FABC Communication I N F O FEDERATION OF ASIAN ’ CONFERENCES - OFFICE OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION P.O. Box 2036, 1099 OSC Tel: (+63 2) 732 7170, 338 7769 Fax: (+63 2) 732 7171 Email: [email protected]

t Vol. XXVII, No. 7 July 2012

PAKISTAN: FORMING THE LAITY AND PROMOTING SINGAPORE: ARCHBISHOP ON DRESSING FOR MASS CHRISTIAN MEDIA FOR MISSION Archbishop Nicholas Chia sent a document to all priests on June The formation of the laity is “important” as is “their 25 on the topic of dressing in Church. “Rather than proposing a involvement” in the life of the Church and society in Pakistan. dress code,” said the archbishop in an accompanying letter, the To achieve this goal all available resources must be employed document “aims at giving a description of the spirit conducive to including “institutes dedicated to pastoral work,” says Fr. Joseph worship, providing a welcoming note, and avoiding any (Joe) Joyce, an Irish priest of the Society of St. Columban for prohibitive language.” In the document, he said, “how we choose Foreign Missions. Working in Pakistan since September 1982, he to dress may express our own understanding and values about summarizes the challenges facing Catholics today and the answers how we approach the Eucharist. How we dress also affects those to promoting faith and contributing to national growth. To this around us … and there is a level of decorum that is expected of end, he tells AsiaNews that the role of the media must be exploited everyone who would like to participate in such great a mystery...” within society and in particular the potential offered by television “Let the sole criteria be that it is our response to being present at and radio. (CBCPNEWS) a sacred celebration where Our Lord is present; nourishing and PHILIPPINES: SEMINARIANS HOLD BOOKFAIR sustaining us at the table of the Word and the table of the Seminarians of Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol (Home of the Eucharist,” he added. (CN) Good Shepherd) Seminary in Tagaytay City have launched a book INDIA: KARNATAKA REGIONAL YOUTH CONVENTION fair on July 2 for religious and lay people who are book WEBSITE LAUNCHED enthusiasts. The aim is to provide affordable books to priests, Bangalore Archbishop Bernard Moras launched the Karnataka seminarians and lay people who do not have the chance to go to Regional Youth Convention website at the Archbishop’s House Manila to buy religious or spiritual books. Aside from books, CDs in Bangalore on July 20. Archbishop Moras, who is also President and DVDs of religious music, movies and documentaries were also of the Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops Council (KRCBC), on sale. (CBCPNEWS) clicked on the newly designed website PHILIPPINES: DIOCESE MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH . Expressing his joy over the ART EXHIBIT forthcoming three-day Regional Youth Convention, Karnataka Jose Oliveros has inaugurated a painting exhibit YUVAJANOTSAVA, September 28-30, 2012 the Archbishop urged featuring 50 Artists from to celebrate the jubilee year of the youth not to hesitate to declare their Catholic identity. “Youth the diocese on June 29. Fifty artists, all native of the northern must declare their discipleship of the Lord and love the Church,” province, have donated their paintings to the Diocesan he said. (CBCI) Commission on Social Communications (COSC) for exhibition at PHILIPPINES: 1ST CATHOLIC SUMMIT ON SOCIAL MEDIA the Museo Diosesano de Malolos in Barasoain Church, Malolos HELD City. The artworks consist of paintings of churches in Bulacan. Hundreds of new media buffs attended the first Catholic Social Various faith expressions were aligned with the diocesan jubilee Media Summit on July 14-15 at the Renaissance Convention theme, “50 Years of Transforming Grace and Unwavering Faith.” Center in Riverbanks, Marikina City. Participants were mostly The diocese was canonically erected on March 11, 1962. On its young people from different youth organizations. There are also jubilee year, it is also reviving a cultural gem the province of a big number of attendees from religious communities who wanted Bulacan is known for, poetry. Fr. Dars V. Cabral, Director of the to know more about the new media as a platform for evangelization. Malolos Diocesan Commission on Social Communications has Some participants also came from the Visayas and Mindanao as launched a monthly poetry reading program on June 30 at the representatives of their dioceses, youth organizations and religious Museo Diocesano de Malolos in Barasoain Church. (CBCPNEWS) communities. The summit focused on social network and how new INDIA: NISCORT ANNOUNCES COURSE OFFERINGS media could be explored and utilized by the for The National Institute of Social Communications, Research & evangelization and mission. Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon had earlier Training (NISCORT) announces its post-graduate course offerings endorsed the summit to youth directors, coordinators, ministers opening in August this year. Along with a 2-year MA in Broadcast and leaders in different dioceses as well as youth groups in the Journalism, NISCORT also offers short-term courses in web design, country. Baylon, chair of the Episcopal Commission on Youth of public relations and pastoral communication. Log on to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said or email the director at that with the advent of online technology, the Church should explore social media as a platform to spread the Gospel. (CBCPNEWS) INDIA: ANDROID APPLICATION FOR HINDI BIBLE PHILIPPINES: PORNOGRAPHY CAUSES YOUTH OFFENDERS’ LAUNCHED DEVIANT SEXUAL BEHAVIOR The Archdiocese of Delhi in collaboration with the Jesus Youth A study by a human rights organization on the profile of young International has launched on July 18 the first Hindi Catholic Bible sexual offenders revealed that pornography, among other causes, application for mobile devices. The Bible is now available on the played a role in the development of deviant