1: More thann half a million young people chanted, cheered and shouted on Thursday as they packed a Lisbon park to give Pope Francis a rock star welcome at the official opening ceremony of a global Catholic youth festival.

4. POPE FRANCIS: "I am pleased to see all of you, and also to hear the delightful noise you are making! This makes me share your infectious joy."

5. HOW WE WISH that such pastoral NON STOP dynamism, creative and audacious new evangelization shown by the Holy Father BE REPLICATED among 400,000 priests and 5,000 bishops around the globe!

6. And the Catholic Church will show the beautiful face of God to the world!

Love Our Pope Movement (LOPM)

LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT: RATIONALE

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1. For ten solid years, despite the criticisms and sensationalized commentaries against him, the Holy Father has never rested to champion the most necessary Church reforms in order to show the beautiful Face of God to the world.

2. In spite of the series of attacks of sciatica and his physical frailty, he does not slow down to do God's will.

3. We dream dreams Pro Deo et Ecclesia! Our Santo Padre needs to feel the most profound love, obedience, and filial piety of his spiritual children from every corner of the planet.

4. And we sincerely believe that we, with our collective efforts, can bring so much joy for the Father of the Family called the Catholic Church.

5. WE FILIPINO CATHOLICS ARE HIS SPIRITUAL CHILDREN WHO WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!

6. The picture below is the DEDICATION PAGE of book Jose Mario Bautista Maximiano MCMLXXII (from 1872 to 1972), 500-Taong Kristiyano, Volume Two, (CCFI Claretian, 2021), foreword by Most Rev. Socrates Villegas, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan.

7. In my limited opinion, as I read the signs of the times, I can safely say that, for the past 10 years, God gave us Pope Francis to be our guiding star in the Catholic firmament, a prayerful “man of courage” who blazed the trail to reach out and show the world the ways of Jesus.

THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE, HOLY FATHER!

LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT (LOPM) IN WORLD YOUTH DAY 2023 IN LISBOA, PORTUGAL

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1. LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT (LOPM) has three bishop advisors in Lisbon, Bishop Emeritus Tony Tobias of Novaliches, Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon, Bishop of Daet, Love our Pope Movement (LOPM) Bishop Advisor, and Chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY)

2. And Bishop PETER BAQUERO, BISHOP OF KEREMA, PNG, who arrived in Lisbon with 13 Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Youth.

3. Sr Nathalie Becquart, Synod of Bishops UnderSecretary and LOPM Honorary Convenor is also there.

4. LOPM couple convenors Dr. Pedro Gabriel and Claire are both from Portugal are in Lisbon

5. POPE FRANCIS: "Do not be afraid!" (33rd World Youth Day, 2018). The pope told te young people around the globe, using the words of the Angel Gabriel, “Do not be afraid!”, spoken to Mary in St Luke’s Gospel.

6. ST. JOHN PAUL II: "Do not be afraid!" ...Their meaning came more from the Holy Spirit, the Consoler promised by the Lord Jesus to His disciples, than from the man who spoke them" (October 22, 1978).

7. BISHOP TONY TOBIAS: "I am here in Lisbon now for the WYD to give my support to Pope Francis’ Synodal Way [and had informal meetings with some German Bishops]" (August 1, 2023)

8. BISHOP TONY TOBIAS: "There is nothing to fear as Jesus advices us!"

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WHAT IS THE MAGISTERIUM OF THE CHURCH?

(TEACHING OFFICE, ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY)

A GOOD CATHOLIC DOES THESE TWO:

1) Full Assent of faith
2) Religious assent and submission of intellect and will.

Hence, the Catholic practice of FAITH, one of the theological virtues, in words and deeds, on the part of the BELIEVER.

LUMEN GENTIUM (23-27) AND CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (888-892)

888 Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command.

They are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers" of the apostolic faith "endowed with the authority of Christ."

889 In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility.

By a "supernatural sense of faith" the People of God, under the guidance of the Church's living Magisterium, "unfailingly adheres to this faith."

890 The mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the covenant established by God with his people in Christ. It is this Magisterium's task to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error.

Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the People of God abides in the truth that liberates. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church's shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. the exercise of this charism takes several forms.

891 "The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.... the infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all in an Ecumenical Council.

When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed,"419 and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the obedience of faith."

This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.

892 Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a "definitive manner," they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals.

To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent" which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.

LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT: "We shall offer spiritual bouquest of love, obedience, fervent prayers, acts of mercy, little sacrifices, and full support for the Pontiff, whose primacy and authority (ordinary magisterium included) “as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church is full, supreme, and universal” (Lumen Gentium, 22).

POPE FRANCIS AND ECCLESIA SEMPER REFORMANDA

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A SYNOD IS NOT AN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL.

1. Papa Francesco – the first Jesuit and Latin American pope – is the personification of Vatican Council II (1962-1965), the face of authentic Church Reforms without calling for Vatican III.

2. Vatican Council II, according to the Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner, marked the beginning of a new period in Christianity, that of Weltkirche or the German concept of a “World Church,” which reflects the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

3. Pope Francis is the first non-European Bishop of Rome and the first pope of Rahner’s WELTKIRCHE, who, with a passion for reforms, began a global movement of a dynamic missionary Church that reaches out to the frontiers and the peripheries (Evangelii Gaudium, 14-18).

