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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Uriel: The forgotten archangel?





Well, not here in the Philippines especially in Manila where the National Shrine of the Seven Archangels is a stones throw away from the Presidential Palace.


A post about a post: The INC logo

My post about the eerie similarity between the Masonic logos and the INC symbol which up until now the INC Administration does not know jack squat what the hell that symbol means, has generated quite a buzz.  Runner up of course is my challenge to Humpty Dumpty to do the same KSP stunt in a Mosque.

Well, here is a reaction to my post about See Any Similarities and my usual answers in red.

***

It is funny how you stand and focus in over analyzing the logo instead of comparing religions to Freemasonry in a broader sense. Now in 2011, everyone is talking about the Illuminati, the New World Order, the Fed and the other banking elites own by the Jews and the connection of the Order of Jesuits to the Illuminati. [I won't sweat this over because it is pretty obvious this is one work of a Google Archeologist.]  You as an apologist, I know that you have the knowledge on how the your religion is connected to Freemasonry and the Illuminati as well.  [Uhm, I don't... as well as the whole Church doesn't.  By the way, have you found an Illuminati?  Oh, yeah.  I think you are talking about Charice and her song Pyramid.  You know, Illuminati...Pyramid...Catholic Church....Conspiracy thingy?]

As a former INC [ok, now it gets interesting.] I can say "yes it is possible. But how about your religion? [Should I stop here now?  The guy just admitted it.]  From the corruption that happened during the scandal in the Vatican Bank which had involved billions of dollars,  [was there?  Boy the guy has connections in the CIA.] to sexual scandals by priests across the globe,  [yup INC ministers don't have it right?  WRONG!!!  My neighbor is a philandering INC minister, dude!] and when it comes to the Philippines, it is the biggest landlord in the country and its assets can't be equaled by any single private company in the country.   [Inggit lang si Manalo!  Ha!]

As for the INC architecture, why you Agnetta would say that it looks and feels creepy?  [It is a cheap rip off of Cindderella's Castle!] Don't you know that there are more churches in Europe which are scarier?  [Like?  Oh yeah, the modernist ones.] INC makes the most elegant churches not only in the Philippines even in the US(example Montclair chapel in CA)  [Engk!  INC just copied the Mormon Churches....dude!  Seriously Alvin, if indeed your INC temple in Tandang Sora is anywhere near beautiful, why is it not even cited by the UNESCO?  San Sebastian is more beautiful as do the churches in Ilocos, Laguna and Bohol.  I guess you do not know that since.....YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THOSE PLACES!  HA!] ] Copycats of And yes most their money which they have contributed goes to construction of churches and every member knows that because it is in their doctrine.   [Did you even see the Financial Statements of Manalo, Inc.?  The Inc on the last sentence is INTENDED as a pun.]

What about the Catholic Church? Where has all your money gone? You have more universities and hospitals than the INC which makes you richer but you can't make elegant churches like the INC's (maybe just a few like the San Sebastian Church).  [BooYah!  He loves San Sebastian!]  Not everyone in the INC are wealthy and compare to the population of the Catholics, it is not even a quarter.   [Now he admits that majority of INC folks are poor yet Manalo keeps on siphoning their money in exchange of what.....(drum roll.....)  SALVATION!]

***


This....uhm....former INC member...asks where the money of the Catholic Church has gone to.

Obviously, he does not know what the Vatican Museum and Secret Archives contain.  Obviously, he does not know how many churches, cathedrals and basilicas of the Catholic Church is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.  Obviously, he does not even know how many billions of dollars Catholic schools, colleges and universities spend on scholarships.  Obviously, he also does not know that the Catholic Church is the BIGGEST SINGLE CHARITABLE INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD.

Yup, he does not know that.

But the INC for him has everything.  Yet he also does not know that they are nowhere near the power and money of the Mormon Church which...obviously Felix Manalo Ysagun copied and envied.

Joseph Smith...last messenger....Felix Manalo...last messenger...


Oh yeah, I forgot.

I think he also found out that the aliens built the Pyramids of Giza, Man did not land on the Moon- it was all staged in Hollywood, Elvis if still alive in a remote island, Ferdinand Marcos is a son of Jose Rizal, Pope Joan existed, and Dan Brown found the lost city of Atlantis just as he found the tomb of Mary Magdalene, the real Holy Grail.

Whew!

Now I need some aspirin.

Monday, November 28, 2011

In case we forget..

Yesterday was the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

I wear mine all the time.  And it was imposed on me using the Traditional Ritual.

Yup, there is a special rite.

I will post it here as soon as I find it.

The symbolisms of the Medal is a Catechism in itself of our Faith, and numerous blessings that our Lady promised and I have personally experiences and received...ineffable.

So, are you wearing one?

For more about the Miraculous Medal, click here

"Come to the foot of the altar. Here graces will be shed on all who ask for them. Graces will be shed especially on those who ask for them."

- Our Lady to St. Catherine Laboure'

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Cheap Woman


This is a photo of the shirt that Dr. Sylvia Claudio, ultra-radical, pro-abortion, pro-RH feminist of UP Diliman proudly posted on her Facebook Account, I have been told.

Well, the sad part for this well-educated woman, who holds both an MD and a PhD, is that her advocacy is just plain anti-Catholic bigotry.

If she is who she really claims she is, then try the same challenge I gave to Carlita Celdran...

DR. CLAUDIO, WOMEN ARE STILL TREATED LIKE DIRT IN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES AND DOWN SOUTH!

GO TO JOLO AND WEAR SOMETHING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN JOLO!

Let's see if you can come back to Manila with your head still on your shoulders.

You cheap woman!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Thanksgiving is a Catholic tradition


Until the anti-Catholics won't want you to know about it.

Read more about this at Canterbury Tales.

Click here and here.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Request for prayers for an ailing seminarian


Bishop Burbidge Requests Novena for Seminarian Philip Johnson

The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge has announced a novena to Our Holy Mother, patroness of the Diocese of Raleigh, on behalf of seminarian Philip Johnson. The novena will begin on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, and culminate on Thursday, December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

This is the second year Bishop Burbidge has called for a novena.
Philip has been receiving chemotherapy treatments for a brain tumor for several years. In a letter to Priests, Religious and the lay faithful of the Diocese, Bishop Burbidge notes the “growth of the brain tumor appears to have stabilized about the time of the conclusion of last year’s novena.”

Philip continues to pursue his vocation and hopes to return to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary for on-campus studies. Currently he is assigned to St. Catherine of Siena Church in Wake Forest.

Links to both the Bishop’s letter and the Novena Prayer in English and Spanish are provided below so that you may forward this request to others who you may wish to invite to pray for a needed cure for Philip.

***

Click here for the Novena prayers.

FYI, Philip Johnson runs a blog, In Caritate Non Ficta, which is among the blogs I regularly read.

Bible believing Christianity?!







