CBCP MAY 11 - 24, 2020 VOL. 24, NO. 10 [email protected] PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE ‘We heal as one’: Philippine bishops reconsecrate nation to Mary By Roy Lagarde THE Catholic Church in the Philippines has turned to the mother of Jesus for protection amid the contagion and death brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. The church hierarchy, in solidarity with a number of bishops’ conferences around the world, marked the Marian month by consecrating the nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the episcopal conference, led the consecration of the Philippines to the Blessed Mother on May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. The bishops sought the intercession of Mary for the “healing” of all those who contracted the virus and for the “strength and protection” of both the frontliners and the public. “We pray as one. We heal as one. We renew the world as one through this act of consecration,” Valles said. “This our country’s way to implore the grace and mercy Bishop Dennis Villarojo of Malolos leads the national consecration of the country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela City on May 13, 2020. SANDIGAN – DIOCESE OF Consecration / A6 MALOLOS ‘Forgotten’: Prelate hits slow Marawi rehab efforts Seminary formation can’t be done online but… A CATHOLIC prelate in southern Philippines has lamented the government’s slow rehabilitation efforts of Marawi. It’s been three years since the last shots of war were fired in Marawi but Bishop Edwin Dela Peña said “nothing much has happened since then”. “Ground zero is still an image of destruction reminiscent of the early days of the siege,” Dela Peña said on May 23. Attention to Marawi, he said, had also been overtaken by recent events such as the Taal volcano eruption, the coronavirus crisis, and the typhoon “Ambo”. “These relegated us to the backdoor of history… to the point Hundreds of major seminarians attend the opening Mass of this year’s “Kapatiran” at the UST Chapel in Manila, March 4, 2017. ROY LAGARDE of being completely forgotten from the national psyche,” according This file photo shows damaged houses and buildings in Marawi city on Feb. 7, 2018. DUYOG MARAWI ONLINE classes have never been an Archbishop Socrates Villegas, to him. option in seminary formation—until chairman of the Episcopal Thousands of residents living been living “in exile” at a village in besieged on May 23, 2017 by the coronavirus pandemic came Commission on Seminaries (ECS), in the main battle area of the city Lanao del Norte. hundreds of local and foreign militia along. said that “intellectual formation” have yet to return home, with many “All IDPs (internally displaced affiliated to Islamic State. But the bishops insist that is not the only the factor for of them still living in temporary persons) from the ground zero are The government imposed martial seminary studies cannot be done consideration in seminary studies. shelters. still living in temporary shelters,” he law and large parts of Marawi were fully online because “the other pillar “The seminarians need to be The prelate said that he and other added. “The future is still uncertain destroyed in five months of fighting of priestly formation requiring accompanied in their pastoral, residents of St. Mary Cathedral for all of us”. between troops and militants that personal accompaniment in the spiritual and human formation compound in Marawi have also The country’s Islamic city was killed nearly 1,200. (CBCP News) context of community”. Formation / A6 Many afraid to attend Mass due to coronavirus, archbishop says Manila bishop pushes back vs IATF restrictions WHEN a southern the full opening of the on religious activities Philippine archdiocese cathedral on May 17 and resumed holding public five other parishes in the MANILA Apostolic Administrator quarantine (ECQ) and 10 during Masses on a Sunday, the city held public Masses Broderick Pabillo on May 17 led the general community quarantine gatherings weren’t quite for the first time in two the charge against government (GCQ), pointing out that there what church authorities months, in the latest restrictions on religious services, were no such limits for offices and expected. easing of coronavirus saying that limiting Mass attendees business establishments. Archbishop Martin restrictions in the city. to five or 10 people even under “It is just another way of saying Jumoad of Ozamiz said Religious services relaxed quarantine rules was that you do not have religious the turnout at the city’s were forbidden with the unreasonable and even “laughable.” activities,” he said. Immaculate Conception lockdown, which was The Catholic Church had been “Where did they get these Cathedral was much lesser eased in many parts of The Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Ozamiz