sexual behaviour Android Market under the app name Divya Vachan. The among teen offenders. In a recent meeting of human rights coalition application Divya Vachan (divine word) is the complete Hindi working for youth offenders, Ms. Elnora Tabios, president of the Catholic Bible for free downloads. Fr. Stanley Kozhichira, who Philippine Action for Youth Offenders (PAYO) presented a profile heads the archdiocesan media commission and guides the Jesus of young sexual offenders (YSO) based on the cases handled by Youth in Delhi, said the user-friendly software provides easy the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse search facilities. It also has a pull up screen that displays both (CPTCSA) from 1995 to 2005. PAYO, a national coalition of the New Testament and Old Testament. It is available for Android organizations and individuals working together for the realization Smart Phones, Android-run mobile devices, iPhone, iPod, iPad and of a just and humane society for children in conflict with law, is Blackberry. Bible.Mitr.com, the first online Hindi Catholic Bible of working hand-in hand with the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on the Bhopal Archdiocese, supplied the data for the program, while Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) in protecting the rights and promoting Ethic Coders developed the software. Archbishop Vincent the welfare of Filipino children in conflict with the law. Concesso of Delhi officially launched the new program. (CBCI) (CBCPNEWS) SINGAPORE: YOUTH SHOWCASE TALENTS IN BIBLEFEST SINGAPORE: TALKS PREPARE CATHOLICS FOR THE ‘YEAR More than 100 children from the Malayalam Catholic community OF FAITH’ participated in a one-day Bible-based program for kids aged three The Catholic Prayer Society (CPS) of Singapore is holding to those in their teens. The Children’s Ministry of the Malayalam monthly conferences from April to August this year to prepare for Charismatic Group (MCG), Singapore, held the BibleFest 2012 at the launch of the “Year of the Faith” on October 11. Vicar General Assumption English School on June 23. Fr Dominic Savio, MCG Msgr. Eugene Vaz gives the talks during lunchtime on the last spiritual director and chaplain to the Malayalam Catholic Friday of each month at the Singapore Conference Hall. community, launched the program with the lighting of a traditional Participants are mainly Catholics working in Singapore’s main oil lamp, symbolizing Christ's presence. According to organizers, business district. In his talks, Msgr. Vaz deals with Pope Benedict the event - which included psalm recitals, as well as story-telling, XVI’s apostolic letter Porta Fidei (The Door of Faith), which speeches and a quiz and debate on biblical themes - was to help explains the Pope’s reasons for launching the special year and his the children use their talents to glorify God. (CN) desire for the renewal and re-evangelization of the Church. (CN) INDIA: PRESS DAY CELEBRATED IN MANGALORE INDONESIA: CATHOLIC SEMINARIANS BOOST DIALOGUE Sandesha Foundation in association with Raknno Konkanni WITH MUSLIMS weekly and Pingara Kannada weekly celebrated Press Day July Inspired by Indonesia’s original pluralistic and multi-confessional 1 in Mangalore. Chief guest P. B. Harish Rai, president of the national model, a Catholic priest launched a program to boost the Working Journalists’ Association of South Kanara District of spirit of “friendship and tolerance” among seminarians vis-à-vis Karnataka, recalled the role of Sandesha in promoting art and their Muslim compatriots. In a country wracked by sectarian culture which in collaboration with secular media organizations violence, with attacks by majority Muslims against minorities, have been conducting short term journalism courses. Jesuit Fr. including Christians, Hindus and Ahmadi, Fr. Robert Suraji Pr set Eugene Lobo paid tribute to Protestant German Christian up a vocational program for future priests in order to encourage Missionary, Herman Mogling, who pioneered publishing works in dialogue and exchange. This program included in-depth studies the local language of Kannada. He published the first Kannada “to improve understanding” of Islam as well as internship in daily newspaper Mangalooru Samachara (Mangalore News) on Muslim santri schools. Twenty-two seminarians from the dioceses July 1, 1843. Since then, across the state July 1 is celebrated as and archdioceses of Semarang, Malang, Surabaya, Purwokerto and Press Day by the secular media. Three journalists belonging to Bogor, on the island of Java, registered for the program. three major religions of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity were (CBCPNEWS) honored at the occasion. (CBCI) PHILIPPINES: OFFICIAL SONG FOR 500 YEARS OF SINGAPORE: DEAF-BLIND PRIEST GAVE SESSIONS CHRISTIANITY IN THE COUNTRY RELEASED Fr. Cyril Axelrod, a deaf-blind Redemptorist priest based in The Catholic hierarchy has released the official hymn for the London, gave several sessions to the Catholic deaf community in “New Evangelization” as the Church embarked on a nine-year July. The sessions were held at the Church of St. Mary of the spiritual journey that culminates with the great jubilee on 2021. The Angels (SMOTA) at 5 Bukit Batok East Avenue 2 and the Catholic song titled “Live Christ, Share the Eucharist,” was introduced to Archdiocesan Education Centre (CAEC) at 2 Highland Road. The the members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines 70-year-old priest has served in various deaf groups in the world during their plenary meeting in Manila on July 7. Lingayen- for 37 years of his priesthood and understands at least eight Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP vice president, wrote languages. He travels to Hong Kong, South Africa, Malta and the song’s lyrics while master musician Ryan Cayabyab composed Ethiopia to offer Masses for deaf communities and also promotes the music. (CBCPNEWS) a training program to families and students on how to communicate and guide a deaf-blind person. (CN)