4. With Weltkirche in mind, he remembers with special affection not only the religious and missionaries scattered in difficult places but also the “smugglers of Faith,” an allusion to how millions of the lay Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs “smuggle” the Catholic Faith even to nations where it is not safe to be Catholic.

5. In his homily during the Thanksgiving Mass for the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines (1521-2021), the Holy Father urged Filipinos everywhere to continue to share the Catholic faith, saying it is “part of your genes” and a “blessed infectiousness” that must be preserved.

6. He also put greater emphasis on the internationalization of the College of Cardinals, creating 121 cardinals from 66 countries, 23 of these countries had never been represented in the College of Cardinals.

7. This has reduced to only 20 percent the number of Italians as cardinal electors, compared to 55 percent before Vatican II – thus completely changing the face of the Cardinalate.

8. His appointees included prelates from some of the world’s poorest, considered the underdogs in the axis of Catholic authority, and those places which never had a cardinal, such as Papua New Guinea, Haiti, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Tonga.

9. Believing that “the future of the Church is in Asia,” a vision he once whispered to Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Francis chose the Archbishops of Hanoi, Bangkok, Yangon, Díli (East Timor), Singapore, Seoul, Bangladesh, Kuala Lumpur, Laos, Karachi, Osaka, Jakarta; Orlando Quevedo, OMI, of Cotabato and Jose Advincula of Capiz (now of Manila) to receive the red beretta.

10. His choices of Church leaders inside and outside Rome do reflect the His Holiness’ profound desire for a missionary Church and also a solid indicator of his bold intention to reach out to the world because, as we truly believe, we are all Fratelli tutti, children of One Father in Heaven.

2022 APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION PREDICATE EVANGELIUM.

1. The Roman Curia, the home of the Bishop of Rome, is the oldest functioning bureaucracy responsible for managing the affairs of the Holy See.

2. And the heart of its incredibly effective operations beats inside the Vatican, which, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO in its World Heritage Convention, is “one of the most sacred places in Christendom [that] attests to a great history and a formidable spiritual venture.”

3. What most of us do remember is Benedict XVI’s resignation and, subsequently, the conclave of 2013 that elected the first Jesuit pontiff in history.

4. His pontificate began “in one of the lowest moments in the reputation of the Roman Curia,” after inheriting such teething troubles as the Vatican financial crisis and the abuse scandals, among other burdens, believed to be too heavy for one man to carry.

5. Now, this reform-minded and hero pontiff made radical attempts to overhaul what appears to be an immovable bureaucracy, which included the unprecedented appointments of women religious and competent lay persons as heads and subheads in the Roman Curia.

6. As his idea of a Weltkirche gradually takes shape, the Holy Father looks with special attention to Latin America, Africa, and Asia not only in his choices of new cardinals and Holy See ambassadors to difficult places, but also for positions of leadership in Rome.

ASIAN PRELATES IN THE ROMAN CURIA

1. Pope Francis made sure that his appointees who would walk along the Vatican corridors of power understand that they are there “to serve and not to be served.” Therefore, in accordance with his 2022 Apostolic Constitution Predicate evangelium, he retained Filipino Cardinal Antonio Luis Tagle as Pro-Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, who oversees the vast Catholic “mission territories” and New Particular Churches around the world.

2. Then he summoned to the Vatican as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy Korean Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, who himself said that the pontiff made it clear to him the significance of having a bishop from Asia in that leadership position.

3. The Holy Father also designated Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku, a leading Sri Lankan authority in Buddhism and Hinduism as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

4. In addition, he appointed Indian Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa e Damão, as a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization and Indian Cardinal Anthony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad, as a member of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

5. Moreover, he assigned Filipino Cardinal Jose Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, as a Dicastery for Bishops member and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to serve as a Dicastery for Culture and Education member.

6. Three things come to mind: One, they and the newly created Asian cardinals are not there as an echo chamber of the Roman Curia but as a genuine voice of Asian Catholicism in the Vatican.

7. Two, their designations in Rome reflect the Holy Father’s deep desire for a missionary Church and a solid indicator of the Holy Father’s bold intention to reach out to more Asians, who now make up two-thirds of the world’s population.

8. Indeed, his reforms will remain a yardstick of the papacy in the future. As he continues to be a lightning rod of the Church and the most iconic figure in contemporary Catholicism and his amazing impact to the world that began in 2013 continues.

THE POPE AND HIS LAMBORGHINI

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When I told some students that, in November 2017, the Holy Father became the new owner of a dazzling white Lamborghini Huracán ($250,000), a gift from the Lamborghini board of directors, I heard everyone saying: “Wow!” "Awesome!"

On that same day, I added, the Vicar of Christ made an announcement: “This one of a kind white Lamborghini will be auctioned.”

And auctioned it was at Sotheby’s in London, and the proceeds of $800,000 (P41,000,000) went to charitable causes as willed by His Holiness, including the assistance to victims of human trafficking and for missionary works in Africa and Iraq.

The students were flabbergasted.

FORMULA OF THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY:

The universal destiny of the resources and goods of the earth =

God created and gave the world to every resident on earth, NOT ONLY TO THE FEW RICH GUYS.

