Church to faithful: Physically attend Ash Wednesday rites
Church officials yesterday urged the faithful to attend masses today as Roman Catholics observe Ash Wednesday, which ushers in the observance of Lent leading up to Holy Week......»»
Senate committee seeks Quiboloy s arrest
The Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality has requested the arrest of pastor Apollo Quiboloy after his repeated failure to attend a probe on the sexual abuse complaints against him and his church members......»»
Pope urges Europe against treating migrants as invaders
Pope Francis on Saturday urged European governments to welcome migrants instead of viewing them as invaders, striding into a hugely sensitive political debate again inflamed by mass arrivals. "Those who risk their lives at sea do not invade, they look for welcome," Francis said in a speech closing a conference of bishops and young people from around the Mediterranean in the French port city of Marseille. Migration is "a reality of our times, a process that involves three continents around the Mediterranean and that must be governed with wise foresight, including a European response," the pontiff added. Francis' 35-minute speech drew a standing ovation from his audience, but his position on migration was unlikely to please French President Emmanuel Macron and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who were both present and planned tougher measures to control arrivals. The pope's forceful interventions come as the migration debate has been stoked by mass arrivals on the Italian island of Lampedusa last week. Speaking at a monument to people lost at sea on his arrival in Marseille on Friday, the pontiff had insisted that "people who are at risk of drowning when abandoned on the waves must be rescued". He thanked aid groups for rescuing migrants in danger at sea, condemning efforts to prevent their work as "gestures of hate". Tens of thousands expected Tens of thousands of people are expected to watch Francis as he travels through the streets of Marseille later Saturday before celebrating mass for almost 60,000 people in the city's famed Velodrome stadium. Up to 100,000 are expected to line the Avenue du Prado for his "popemobile" tour and many roads are decked out with the white-and-yellow colors of the Vatican. Francky Domingo, a Beninese man who heads a group of undocumented migrants in Marseille, said he hoped the pontiff's visit would "give us back a little hope" and "calm the political tensions". The Mediterranean port is a "cosmopolitan, multicultural, multireligious" hub but "faces huge difficulties, drug trafficking that costs human lives every day (and) the problem of housing", Domingo added. Around 40 people have been killed in shootings in Marseille this year, and Macron has promised billions of euros to upgrade city infrastructure in a bid to stop the downward spiral. Not everyone has welcomed the Pope's visit. Some politicians on the left have criticized Macron's decision to attend Saturday's mass as an infringement of state secularism. Others on the right have attacked Francis for "interfering" in domestic politics. The pontiff did nothing Saturday to dodge such allegations, appearing to weigh in on two of Macron's projects -- assisted dying and inscribing the right to abortion in the constitution. Old people risk being "pushed aside, under the false pretenses of a supposedly dignified and 'sweet' death that is more 'salty' than the waters of the sea," Francis warned. He also spoke of "unborn children, rejected in the name of a false right to progress, which is instead a retreat into the selfish needs of the individual". Religious heritage Francis' messages may have less resonance given Catholicism's long decline in France. Fewer than a third of people still say they are Catholic and only a fraction of those regularly attend mass. The country's religious heritage nevertheless still has enormous weight, with Macron showing off progress in restoring the fire-ravaged Notre Dame cathedral in central Paris to Britain's King Charles III this week. He has also announced tax breaks for contributions to a fund to renovate church buildings in villages too small to take on the repairs themselves. The post Pope urges Europe against treating migrants as invaders appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pirate politician: eyepatch-wearing Scholz sparks mirth
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday posted a photo of himself wearing an eyepatch after injuring his face while jogging, triggering a flood of pirate jokes online. Scholz suffered minor injuries after falling while out running at the weekend, forcing him to cancel some appointments. The chancellor posted a picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing him wearing a large black patch over his right eye, with red scrape marks visible around the edge. "Thanks for the well wishes. It looks worse than it is!" he wrote under the picture on his official account. "Excited to see the memes," he added. And there were memes aplenty, many comparing him to a buccaneer. They ranged from one featuring an eyepatch-wearing cartoon pirate brandishing a cutlass, to others showing a pirate at a ship's wheel, and Scholz wearing a hat with a skull and crossbones on it and holding a sword. There were also many messages wishing him a speedy recovery, with his tweet racking up over 31,000 likes and more than 6,000 comments by the evening. Despite the injury, Scholz -- who has been a regular runner for several years -- was in good form, his spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said. The German Chancellor was seen later Monday, sporting the eyepatch, at an annual reception at a Catholic Church in Berlin. He also planned to attend his scheduled appointments this week, including a tour of the IAA car show in Munich on Tuesday and a speech in parliament on Wednesday. "He's doing well under the circumstances," Hebestreit told a regular press briefing. "He was in a good mood this morning, although he still looks a little battered." The post Pirate politician: eyepatch-wearing Scholz sparks mirth appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
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......»»