"THAT BOOK is a Catholic Book!"

Scenes from the Pope's Mass at Benin

Benedictine Altar Arrangement...Gregorian Chant in Missa de Angelis...

But what creeped me out is the group of people lining the procession aisle standing like honor guards with their hands raised like in a Nazi salute!

Can anyone clarify this?



Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Communion in the Hand was a form of protest

Against the real presence that is...




Profess with your body what your heart desires!

Glory to God by Manoling Francisco SJ



Will they change the lyrics of this song now that the Gloria has been correctly translated?

I made a table to compare and contrast the difference between the Original Latin text of the Gloria, the new translation which is more faithful to the Latin original, and the Manoling Franciso version which most of us hear and sing during Mass on ordinary or ferial Sundays.



ORIGINAL LATIN 

Glória in excélsis Deo
et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis.

Laudámus te,
benedícimus te,
adorámus te,
glorificámus te,
grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam,

Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis,
Deus Pater omnípotens.
Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe,
Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris,
qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis;
qui tollis peccáta mundi, súscipe deprecatiónem nostram.
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris,
miserére nobis.
Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dóminus, tu solus Altíssimus,
Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spíritu:
in glória Dei Patris. Amen
2010 ICEL

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.


We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.


MANOLING FRANCISCO VERSION 

Glory to God in the Highest and peace to God's people on Earth

Lord God heavenly King
Almighty God and Father
We worship You
We give You thanks
We praise You for Your glory

Lord Jesus Christ
Only Son of the Father
Lord God Lamb of God
You take away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us (2X)
You are seated
At the right hand of the Father
Receive our prayer (2X)
For you alone are the Holy One
You alone are the Lord
You alone are the most High Jesus Christ
With the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father
Amen



I highlighted the words in the Manoling Francisco version which deserves much attention.

The phrase "people of good will" was changed to "people on earth", leaves you to ask, WHY?

Simple.

The English original before the 2010 ICEL translation came out was this:

Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on Earth.

Sooooo...

To make it more acceptable to FEMINISTS,  take out the pronoun HIS and make it into a noun which is GOD.

Seems harmless, eh, but really it reeks of political correctness and liberal feminism which, unfortunately, is taught in our theology schools.

FYI, Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ teaches at Loyola School of Theology.

PS:  The first time I heard this version of the Gloria was not in our parish church but on nationwide TV.  You know that Mass where you still have liturgical dancers with tambourines every Sunday?

Yup, it is still going on and the Archdiocese of Manila, which has jurisdiction over at that mall where Mass is held in still not doing anything about it.  I am not getting my hopes high especially with the new archbishop coming in.

Well, the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways.  Let us pray.

Monday, November 21, 2011

The next movie ALL CATHOLICS must watch

And I think the pro-RH people, especially the Filipino Freefarters, ehrm, Freethinkers, should watch this as well as they would see what the real intent of separation of Church and State could do.



The movie is about the Cristero War in Mexico in 1926 to 1929 sparked by the anti-clerical and anti-Catholic persecution of the atheist government of Mexico at that time.  The president that ordered the massacre of Catholics is Plutarco Elías Calles, an atheist.

And for the mass murders of men women and children of the Catholic Faith, Calles was awarded a medal of merit from the head of Mexico's Scottish rite of Freemasonry on May 28, 1926.

NOW FOR THE MASONS READING THIS: 



TELL ME THAT YOUR RELIGION, FREEMASONRY, IS NOT AGAINST THE CATHOLIC CHURCH! YOU ALWAYS HAVE AND WILL ALWAYS BE ANTI-CATHOLIC. THAT IS YOUR MISSION AND THAT IS YOUR REASON FOR BEING!

***

The movie stars heavyweight Hollywood stars such as Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria,Eduardo Verastegui, and Peter O’Toole. The film is directed by Dean Wright who is veteran visual effects supervisor on blockbuster films including The Lord of the Rings series The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). This is his directorial debut.

Have this film known so you and especially your kids might know the atrocities committed against Catholics by those who tout "human rights" and "separation of church and state" as infallible dogmas.

By the way, have you ever heard these freethinkers condemn violence against Catholics?

Nah. They are more for violence against Catholics.

Pray for Life


And as expected...

The attention whore who looks like Humpty Dumpty, calls on her minions to join her for an overnight sleep over in front of Congress for what they call "Occupy Congress".


Ew.

***

Last time they staged a rally in front of Congress, the Pro-Death people who tout the Mythical 11 Daily Maternal Deaths, had less than 50 people with them while the Pro-Lifers had more than 3,000.

And the great Howie Severino of GMANews did not even cover it.

Why?  Because he is pro-RH.

FYI, he is an Atenean, for what it's worth.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

On this great feast of Christ the King of the Universe!



Hymn of the Cristero

La Virgen María es nuestra protectora y nuestra defensora cuando hay que temer,
Vencerá a los demonios gritando "¡Viva Cristo Rey!",
Vencerá a los demonios gritando "¡Viva Cristo Rey!"
Soldados de Cristo: ¡Sigamos la bandera que la Cruz enseña el ejército de Dios!
Sigamos la bandera gritando, "¡Viva Cristo Rey!"

***

The Virgin Mary is our protector and defender when there is something to fear,
She will defeat the demons crying "Long live Christ the King!"
She will defeat the demons crying "Long live Christ the King!"
Soldiers of Christ let us follow the flag that the Cross shows the army of God!
Let us follow the flag crying, "Long live Christ the King!"


Read more about the Cristero War and why it matters to you as a Catholicf whose faith is being attacked by secularists, modernists and neo-atheists!

FYI, many great martyrs are beatified and canonized because of this war.

In the meantime, enjoy this classic Catholic Hymn while it is on YouTube since you would rarely hear them in our Catholic churches anymore.

And I thought we have a world-class liturgist in the Philippines...

Friday, November 18, 2011

For the fans of Celdran...

who think he or she or whatever is an honorable being or whatever and that he or she or whatever does not deserve to be compared to the Benetton ad and that Celdran does not use cheap tactics...

Here is something from your idol.

Eat your hearts out!


So honorable.

And this is the endorser of GMA7's Think Before You Click.

So honorable.

Benetton does a Carlos Celdran



Vatican City, Nov 17, 2011 / 12:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican will take legal action against Italian clothing company Benetton to prevent the circulation of an ad featuring Pope Benedict XVI kissing a Muslim imam. [Not the picture above.  That is Obama and Hugo Chavez, two nut jobs and terrorists.]

The move on Nov. 17 comes a day after Benetton hastily withdrew the image from a new advertising campaign following protests from both religions.

The Secretariat of State has authorized its lawyers to initiate actions, in Italy and elsewhere, to prevent the circulation, via the mass media and in other ways, of a photomontage used in a Benetton advertising campaign in which the Holy Father appears in a way considered to be harmful, not only to the dignity of the Pope and the Catholic Church, but also to the sensibility of believers,” read the Vatican's Nov. 17 statement.  [GO GET THEM!!!]

