Online Petition for HB 13 Launched

MANILA, August 23, 2010— “In defense of life,” supporters of a proposed bill that seeks to protect the rights of the unborn child has taken their fight to the internet.

Pro-Life Philippines Inc., a lobby group against abortion, launched an online petition to support the passage of “An Act Providing for the Safety Protection of the Unborn Child’.

Also known as House Bill 13 filed by Rep. Roilo Golez, the measure seeks that the government protect the life of the unborn child from contraception.

The bill also looks to go further than existing legislation protecting fetuses by specifically recognizing that “conception is the moment of fertilization.”

A link to the petition, which is hosted on the Petition Online site, was posted last week on the website (www.prolife.org.ph) of the Pro-Life Philippines.

“The bill acknowledges the unborn child as a human being with a human personality and extends the mantle of legal protection to the child from the moment of conception,” read part the petition referring to HB 13.

“The bill aims to enhance the health of the mother by avoiding means that may adversely affect the viability of the unborn child in all stages of its maturity,” it added.

As of 5:45 p.m. Monday, the petition had gathered 689 signatures.

The petitioners said that they support the bill because it promotes the right of the mother and the children especially the unborn child to assistance including proper care and nutrition.

The campaign is supported by various educational and advocacy organizations opposed to the Reproductive Health bill that pushes the government to fund modern contraceptives. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPnews)

http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/12788

 

Cardinal Zen Hopeful Situation in China will Improve for Catholics

ROME, Italy, August 12, 2010–The Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, said this week he hopes the situation for Catholics in China will improve despite the religious freedom difficulties that exist in the country. He added that the testimony of the faithful amidst widespread repression is fundamental for the future of the Catholic Church there.

According to L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Zen recently accompanied a group of nine Chinese Salesian sisters at Pope Benedict XVI’s general audience at Castel Gandolfo. Regarding the situation for Catholics in China he said, “It is important to follow the guidelines laid out by the Pope in this 2007 letter to Catholics in China,” which still has not been widely read due to government repression.

The future of the Church in China depends on the silent but efficacious testimony of Catholics in country, the cardinal continued.

Referring to the Salesian sisters, Cardinal Zen said, “The fact that they live amidst the people and are committed to ordinary tasks gives particular weight to their testimony.” (UCAN)

John Paul II Continues to Inspire Vocations

Source: http://www.zenit.org/article-30042?l=english

One of Hong Kong’s four new permanent deacons says his vocation is linked to Pope John Paul II, and particularly to the Pontiff’s death.

Deacon Stephen Kwok Ping-fai was one of four to be ordained July 24 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Hong Kong.

Decon Kwok, 45, recounted to the Catholic Weekly that the news coverage of the Pope’s death in 2005 led him to reflect on his baptismal vocation.

“Pope John Paul II lived out the teachings of Jesus Christ in his life,” the deacon said. “He led the Catholic Church to search for the reconciliation with the Orthodox Churches and the Protestant communities, with the desire to strive for peace.

“At that time I thought: John Paul II passed away, who will follow his footsteps and continue his missions?”

Deacon Kwok is a radiographer at the faculty of medicine of the University of Hong Kong.

He is the youngest of Hong Kong’s 15 permanent deacons, and according to UCANews, his ordination helps dispel the idea in Hong Kong that the permanent deaconate is for retired men.

In addition to the diocesan deacons ordained July 24, a Dominican deacon was ordained in Hong Kong on July 1, and a Jesuit priest and Jesuit deacon will be ordained Saturday.

How do you know the difference between loving a girl and being infatuated with her?

http://www.chastity.com/chastity-qa/dating/whats-love/how-do-you-know-difference-betCATHOLIC ANSWERS

What is love? I used to think of it as a warm, fuzzy feeling. When you see her, the world seems beautiful, the birds are singing, and everything reminds you of her. Your heart races whenever she walks into the room.

That is “being in love.” This spontaneous emotional reaction is a lot of fun, but we should not confuse these feelings with love itself. Some people think that they can tell how long a relationship will last based upon how powerful the feelings of attraction are. They spend massive amounts of time trying to decide whether or not they are in love. What they are overlooking is the fact that love is a decision to do what is best for another person, even if one’s attractions or emotions are not as intense as they were at the dawn of the relationship.