THEREFORE, a rich man's gift to the poor, in the first place, does not belong to the rich (St. Ambrose of Milan, 340-397 AD). IT BELONGS TO HUMANITY. “In extreme necessity all goods are common, that is, all goods are to be shared” (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 69 note 11).

In the MBA Ethical Management Program, we teach THE SIX MORAL PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

1. Human Dignity in the Priority of Labor over Capital...

2.Respect for Fundamental Employee Rights...

3.Social Justice... To give what is due, such as correct compensation, on time

4.Social Dimension of Private Property...

5.Option for the Bottom of the Pyramid...

6.Earth Responsibility and Sustainable Development: A CORPORATE DUTY

And the first question in the first quiz of the trimester: List DOWN the TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD (see Book of Exodus)… And, with due respect, only one out of ten Catholic managers and business executives know it by heart.

LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT

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NATURE AND CHARACTER OF THE MOVEMENT

1. The LOPM International is one of the most meaningful fruits reaped from the synodal process initiated by His Holiness Pope Francis in 2o21, with the Father of the Family “walking together” with his children.

2. It is an international Catholic movement, initiated from the ground (grassroots), with women and young people participating through the synodal process, under the guidance of their bishops.

3. The movement’s convenors, partners, volunteers, and advisors are armed with pure love and profound respect for our holy Mother Church and her visible head, the Successor of St. Peter, free of personal ambition except the ambition to love and support the Bishop of Rome.

4. As a movement for global Catholics, it is does not solicit for monetary contribution or donation from the public.

5. Volunteerism is its physical arm, synodal its process, prayers with sacrifice its spiritual weapon, and the new evangelization its focus.

6. LOPM International does not create a new structure or a new procedure, but optimizes the existing institutional structures and time-tested procedures used by the Church to mobilize people and to aspire for holiness.

7. However, we are open to many possibilities such as what Pope Francis said: Dynamic and more creative ways to reach out to as many people in the new evangelization.

8. A dynamic missionary discipleship can put some creative minds to work, as our Holy Father has always suggested (Evangelii Gaudium, 119-120, 201). LOPM International, as a living, creative, and dynamic organism, is always a work in progress.

9. YEAR AFTER YEAR, our movement will continue “to scrutinize the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and interpret them in the light of the Gospel” (Gaudium et Spes, 4), discern carefully, and consult as many stakeholders as possible, to achieve its mission-vision.

10. Because it is a work in progress, we allow the HOLY SPIRIT to direct us. All for the love of Jesus! And after all is said and done, we give some space to the workings of the Holy Spirit, our Prime Mover, for l’Esprit souffle où il veut.

LOPM MISSION-VISION

2. We shall provide positive experiences, venues, and tools of all kinds, forms, and shapes to defend the ad intra Church reforms the Pope champions (in the case of Pope Francis, his papal teachings: Laudato si', Amoris laetitia Fratelli tutti, Traditionis custodes, Praedicate Evangelium, the Synod on Synodality, and others). At the same time, we shall explain the role and participation of the Christifidelis laici (Christian laity) in the mission of the Church.

3. We shall discuss the “the perpetuity, the meaning, and reason for the sacred primacy of the Roman Pontiff and of his infallible magisterium” (Lumen Gentium 18) to the general public, Catholics and non-Catholics, by creative and dynamic means of the new evangelization.

4. We shall make the present Pope, the Father of the Family called the Catholic Church, feel the profound love, obedience, and filial piety of his spiritual children from every corner of the planet.

FROM CHRIST-EVENT CAME THE CHURCH-EVENT IN HUMAN HISTORY

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THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Through sacramentality [sacramentality means being a sign that is perceptible and audible to human observers], the Church too, on Pentecost Sunday, became the theatre and material instrument of Salvation Story.

To justify this, the following four theological statements are pertinent:

1. That the Catholic Church is the People of YHWH God (First Person of the Holy Trinity), founded by His Only Son Jesus Christ (Second Person), and born during the first Pentecost, during the descent of the Holy Spirit (Third Person) upon Mary and the Apostles.

2. That the Catholic Church is the sacrament or the visible presence of the Blessed Trinity.

3. That the 2,000-year-old institution derives its authority and holiness from Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and not from the Church leaders.

4. And that the 500-year-old Filipino Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic because of the Holy Spirit working in the Church hierarchy, in the consecrated persons, and in the laity, cum Petro et sub Petro.

HARMONY IN DIVERSITY

1. Around 450 million Catholics, Protestants, and born-again evangelists now make up Asia’s Christian population.

2. The Philippines has an estimated 90 million adherents, China has 70 million or maybe more, India 28 million, Indonesia 23 million, South Korea 15 million, among others.

3. Quite surprisingly, some demographers guesstimate that more Christian faithful belonging to both the official patriotic Catholic Church and the underground Christian churches worship inside mainland China on any given Sunday than in the United States.

4. Asia is the cradle of the world’s major religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism – and many other spiritual traditions such as Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shintoism.

5. St. John Paul II, in his 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Asia, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis after him have confirmed that Asians are basically religious, compassionate to all beings, close to nature, respectful to their parents, elders and ancestors, with a highly developed sense of community.

