Church

The country’s new cardinal, Jose Advincula, called on laypeople to be living witnesses and “missionary disciples” even amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Cardinal Jose Advincula of Capiz said there are many ways to be missionaries — taking what they have learned and sharing it with others.

“…Even if most of us are forced to stay at home, we can still carry out our mandate to be missionary disciples,” Advincula said.

Pope Francis urged newly elevated Cardinal Jose Advincula of Capiz to be humble and not forget the poor.

The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics expressed hope that Advincula’s new mission will lead him more to humility and service to the people.

“It is my hope that this vocation to which the Lord calls you will make you grow in humility and in the spirit of service,” the pope said.

The pontiff’s message was contained in a letter to the country’s new cardinal last month.

CALLED TO BE MISSIONARIES as priests and brothers!

Come and join us! Discover the world in service and love!

SUBUKAN MO NA!

COTABATO CITY - Father Roque "Ike" Monegro of the Diocesan Clergy of Cotabato (DCC) has died on Sunday morning in a hospital in Davao City due to lingering illness.  He has been in and out of the hospital since 2018.

He celebrated his 77 birthday last August 16.

A resident of Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat, Fr. Ike was ordained priest on March 3, 1989 and serve in various parishes in the Archdiocese of Cotabato.  He also served as parish priest of Sta Catalina de Alexandria parish in Dukay, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat.

COTABATO CITY - Two more confirmed Covid-19 patients have died in Region 12, raising the total number of fatalities to 101.

In a bulletin Sunday night, the two fatalities include an 81-year-old male femnale were from Cotabato City and a 43-year-old male from Gen. Santos City.

The Department of Health reported 25 new cases and 23 patients have recovered from the disease.

The country’s new cardinal said that protecting human rights is neither optional nor secondary but must be at the heart of the Church’s mission.

Cardinal-designate Jose Advincula of Capiz said that defending the dignity of every person is the key to confront the many social problems afflicting the nation.

“The Church has to see to it that the human dignity and the human rights of the people are respected,” Advincula told Vatican News on Tuesday.

Pope Francis has appointed 13 new cardinals including Filipino Archbishop Jose Advincula.

The pope made the announcement during his Sunday Angelus in the Vatican and said the new cardinals would be elevated at a consistory on Nov. 28.

Advincula becomes the ninth Filipino cardinal, following cardinals Orlando Quevedo, Luis Antonio Tagle, Gaudencio Rosales, Jose Sanchez, Ricardo Vidal, Jaime Sin, Julio Rosales and Rufino Santos.

At 68, he is among the nine new cardinals eligible to vote in a conclave. The four others are over 80s.

A Catholic bishop has reminded the faithful that ashes of cremated loved ones cannot be kept at home.

In a pastoral instruction issued recently, Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manila said that ashes of the dead should be kept in a sacred place such as columbaria and cemeteries.

“I would like to remind everyone that it is not allowed for us to keep the urns containing the ashes in our homes permanently,” Pabillo said.

He warned of “great danger of desecration in the future”, especially when there is no one around to look after and care for the ashes.

Pope Francis on Monday has chosen Archbishop Charles John Brown to be his next ambassador to the Philippines.

The 60-year-old American diplomat will move to Manila from Albania, where he has served as apostolic nuncio since 2017.

Archbishop Brown will succeed Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, who is now the Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York.

The country has been without a nuncio after Archbishop Caccia ended his tour of duty in the Philippines in December 2019 .

For the first time in its history, a woman will lead the country’s largest organization of Catholic schools, colleges and universities.

The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) on Tuesday elected Sr. Marissa Viri of the Religious of the Virgin Mary congregation as its new President.

Sr. Viri, who is currently CEAP’s Vice President, will succeed Fr. Elmer Dizon of the Archdiocese of San Fernando, who served the post since September 2019.