But it is not enough to want to do what is good for the other. We must form our minds according to the truth that God has revealed so that we know what is good for the other, and we are not just doing whatever feels good. Once we know what is good for the other, all that remains is to follow through and live out that love in our actions.

Love does not “happen” to couples—it is something they do. It is a task. If the initial excitement of a relationship tapers off and we conclude from this that love is gone, we can be sure that love was never there to begin with. After all, if love is simply about having romantic feelings, how could a bride and groom promise each other that their marriage will last “until death do us part”? More likely it would last “until boredom do us part.” Therefore, you cannot determine the worth of a relationship by measuring the intensity of emotions.

Suppose you are married and your pregnant wife has food cravings. It is four in the morning, and she wants you to go to the grocery store to get her fudge brownie ice cream and pickle juice. You roll over and look at your bride, and she does not seem to be glowing the way she did on your wedding day. At four in the morning, your world is not looking beautiful and the singing birds have gone mute. But after kissing her fevered forehead, you walk out the door and drive to the store. Has love gone away? Actually, it is more real than ever.

So how do you know if you love a woman? Pope John Paul II has answered this question perfectly in saying that “the greater the feeling of responsibility for the [beloved] the more true love there is.”[1] The greatest example of this love is Christ. He alone perfectly reveals how to love a woman. If we ever need to know how to properly love a woman, all we need to do is look at a crucifix.

________________________
[1]. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II), Love and Responsibility (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993), 131.

Lost Roots

By Elizabeth Lev

Source: http://www.zenit.org/article-29905?l=english

 

…

Scandals certainly weren’t what the founder of the World Cup had in mind. When Frenchman Jules Rimet first got the idea of an international soccer competition he dreamed of recreating the spirit of medieval “chivalry.” Through soccer, or football as we say in Europe, Rimet thought the world would learn to appreciate the Christian virtues of hard work, obedience to rules, comradeship and fair play.

Born to a poor French grocer in 1876, Jules Rimet was not an athlete but a lawyer who did well through hard work and perseverance. In an age of much unrest and growing nationalism — Italy had just been forcibly unified, the French had declared the Third Republic and Germany had coalesced into a nation — Rimet thought that sport could calm the international tensions and unite the divided social classes.

At the age of 24, Rimet opened “Red Star,” a sporting club in the outskirts of Paris. Membership was open to all classes and featured a new sport imported from England, soccer. The game considered by the French to be fit only for thugs took a while to catch on, but by 1904 the Federation International de Football Association (now known as FIFA) was already trying to plan a worldwide international competition. World War I delayed those dreams, but in 1921 Rimet became the head of FIFA and in 1928, the first World Cup was held in Uruguay. Uruguay won the cup defeating Argentina, but only four European nations participated: France, Belgium, Romania and Yugoslavia.

…

Rimet had a record 33-year run as president, retiring in 1954 after having swelled the number of the participating countries from 12 to 85 and effectively creating a global institution that would promote good will among nations.

Oddly enough, while Rimet was embarking on his sports apostolate, 125 miles away in Lisieux, France, St. Thérèse was writing to her sister describing herself as the Christ Child’s “little ball,” “a plaything … to do with as he wills.” The relics of Thérèse followed the World Cup match to Johannesburg, arriving on June 26 for a three-month tour. Between Jules Rimet and St. Thérèse, perhaps the real goal of this World Cup will be a few more souls in the net.

Chinese Martyrs Continue to Inspire

Source: http://www.zenit.org/article-29852?l=english

 

HONG KONG, JULY 9, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Martyrdom isn’t merely an event from the past, but an event that continues to inspire, says the Hong Kong diocesan weekly, the Sunday Examiner.

The newspaper reflected this week on the canonization in 2000 of 121 martyrs that had triggered conflict between the Holy See and the Chinese government at that time.

The canonization took place on Oct. 1, the National Day of China, and was viewed by Beijing as “an intentional provocation to hurt the Chinese people,” the editorial recalled.

“Ten years have passed,” it continued. “We need to consider whether anything was learned from these unfortunate disputes or did those 121 martyrs die in vain?

