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The Daily Guardian: Pope seeks journalists assistance in sharing news about the Synod – Vatican News in English
Pope Francis Honored with Italian Journalism Award, Calls for Constructive Communication and Combating Disinformation VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church,.....»»
Pope’s vigil in Portugal draws 1.5 million pilgrims
A sea of 1.5 million pilgrims packed a riverside park near Lisbon on Saturday for a vigil held by Pope Francis as part of a global Catholic youth festival. Worshippers cheered as the 86-year-old pontiff slowly drove by on his "popemobile" to the stage at the Parque Tejo on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital. "We are the pope's youths!" they chanted. Several national flags fluttered in the crowd estimated at around 1.5 million people according to the Vatican, citing Portuguese officials. Many waited for hours under a blazing sun for the start of the vigil, singing, dancing and playing cards to pass the time at the park, which was built for the occasion on a former landfill site. There was little shade, and worshippers protected themselves from the sun with umbrellas or makeshift tents made from sheets, or tried to cool off by pouring water over their heads. Portugal's state weather office has put Lisbon on alert for scorching temperatures that reached nearly 36 degrees Celsius (97 Fahrenheit) on Saturday. "It is very impressive to walk around and see the number of Catholics who turned out today," Ana Carvalho, a 19-year-old Portuguese nursing student, told AFP. The vigil is part of World Youth Day festivities, which is actually a week of religious, cultural and festive events held every three years in a different city. - 'Everyone can enter' - Santi Salvador, a 19-year-old Spanish student, said he walked to Lisbon from Barcelona to attend the event, a distance of some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles). "We left 40 days ago... It's a pilgrimage to see the pope," he told AFP. Earlier Saturday, Francis visited the shrine of Fatima, a revered site north of Lisbon devoted to the Virgin Mary, where he was welcomed by around 200,000 people. He recited the rosary with sick and disabled youths at the chapel built on the spot where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three shepherd children in 1917. In an address to the crowd, the pontiff reinforced calls made many times during his trip for an inclusive Church. "This little chapel where we find ourselves, is like a beautiful image of the Church, welcoming, without doors," he said in improvised remarks. "The Church does not have doors, so that everyone can enter," he added to applause from the crowd. It is the second day running that the pope has not followed his prepared remarks. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told reporters the pope had improvised one of his speeches on Friday due to "discomfort of vision", but that in Fatima it had been "a choice". - Final mass - The pope prayed in silence for several minutes before a statue of the Virgin Mary in the chapel. In a text published later on Twitter, recently rebranded as X, the pontiff said he had prayed for the "church and the world, especially for countries at war". The pontiff, who now uses a wheelchair or walking stick to get around, arrived in Portugal on Wednesday for the World Youth Day jamboree. The leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics will deliver a final open-air mass on Sunday morning at the Parque Tejo before returning to Rome. World Youth Day, created in 1986 by John Paul II, is the largest Catholic gathering in the world and features a wide range of events, including concerts and prayer sessions. This edition, initially scheduled for August 2022 but postponed because of the Covid pandemic, will be the fourth for Francis after Rio de Janeiro in 2013, Krakow in 2016 and Panama in 2019. cmk-lf/ds/js © Agence France-Presse The post Pope’s vigil in Portugal draws 1.5 million pilgrims appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Give LPE a chance
Newly appointed Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro made a deeply rooted statement about the peace talks between the Philippine government and communist rebels that have dragged on for several decades, with intermittent periods of very little progress and setbacks. Without mincing words, Teodoro said he had always been against entering into peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army. This is equally consistent with his position that communist rebels are welcome to return to the government fold given an existing program that offers “to help them, rehabilitate them and give them a new life.” Why is this so? For Teodoro, why engage in peace talks when there is Task Force Balik-Loob — a central coordinating body created by Administrative Order No. 10 dated 3 April 2018 that supervises the government’s reintegration efforts for members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, including their immediate family members. The task force is composed of representatives from the DND, DILG, OPAPRU, and other partner government agencies. I couldn’t agree with the Defense Secretary more. In a recent television interview, he said he was never convinced that the Philippine insurgency — the longest-running in Asia — was ideological. His explanation was clear. “This is all about taking power or whatever. The reason, even in other countries, the sole authority of the Communist Party in other countries is a dictatorship in itself. They call it the dictatorship of the proletariat.” We have in front of us a duplicity of the communist agenda — a pro-people advocacy on one hand, and the overthrow of the government on the other. The history of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front, CPP’s political wing, is long and complex spanning several decades. When Corazon C. Aquino assumed the presidency after the People Power Revolution in 1986, peace talks were initiated and detained top communist leaders, including Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno, were released. Since then, there have been several attempts at peace negotiations between the government and the Reds, facilitated by third-party mediators, including the Catholic Church, various civil society groups, and