6. Mandated by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, from the Holy Land in Western Asia, the Apostles and early disciples went forth to preach, baptize, and make “disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).

7. PENTECOST was the birthday of the Church. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, from inside that little upper room where they were gathered, the first disciples quickly reached out to the streets.

8. At that time, a huge crowd of devout Jews from “every nation under heaven” were gathered together to celebrate Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks.

9. Never was there a MORE INTERNATIONAL CROWD as those days in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost.

10. Saint Peter, the first among equals in the ranks of the Twelve Apostles, delivered the first ever kerygma and his sermon led to astonishing results.

11. The power of the Holy Spirit was manifest and about 3,000 from the diverse crowd of peoples speaking different languages from several countries were baptized. They happily joined the increasing community of the first Christian faithful on that day.

12. As the apostle Paul has put it: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons” (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

2023-07-14T11:26:00.002-12:00

SPIRITUAL BOUQUET

LOPM shall offer a Spiritual Bouquet, which consists of three parts:

1) PRAYERS:

* One-hour vigils before our EUCHARISTIC LORD, and/or
* Recitations of the HOLY ROSARY, and/or
* PERPETUAL HELP NOVENA, or
DIVINE MERCY 3’CLOCK PRAYERS).

We incorporate our devotion to our Eucharistic Lord, the Divine Mercy, and our Mother Mary – Mater Dei et Mater Ecclesia – with our devotion to the Holy Father;

2) LITTLE SACRIFICES for the intentions of the Holy Father. This is the ascetical dimension that includes mortification, fasting, going to Confession, forgiving one’s enemies, self-discipline, or giving up a vice to be closer to Jesus, etc).

3) CORPORAL ACTS OF MERCY (from any of these: Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the prisoners, cloth the naked, provide shelter to the homeless, and bury the dead).

Our prayerful encounter with Jesus is the real source of strength and fortitude for the Vicar of Christ on Earth. And every LOPM ACTIVITY will be a prayerful experience of the silent majority who dearly love and respect our Holy Father. The strategic, educational-doctrinal, affective, and prayer-support goals of the movement together will also serve as ONE BIG TORCH of faith, hope and solidarity for many Christian believers.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/LOPM.International/

2023-07-14T09:57:00.001-12:00

LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT Launched in Pateros

1. The Parish of San Roque and Diocesan Shrine of Santa Marta in Pateros, Metro Manila, witnessed a significant event, as the Love Our Pope Movement was officially launched.

2. Led by the Parish Priest and Rector, Fr. Loreto N. Sanchez, Jr., the movement aims to foster a deep sense of love, respect, and support for the Holy Father, Pope Francis, among the faithful.

3. The launching event took place on St. Peter's Pence Sunday, July 1, 2023, a day dedicated to collecting financial contributions from Catholics worldwide to support the charitable works and initiatives of the Holy See...

4. The gathering was attended by a diverse congregation of parishioners and representatives from various organizations. The atmosphere was filled with reverence and enthusiasm as Fr. Sanchez emphasized the importance of expressing love and gratitude for the Pope, who serves as the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.

5. In his address, Fr. Sanchez highlighted Pope Francis' tireless efforts in advocating social justice, promoting peace, and addressing global challenges such as poverty and stewardship of creation.

6. He stressed the significance of standing united with the Pope in his mission to spread compassion, mercy, and the love of Christ to all corners of the world.

7. The Love Our Pope Movement intends to create awareness and encourage active participation among the faithful in supporting the Pope's initiatives, both spiritually and materially.

8. It will involve organizing various activities, such as prayer gatherings and educational programs, to strengthen the bond between the Pontiff and the Catholic community.

9. Furthermore, the movement seeks to foster a culture of prayer for the Pope and his intentions, recognizing the immense spiritual authority he holds as the Vicar of Christ.

10. By deepening their understanding of the Pope's teachings and messages, the faithful can better embody the love and compassion that Pope Francis exemplifies in his service to the Church and humanity.

11. As the Love Our Pope Movement takes its first steps, it is hoped that it will inspire a renewed sense of unity and devotion among the faithful, transcending geographical boundaries and cultural differences.

12. By standing in solidarity with Pope Francis, Catholics can contribute to building a more compassionate and inclusive society, guided by the principles of the Gospel.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/LOPM.International/

FOUR OBJECTIVES

2023-07-14T09:41:00.007-12:00

FOUR OBJECTIVES of Love Our Pope Movement

"...A strong support for the synodal journey of our Church and our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Through prayers, sacrifice, and acts of mercy, LOPM International is a spiritual network that serves as a leaven, mobilizing people for the renewal that the Holy Spirit is bringing about here and now. "

SPECIAL MESSAGE of Sr Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ

Undersecretary, General Secretariat of the Synod

HONORARY CONVENOR, Love Our Pope Movement

FOUR OBJECTIVES

LOPM’s basic objectives are four-prong: strategic, doctrinal, affective, and prayerful support.

The first objective is to mobilize as many members of the Christian faithful (Christifidelis) as possible to express their commitment to love, obey, and respect the Successor of Peter and the papacy, hence strategic.