“Martyrdom is not merely an event of the past, but something that can inspire us today.”

“On the mainland, many local Churches still struggle to be in communion with each other,” the editorial stated. “The faithful suffer because of misguided political ideology and pressure to reject revealed truth. However, past experience has taught the Church that in every era, the presence of martyrs only strengthens the fidelity of the faithful toward the Church.

“The martyrs of China gave the ultimate witness to the Gospel with courage. Their faithfulness echoes the Confucian ideal of sacrificing oneself for a noble cause.”

The editorial recalled that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians” (Tertullian, ca. 160-220AD), and “certainly, this seed of faith will bear fruit in China.”
 
 
Among the 121 martyrs declared saints in 2000, the youngest was seven and the oldest 79, and there were 87 Chinese and 34 expatriate missionaries.

The saints, martyred between 1648 (the Qing Dynasty) and 1930 (the period of the Republic of China), including 6 bishops, 24 priests, 8 brothers, 7 religious sisters and 76 laypeople.

Benedict XVI is First Signed Up for ‘11 Youth Day

http://www.zenit.org/article-29765?l=english

MADRID, JULY 1, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Registrations opened today for the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid, with Benedict XVI being the first participant signed up.

The registration system for the Aug. 16-21, 2011, event was presented at a press conference before the registrations opened.

Auxiliary Bishop César Franco of Madrid, general coordinator of WYD, pointed to the practical need for accurate registrations so as to “treat young people well” and “know how many are coming, how many need accommodation, food or cultural areas to cover their needs.”

Though participation is free in the main events of World Youth Day (the inaugural Mass, welcome ceremony, Way of the Cross, Saturday vigil and Sunday Mass), participants are encouraged to register and pay a fee that helps cover WYD costs and brings the benefits of being a registered participant.

Fees for the full package (food, lodging, WYD pack and reserved seating sections at the events) range from €210 ($262) for participants from developed countries to €122 ($152) for participants from poorer countries. An early-registration discount is available.

Participants are also encouraged to make a €10 ($12.50) donation in solidarity with pilgrims facing economic difficulties.

“The Days are for everyone, not just for the rich. Whoever has more economic possibilities should help others: Solidarity is the key of WYD,” said Bishop Franco.

Gearing up

Some 600,000 young people from outside Spain have expressed their intention to register: 120,000 Italians, 70,000 French, 50,000 Poles and 25,000 North Americans, according to data from local organizations. If these figures are confirmed, a record participation is expected.

Organizers for Madrid 2011 are hoping to get 40% of participants registered, as opposed to about a 25% registration average for previous WYDs.

The registration system is online and accessible around the clock in five languages. There is also 24-hour phone support in English and Spanish.

The registration program was financed by the Madrid Vivo Foundation, which obtained the support of several Spanish businesses and institutions for this project.
 
After the event, WYD-Madrid will donate this system to the Vatican so that it can be used in future WYDs.

Registration includes accident insurance, public transport during the WYD week, the backpack — with shirt, cap, Guide to Madrid, book for the ceremonies and other useful items — free entrance to cultural activities and priority access, and reserved areas in the principal events.

CBCP Studying Sex Education Program

MANILA, June 14, 2010— The Department of Education’s request for dialogue regarding sex education has been referred to CBCP Legal Office through Atty. Jo Imbong. This was the update given by CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar in a radio interview Monday.

In a letter to Bishop Odchimar dated June 4, 2010, DepEd Secretary Mona D. Valisno said their noble intention to introduce sex education in public schools “caused some misperception about our planned actions.”

Secretary Valisno said both the government and the Church “care for the welfare of our youth who are facing the realities of the modern times and who may not have control of the factors that could cause continuous degradation of our moral decadence in this era.”

She said the current project of her office caters to both in and out-of-school youth and aims to enhance the over-all wellness of Filipino adolescents and further contribute to better learning results such as reduced drop-out rate, increased completion rate and improved quality of learning among adolescents.

Valisno further said their consultations with education officials, teachers, parents and local government units have already began in 2008. She added she looks forward to seal agreements with the Catholic Church “on how to safeguard the physical and moral wellbeing of the country’s youth.

She asked for an audience with Bishop Odchimar within the week.