foreign governments. The most recent attempt at peace talks was in 2016 during the first year in office of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. It, however, broke down in 2017 after both sides accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement. Duterte, exasperated by the insincerity, formally terminated the peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA in 2018 through Proclamation 360. Despite this, there have been sporadic calls for the resumption of the peace talks, particularly from civil society groups and the international community. More than 40 rounds of peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF since 1986 proved futile, marred by spoilers who used violence to attack the peace process. Or were these attempts aimed at forcing their way into negotiations, and alter a process so that their demands would be included in a settlement? Opinions vary, often dependent on political, social, and ideological perspectives. While some people argue that pursuing peace talks is the best way to end the decades-long armed insurgency, others are skeptical about the prospects as evidenced by the little willingness to negotiate in good faith, human rights violations, coupled with unreasonable and unrealistic demands. Peace is a priority for more than 110 million Filipinos who hope to see an end to the decades-long insurgency in the country. If top-level negotiated settlements fail, there is the Localized Peace Engagement or LPE — a viable alternative solution to the armed conflict. Introduced by the national government in 2017 after the breakdown of the peace negotiations with the Reds, let us give this community-based approach to peacebuilding a chance. After all, who wouldn’t want to address the underlying social, economic, and political grievances that fuel armed conflicts? The post Give LPE a chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pope’s peace envoy visits Ukraine as fighting rages
Pope Francis' peace envoy to Ukraine, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, began a two-day visit to Kyiv on Monday for talks with officials about the war with Russia, the Vatican said. The visit came as Russia claimed it had repelled "a large-scale offensive" by Ukrainian forces in the Moscow-occupied Donetsk region. Zuppi, from the Sant'Egidio Catholic community which specialises in diplomacy and peace efforts, would "listen in depth to the Ukrainian authorities about possible ways to achieve a just peace", the Vatican said. Francis regularly calls for an end to the war in Ukraine but Vatican's attempts to mediate in the conflict have yet to yield any results. Last month the pope named Zuppi, the head of the Italian bishops' conference, "in the hope, which the Holy Father has never given up, that this can initiate paths of peace", the Vatican said at the time. In an interview broadcast Sunday by Italian public broadcaster Rai, Francis said that "with peace, you always benefit, perhaps not much but you benefit. With war you lose everything". Ukraine's ambassador to the Vatican, Andrii Yurash, on Monday, tweeted that his country "welcomes (the) interest of the Vatican to the bloody war". He said he was sure "close acquaintance" with the consequences of war would "help for sure in finding appropriate answers in (the) name of (a) just peace". Vatican News, the Vatican's official media outlet, said Zuppi's trip to Kyiv could be followed by a visit to Moscow, saying the Kremlin had already agreed to receive the cardinal, although no date had been confirmed. In the first few months after Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022, the pope faced criticism for not blaming Moscow explicitly. Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said recently that Zuppi's mission was not aimed at mediation, at least not yet, but seeking to "favour a climate that can lead to paths of peace". Pope Francis hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal a few weeks earlier. Shmyhal said afterwards he had invited the pope to visit Ukraine and also asked for help to return children forcibly taken to Russia. Vatican watchers suggest Francis is unlikely to go unless he can also travel to Russia to speak to President Vladimir Putin. The pope revealed in March that he had offered to go to Moscow to negotiate peace, but had been rebuffed. The post Pope’s peace envoy visits Ukraine as fighting rages appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Divorce bill gets senators’ backing
Calls to legalize divorce and marriage dissolution in the country to liberate Filipinos from domestic violence reached the Senate on Tuesday, and senators are rooting for it to be passed into law this time around. Senators Risa Hontiveros, Raffy Tulfo and Robin Padilla sought support from various governments and concerned agencies to institute divorce in the country, noting that the Philippines is the only country aside from the Vatican that outlaws absolute divorce. “We are the only country, aside from the Vatican, that doesn’t have divorce. As a secular state, this is not something to be proud of,” said Hontiveros, who heads the panel. “This only shows how left behind we are in addressing the needs and recognizing the lived experiences of our people. It’s 2023, yet still no divorce. It’s time to change this.” Hontiveros’ Senate Bill 147, or the Dissolution of Marriage Act, was among the bills tackled during the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, along with Tulfo’s SB 213 and Padilla’s 237, which both seek to legalize divorce. Tulfo, who then expressed a readiness to sit down for a dialogue with Catholic Church, which vehemently opposed the measure, believes that legalizing divorce is an act of social justice that will open the door for those who have been miserable in marriage, a new beginning. “The quality of family life for spouses who are already in an unhealthy marital relationship is not what was envisioned by the State as something that needs protecting,” he said. Padilla, who himself has undergone a divorce, meanwhile pointed out that legalizing divorce should not be viewed as a threat to marriage but rather as a way to protect those trapped in a doomed union. “This is not a threat to marriage. We will never be instruments to destroying a union. Never,” he said. “As lawmakers, we will uphold the