City opens its doors to the largely compliant with restrictions numbers? Why is it that they do than the usual Sunday the country last week. faithful on May 17 adhering strictly to government health protocols such as imposed by the Interagency Task not give the absolute numbers of physical distancing, use of face masks and installation of foot baths. WENDELL Force (IATF) on the Management persons who can enter a store, or attendance. The archdiocese is TALIBONG “People are afraid to holding Masses under of Infectious Diseases since the work in the office, or in the factory? come to church because of strict new guidelines churches also installed 300 people,” Archbishop lockdown, cancelling public Masses Do they say that only 10 persons this pandemic. Practically worked out between foot baths. Jumoad said. and Holy Week activities and should be in an office, or that 20 only few attended our the church and local Ozamiz cathedral could “Still, it was good we switching to online platforms. persons work in a factory, or that Masses when we opened government authorities. accommodate around did it and we hope next In a Facebook post, Pabillo only 5 persons can enter a store at a the church,” Archbishop The faithful will have to 1,500 worshippers. “But Sunday church attendance questioned the IATF’s basis for time? This would be preposterous!” Jumoad said. wear masks and observe in most Masses, church will increase, he said. limiting Mass-goers to five during Pabillo also pointed out that The prelate inaugurated physical distancing. The attendance was only about (CBCP News) the modified enhanced community IATF / A6 A2 WORLD NEWS MAY 11 - 24, 2020 VOL. 24, NO. 10 CBCP Monitor Our Lady in the weeds: Knights of Vatican Briefing Columbus find forgotten grotto Vatican Museums will reopen June 1 as Italy opens bor- ders to tourists The Vatican Museums announced May 23 that it will reopen on June 1, two days before Italy opens its borders to European visitors after nearly three months of lockdown. Entrance to the Vatican Museums will only be possible via prior reservation to limit the number of people in the museum and stagger entrance times. All visitors will be required to wear a mask, and mandatory temperature checks will be conducted at the entrance. To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, group visits to the museums will be capped at a maximum of 10 people. The Vatican Museums will have been closed for 12 weeks since the Italian government announced the closure of all museums and archaeological sites throughout the country on March 8. (Courtney Mares/CNA) Pope Francis appoints new archbishop for Taiwan’s capital Pope Francis appointed May 23 Bishop Thomas An-Zu Chung as the next Metropolitan Archbishop of Taipei, Taiwan. Chung, who currently serves as bishop of Chiayi, Taiwan, will replace Archbishop John Hung Shan-chuan, who has retired at the age of 76. The Holy See is the only remaining country in Europe that recognizes Taiwan as a country. The Holy See and Taiwan have had formal diplomatic relations for 77 years. However, the nunciature in Taipei has not been led by a nuncio since Oct. 25, 1971, when the United Nations ceased to recognize the Taipei- based government as the government of China. The pope also appointed Chung to serve as the apostolic administrator of the Matzu Islands, an archipelago of 36 islands in the East China Sea, and the Kinmen The restored shrine at Our Lady of Good Counsel Camp. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. Islands, which are located under four miles from the mainland People’s Republic of China. (Courtney CNA Staff— The St. Scholastica Council working on that project, they happened To prevent the grotto from being lost Mares/CNA) 14485 of the Knights of Columbus upon “a clump of rocks covered with to nature once again, the knights were thought they were doing a routine vegetation.” sure to spray weed killer to prevent the Pope Francis moves financial records office under Secre- community service project, clearing “Upon closer inspection, we found overgrowth from returning. tariat for Economy out vegetation at a summer camp. They a grotto and pond, which had been In addition to the statue of Mary, the Pope Francis on May 20 moved the office of the did not expect to stumble upon a long- covered with vegetation for decades,” knights also restored and repainted four Vatican’s financial records database under the forgotten shrine to the Virgin Mary. said Les McGlothlin, the spokesman for other statues at the camp, and has in management of the Secretariat for the Economy— The local knights’ council in Lecanto, the council. the past worked to provide additional reversing a decision he made in 2016. According Florida, has worked with the Our Lady Realizing what they had found, maintenance to the camp’s facilities.