The image was used as part of a new advertising campaign by Benetton titled “UNHATE” [Understatement or Irony?] which was launched yesterday at a press conference in Paris. It was immediately followed by the unveiling of a new poster campaign at various locations around the globe.

The posters feature various religious and political leaders kissing each other on the mouth including a mock-up of Pope Benedict XVI kissing Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, the Imam of the Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo.  [I WILL NOT POST THEM HERE!]

A large banner bearing the image was unfurled from a bridge over the River Tiber in Rome. Within a few hours, however, the image had been withdrawn.

We are so sorry that the use of the image of the Pope and the Imam has so offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way,” said a spokesman for Benetton Nov. 16. “In confirmation of our feelings we have decided, with immediate effect, to withdraw this image from every publication.”

The Islamic religious authorities in Rome are also threatening to take legal action against Benetton for defamation.  [Just legal action?  What legality?  Civil or the Sharia? Or their uhm 'tradition'?]

It is a serious lack of respect for the Pope, an affront to the feelings of the faithful and an evident demonstration of how, in the field of advertising, the most elemental rules of respect for others can be broken in order to attract attention by provocation,” said Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. Nov. 16.  [Celdran tactic.  Cheap, lowlife!]

Other posters include U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Hu Jintao and the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Benetton is an Italian based fashion company with around 6000 stores in 120 countries. Their main clothing brand, the United Colors of Benetton, has become known in recent decades for the shock value of their publicity stunts.

In 1991, the company ran a poster campaign featuring a young priest in black cassock about to kiss a nun. Catholic groups subsequently failed in legal attempts to have the image removed from over 1300 billboard sites across the United States. [Because the US has become anti-Catholic!  When it is done to Catholics it is freedom of expression.  Do this to Muslims, homosexuals, Jews, and that is bigotry.  Great work USA!  Shows your proud Masonic roots!]

Other images used in recent years by Benetton have included a young man dying from AIDS, a bloodied newborn baby with uncut umbilical cord, a colorful mix of condoms, the blood stained uniform of a dead Bosnian soldier and pictures of inmates on death row.  [Are they selling clothes?]

***

Obviously because Benetton does a Celdran which then obviously makes Benetton a monumental CHEAPO!

Hurting religious sensibilities has its consequences.

So Carlos Celdran, enjoy your freedom while you can.

Your jailmates can't wait for you!

In the meantime, DON'T PATRONIZE BENETTON PRODUCTS!!!

There are other clothing lines who do not engage in this cheap tactics!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

SNAPSHOT: Epic Fail Chalice

Monumental disrespect if you ever see a priest use this for Holy Mass!

I did and I did not know BEFORE that this is not allowed.

Until I read what Redemptionis Sacramentum said.

***

For more info about the right material to use for a chalice, click here.

Bottomline fellow Catholics...

We give the best for the people that matter to us.

Why not give the best for the Lord?

Wood is best?  Nah.  Glass, no siree!

Metal is good, brass, silver and gold is best.

And on a practical side, metal chalices last longer since unlike wood, it does not deteriorate easily and does not absorb the wine.

Get it?

PS:  I remember going to that liturgy school and monastery in Bukidnon.  Yup, I saw their store selling one of these.  Ugh!

And I thought we had a world-renowned liturgist among us!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The difference of the two forms

Photo courtesy of John Sonnen of Orbis Catholicus Secundus



The front altar is used for the celebration of the Ordinary Form of the Mass.

The altar at the back is being used, while the photo was taken, in the offering of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

Glaring difference, eh?

The Traditional Mass is allowed in the Holy Land...but

Latin Rite Patriarch issues a statement allowing the Latin Mass in the Holy Land contrary to initial reports that he is doing a Rosales - Chupungco stunt to limit the celebration of the Traditional Mass in direct and brazen defiance of the Motu propio Summorum Pontificum, until the cardinal-archbishop of Manila was reprimanded.

But in reality, it limits the celebration if the priests of the SSPX would want to celebrate it in public and if the group of pilgrims have more than one priest with them who want to celebrate it in other altars of the churches, shrines and chaplaincies under the Latin Patriarch.

Read more here.

Blogging from Cebu

Tons of info from the National Philippines for Life Congress!

Just visit CBCPForLife.com for the excellent presentations and talks!

I learned that there is a LIVE STREAMING VIDEO of the Congress!




Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Pinoy archbishop is new nuncio to Tanzania!

From Zenit

***

The apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, [the one with the lei.]  has been named nuncio to Tanzania.

The Vatican reported the assignment of the 58-year-old Philippine prelate on Thursday.

At the same time, it announced that Cardinal Attilio Nicora, president of the Financial Information Authority, and Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, retired president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, were named members of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.

Today, the Vatican reported that Auxiliary Bishop Carlos de Pinho Moreira Azevedo was named delegate of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

Monday, November 14, 2011

About the Roman Missal for the US Conference of Bishops

I suggest you grab these videos and save them and show them to your group or to your parishioners especially for the priests who visit the blog.

Send me an email Padres and I will teach you how.

You must be using the latest version of Firefox to do this.


New Missal Catechism for Parish Leaders

The New Missal Catechism for Parents


A better catechism about the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal


Better than buying the P100.00 booklet!

The New Roman Missal in a nutshell



I love how truthfully this was presented!

RIP: La Union Bishop Antonio Rillera, SVD

Sad news...



***


SAN Fernando Bishop Artemio Rillera, a missionary from the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), died unexpectedly Sunday. He was 69.

Rillera succumbed to severe asthma attack after holding a Mass at the Seminary of the Sacred Heart in San Fernando City, La Union.

The prelate was immediately rushed to Bethany Hospital, also in the city, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at around 10:40 am.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has expressed sorrow at the death of Rillera who had been an active member of the CBCP for 18 years.

An official of the CBCP said the prelates are deeply saddened to hear Rillera’s death.

“This came as a big shock. This was totally unexpected,” said Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, CBCP media director.

Rillera was a known advocate against illegal drugs in La Union and led several street demonstrations for the authorities to act against it.

Last February, the prelate led people to the streets in protest over a court order allowing one of the suspects in the operation of a drug laboratory in Naguilian, La Union in 2008 to post a P1 million bail.

The bishop questioned why the Municipal Trial Court in Bauang, La Union allowed former Dagupan City chief of Police Dionicio Borromeo to file a bail bond for his temporary liberty.

***

Please pause and pray for the eternal repose of the soul of the good bishop.
O God, who didst raise Thy servant Artemio to the dignity of bishop in the apostolic priesthood; grant, we beseech Thee, that he may be joined in fellowship with Thine apostles for evermore. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Eternal rest grant unto Bishop Artemio Rillera, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.  May he rest in peace. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Weird translation...bordering on heresy?



