Already during Spanish times when most people spoke, or at least understood, the Spanish language, varied Marian devotional forms were already an essential aspect of Filipino life and culture. Such was the love of Filipinos for the mother of Jesus that our people was rightly...
(Last week August 19, I visited my friend Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For several years we were involved in many affairs of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences. He is now 85. He gave me this paper with a big smile!) ****** I...
Subcultures are ways of social living that characterize behaviour of people. They are arresting moments that are difficult to avoid because they entertain and reflect the inner desires of people. They possess educational and ethical value and power. In a word, they are attitudes and...
Next month of September is Vocation Month in the archdiocese. Many communities of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life from within and outside Davao will join the Davao Chapter of the National Association of Diocesan Vocation Directors in a month-long special prayer, search-in sessions...
The hottest issues hugging the headlines these days are about problems whose solutions would depend on effective dialogue. Two of these are the BBL and Ph-China controversy. Respected political analysts commented several times on the lack of creative dialogue. Religious leaders are in the position to...
The early Fathers of the Church were unanimous in declaring that God became human so that humans can become God or godly. This is Jesus Christ God in human form. To become godly or divine like Jesus we must strive to be human like him. To...
Last week’s Shalom I wrote that Duyog Ramadhan is a forgotten approach to peace. One reason could be the difficulty of fasting. Actually, the Muslim way of fasting is much easier than the Catholic practice. The former does the fasting during the day but at early...
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....
