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Huge mass in Lisbon ahead of pope’s arrival for ‘Catholic Woodstock’
A sea of flag-waving pilgrims from around the world packed a Lisbon park on Tuesday for an open-air Mass that kicked off a week-long jamboree of Catholic youth on the eve of the arrival of Pope Francis. Lisbon's patriarch, Cardinal Manuel Clemente, delivered the homily at the service held at the hillside Eduardo VII Park with sweeping views of the Portuguese capital and the Tagus River. "Lisbon welcomes you wholeheartedly," he told the crowd as pilgrims waved national flags in the air. Local authorities expect some 300,000 people to attend the opening Mass of World Youth Day, which is actually a week of religious, cultural, and festive events held every three years in a different city. Francis is set to arrive in Lisbon on Wednesday morning to join the event, which has been dubbed the "Catholic Woodstock". The 86-year-old pontiff is by Church standards the most liberal pope in decades and is very popular with young people. During his papacy, he has tried to create a more compassionate church, reaching out to the gay community and talking frankly to youngsters about abortion, divorce, and gender identity. "Pope Francis is open to young people," said Cristina Kelly, a 39-year-old who came from Brazil, just before the start of the Mass. "He called on us and we came. People need that today, for young people to be called to God," she told AFP. 'Recharge spiritual battery' In Portugal, the pope has a typically packed schedule for his five-day visit, despite having spent nine nights in hospital after undergoing hernia surgery in June. Francis, the first Latin American pope, is due to make 11 public pronouncements and hold numerous meetings, and on Saturday will visit the shrine of Fatima north of Lisbon. Church organizers expect one million faithful will attend the event's closing mass which will be delivered by the pope on Sunday at a waterside park on the outskirts of Lisbon. Images of the pope were on display on banners across the city as well as on screens on automatic bank machines along with the message: "I am with you". A Lisbon pastry shop is even selling cookies with the image of the smiling pontiff wearing a crucifix. "My goal is to recharge my spiritual battery because sometimes, as young people, we let it run low," Xochilt Cecilia Velis, a 24-year-old from El Salvador, told AFP in central Lisbon. World Youth Day is part of the Vatican's efforts to galvanize young Catholics at a time when secularism and disgust over clerical child sex abuse cause some faithful to abandon the Church. Meeting with abuse victims The gathering comes as the Portuguese Catholic Church is reckoning with its legacy of clerical sexual abuse. A report released in February by an independent commission determined that at least 4,815 children had been abused by clergy members in Portugal since 1950. The inquiry -- similar to audits elsewhere in Europe and the Americas -- concluded that the Church hierarchy "systematically" tried to conceal the abuse. Pope Francis is scheduled to meet privately with abuse victims during his visit but the date of the encounter or other details has not been released. Initially scheduled for August 2022, but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lisbon World Youth Day is the 16th international edition of what has become the largest gathering of Catholics worldwide. Church organizers said there are pilgrims registered to take part in this year's event from every country in the world except the Maldives. A brainchild of the late Pope John Paul II, the event started in 1986. The current one is the fourth presided over by Pope Francis, who became head of the Catholic Church in 2013. The last three events took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013, in Krakow, Poland in 2016, and in Panama City, Panama in 2019. The post Huge mass in Lisbon ahead of pope’s arrival for ‘Catholic Woodstock’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Catholic Woodstock’ kicks off in Lisbon ahead of Pope arrival
The world's largest Catholic gathering, a week-long religious festival known as World Youth Day, kicks off in Lisbon on Tuesday, a day before Pope Francis arrives on his first foreign trip since recent surgery. Around 300,000 people are expected to attend the opening mass at 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) at the hillside Eduardo VII park, which offers sweeping views of the Portuguese capital and the Tagus river. The 86-year-old pontiff is set to arrive in Lisbon on Wednesday morning to celebrate World Youth Day, a week of religious, cultural and festive events held about every three years in a different city. He has a typically packed schedule for his five-day visit to Portugal, despite having spent nine nights in hospital after undergoing hernia surgery in June. Francis, the first Latin American pope, is due to make 11 public pronouncements and hold numerous meetings, and on Saturday will visit the shrine of Fatima north of Lisbon. Church organizers expect one million faithful will attend the event's closing mass held by the pope on Sunday at a waterside park on the outskirts of Lisbon. Images of the pope were on display on banners set up across the city as well as on screens on automatic bank machines along with the message: "I am with you". A Lisbon pastry shop is even selling cookies with the image of the smiling pontiff wearing a crucifix. "I think it is going to be amazing experience to be in the same spot as the pope," said Barbara Weisz, a 19-year-old student from the United States, part of a group of 37 youths who came from a San Diego parish. "It is a great feeling to be among so many young people who share your beliefs," she added as the group, who wore matching red t-shirts, gathered in the lobby of their hotel before going sightseeing before attending the opening mass. World Youth Day, which has been dubbed the "Catholic Woodstock", is part of the Vatican's efforts to galvanize young Catholics at a time when secularism and disgust over clerical child sex abuse cause some faithful to abandon the Church. In recent days groups of event volunteers, decked out in their distinctive yellow T-shirts, could be seen outside of churches in Lisbon to welcome pilgrims who have flocked to the