I visited the RCAM website and downloaded the Missalettes for the Thanksgiving Mass for the service of Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales as Archbishop of Manila.  It is available in both English and Tagalog.

I was reading through the Missalette when something caught my attention.

Here is the screencap.



ENGLISH

Eternal Father, we honor the holiness and glory of the Virgin Mary. May her prayers bring us the fullness of your life and love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.

TAGALOG

Ama naming makapangyarihan, kaming gumugunita sa Mahal na Birheng Maria ay humihiling na iyong pagbigyan pakundangan sa kanyang pagdalangin upang kami’y pagindapating tumanggap mula sa abut-abot na kaloob mo sa pamamagitan ni Hesukristo kasama ng Espiritu Santo magpasawalang hanggan.


This is something that has been bugging me every time I get hold of a copy of a Tagalog Missalette, be it Sambuhay or Euchalette.  (ugh)

For those who understand Tagalog, you can clearly see the great disparity between the English original from the Tagalog translation.

 Of particular interest is how the Tagalog prayers always end this way If translated to English this would how it would look:
Almighty Father, we who celebrate the Virgin Mary, ask you to grant us, through her prayers, that we may be worthy to receive through the abundance of Your Will through Jesus Christ together with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever

WHAT?!

RECEIVE WHAT?!

You ask the Father to give you the grace which you ask then say with the Jesus and the Holy Spirit forever and ever? Look at the original English.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.

The Tagalog does nto even say that you are asking it through Christ who LIVES AND REIGNS WITH THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD FOREVER AND EVER.

Remember folks, that all our prayers are based from the Latin original, which then is translated into the languages of each of the concerned countries.  I do not have the Latin original with me, but basing on the English, you'd be sure that THIS IS ONE BAD TRANSLATION.

All the graces that the Father gives to us are asked through Jesus Christ who is the One Mediator.  We do not ask the graces WITH JESUS CHRIST.  We ask the Father to GRANT THEM THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, who lives and reigns with the Father and Holy Spirit, ONE GOD, forever and ever.

The Trinitarian formula is always used to end our prayers.

I have attended Mass said in Cebuano but I never heard of this.  Same in Ilocano and Ilonggo and never heard it as well.

Is this a case of bad translation or a THEOLOGICAL AGENDA?

Lex orandi, lex credendi folks!

The one who did the translating shows his faith.

That is not how the original was written.

Then, WHY IS THIS STILL GOING ON?!?!

***

Dear TPC readers,  chime in your experiences about the prayers you hear at Mass.  If you can send in the prayers printed in the Misallettes you hold on Sundays, the better.  Watch out especially for the prayers used in the Prayers of the Faithful / General Intercession.

Friday, November 11, 2011

All about that supposedly "Catholic" priest again...


From Concerned Catholic:
Noticed a few relevant materials on Pinoy Catholic that mention the "Catholic Church of the East" and Robinson Bunag.
Please note that while his sect claims to be "of the East" the founder of this sect, Ramzi Musallam, was a former Catholic who apparently was ordained in Polish National (Old Catholic) and attempted consecration the "Reformed Catholic" group (just check that name out on the web) and so forth. They use a hodge-podge of the reformed Vatican II liturgy (not Eastern) and seems they've had trouble with the actual Assyrian Church of the East, as is noted in a communication issued by their leader:


I hope that clarification above states it all.

"Fr." Mark Robinson Bunag, also has his own website and wrote this as his "About"
Mark Robinson Bunag is a missionary priest of the Catholic Church of the East from the Philippines. He also has previous experiences as a values and religious education teacher, activist, practical liturgist, youth counselor, philatelist, avocational philosopher, traveler, pet lover, nature protector and pro-life advocate. Presently, he is more known as Fr. Mark, a Catholic priest and preacher. Other also known him as teacher; he taught in both private and public schools in Metro Manila. Still some know him as a singer or a singing priest. Lately, he has also been known as spiritual director, vocation promoter and assistant parish priest. He is also serving the local government as chaplain in Youth Rehabilitation Center and Campus Minister. At last, he is known for his joy, his willingness to build healthy relationships, and his passion for God. This page has been established for those who want to get some updates about him. Thank you for your support.
No mention that he was once a Franciscan seminarian...booted out.

That he once served in Krus na Ligas...booted out...done something veeeerrryyy bad there.

He even uploads photos of famous bishops of the Catholic Church in the Philippines maybe to give the impression that he is Roman Catholic.



I think he is posting these photos while he was  STILL a Roman Catholic.  You think?

And that he is a priest of a church that is not Catholic, nor anywhere near under the authority of the Bishop of Rome.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Online Conclave

Now here folks is what I promised you



This is really true.

I found this on the web.

You log in using you username and password from the true Catholic Church.

Yup!

The same group that elected Pius XIII aka Fr. Lucian Pulvermacher, OFMCap (formerly) after he found out that the SSPX and other Traditional groups are not too Catholic for him.  He was elected via fax and phone vote.  He ordained and consecrated a lay Australian man, Gordon Bateman, who then consecrated him bishop....and TADAAAN!!!  He is now pope.

He died in 2009.

So since the "Chair of Peter" in Montana, the headquarters of the "true Catholic Church" is empty, then now call for a conclave.

Those who signed up are 99% lay, women among them.

Wanna join?

YOU BECOME AN INSTANT CARDINAL ELECTOR!

But you need to make your own cardinatial regalia like the cappa magna, ferraiolo, red biretta and galero ok?  Ha!

Time to photoshop your face and put into the body of a cardinal and then post it for all the world to see!





No, I won't do it.  I don't suffer from this form of delusion of grandeur.

Ha!

***

PS:  Remember the consequences of your actions folks, joining this group for their "conclave" conducted online has serious repercussions in Canon Law.

Right?

Canon Law?

Screencap?

Wanna be a cardinal-elector?...


And elect the next pope?

Seriously, do you want to become one?

I'll tell you how, tomorrow.

Ha!

Remember, cardinals are created by the Pope because their role is to CHOOSE who the next Pope would be in the case of abdication or death.

New Archbishop of Capiz!

From Hell's Bible, Pinoy version

***

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Pope Benedict XVI has named a vocal opponent of the reproductive health bill as new leader of the archdiocese of Capiz Archdiocese.

The new assignment of Bishop Jose F. Advincula, 59, of the diocese of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, was announced in a statement released by the Vatican Information Service on its website www.news.va on November 9.

He will succeed Archbishop Onesimo Cadiz Gordoncillo, who resigned when he turned 75 in February. The date of the new archbishop’s installation was not indicated in the statement.

Canon or church law stipulates that bishops should tender their resignation to the Pope upon turning 75 years old.

Advincula will head an archdiocese with 715,128 Catholics, 113 priests and 122 religious. The diocese of Capiz was created on Jan. 27, 1951 and elevated to archdiocese on Jan. 17, 1976.