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......»»
Pope in hospital for tests, two months after bronchitis infection
Pope Francis visited a Rome hospital for a medical check-up on Tuesday, the Vatican said, just over two months after he was hospitalized with bronchitis. "This morning Pope Francis went to the Gemelli Polyclinic to undergo some clinical tests and returned to the Vatican before noon," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. Francis, 86, was forced to take a day off at the end of last month with a fever, which the Vatican secretary of state blamed on tiredness. The pope does not have public audiences scheduled on Tuesdays. His general audience at the Vatican was confirmed for Wednesday, according his official schedule. The Vatican also released the schedule for Francis's next trip abroad, which will see him attend World Youth Day in Lisbon from August 2-6. The examination had been pre-planned, the Repubblica newspaper said, citing a Vatican source. It added that the pontiff was undergoing specialized scans. When Francis was hospitalized at the end of March, the Vatican initially said in a one-line statement that he had gone into the Gemelli for health checks that were previously scheduled. It later emerged that he had been rushed in after suffering breathing difficulties. He was diagnosed with bronchitis and stayed in hospital for three nights, before returning to the Vatican to preside over Easter services. Asked how he felt, he quipped with a big smile, "I am still alive!" Francis, who has been the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics for a decade, has suffered increasing health issues over the past year. He has persistent pain in his right knee as well as sciatica, and his hospital stay for bronchitis sparked widespread concern. Just in time It also fueled speculation over his future. Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, who died in December, quit in 2013 due to failing health. For about a year, the pope has had to rely on a wheelchair due to the recurring knee pain he has said cannot be treated through surgery. Asked about his health in an interview with US Spanish-language network Telemundo broadcast in May, Francis said it was "much better". "I can walk now. My knee has been mending. I could hardly walk beforehand. Now I can. Some days are more painful than others," the pope said. Francis added that doctors had caught his bronchitis infection just in time. "If we'd waited a few more hours, it would've been much more serious. But I was out (of hospital) in four days," he said. Despite his health issues, Francis continues to travel widely. But the pope acknowledged in July 2022 that he needed to slow down. "At my age and with this limitation, I have to save myself a little bit to be able to serve the Church," he said then. "Or, alternatively, to think about the possibility of stepping aside." In March, however, he insisted that he had no current plans to quit. Benedict XVI, who died on 31 December aged 95, surprised the world in 2013 when he announced he was stepping down, a radical move not taken by a pope since the Middle Ages. The post Pope in hospital for tests, two months after bronchitis infection appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Family’s frustration 30 years after racist murder rocked Britain
Thirty years after the murder of their son in a racist attack, Stephen Lawrence's parents are tired of broken promises. They have heard Britain's biggest police force talk about reform many times since a gang of white youths stabbed the black 18-year-old to death. The brutal killing shocked Britain and sparked calls for an overhaul of policing. It led to a damning official review in 1999, which found the force carried out a flawed murder investigation marred by "institutional racism" and recommended a series of changes. But last month, a new review following a spate of fresh police scandals, found racism still rife in the force, along with misogyny and homophobia. "I don't see any change," Neville Lawrence told AFP after giving a talk in central London to mark the anniversary of his son's murder. He said black people still fear the force will not protect them, and vowed to make life safer for his young relatives so they can "walk the streets and not worry about getting stabbed". Stephen had wanted to be an architect, and his father described being "robbed" of the chance to see him grow up and fulfil his ambitions. Battle for justice On the night of his death, 22 April 1993, Stephen was waiting for a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks in south London. The gang shouted racist abuse before they attacked. Brooks remembers Stephen running fatally wounded from the scene, asking: "What's happened to me?" The suspects were well known in the area, but the mishandled initial murder investigation meant it took the family years of tireless campaigning before two members of the gang were jailed in 2012 after new forensic evidence came to light. Three others were never prosecuted. In recent years, Metropolitan Police officers have faced outrage over their treatment of black Londoners -- from routinely using disproportionate force to strip-searching schoolchildren. Stephen's mother Doreen Lawrence -- now a member of the UK's upper house of parliament -- said this week that the police force had not changed and officers could still be "as brutal as they want" without being held accountable. "I don't know how many more inquiries and how many reviews you need to have to say the same thing -- and still no changes, and still denials," she told the BBC. Over-policed, under protected Suresh Grover, founder of The Monitoring Group anti-racism charity, has been involved in the Lawrence family's campaign for justice since the outset. He said the family was promised "a proper attempt at addressing institutional racism" -- but the latest review showed