city. "It is a special moment that you should experience at least once in your life," said Samuel Navarro, a 19-year-old student from Spain. - Meeting with abuse victims - Pope Francis is expected during his visit to meet privately with victims of sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese clergy. A report published in February by an independent commission found at least 4,815 children were sexually abused by clergy members -- mostly priests -- since 1950. The inquiry, based on testimony from over 500 victims, concluded that the Church hierarchy in Portugal "systematically" tried to conceal the abuse. "I know (the meeting) will take place... but I don't know where it will happen or how many people will take part," Lisbon's patriarch, Cardinal Manuel Clemente, told a news conference Monday. "There is a total commitment on the part of the Portuguese Church to settle this issue," he added. Around 16,000 members of law enforcement, civil protection and medical staff are being deployed for the pope's visit, officials said. Initially scheduled for August 2022, but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lisbon World Youth Day is the 16th international edition of what has become the largest gathering of Catholics worldwide. The brainchild of late Pope John Paul II, this year's event is the fourth presided over by Pope Francis, who became head of the Catholic Church in 2013. The last three events took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013, Krakow, Poland in 2016 and Panama City, Panama in 2019. lf-tsc/ds/yad © Agence France-Presse The post ‘Catholic Woodstock’ kicks off in Lisbon ahead of Pope arrival appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CBCP: Blasphemy more than mockery of icons
While drag queen Pura Luka Vega may have been accused of committing blasphemy, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said on Monday that even people who regularly go to church yet fail to help those who are suffering have also offended Jesus Christ......»»
Indefinite water cuts loom, Maynilad says
The scheduled water service interruptions across more than half a million households supplied by west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. will be indefinite due to the depleting water supply as El Niño hits. At a press briefing on Monday, Maynilad Water Supply Operations Head Ronald Padua confirmed that service disruptions, which will last for nine to 11 hours, or between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. or 6 a.m., will start on Wednesday, 12 July. The affected areas are the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela and Quezon City. “I cannot answer yet the question about when we will experience these interruptions. Hopefully, there will be some rain at the Ipo watershed,” Padua told reporters. “Ipo dam has only a small storage capacity. Even if the release from Angat Dam is low, when there are local rains in the region, the water level rises and it helps divert water to Metro Manila,” he said. Padua said Maynilad did not consider the adverse effects of El Niño in its latest business plan due to the delayed announcement by the weather bureau. “Our latest business plan included assumptions that normal water will arrive for us. Our anticipation also takes into account the PAGASA forecast so if there is no forecast, we will not anticipate it. But we assure you that all this is being talked about,” Padua explained. To mitigate the impact of the interruptions, Maynilad vowed to fast-track the completion of its water augmentation projects. Among other things, Padua said Maynilad targets to complete more than 60 deep wells across its service area. Due to the depleting Angat Dam, whose water elevation fell below the 180-meter minimum operating level last weekend, the National Water Resources Board allocated only 48 cubic meters per second or cms for water concessionaires starting 8 July. The water share was lower than the 52 cms released from 16 April to 30 June, and the 50 cms from 1 to 7 July. Thus, Maynilad has been getting less supply than it needs to maintain normal service levels. The Water Resources Management Office or WRMO of the Department of Environment and National Resources on Sunday issued Bulletin No. 2 to all barangay officials and condominium and subdivision managers in the National Capital Region to advise residents to cut down on activities that consume large amounts of water, such as watering lawns and washing vehicles. The order came after the water in Angat Dam dipped to a critical level. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration had reported a significant drop in Angat’s water level since Friday. The decline, it said, averaged more than 0.40 meters daily as it further fell to 1.79.56 meters or .56 meters below its normal operating capacity. The WRMO advisory aims to raise awareness about the importance of water conservation and encourage residents to reduce water usage where possible. “As we prepare for even drier conditions due to El Niño, it is more than ever important to conserve water in order to prevent massive interruptions later this year,” the WRMO bulletin said. Residents, it added, should practice rainwater collection for non-potable use of water, and to reuse laundry and dishwashing water to water plants. All government agencies have also been directed to conserve water in their respective offices while local government units in Metro Manila were told to hasten pipe repairs of water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad. The post Indefinite water cuts loom, Maynilad says appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CBCP ‘begs forgiveness’ over exorcist’s case
MANILA, Philippines — Two weeks after an exorcist priest was arrested for “offending religious feelings,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has “begged forgiveness” for what CBCP head and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said was “indicative of shortcomings [among] Church leaders.” “We humbly beg forgiveness for this shortcoming. That a Catholic would […] The post CBCP ‘begs forgiveness’ over exorcist’s case appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Japan PM safe after ‘smoke bomb’ at speech: Japanese media
