Church

MANILA, Dec. 4, 2014— The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Wednesday has denied that Malacañang is compelling the Church to cancel Pope Francis’ visit to Leyte. Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP President, said the Church hierarchy was never under pressure to change the Pope’s itinerary. There was no such pressure,” Villegas said in a text message to reporters.Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez claimed Malacañang tried to have the pontiff’s itinerary include a visit to Cebu instead of Leyte.

MANILA — The Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM)’s Commission on Social Services and Development (CSSD) officially launched the Year of the Poor (YOP) in an event held at the Paco Catholic School Saturday, Nov. 29 with hundreds in attendance, representing various sectors. We as the Church of the Poor are called to renew our commitment to Christ’s mission and to always take the side of the poor and the oppressed, especially when and where there is injustice and denial of basic human rights, Fr. Enrico Martin Adoviso, RCAM-CSSD chief, said.

Another milestone in the history of the Notre Dame Archdiocesan Seminary is set on November 29-30, 2014 when all its alumni will gather in an event dubbed as DayoTayo” Alumni Homecoming 2014 at Barangay Rebuken, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.Series of activities have been lined up to highlight the gathering.

MANILA — A Daughter of St. Paul today raised concerns over the violence and obscenity being peddled by a number of tabloid newspapers in the country today.Some of these dailies flood the streets of Metro Manila with violent and lewd stories, assailing the moral weakness of the young, said Sr. Pinky Barrientos (FSP). Violence and sex are the staples of tabloid reporting,” she said.

COTABATO CITY - Hundreds of elderly and sick flocked to the Rosary Heights Church as Fr. Fernando Suarez, the renowned healing priest, performed healing session Wednesday afternoon.Before the healing session, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, DD celebrated the mass with Fr. Suarez giving the homily. The Rosary Heights Church was full, many were standing to hear the Holy Eucharist celebration. Your faith to God will heal you, Suarez told the Church packed with parishioners, mostly elderly and some in wheel chairs.

PARAÑAQUE CITY — A priest stressed that the official closing of the Year of the Laity is only the start of fresh challenges to the lay faithful towards the realization that each of them is Called to Be Saints, Sent Forth as Heroes”. The Church is overwhelmingly lay … You make up more than 99 percent of the Church … That’s how important your role is,” Msgr. Gerardo O.

A missionary journey to EnglandIn less than two years after ordination, left the Philippines to serve in the OMI Anglo-Irish Province, to fulfill the mission of the OMI Philippine Province of witnessing withimmense hope to the Good News beyond all frontiers” (Vision Statement excerpt).On September 3, 2011, Fr. Irvin boarded the flight bound for London. Mixed feelings of excitement, anxiety, and fear surrounded him.

MANDALUYONG City, Nov. 19, 2014—A priest believes the humble way Pope Francis talks offers a lesson on how preachers can faithfully propagate the Creed with its ethical requirements, and at once be able to connect to the world. Fr. Carlos V.

ILOILO CITY— A youth group in Iloilo marked the first anniversary of super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) by intensifying preparations for the papal visit, saying they want an event that will be marked by mercy and compassion and not attention grabbing.

MANDALUYONG CITY -Catholic priest lauded a Muslim woman, who recently sponsored a mass Christian wedding for her pupils’ unmarried parents, for her efforts at fostering good will and warm relations among the city’s Muslim and Christian residents. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Hadja Sarah Lucman Handang, principal of Lima Elementary School in Barangay Baluno, in organizing a community wedding so as to facilitate the issuance of birth certificates to her students.We appreciate Hadja Sarah’s dedication to her Islamic faith which urges her to seek interfaith harmony,” shared Fr.