the force had failed. "What little trust people had is gone -- it's got worse", he said. In Britain, April 22 is officially recognized as "Stephen Lawrence Day". The family will hold a memorial service in a church near Trafalgar Square, which the mayor of London and opposition party leader Keir Starmer are set to attend. On the eve of the anniversary, the head of the Metropolitan Police admitted the force had failed black communities in the three decades following Stephen's death, saying they had been left feeling "over-policed and under-protected". Mark Rowley paid tribute to the family's long battle for justice, acknowledged "systemic biases" in the force, and pledged to "finally" make it anti-racist. But he did not use the term "institutional racism", and his refusal to do so since the latest report's publication has been seen as a key sticking point in efforts to reform the service. "Until they can accept it, they can't fix it", Neville Lawrence said. The post Family’s frustration 30 years after racist murder rocked Britain appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Remember why Jesus Christ is here’
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Cebu, the Cebu Metropolitan Church has reopened its doors for devotees who want to physically attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, April 1. And in his Homily, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma urged the faithful to always remember the life and […] The post ‘Remember why Jesus Christ is here’ appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Church to faithful: Physically attend Ash Wednesday rites
Church officials yesterday urged the faithful to attend masses today as Roman Catholics observe Ash Wednesday, which ushers in the observance of Lent leading up to Holy Week......»»
Globe paves way for Our Lady of Manaoag devotees to continue pilgrimage, business online
The Our Lady of Manaoag church in Pangasinan has welcomed hundreds of thousands of devotees. As the pandemic restricted movement decreasing the number of visitors on-site, Globe has paved the way for devotees and vendors in the area to continue their devotions and attend masses online, thanks to improved internet connectivity. The telco continues to […] The post Globe paves way for Our Lady of Manaoag devotees to continue pilgrimage, business online appeared first on Bandera......»»
‘Pandemic cannot change faith to Snr. Sto. Niño’
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Amid threats of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), devotees flocked to the the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu on Friday, January 8, 2021, to attend the opening salvo of the 456th Fiesta Señor. But unlike before, there was no overflowing crowd as social distancing, part of the church’s health protocols being […] The post ‘Pandemic cannot change faith to Snr. Sto. Niño’ appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
More churchgoers allowed in Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño De Cebu
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Church administrators of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño De Cebu, one of the oldest and most prominent churches in the country, announced they will be increasing the number of people allowed to attend public Masses to 1,000 starting Friday, September 4, 2020. Augustinian friars running and operating the centuries-old church […] The post More churchgoers allowed in Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño De Cebu appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
First Sunday Mass
Parishioners attend the first Sunday mass at the Redemptorist Church in Davao City on August 9, 2020, after five months under COVID-19 lockdowns. Masses resumed on July 1 when the city was placed under Modified General Community Quarantine, except on Sundays, when travel passes are not allowed. Starting August 3, however, passes were no longer […].....»»
Pentagon chief reaffirms support after latest China aggression in WPS
Austin emphasized US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in a phone call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Wednesday. .....»»
Cavite declares state of calamity due to pertussis outbreak
The province’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared a state of calamity on Wednesday, according to the Cavite’s information office......»»
Comelec says systems can thwart foreign interference
The Commission on Elections is preparing to defend its servers from attempts to hack it in the 2025 midterm polls, its chairperson announced on Wednesday......»»
Philippines logs 40 pertussis deaths this year
MANILA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Forty children have died of whopping cough, a respiratory infection also called pertussis, since this year, the Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) has reported. The DOH said in a statement on Wednesday that cases have continued to increase since the start of this year, recording 568 cases from Jan. 1 to March 16. "The total number of cases for the same period in 2023 was.....»»
Catch-up Fridays eased for teachers
JENIELITO "Dodong" Atillo, spokesperson of the Department of Education (DepEd-Davao), clarified during the AFP-PNP press conference held on Wednesday morning, March 27, 2024, at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, that the implementation of “Catch-up Fridays” has been streamlined to alleviate any perceived burden on teachers......»»
Hope for more survivors from Baltimore bridge collapse fades
BALTIMORE – The coast guard announced on Wednesday that hope of finding more survivors of the Baltimore bridge collapse has dimmed, and efforts have switched to searching for the bodies of the missing persons, as well as seeking more answers as to why a container ship crashed into the span. The coast guard announced on.....»»