Constitution to strengthen marriage — but when the time comes that one, two or three Filipinos will seek freedom from a doomed union, that becomes a right.” Several agencies expressed the initiative and vowed to cooperate with the technical working group but only the Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines Inc. thumbed down the measure. ALFI anchored its opposition to the constitutional mandate to strengthen and protect the family as basic autonomous social institution and marriages as an inviolable social institution. Proposals like these have become a flashpoint between the progressive State and the conservative church as it goes against the Catholic faith. A survey conducted by the Social Weather Station in 2017 revealed that 53 percent of respondents supported legalizing divorce. Another survey conducted in 2018 by Catholic Radio Veritas found that 52 percent “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” with the measure. A similar proposal moved forward in the House of Representatives following the approval of the committee on population and family relations panel. During the 17th Congress, the House passed a similar proposed law, but failed to hurdle the Senate. The post Divorce bill gets senators’ backing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Church calls for repentance ahead of Holy Week rites
The Catholic Church is inviting the faithful to participate in religious activities in line with the observance of this year’s Lenten season, beginning on Feb. 22, Ash Wednesday......»»
Cardinal Quevedo supports extension of Bangsamoro transition period
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 24 January) – Mindanao’s lone Cardinal, Orlando Quevedo, OMI, has joined calls for an extension of the transition period in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for another three years until 2025. Quevedo, Archbishop Emeritus of Cotabato and former two-term President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, […].....»»
IATF rejects callfor increased capacity in churches
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has rejected calls from the Catholic Church to increase the allowed seating capacity for religious gatherings, after throngs of Black Nazarene devotees flocked to the church on Friday morning......»»
CBCP hits anti-terror law, calls for prayers
MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is calling for prayers amid the recent signing of the highly controversial Anti-Terror Act of 2020, saying the return of warrantless detention is reminiscent of the arrest, search and seizure orders during martial law. In a pastoral letter and call to prayer signed on […] The post CBCP hits anti-terror law, calls for prayers appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
CBCP commission calls for conscience vote on ABS-CBN franchise bid
In a statement released on the eve of the crucial vote, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Social Communication stressed the important roles that ABS-CBN plays in the society—providing information to Filipinos in the country and abroad and contributing to the people’s capacity to make informed decisions......»»
Marcos: Philippines won’t be ‘cowed into silence, submission’ by China
“We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience. Filipinos do not yield,” Marcos said. .....»»
Baltimore Bridge collapse: Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before bridge fell
BALTIMORE — It was the middle of the night when a dispatcher’s warning crackled over the radio: A massive cargo ship had lost its steering capabilities and was heading toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Within about 90 seconds, police officers who happened to be nearby responded that they managed to stop vehicle traffic over.....»»
EXPLAINER: Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse and what is the death toll?
(Reuters) -Divers recovered the remains of two of the six missing workers more than a day after a cargo ship smashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bodies of two men were found in a red pickup truck submerged in the icy waters of the Patapsco River. Rescuers pulled two workers from the water.....»»
No Pinoy hurt in Baltimore bridge collapse
The Philippine embassy in Washington has not received any report of Filipinos hurt in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland on Tuesday......»»
Victims of Baltimore bridge collapse include those from Mexico, Guatemala
Maryland [US], March 27 (ANI): Among those reported missing following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US are Mexican nationals, CNN reported, citing Rafael Laveaga, Chief of the Consular Section of Mexico's Embassy in Washington. Laveaga refrained from specifying the exact number of missing Mexican nationals when he addressed reporters near the scene on Tuesday. A reporter asked Laveaga: ".....»»
Holy Week 2024: A peek into 7 Metro Cebu churches for Visita Iglesia
The Lenten Season is also about reflection and prayer about the passion of Christ. There are days to fast and during the Holy Week on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Catholic faithful usually practice the Visita Iglesia or the tradition to visit 7 or 14 churches, where they pray and reflect and do.....»»
Gilas women off to great start in FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup
The Gilas Pilipinas women had a strong start in the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup after coming up unscathed in the first day of the competition Wednesday at the Singapore Sports Hub......»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN, arrives im Phillipines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN nations, arrives in Philippines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
Jaishankar calls on Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, values his perspective on current state of world
Singapore, March 25 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday and conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaishankar valued Lee Hsien Loong's perspectives on the current state of the world. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Honoured to call on Prime Minister @leehsienloongat The Istana. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. V.....»»