THE name of this approach is DUYOG RAMADHAN (Join Ramadhan). This was initiated and implemented by the Prelature of Saint Mary in Marawi City in the mid-1970s under the leadership of the late Bishop Bienvenido Tudtud. Its mother diocese, the Diocese of Iligan, under me...
For the first time in the history of papal documents, Pope Francis combines blunt words and subtle humor. Reflecting on the painful effects on our personal comforts of being with the poor, he writes, “Sometimes we are tempted to be that kind of Christian who...
Perhaps Pope Francis is the first pope to use the word “revolution” in an official document, his first papal exhortation addressed to the bishops, clergy, consecrated persons and the lay faithful all over the world which asks everyone to be a joyful revolutionary in mission....
SINCE 1975 when I became bishop we have always been divided on political and social issues. This has been so since the time of President Ferdinand E. Marcos until the presidency of Benigno Simeon Aquino III. One reason among others is bishops have different ways of...
Asked what can he contribute or sacrifice for peace, a Muslim farmer in Lanao del Sur replied: “I will think about peace for ten minutes.” This happened in 2009 when the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) consulted more than 5000 individuals throughout Mindanao on the peace process....
The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) divides us bishops, priests, and lay faithful. The divide has become emotional. The legal issues have turned personal. One’s conviction and option are being falsely, if not maliciously, attributed to “bribery” of some form or some coercive factor. This is...
Of course, I am against the FAB and CAB, the mother documents of BBL. But I am not for trouble. I am not for war. I am not for Christians arming themselves even in self-defense as a general rule. But can trouble still be avoided? Of...
“JIHAD” is an Arabic word which refers to a personal struggle against threats to the security of one’s inner self. These threats are temptations to violate divine law. Devout Muslims say fasting and prayer during Ramadhan helps in this inner personal struggle. It’s a divine...
NEWS about evil and evildoers dominate the tri-media of TV, radio and press through high tech gadgets. This is the perception of many. Of course, it is just a perception, not a survey report or research statistics. Even these are not available to most people. The predominance of...
ASIDE from Flores de Mayo for Peace, we the adults and the children should pray the rosary and meditate on the mysteries during the month of May. Repeating the Our Father and Hail Mary many times is good especially when they are well said. By this...