It is also EDUCATIONAL and doctrinal because a lot of things need to be explained through seminars, conferences, online conferencing, and assemblies. It is affective because the Pope needs love and affection just like any grandfather or father of the family. Finally, we aim to provide a massive prayerful support for our “wounded shepherd.”

In the new millennium, knowing and feeling the weight of burden on the shoulders of the Vicar of Christ, we the Catholic laity will stand and rise up. In this sense, the LOPM International signifies something symbolic like a global gesture of lighting just “one little candle than to curse the darkness” in the contemporary world. Therefore, our objectives are:

1. STRATEGIC. We shall mobilize awareness campaign among MILLIONS OF Catholics about the Divine institution called the Papacy by setting up a LOVE OUR POPE MOVEMENT corner in our place, an ONLINE public forum strategically using all platforms social media et cetera. The awareness campaign targets initially ONE MILLION SIGNATURES, to express our definitive and solid support. We shall be guided by the principle of maximum impact with minimum efforts, and no expense. Tangible project: ONE-MILLION SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN (2023-2024).

2. EDUCATIONAL/DOCTRINAL. We shall defend Pope Francis, the Primacy of Peter, and the Catholic Faith in general through education, formation, and reevangelization, and in the process we shall explain why the lay members of the faithful (Christifidelis laici) should get involved and actively participate. We plan to organize ecclesiologico-theological assemblies, seminars, and conferences, where CONVENORS, Bishop Advisors, and other ecclesiologists and theologians may be invited as resource speakers.

Part of this is our aim is to persuade the silent majority, confused Christians, and doubters in the grassroots and among Church leaders to become vigorous supporters of the Vicar of Christ. Tangible projects/endeavors:

ONE ON ONE, GROUP CHATS, BIG CONFERENCES and SMALL SEMINARS in the school, parish, institutional, or diocesan level. It also involves writing articles and posting research-based articles/photos/videos about the Pope and the papacy in the social media.

3. AFFECTIVE. We shall show utmost love, respect, and obedience to the Successor of St. Peter through an affective and ascetical support system (signature campaign, prayers, offering of spiritual bouquet, composition of songs and poems to be published on FB page and official websites, a consolidated LETTER OF LOVE – with 1,000,000 signatures – and material documentation sent to the Vatican, et cetera).

4. PRAYERFUL SUPPORT THROUGH PRAYER BRIGADE. We shall accomplish this laudable project through personal and communal prayers, believing that everything we do begins with God’s inspiration, continue with His help, and reach perfection under His guidance. SIMULTANEOUS with ONE MILLION SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN is also a campaign for a SPIRITUAL BOUQUET.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/LOPM.International/

The Church can handle the truth (Claretian, 2017)

2022-01-09T20:40:00.006-12:00

THE CHURCH CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH (Claretian, 2017)

In nine short and filled chapters, the author seeded the book with characters and history past and present with startling clarity and new light. Everyone gets a slice of the pie.

The historians will get new insights that pulls no punches. The light readers will get a first seater on the immensity of the action the Church is acting on.

For those who are much concerned about the Church’s future gets reassurance from reading the book. This is not the author’s run of the mill on why things went the way they did in the past.

This book is the key to know the rich history of the Catholic Church we call Mother. A must read for all Christians who need to be in the know since this gives a brief light of real healing in action.

Short and meaty, recommended read for all.

Email: ford@claretianpublications.ph>

The significance of the very first Sunday Mass in Limasawa

2018-11-03T15:09:00.003-12:00

Jesus commissioned his Apostles: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) and that specific Apostolic mission reached our shores in 1521.

The Holy Spirit did not waste any moment to evangelize the islanders through the instrumentality of a Portuguese explorer, his slave, and one Spanish priest leading to what we might say as the beginning of the Catholic tradition in the Philippines.

Those who came were God’s proto-evangelists. Magellan, his Malaccan slave Enrique, Fray Valderrama were the first bearers of the Good News among our native people.

Still sea sick, Fray Pedro de Valderrama, the Andalusian capellan (chaplain) of the fleet, the one and only Catholic priest in Magellan’s crew, celebrated the first ever Holy Mass, solemnly held on March 31, 1521 on an Easter Sunday along the pristine shores of Limasawa, an island at the tip of Southern Leyte.

Can history now claim that Limasawa Island is the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines on the Easter Sunday of 1521 (Ambeth Ocampo, National Historical Institute), just as the now controversial Jerusalem is universally acknowledged as the birthplace of Christianity on the occasion of Pentecost or the Coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31)?

Since then Filipinos have been packing churches, chapels, and cathedrals to full capacity

Wherever Pope Francis goes, it appears all activities are intentionally centered on the Holy Mass? Are all the 400,000 bishops and priests in every nook and corner of the globe doing the same? Why?

More than a historical event, the first Holy Mass celebrated in Limasawa marked the birth of Christianity in Las Islas de Filipinas. It’s the kairos that historically announced the Real Presence of our Eucharistic Lord among the Filipino people.

Fuss and awe! And much faith! And more! Because whatever the historical Jesus merited and gained in Calvary 2,000 years ago, which is the Redemption of the entire humankind, was dispensed and made available to the Filipino people for the first time in that historical event of the Holy Mass in Limasawa.