The archdiocese comprises the whole province of Cadiz and Roxas city as well as the satellite dioceses of Kalibo and Romblon.

Advincula is the latest namesake of Pope Benedict (baptismal name Joseph Ratzinger) appointed to lead a Philippine diocese. The Pope appointed Bishop Jose Bantolo to head Masbate last June, while Archbishop Jose Palma was installed head of the Cebu archdiocese in January.

Advincula will be the third archbishop of Capiz.

The archbishop’s installation will be a sweet homecoming since he is native of municipality of Dumalag, Capiz. Bishops are rarely appointed to lead their home dioceses.

Last Holy Week, Advincula called on Catholic politicians who proposed the RH bill to reflect and change their stand. Last year, he stood witness to the historic signing of a covenant for a peaceful campaign period and elections by contenders for office in Escalante City, Negros Occidental.

Advincula was born on March 30, 1952. He was ordained priest on March 4, 1976 and bishop in Sept. 8, 2001.

He finished high school and philosophy at St. Pius X Seminary, Laaw-an, Roxas City, [where Cardinal Sin was once dean and rector] and theology at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary in Manila. He earned a master of arts degree in guidance and counseling from the De La Salle University in 1983 and subsequently studied canon law at UST and in Rome.

He is currently a member of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines permanent commissions on Women, Family and Life, Indigenous Peoples and Doctrine of the Faith

***

Huzzah for the new archbishop!

Manila is available you know, Your Grace.  Well, we are praying for it.

Ha!

Baptist woman makes a new Catholic saint!

The tapestry hanging in the facade of St. Peter's shortly after Emperor Charles I of Austria was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II, himself now a Blessed.


Quotes from Blessed Charles

"I have done my duty, as I came here to do. As crowned King, I not only have a right, I also have a duty. I must uphold the right, the dignity and honor of the Crown.... For me, this is not something light. With the last breath of my life I must take the path of duty. Whatever I regret, Our Lord and Savior has led me."
"Now, we must help each other to get to Heaven." Addressing Empress Zita on 22 October 1911, the day after their wedding.

***

Seriously, a Baptist woman prayed to Blessed Charles of Austria, the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  Not only was the cancer stricken woman, whom her doctors have given up hope, completely healed of her cancer, she shortly converted and went back home to the Catholic Church, according to other reports.

Here is an excerpt of the report:

The seemingly inexplicable healing of a Baptist woman from Florida may provide the miracle necessary for the canonization of Emperor Charles of Austria. The woman, in her mid-50s, suffered from breast cancer and was bedridden after the cancer had spread to her liver and bones. Despite treatment and hospitalization, doctors diagnosed her case as terminal. But after intercessory prayers to the Emperor Charles, the woman (who wishes to maintain her privacy and remain unnamed) was completely healed.
The story begins when Joseph and Paula Melançon, a married couple from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and friends of the healed woman, travelled to Austria, where they met Archduke Karl Peter, son of Archduke Rudolf, and grandson of the holy Emperor Charles. The Archduke invited the couple to his grandfather’s beatification in Rome in 2004. Mrs. Melançon gave the novena to Blessed Charles to her sister-in-law, Vanessa Lynn O’Neill of Atlanta.
“I knew that when I got that novena — I knew that my mother’s best friend was sick — I just knew at that moment that it was something I was going to do,” Mrs. O’Neill told the Florida Catholic in an interview. “And that is how I got started, I just prayed the novena.”
The woman’s recovery was investigated by an official church tribunal consisting of Father Fernando Gil (judicial vicar of the Diocese of Orlando), Father Gregory Parkes (chancellor of canonical affairs of the Diocese), Father Larry Lossing, diocesan notary Delma Santiago, as well as an unnamed medical doctor. The tribunal examined the evidence at hand and invited the participation of medical experts, who could find no earthly explanation for the woman’s recovery.
“Other alleged miracles attributed to the intercession of Blessed Karl I are currently being investigated in different places in the world,” Fr. Gil said.
The sixteen-month investigation has now concluded, and the conclusions have been signed by the participants, sealed, and placed in special boxes which are then themselves tied, sealed with wax, and sent to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome via diplomatic pouch. The Congregation will examine the case further and then present its findings to Pope Benedict XVI, who will decided if a miracle has taken place. If the Pope is convinced by the evidence, then the Emperor’s canonization can proceed.

You can read more about the miracle here and here.  You can also read about the life of his equally saintly wife, Empress Zita by clicking here.  The page includes a photo of the Empress shortly after her death.

Some selected photos...

Blessed Emperor Charles and the Empress Zita, King and Queen of Hungary, bow their heads at an impromptu field Mass offered during the Emperor’s second heroic attempt to regain his throne from the traitorous regent Admiral Horthy in 1921



The Emperor after his death

***
Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Charles of Austria
God our Father, through the gift of Blessed Emperor Karl You have given us an example to follow. In extremely difficult times he performed his burdensome tasks without ever losing his faith. He always followed Your Son, the true King.
He led a humble life, sincerely loving the poor and giving himself heart and soul to the search for peace. Even when his life was in danger he trusted in You, putting his life in Your hands.
Almighty and Merciful God, by the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl, we pray that You may give us his unconditional faith to support us in our most difficult situations, and the courage to always follow the example of Your only Son.
Open our hearts to the poor, and strengthen our commitment for peace within our families and among all peoples.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
 Imprimatur:
Archdiocese of Vienna
May 18, 2004 Z1. K787/07 or K788/04
Vicar Apostolic Dr. Franz Schuster

***

Know more about the holy emperor by visiting the official site of the Cause for his Canonization.  The site is very extensive and includes photos of the Emperor and the Beatification Rites.  Reading about his life and how his faith influences how he conducted himself as a monarch, and after he was forced to leave his country and the monarchy is really inspiring. A truly Catholic King!

All Hail Karl!

Episcopalians sought to honor Pelagius



Oh and Pelagius is a heretic, by the way.

***

R11-7
Contributions of Pelagius

Whereas the historical record of Pelagius’s contribution to our theological tradition is shrouded in the political ambition of his theological antagonists who sought to discredit what they felt was a threat to the empire, and their ecclesiastical dominance, [Ever heard of the term "It is a way for the all-male Vatican leadership who hides in their palaces to dominate us who work with the poor and the oppressed!  They are not as PASTORAL as us!" -  Yup, this is it.]  and whereas an understanding of his life and writings might bring more to bear on his good standing in our tradition, and whereas his restitution as a viable theological voice within our tradition might encourage a deeper understanding of sin, grace, free will, and the goodness of God’s creation, [Because Pelagius taught that man does not need Divine Grace to do good works.  Yup that'll enrich the dying Epsicopalian Church!]  and whereas in as much as the history of Pelagius represents to some the struggle for theological exploration that is our birthright as Anglicans, [like women ordination, homosexual "marriage"... keep on exploring.  You'll find more in hell.] Be it resolved, that this 105th Annual Council of the Diocese of Atlanta appoint a committee of discernment overseen by our Bishop, to consider these matters as a means to honor the contributions of Pelagius and reclaim his voice in our tradition And be it further resolved that this committee will report their conclusions at the next Annual Council.