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated from a port in Wakayama on Saturday after a blast was heard, but he was unharmed in the incident, local media reported. Footage on Japanese television showed a disturbance in a crowd gathered where Kishida was due to speak, and then the sound of a blast and white smoke. A person was detained at the site in western Japan, national broadcaster NHK and others said. There was no immediate official confirmation of the incident, with local police declining to comment. NHK showed footage of security and police detaining an individual as a crowd scattered and shrieked. "I was stunned. My heart is still beating fast," a woman at the scene told the broadcaster. Another person at the scene told NHK that the crowd began to disperse in panic even before the blast after someone said an explosive had been thrown. Kishida had just finished sampling fish at the site and was about to deliver remarks to a crowd in support of a ruling party candidate in upcoming lower house by-elections when the incident occurred. "That something like this happened in the middle of an election campaign that constitutes the foundation of democracy is regrettable. It's an unforgivable atrocity," Hiroshi Moriyama, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s election strategy chairman, told NHK. The person detained was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of business, the broadcaster said. Japan has bolstered security around politicians after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot and killed while speaking at a campaign event in July 2022. His alleged assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, reportedly targeted him over his links to the Unification Church, and the incident sparked revelations about the connection between the sect and political figures in Japan. Yamagami was reportedly angry at the sect over large donations his mother made to the group that left the family bankrupt. Abe was relatively unprotected and speaking on a street in western Nara, and his assassination prompted a major security review of how political figures are protected. The incident comes as Group of Seven climate and energy ministers meet in the northern city of Sapporo, and a day before G7 foreign ministers arrive in Karuizawa in Nagano for talks. Japan will host the G7 leaders' summit next month in Hiroshima. The post Japan PM safe after ‘smoke bomb’ at speech: Japanese media appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Drug war critic elected CBCP head
Caloocan Bishop Virgilio David a critic of President Duterte in the Catholic Church was elected yesterday as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines......»»
Church leader urges youths to register for 2022 polls
With 88 days before registration for the 2022 general election closes, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines vice president and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David urged youths and first time voters to register for the 2022 polls......»»
Caloocan bishop David appointed CBCP acting president
David, the current vice president of the conference, said in an interview on Church-run Radio Veritas Friday that he will be taking over the tasks of Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles who is recuperating from a stroke......»»
Remains of 44 OFWs who died in Saudi set to arrive Friday
CALOOCAN CITY, July 9 (PIA) -- The remains of 44 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died in Saudi Arabia are set to arrive on Friday, July 10, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III today announced......»»
2 activists kidnapped in Pangasinan
The Commission on Human Rights has called for a search for two environmental rights defenders and church workers who were reportedly kidnapped in Pangasinan last weekend......»»
Workers seek Church help on wage hike
The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) is seeking the intervention of the Catholic Church for immediate passage of the pending P150 legislated nationwide wage hike......»»
Kapuso loveteams lead Sparkle’s first overseas show
For its first-ever international show, Sparkle GMA Artist Center has tapped six of its brightest stars to bring a piece (and an experience) of home to Filipinos in Canada and regale them. Hence, it is titled “Sparkle Goes To Canada” on April 5 and 7, with Southview Alliance Church, Calgary, and Toronto Pavilion, Toronto, as venues, respectively......»»
Visita Iglesia 2024: San Fernando Rey Parish Church in Liloan
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Liloan town in northern Cebu is known to be the home of the delightful ‘rosquillos.’ But apart from their signature delicacy, a seemingly unique placement of a religious structure was built in this town. If you plan to have a Visita Iglesia this Holy Week, you may want to include.....»»
Church of God holds cleanup drive in Cagayan de Oro
Church of God holds cleanup drive in Cagayan de Oro.....»»
Drug war-related killings of children continue, refuting Marcos Jr’s claims
In the first six months of the Marcos Jr administration, the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center documented 12 children killed. In 2023, 20 children died in Caloocan and Manila alone. The post Drug war-related killings of children continue, refuting Marcos Jr’s claims appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Blinken to meet with President Marcos, Manalo in Manila
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Manila to meet with President Marcos and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs has announced......»»
PSL: Biñan, Davao Occi win; Arboleda posts triple-double in 1Munti victory
Biñan turned on its defensive switch early then held a late uprising from Caloocan before winning, 84-69, to move on top of the team standings again in the PSL President’s Cup at the Caloocan Sports Complex......»»
House panel cites Quiboloy in contempt for snubbing SMNI franchise hearings
The House legislative franchises committee cited embattled preacher Apollo Quiboloy in contempt after he again refused to attend the panel’s hearing into the alleged franchise violations by the television network connected to his church......»»
College student murdered in Cotabato City
A working student was shot dead by a lone gunman while on his way home from the Iglesia Ni Cristo church in Cotabato City on Sunday morning......»»