In every Holy Mass that we celebrate – in the past, the present, and in the future – the merit of Redemption is made available just the same.

When the priest today says the consecratory prayer, Hoc est Corpus Meum, “This is My Body,” as in what Fray Pedro de Valderrama said in 1521, the bread becomes the living Body of Christ. Then he prays, “This is the Chalice of my Blood,” the grape wine becomes the precious Blood of our Blessed Lord.

Christian advocacy: Culture of Life

2018-10-27T10:42:00.001-12:00

The "culture of life" is not just a modern phrase. Christians describe it as a way of life based upon the theological truth that human life at all stages from the cradle to the grave, from the moment conception till natural death is sacred.

It is the polar opposite of a “presidential notion of eliminating the undesirable and suspected” people through death penalty and extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

And the Christian nation in the Far East has become too traumatized to react while being violated or flabbergasted to see and feel its terror. “How can we celebrate CHRISTMAS, a season of joy and life,” citizens ask, “when many of us fear” that the culture of death has tighten its grip through the EJKs we experience everyday (SWS survey).

Biblical definition of human dignity

The bedrock is the Bible. The basis of the promotion of the “culture of life” is the WORD OF GOD that never fails to tell us about the divine origin, transcendental nature, and sacredness in the human person.

As reiterated by Vatican Council II (Gaudium Spes, 12), “man was created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:26). Genesis has decided to award a special dignity to man by representing him as wonderfully made in the "IMAGE OF GOD," a notion closer to the Filipino word kawangis ng Diyos and not kamukha or look-alike.

In his splendid strictly scientific article “The Uniqueness of Man,” Sir Julian Huxley (1947) firmly held the opinion that the human being appears to be a unique specie (peculiaris) that has evolved in its own mode in an entirely new biological system.

It is not only the conviction of Christians. It is also a right fought for by the contemporary society, evidenced by the fact that most civil (or civilized) governments around the planet has rejected death penalty.

Desire for efficiency and “culture of death”

Saint John Paul II, while in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium vitae ("Gospel of Life"), has at all times condemned the “culture of death… which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency.” Mark the word EFFICIENCY.

The Philippines since mid-2016 has mastered a MORE EFFICIENT WAY of discarding the so-called junkies (drug users and pushers) and other “suspected” criminals, who are deemed less of a human being.

KILLING THEM, in the mind of the Philippine President, is more economical (efficient) than rehabilitating them—because it is more efficient. WIPING THEM OUT wholesale is a pogrom that has become the outright conviction of his Cabinet and all the government machineries under the Department of Justice, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine National Police.

In addition, the Philippine Congress is set to pass the fast-tracked bill on Death Penalty in 2017.

Our Saintly Polish Pontiff in his "Gospel of Life" insists that such kind of efficiency is “in a certain sense… a war of the powerful against the weak (whose) life is held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another.”

“Terminators”

CHRISTIANITY pushes without end the living principle that the sick, disabled, parents in the home of the aged, the comatose, death convicts, drug addicts, the baby in the womb, all of them WITHOUT EXCEPTION, should be valued, welcomed, and protected, regardless of his contribution to society or lack of it.

The aged are not burdens of society. The handicap is not the enemy. The addicts are not USELESS numbers to be eliminated by “terminators” through death penalty or by EJKs.

In the ancient times, among their pagan neighbors in the ancient East, most non-Israelite rulers claimed being deities, gods, or demigods among men, such as the cases of the Egyptian pharaoh and the self-proclaimed Persian God-King Xerxes, whose word was everyone’s command—even in matters of life and death.

Against this historico-cultural background, the Book of Genesis intends to put forward the unmistakable story of human origin from the Divine Hands, lest the human being should misjudge himself to be some sort of a deity.

To deny that man is god or demigod

Yes, man has a solemn dignity because he was created as imago Dei. But MAN HIMSELF IS NOT GOD.

Unfortunately, in the modern time, Adolf Hitler rose to become Europe’s powerful master playing God whose first victims were the Jews, considered by him as untermenschen or subhuman.

The same devaluation of human life occurred in such modern historical events as the China's Great Leap Forward, USSR's Great Purges, and Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, quite similar to the Nazi Holocaust and the Philippine war on drugs, when “the strong decides the fate of the weak" and, in the process, trampled human dignity

The Book of Genesis talks straight to the face of anyone who wants to play God without divine permission, including President Duterte himself and the members of the Philippine Congress, that nobody can just decide who among the junkies and hardened criminals live and who die.

THE WORLD’S FORGOTTEN SOULS

2018-10-25T09:45:00.005-12:00

“Gaze upon us with pity, born of Your tender heart and help us to walk the path of purification. May none of your children be lost to the eternal fires of hell, where repentance is no more.

“We entrust to You, O Lord, the souls of our beloved departed, of those who died without the comfort of the Sacraments or who did not have the opportunity to repent, not even at the end of their life “

(PRAYER of POPE FRANCIS. www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-angelus-pray-for-the-worlds-forgotten-soul).

COMMUNION OF SAINTS

The Mystical Body of Christ, also known as the Communion of Saints, consists of three sectors interacting and bonding beyond this life:

Triumphant Church in Heaven continuously praying for us, the Pilgrim Church on Earth, as we fervently pray for Suffering Church in Purgatory.

THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS OFFERED FOR THE DEAD

Prophet Malachi of the Old testament alluded to the Holy Eucharist when he foretold: “From the rising of the sun even to its setting… they bring sacrifice to my name and a pure offering” (1:11).

For Pope Benedict XVI, “the Eucharistic Celebration is the greatest and highest act of prayer” (2009 Homily during Ordination).

Actually, I first heard it from my late father (Antonio), a lay eucharistic minister and a daily Massgoer, who said that the Holy Mass is the best way to love and adore God, to intercede for the poor souls in purgatory, to beg for mercy, to pacify Him when He is angry, and to negotiate with Him about a personal need.

Understanding what Jesus did to us

2018-10-13T19:59:00.004-12:00

1. JUSTIFICATION is a metaphor applied to salvation which is derived from a judicial procedure when the judge issues a verdict of acquittal. Justification, also referred to as subjective redemption, is a divine act that implies a declaration that man is upright before God. Thus, "Jesus was raised up for our justification" (Rom 4:25). Initial justification occurs in the beginning of one's conversion, whereas final salvation at the end of one's life. Only those who persevered in the state of grace till the end are saved.

2. REDEMPTION. Our Blessed Lord, by his vicarious atonement and his merit in the mystery of redemption, objectively achieved the reconciliation of all humanity with God. Objective redemption must lead to a subjective redemption or justification. The application of the fruits of redemption to the individual is called justification. The fruit of redemption is called grace.

3. By MERIT we understand a property of the human act or work whereby it can claim supernatural rewards. That which is based on strict proportionate justice is called meritum de condigno, and that which is based on mercy or the suitableness of disposition is called meritum de congruo. Our Blessed Lord's holy passion and death (and only him) has merited objective redemption for all of us (de condigno), while a just man (and all men) can merit eternal salvation (de congruo).

UNIVERSAL SALVIFIC WILL OF GOD

The Bible is crystal clear when it affirms that God does not desire the eternal damnation of any created being, either arbitrarily or on account of original sin and personal sins. From the dawn of history damnation was man's own making, and from henceforth it has been the fate most specifically allotted for those who sin mortally and die in the obstinacy of their wickedness.

Hell itself was made by those who refuse to go to heaven and live with God.

Our most loving God opened the gates of heaven for all---leaving no one out. It is God's holy will that all men and women should come to the knowledge of the truth, be justified and saved (1 Tim 2:4). The opposite is impossible to prove. The basis for this assertion is the eternal will of God for the happiness of every human being. It is inconceivable, and in fact contradictory, that God willed unhappiness and tragedy for any member of the human family whom he uniquely created in his own image and likeness.

Out of the Creator's desire to share his intrinsic happiness to man, at the very start of human historical existence, God created a galaxy of good and beautiful things that would surround and sustain him. But most of all, "when the fullness of time came" (Gal 4:4) God so loved the world that he sent his only Son (Jn 3:16).

IS THE FILIPINO FAITH IN THE EUCHARIST WANING?

2018-10-07T15:44:00.002-12:00

1. The EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL, a pastoral crusade initiated by Bishops Conference of US, is sweeping every diocese in the United States. REASON: The majority of American do not believe in the Real Presence.

2. PHILIPPINES. One Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey came out with one interesting finding, among others, that weekly church attendance has significantly gone down from a high of 64 percent in 1991 to a low of 37 percent in February 2013.

3. TODAY, it appears “only 15% of Catholics go to Mass on Sundays. So if there are 8.5 million Catholics in Metro Manila, that means there are 6.7 million Catholics who no longer go to their parishes” (cf. bosanchez.ph).

4. Everyone was asking: Is this indicative of a looming crisis of faith among Filipino Catholics? For the longest time, the “quintessential question of quality over quantity” (QQQQ) was nagging the Philippine bishops (CBCP), and the problem has always been considered “very serious.”

ISSUES ARE TWOFOLD

1. One, a huge number of the baptized who claim to be Filipino Catholics ignores Sunday celebrations altogether and they are in tens of millions.

2. And two, is going to Mass every Sunday a manifestation of the Catholic faith in the Holy Eucharist? Are those who go to Mass understand their faith in the Real Presence?

3. On the other hand, can anyone remain a good Catholic if he thinks the Eucharist is merely a “symbolic reminder” of Jesus?

4. Of the Catholic faithful who attend the Mass, observed Cindy Woody, there are those who do so depending on who’s celebrating. And she added what she noticed what some Filipino priests were doing (just one subjective observation, of course): “There is LESS REVERENCE in the CONSECRATED RITE, spending 15-20 minutes homily singing, and entertaining people with jokes and stories give them the sense of concentrating to the PRIEST rather than to the EUCHARIST” (Catholic News Service, 2011).

IS IT SYMBOLIC OR REAL PRESENCE?

1. In one New York Times poll, about 70 percent of all American Catholics in the age group 18 to 44 believe the Eucharist is merely a “symbolic reminder” of Jesus (cited in Index of Leading Catholic Indicators, 2002).