Submitted by the Rev. Benno D. Pattison, Rector, the Church of the Epiphany

***

To our Episcopalian Brothers, there is Anglicanorum coetibus.

Try it.  It's waaaaayyy far better than this stupidity.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Obama is the dumbest one of them all!


"Michelle and I extend our greetings for a happy Eid al-Adha to Muslims worldwide and congratulate those performing Hajj. Thousands of Muslim Americans are among those who have joined one of the world’s largest and most diverse gatherings in making the pilgrimage to Mecca and nearby sites."
Diverse gatherings?!  Obama is a total idiot or he just really wants the whole world to know that he hates Christians in general and Catholics in particular!

Read the stupid statement here.

Yeah, right.  This sign in Mecca says it all.

Diverse for a Religion of Peace!

Such a religion of peace especially this prayer is made in Mecca!
O Allah, vanquish the unjust Christians and the criminal Jews, the unjust traitors; strike them with your wrath; make their lives hostage to misery; drape them with endless despair, unrelenting pain and unremitting ailment; fill their lives with sorrow and pain and end their lives in humiliation and oppression; inflict your tortures and punishments upon the unjust Christians and criminal Jews. This is our supplication; Allah, grant us our request!
Remember the uproar for the revised Good Friday prayers?

Well, how about this one? Any protests out there?

Calling Carlos Celdran!

Oh, shoot. Wrong one.

Chicken.


Austrian Catholics threaten open dissent and heresy!

Wow!  MST and SVST would love to have this!

***

VIENNA (Reuters) - Dissident Austrian Catholics announced lay people will start celebrating Mass when a priest is unavailable, a clear call to disobedience just as the country's bishops hold their autumn conference.

A manifesto adopted by dozens of activists at the weekend said lay people will preach, consecrate and distribute communion in priestless parishes, said Hans Peter Hurka, head of the group We Are Church.  [Favorite motto of these dissident theology schools in the Philippines!]

"Church law bans this. The question is, can Church law overrule the Bible? [Where is this in the Bible?  Where in the Bible does it say that the ordinary man and woman and not the Apostles consecrated bread?] We are of the opinion, based on findings from the Second Vatican Council, that this (ban) is not possible," he said Monday.  [See what kind of trouble we get for those who always use Vatican II as the MOTHER OF ALL COUNCILS?]

The Catholic Church only allows ordained priests to preside at Mass.  [Uhm, read the Bible?]

Hurka said dissidents had long planned the meeting but were happy it came just before a regular four-day session of the Catholic bishops' conference starting Monday.  [Dissidents were happy to spoil anyone's party, especially those of the bishops.]

He said he wanted bishops, led by Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, [Once touted as a papabile, you know, young, bright, eloquent, theologian....anyone else comes to mind?  Right, John Allen? Ha!]  to respond to the paper, the latest in a series of challenges by grass-roots Catholic reformers in Austria.  [Grass roots?  Heard that plenty of times in those dissident theology schools in the Philippines!]

"We basically expect this because the demands for reform are not especially new," he said. The bishops received a copy of the manifesto Saturday, he added.  [Especially if some of the bishops are whispering in the loggia, not openly in the nave, right Fr. A.?]

Bishops planned to discuss proposed initiatives and reforms that have been put forward, according to their website, although the main topic of the session was preparing for parish council elections due in March. [SEE!!!  They are even planning to discuss a thing that is

Schoenborn, a former student and close associate of Pope Benedict, has ruled out sweeping changes demanded by dissident priests led by his former deputy, Rev. Helmut Schueller. [oh.  But what would the bishops do in the face of open dissent?]

Tipped as a possible future pope, [ehhhh...] the cardinal has said he would not lead his diocese into breaking away from the Vatican by letting clergy flout Church rules after a group of priests issued a "Call to Disobedience" to try to press reform.  [but still, nothing was done for those who misbehave]

The group, which claims to represent about 10 percent of the Austrian clergy, has challenged Church teaching on taboo topics such as priestly celibacy and women's ordination.

The dissident priests, who have broad public backing in opinion polls, [like RH?  Ha!] also say they will break Church rules by giving communion to Protestants and remarried divorced Catholics.  [you break the law, there are consequences, right?  But what has our bishops done?]

Reformist Austrian Catholics have for decades challenged the conservative policies of Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, creating protest movements and advocating changes the Vatican refuses to make.

Catholic reform groups in Germany, Ireland and the United States have made similar demands.

A record 87,000 Austrians left the Church in 2010, many in reaction to sexual abuse scandals.  [What?! The preceding sentence is about Church reforms such as the discipline of the sacraments and celibacy and then this?!  See, I told you.  There is no such thing as objectivity.  Like that bull called "Walang kinikilingan..."  Piffle!]

***

Ask other Christian denominations like the Anglicans, Orthodox, Lutherans, Presbyterians and even the Iglesia ni Cristo and the Evangelicals. They would not let just any Tom, Dick and Jane lead them in their prayers and offer whatever it is they want to offer.

What would you make of these Austrians now eh?

Sad to think that Austro-Hungarian Empire was once headed by a Catholic Monarch once addressed as Royal Apostolic Majesty.

And now you have this?

See what a wonderful world Modernism paints?

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Pope Pius XII went under cover to save Jews

Rome, Italy, Nov 4, 2011 / 06:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Jewish New Yorker who has made it his life’s work to clear the name of Pope Pius XII of being anti-Semitic believes the wartime pontiff actually went undercover to save the lives of Jews in Rome.
Gary Krupp came across the evidence in a letter from a Jewish woman whose family was rescued thanks to direct Vatican intervention. 
“It is an unusual letter, written by a woman who is alive today in northern Italy, who said she was with her mother, her uncle, and a few other relatives in an audience with Pius XII in 1947.”
Next to Pope Pius during the meeting was his Assistant Secretary of State, Monsignor Giovanni Montini, the future Pope Paul VI.
“Her uncle immediately looks at the Pope and he says, ‘You were dressed as a Franciscan,’ and looked at Montini who was standing next to him, ‘and you as a regular priest. You took me out of the ghetto into the Vatican.’ Montini immediately said, ‘Silence, do not ever repeat that story.’”
Krupp believes the claim to be true because the personality of the wartime Pope was such that he “needed to see things with his own eyes.”
“He used to take the car out into bombed areas in Rome, and he certainly wasn’t afraid of that. I can see him going into the ghetto and seeing what was happening,” says Krupp.

***

Read more of this amazing story here.