Bishop Odchimar said whatever recommendations from the CBCP Legal Office would be sent to the Episcopal Commissions on Catholic Education led by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas and Family and Life under the chairmanship of San Fernando de Pampanga Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto.

The 69-year old prelate said he would like Atty. Imbong to look at the implications of the project and come up with counter-proposals.

“We’ll have to make our position clear,” Bishop Odchimar said over Church-run Radyo Veritas.

He explained there may not be time within the near future for the CBCP-DepEd dialogue because it will take some time to study the DepEd program and for the respective CBCP commissions to immediately act on it.

“We will probably talk about the issues involved during our plenary meeting this coming July,” he added.

Secretary Valisno’s term will end on June 30, 2010 because her term is co-terminus with outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Proclaimed President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will assume office on the same date.

Meanwhile, Atty. Jo Aurea Imbong said she will be ready with her recommendations for Bishop Odchimar on Tuesday. (Melo M. Acuna)

Source:  http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/13708

Letter on End of the Priestly Year

Excerpt from: http://www.zenit.org/article-28912?l=english

Dear Priests,

The Year for Priests brings great joy to the Church and she thanks the Lord for having inspired the Holy Father to announce it. All the information which is presented here in Rome concerning the numerous initiatives taken by the local Churches throughout the world, in order to put this special year into effect, are proof of how this Year has been so well received and — we can add — how it has responded to a true and deep longing of priests and the entire People of God. It was time to give special attention, acknowledgement and commitment to the great, hardworking and irreplaceable presbyterium, and to each individual priest of the Church.

xxx

… We want to repeat to you, yet again, that we recognize that which you are and that which you do in the Church and in society. The Church loves you, admires you and respects you. You are, moreover, a joy for our Catholic people throughout the world and it welcomes you and supports you, especially in theses times of suffering.

xxx

There is yet another particular motivation for the presence in Rome of numerous priests for the conclusion of the Year for Priests, which is found at the heart of the Church today. One speaks of offering to our beloved Pope Benedict XVI our solidarity, our support, our confidence, and our unconditional communion, in the face of the frequent attacks direct towards Him, at this moment of time, in the field of his decisions with regard to clerics involved in crimes of the sexual abuse of minors. The accusations directed towards Him are obviously unjust, and it has been shown that no one has done as much as Benedict XVI to condemn and to combat properly such crimes. Therefore, the large presence of priests in the Square with Him will be a determined rejection of the unjust attacks of which he is a victim. So then, come as well to publicly support the Holy Father.

The conclusion of the Year for Priests will not be, properly speaking, a conclusion, but a new beginning. We, the People of God and its shepherds, want to thank the Lord for this privileged period of prayer and reflection on the priesthood. At the same time we want to be alert to what the Holy Spirit wants to say to us. Meanwhile we will return to the exercise of our mission in the Church and in the world with renewed joy and with the conviction that God, the Lord of history, remains with us, both in crises and in new times.

May the Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Priests, intercede for us and inspire us in the following of her Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Rome, 12th April 2010

10 Tips for Starting Pre-school

Step up their social life

Organise extra play dates for your child prior to starting preschool so they become comfortable with the idea of sharing and playing alongside lots of different kids.

Calm their fears with information

Anxiety about starting preschool is completely normal. Talk to your child about their fears and suggest ideas to help them cope.

Together plan a goodbye game

Come up with a special game for when it’s time to say goodbye. It could be a certain number of hugs followed by the biggest hug in the world. Never sneak out when your child is not looking as they will feel abandoned.

Read during the day

Bedtime stories are a wonderful experience for kids but sitting together during the day and reading a book for 15 minutes will help your child to learn to sit and settle.

Play listening-and-direction games

Traditional games such as Simon Says help a child to understand how to listen and follow directions.

Visit the preschool beforehand

Take a visit to the preschool before the big day arrives so your child is familiar with the surroundings.

Buy a special preschool bag

Together spend some time looking at all the different styles and options and then choose three that you’re happy with and let your child pick their own from those. Limiting the choice helps your child make a decision and also prevents disappointment when they want the bag that’s bigger than them!

 

Source: http://www.kidspot.com.au/Education-Starting-School-10-tips-for-starting-preschool+358+56+article.htm

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