2. It’s easy to understand when the secular mind asks the theological question: “Will God really obey the priest and make present the divinity and humanity, soul and body of Jesus our Savior, really present, in the form of the Bread in the Eucharist?”

3. It’s because the Real Presence is beyond the secular mind! However, it’s a different story when Catholics themselves are saying that the Eucharist is not actually real but merely symbolic.

WE ADORE YOU, JESUS, IN YOUR MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD. Amen!

Relativism and subjectivism should not be the measurement of international business

2018-09-28T10:50:00.000-12:00

Business accepts moral values that are objective, permanent, and universal. Business ethics is neither situation ethics.

If one were to discount geographical distances among societies, it would really not be sane to have a moral standard “with exceptions.” The worst thing that could happen in adhering to an international ethical standard is when the yardstick used to measure the rightness or wrongness of one's action is as flexible as a rubber band.

Different people of different societies naturally have different beliefs. But not all of their beliefs, traditions, and practices are equally acceptable as moral standards.

The toughest decisions that business leaders have to make are the decisions where they cannot even resort to tossing a coin because both sides of the coin are both “heads” and “tails,” so to speak.

It is a real dilemma for companies, especially for those with operations based overseas, when required to come up with policies that best conform to the established culture of their chosen base of operations and at the same time adhere to the universal ethical standard. Business ethics advocates business practitioners to adhere to the universal ethical standard.

Relative significance of values?

If the moral standards or norms formulated by some respectable traditions of ethics over the centuries—principally but not limited to the Judeao-Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Confucian moral traditions—are ignored, those who ignore them are more likely to fall prey into many errors. History has proven this constantly and consistently.

For example, no entrepreneur can do legitimate business if she/he ignores the Ten Commandments, particularly the laws that say “You shall not steal or cheat,” or “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor or tell a lie.” In any case, no particular kind of cheating in business in a particular situation can ever be excused.

All kinds of cheating—and all business decisions and practices that justify the disregard of fairness, justice, and human dignity—are simply wrong and therefore unacceptable.

As Marco Landi, president of TI Asia, has put it: “The question of ethics cannot be separated from any other aspect of our business. This concept of ethical behavior remains constant regardless of the culture. Indeed, business ethics is global. Its fundamental concerns are applicable to all people who do business anywhere in the world regardless of the culture.”

Moral values are global and universal

Business ethics is born with global values, and when firms decide to do international business it follows that they cannot do away with an international moral values.

As we recognize that the cultural relativism, democratic processes and the pluralism of opinions may be good in politics and international public relations, we cannot readily accept their applicability to ethics. Contrary to what the proponents of situation ethics and ethical relativism hold, we maintain that our action and decision cannot be dependent on varying historical and cultural situations.

Global moral values are objective and not subjective

We hold in principle that international moral values should have three interrelated characteristics, namely: objectivity, universality and permanence. The basis of the characteristics is the person or the human nature itself, a philosophical assertion I will now explain.

Moral value is objective. The opposite of objective is subjective, and subjective in this paper means that the goodness or wrongness of the act depends on the perceiving subject or agent.

NOT IN THIS IMPERFECT WORLD. PERFECTION BELONGS TO ESCHATOLOGICAL TIME

2018-09-14T11:38:00.004-12:00

Her being holy and sinful at the same time constitutes the sacred paradox of her nature. The lovely Bride of Christ on earth (Ephesians 5:23–32), though “marked with true holiness,” is “imperfect.”

Saint Thomas Aquinas made it clear that the fullness of the Church’s holiness or PERFECTION BELONGS TO ESCHATOLOGICAL TIME, the so-called Parousia, or the end of time. And while the Bride of Christ is still on pilgrimage, we should not deceive ourselves by saying that she is perfect and without sin. I quote the Angelic Doctor:

“To be a glorious Church, with neither spot nor wrinkle, is the ultimate end to which we are brought by the Passion of Christ. Hence, this will be the case only in the heavenly homeland, not here on the way of pilgrimage, where ‘if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves’...”

It proximates perfection when our Mother Church confesses in public her imperfection. Yet, certain Churchmen found it quite difficult to apologize publicly due to the perceived debilitating effects of shame, maybe out of self-preservation or, in the words of Benedict XVI, “a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church,” or the avoidance of further scandal.

For John Paul II, the credibility of the Pilgrim Church in the global stage is increased and not diminished by the humble gesture of saying sorry. And I believe him. Since scandals were already there, they are lessened, not exacerbated, by humility shown through a public acknowledgment.

THE PURPOSE OF IT ALL: THE GLORY OF GOD

It was not at all a confession of weakness. It was a proclamation of faith when His Holiness confessed his total trust in the Divine Mercy, following the example of Saint Faustina Kowalska who prayed: “Jezu Ufam Tobie!”

More than a proclamation of faith, what the POPE OF THE DIVINE MERCY did was to celebrate God’s bottomless capacity to forgive. In truth, it was a declaration that God’s mercy is more powerful than any human weakness.

The inspiration to seek pardon is our common faith in God’s amazing grace. And once pardoned and our memory purified, we could do nothing more than glorify the God of Mercy.

When the “confessio peccati” is sustained and illuminated by our faith (“confessio fidei”), it can suddenly become our “confessio laudis” addressed to God Almighty.