***

PS:  Where are the Pius XII bashers, eh?  Proof please!

In the meantime, let me shout this!

SANTO SUBITO!!!


Coptic Christian martyred for wearing his crucifix

And you'll be surprised where it happened!

***

(AINA) -- In mid-October Egyptian media published news of an altercation between Muslim and Christian students over a classroom seat at a school in Mallawi, Minya province. The altercation lead to the murder of a Christian student. The media portrayed the incident as non-sectarian. [The Egyptian media which is Islamic.] However, Copts Without Borders, a Coptic news website, refuted this version and was first to report that the Christian student was murdered because he was wearing a crucifix.

"We wanted to believe the official version," said activist Mark Ebeid, "because the Coptic version was a catastrophe, as it would take persecution of Christians also to schools." He blamed the church in Mallawi for keeping quiet about the incident.  [Was it out of fear or stupid ecumenism?]

Today the parents of the 17-year-old Christian student Ayman Nabil Labib, broke their silence, confirming that their son was murdered on October 16, in "cold blood because he refused to take off his crucifix as ordered by his Muslim teacher." Nabil Labib, the father, said in a taped video interview with Copts United NGO, that his son had a cross tattooed on his wrist as per Coptic tradition, as well as another cross which he wore under his clothes.

Both parents confirmed that Ayman's classmates, who were present during the assault and whom they met at the hospital and during the funeral, said that while Ayman was in the classroom he was told to cover up his tattooed wrist cross. He refused and defiantly got out the second cross which he wore under his shirt. "The teacher nearly chocked by [my] son and some Muslim students joined in the beating," said his mother.


According to Ayman's father, eyewitnesses told him that his son was not beaten up in the school yard as per the official story, but in the classroom. "They beat my son so much in the classroom that he fled to the lavatory on the ground floor, but they followed him and continued their assault. When one of the supervisors took him to his room, Ayman was still breathing. The ambulance transported him from there dead, one hour later."  [The religion of peace.  Bull!]

Prosecution arrested and detained two Muslim students, Mostapha Essam and Walid Mostafa Sayed, pending investigations in the murder case. [JUST TWO?!?!?!  WHERE'S THE GOD-DAMN PROFESSOR!]

The father said that everyone in Mallawi knew how the event took place, but not one of the students' parents was prepared to let their children come forward and give a statement to the police. "They are afraid of the school administration, which has lots of ways to harass the students, as well as being afraid of the families of the two Muslim killers."

"I insist that the Arabic teacher, the headmaster, and the supervisors should be charged as well as the two students who committed the crime," said Nabil. [And the great bastion of human rights, the United States of Obama would NEVER REPORT THIS.  But expect a similar thing done to a homosexual or an abortion rights activist and you'll sure invite hellfire and brimstone from the minions of Obama.]  "The Arabic language teacher incited the students to attack my son, the headmaster who would not go to the classroom to see what is going on there when alerted to the beatings, but rather said to be left alone and continued sipping his tea, and the supervisors who failed in their supervising duties."

Prosecution has three witnesses, two men working at school who named the assailants and one student who wanted to retract his statement, but was refused."

"The evidence is under lock and key. Everyone is hiding the evidence. We will know the truth after forensic medicine has finished the report next week," said Nabil, adding that the head of detectives on the case tried to influence the witnesses, claiming that the murder took place as a result of friction between students."

The governor of Minya, El-Rouby, visited the Coptic Bishop Dimitrious of Mallawi [Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, not in communion with Rome.] to extend his condolences, accompanied by representatives of Minya military authorities. He also suspended the school's headmaster and the two supervisors, as well as two social workers who were on duty when Ayman died, and refered them to an investigation committee. But all of them have disappeared since then.   [They were standing on some rock, and were taken up to heaven, leaving only strands of their beard behind.]

After the funeral service for Ayman, over 5000 Christians marched along the streets of Mallawi, denouncing the killing of a student whom they described as "Martyr of the Cross," and the repeated killings of Copts in Egypt.  [Did CNN report this?  Nah.]

Prominent columnist Farida El-Shobashy wrote in independent newspaper Masry Youm "I was shaken to the bones when I read the news that a teacher forced a student to take off the crucifix he wore, and when the Christian student stood firm for his rights, the teacher quarreled with him, joined by some of the students; he was beastly assaulted until his last breath left him." She wondered if the situation was reversed and a Muslim was killed for not removing the Koran he wore, what would have been the reaction.   [Oh Obama would be fuming mad!  His girls at The View would be ranting like hell hath no fury than a woman scorned!  But to a Christian, nah.]

Farida pointed out that the gravity of the incident is where it took place and who incited the attack (the teacher). She went on to blast the Ministry of Education for neglecting the education syllabus to prevent discriminatory contents but instead "left it to teachers to spread the fanatic Wahabi ideology."

By Mary Abdelmassih

***

Former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a recent convert to Catholicism, put it this way:
“Are you [Muslims] prepared to sponsor a Christian missionary in Mecca? Because if you’re not prepared to sponsor religious liberty in Saudi Arabia, don’t come and nag us with some hypocritical baloney.”

For all his flaws, I admire former Pres. Joseph Estrada for bringing it to the Muslim rebels in the South. He alone produced results while the other presidents produced signed papers and more dead soldiers, more displaced families.

He one time said that it is useless to talk to a bunch of people who do not even believe in compromises.

Islam is a violent religion. And it will never ever give in to any form of compromises.

Muslims find strength in numbers, not in reason.

Much like a wolfpack.

You don't talk to ravenous wolves.

***

For more commentary about the hypocrisy and outright evil of this violent religion, click here.

The Holy Father offers Mass for deceased cardinals and bishops

Friday, November 4, 2011

Seriously?!?!


An angel is a spirit.  And Archangel Michael left a relic?

Seriously?

FYI.  This item is for sale on the web, so that'll sound some alarm bells on you.

Sign the online petition to STOP the RH Bill

To the members of the 15th Congress of the Philippines
We strongly oppose the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill (HB 4244) for the following reasons:

1. The Reproductive Health Bill undermines the human rights it seeks to advance.

The government cannot, on the one hand, guarantee the "universal basic human right to reproductive health" with its concomitant "right to make free and informed decisions," and on the other hand advocate a policy that tells parents - especially women - what their choices should be. Such an approach would be an unjustifiable affront to the dignity and capacity of the poor.

The bill also claims to give equal importance to natural and artificial methods of family planning. This claim does not hold. While mention is given to natural family planning, no funding is provided for the promotion of these methods in the budgetary provisions of the bill. Natural methods rely on investment in education of women and increased knowledge in order to enable women to manage their health and make informed decisions. Budgetary allocations must be inserted to the bill to provide funding for the training of knowledge-based reproductive health care providers, and the promotion of necessary information to women in order to enable informed choice.

2. Maternal health requires access to health care facilities and reproductive health education, not contraceptives.

Improved access to basic health care, nutrition, medicines, and technology are the additional means by which maternal mortality and morbidity can be reduced and eliminated.

The mandate of the RH bill to increase obstetric care and skilled birth attendants is not emphasized in this bill. The causes of maternal mortality and morbidity are limited: hemmorhage, infection, obstructed labor, and hypertensive disorders. These causes can be significantly addressed through investment in skilled birth attendants and provision of health education for women and families.

There is probably no more important step the Philippines could take toward improving reproductive health. The UNFPA states that three-fourths () of all maternal deaths could be averted by the presence of skilled birth attendants. By contrast, family planning is likely to reduce maternal deaths only by one-third. The RH bills current provisions for maternal care are important, but underdeveloped in comparison with other parts of the bill.

3. It does not protect the rights of conscience of those that will be responsible for implementing new measure.

All reproductive health care workers should provide information and educate and render medical services consistent with the new provisions in this bill. This bill does not include measures that protect conscientious objections for healthcare workers or institutions that refuse to provide services due to religious or cultural beliefs and practices. In addition, through state-imposed reproductive health curriculum in schools, this undermines the rights of parents to be the primary educators of their children. Likewise, denying couples the right to marry without first receiving adequate instruction on family planning and responsible parenthood violates their individual freedom of conscience and discriminates against those who would refuse such training in cultural or religious grounds.

4. It violates freedom of expression.

The bills criminalization of speech that maliciously engages in disinformation (an undefined category) about the substance or even potential motives behind the RH bill violates the constitutional right to free speech and expression. The provision should be eliminated in its entirety.

5. Increase in contraceptive use leads to higher abortion rate.

Dr. Malcolm Potts, abortion and contraceptive advocate and past medical director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said that As people turn to contraception, there will be a rise, not a fall, in the abortion rate.1 Dr. Judith Bury of the Brook Advisory Center chimed in a few years later that There is overwhelming evidence that, contrary to what you might expect, the provision of contraception leads to an increase in the abortion rate.

The reason for this is twofold: First, contraceptives fail a certain percentage of the time. A 5\% failure rate means that 5\% of the couples using a certain method will be pregnant at the end of the year. Second, the use of contraceptives gives a false sense of security that leads to risky sexual behavior. The result is more unplanned pregnancies and hence more abortions. (Source: http://www.pop.org/content/presidents-page-contraception-reduces-1874)

6. It fails to reaffirm the Philippines' protection of the unborn.

Filipino law has long defended the right to life of all persons, whether born or unborn. The reproductive health bill makes only an ambiguous statement of principle (While nothing in this Act changes the law against abortion...) as part of a care provision for post-abortion complications. Additionally, the bills guarantee of reproductive health care services, as opposed to the defined term reproductive health care, as well as a universal basic human right to reproductive health according to international legal custom, could eventually open the door to undermining Philippines national law protecting unborn persons.

7. Recent reports emphasize the problems with widely used family planning programs that fail to meet the needs of the poorest populations.

Strategies that seek to increase contraceptive use rapidly by improving services and access in convenient or well-resourced areas are likely to increase observed inequities in contraceptive use. Maternal mortality and general reproductive health problems also remain high because the unique issues facing poor populations are not addressed. (Nuriye Ortayli and Shawn Malarcher, Equity Analysis: Identifying Who Benefits from Family Planning Programs.) In this way family planning programs, by focusing on contraceptive use rather than an integrated, comprehensive approach to population development, fail to address the needs of the poor.

8. There has never been a direct link connecting high population with high poverty rates.


Correlation is not causation. It is short-sighted to think of declining population growth as a goal in of itself. Population control, as an economic policy, has proven to be unsustainable. Across Europe and Asia, countries that saw steep declines in fertility in the past generation are now bracing themselves for the future consequences of an aging population, when a large number of elderly can no longer be supported by the smaller and younger working class. During the 1970s and 1980s, Singapore instituted an aggressive two-child policy, which led to a situation of labor shortages and the difficulty of supporting an aging population. In an effort to recover, Singapore now pursues a pro-fertility policy.

In Hong Kong, the government was able to overcome dismal conditions and a dense population (five times more than the government declared to be its carrying capacity) and it has experienced a great economic boom and high levels of economic prosperity due to a sound banking system, no public debt, a strong legal system, and a rigorously enforced anti-corruption regime. These cases provide clear examples that economic development is not synonymous with small population, and that a large population is not only sustainable but an asset to development.

Thus, we urge the members of the 15th Congress of the Philippines to scrap the RH bill in its entirety and, instead, provide real solutions to real problems.

***

Sign the petition by CLICKING HERE

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Angry Nuns protest coal power plant.

From UCANews.

***

Hundreds of nuns have criticized a decision by their city council that paves the way for the construction of a coal-fired power plant in Mindanao. [HUNDREDS?!?!?!]



Sister Elvie Solemino  [SISTER?!?!  Is that you?!?!  No not the one with shades.]  said today that she and around 200 members of the Association of Consecrated Women in Davao archdiocese have signed a petition demanding authorities reconsider their decision to reclassify land where Aboitiz Power Corp plans to build a 150 megawatt coal-fired power plant.

Sister Solemino said the decision was made without a proper environmental impact study and that the association will personally deliver copies to City Hall in a public demonstration of their opposition.  [And I am sure the group of nuns did, because that is what they do.  Profess vows to protect the environment....]

Davao city council last week granted the firm’s application for the land to be reclassified [Now that is fishy.] from medium industrial to heavy industrial so it can be used to locate the power plant.

Sister Solemino said the city’s decision “dismayed” the nuns because it allows Aboitiz to “disrespect the sanctity of God’s creation.”  [Uhm....]

City officials who voted in favor “disregarded the cries of the people,” she said.  [The cries of the WOMYN.]

The power company says it wants to build the plant in Davao to help augment Mindanao’s power supply.  [True if you ask me.  Mindanao power sucks!  Power outages are so common, you'd be surprised you have power!]

It says Mindanao’s heavy reliance on hydro-electric power has seriously eroded power supply reliability since it is highly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.

“Generating power with the use of coal will significantly reduce dependence on hydro power,” the company explained.  [But it is dirty.  And Aboitiz is dirtier!]

Nonetheless, the nuns and other groups opposed to the plant have branded the city council’s decision to approve land reclassification as reckless.  [Go to the courts!  Not the streets!  Oh, yeah.  I think they don't have the evidence.]

***

The title of this post paints a picture in my mind.

You know, like the famous video game.

Ha!

You know, most of the times, it is not really about caring for the environment that these WOMYM are out in the streets fighting for these issues.  Most of the time, it is rooted on ECO-FEMINISM and NEO-PAGANISM.

Ugh!

God in the creation stuff.  Ugh!

But on the other hand, it is a good thing that some groups fight for the protection of the environment, no?

The ends justify the means?