We decided to hie off to Dave's place, knowing that everyone had already left the seminary for their respective class reunions.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Monday, April 10, 2006
Balik OLPS sa Black Sabado!
mga padi, poll ulit kun sino an maka-attend san black sat reunion. email, text me or sa comments niyo na alng ilagay
1. Jason
2. Dante
3. Yayes
4. Erwin
5. Junie
6. Wiron
7. Jet
8. Rene
9. Henri
10.
1. Jason
2. Dante
3. Yayes
4. Erwin
5. Junie
6. Wiron
7. Jet
8. Rene
9. Henri
10.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Batch 86 20th Year Anniversary Reunion sa Cebu
Mga padi, Tyrone, by way of Rino said that their family trip to the US was moved to June instead of May --which means we can push through with the Batch Summer Outing in Cebu on the fourth week of May 2006 as originally planned. Junie can we finalize the date before black sat?
Please sign up here (or via comments) or text me if you can join the outing.
1. Tyrone
2. Rino
3. Jason
4.
Please sign up here (or via comments) or text me if you can join the outing.
1. Tyrone
2. Rino
3. Jason
4.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Speech ni Antonio Meloto
By special request ni Mervs, i'm posting this speech of Tony Meloto - sent in by Rino Coronel
“The Eagle Will Not Fly Without the Poor”
By Antonio P. Meloto, Gawad Kalinga
Ateneo de Manila University Commencement Exercises
25 March 2006
I asked some members of the senior class last week why they chose me as their commencement speaker. I have no business empire. I hold no political power. And I am no academic genius. I am just an ordinary Filipino, a graduate of the Ateneo, who did not even excel as a student… just an ordinary man who loves to tell stories about the extraordinary things that people are doing for our country today.
And they told me--- because I represent a movement that presents hope at this time when many in our country are in despair. You are looking for hope in me, but I am here to tell you that this school and the other members of this university have been a source of hope and inspiration for me in the last three years.
When Father Ben Nebres and the Ateneo Board of Trustees bestowed the Ozanam Award on Gawad Kalinga through me on July 23, 2003, they triggered A REVOLUTION OF HOPE in the Ateneo…sweeping the Ateneo from grade school, high school, college, to the Alumni... then leading the way for other universities, corporations, government institutions and Filipino organizations abroad to follow their example and joining the bandwagon for nation building. The Ateneo is showing the world that “The eagle will not fly without the poor”.
Thank you Father Ben for your great love for our country and for inspiring the young to make a difference in the lives of our people.
Caring for the poor and restoring the dignity of the Filipino in his own country have now become an urgent mission for Filipinos here and abroad. This is not just healing for our country’s poor and neglected but it is healing for me and many like me as well.
Unknown to most of you, for 32 years it wasn’t easy for me to return to Ateneo. I didn’t come to the reunions and homecomings, simply because of a sense of guilt of a person who grew up with the suffering poor but later forgot them after I got an Ateneo education. I was so focused on repackaging, and building up myself that I forgot the accompanying responsibility that came with the privilege of an Ateneo scholarship. I forgot the poor… I left them behind. I left them like so many others before me.
There are many who blame the rich and powerful for the plight of the poor. I know there is basis for the accusations but I cannot bring myself to blame them. How could I expect them to love the poor whom they do not know when I grew up poor and yet forgot to help them, too.
I realized my great shortcoming as a Filipino in 1985 when I joined Couples for Christ. It was then that I found my faith and grew a conscience and decided to live a righteous life… to correct the mistakes and the injustice committed to our country and to our people by people like me. Couples for Christ taught me to repent for my sins and to be genuinely sorry for the things I failed to do for my country and for my people.
I am really sorry for the state of things, because of my failure to do something about it. And many are now sorry, just like myself because of this state of degradation… But feeling sorry is not enough. Sorry does not restore beauty, sorry does not restore dignity, sorry does not restore the plan of God for man. Sorry begins it, but sorry is not enough.
What needs to be done is to bring sorry to action, to convert regret to reform, to lift apathy to compassion and development. We who have not done well by the talents and treasures we have been gifted with, we who have abdicated our responsibility of shepherding the poor and the young to their birthright of enjoying the treasures of a beautiful and abundant country, we who have seen the errors of our ways and are sorry --- we must now restore what we destroyed… or allowed to be destroyed.
Because the Ateneo is a Christian university which believes in the mission of forming students to become persons for others, the principle of good over evil goes beyond the fundamental understanding of right and wrong. It is not enough not to do wrong. To battle evil, we must do good. The path of reform and transformation for Ateneans… for Christians, must be one of peace. It must believe that good is more powerful than evil, and only in the exercise of good can evil be eliminated. Thus, the path of reform and transformation, personal and social, must be a path of good works.
Build homes. Build communities. Build capacities. Restore dignity. Restore abundance. Restore beauty. Restore peace. Build and restore, build and restore.
And you did! The eagle has landed in Payatas. Because you could not bring the poor of Payatas to Ateneo, you brought Ateneo to the poor of Payatas. In this once desolate place, you restored dignity, you have brought back hope!
The former squatters now have security in their land. You transformed 200 shanties -- the slum and the garbage have now become a beautiful middle class community. Crime has virtually disappeared. Former streetchildren are now in school. The idle have been motivated to find employment and are now living productive lives. Nawala ang sindikato sa lupa, sa tubig, at sa ilaw. You have transformed hell into a piece of heaven… all because you cared, you shared and you learned to work together. The grade school worked with their parents, the high school students gave up their parties… the college students gave up their weekends. And the Alumni from all over the world also helped.
I salute and honor the eagles of Payatas, especially Steph Limuaco, former President of the Ateneo Student Council and now full-time worker of Ateneo for Gawad Kalinga, students, parents, the caretaker team from CFC and Mayor Sonny Belmonte who not only paved the way for the poor to own the land in Payatas but also paved the roads.
Again you performed the same miracle in Gabaldon!
The surviving flood victims who were once squatters living in dangerous areas now have their own land in sites that have been cleared as environmentally safe and their own sturdy homes. Now the people are growing their own food and planting trees. Land for the landless, homes for the homeless, food for the hungry… For this I honor Mark Lawrence Cruz, the 300-strong Team Gabaldon and Mayor Mandia. You washed away the mud of despair and brought out the gold in the poor of Gabaldon.
Gabaldon is part of a massive rehabilitation and reconstruction effort called Kalinga Luzon that goes beyond the usual relief operations after the calamity. Malaki ang tulong dito ng 3 Atenista in helping 40,000 survivor families of the Luzon typhoons and floods… Secretary of National Defense and NDCC Chairman Avelino “Nonong” Cruz , Smart-PLDT Chairman Manny Pangilinan and former Agriculture Secretary Cito Lorenzo.
This afternoon I invited the proud leaders of Payatas and Gabaldon, together with the mayors of Cabiao, San Isidro, and Gen. Tinio, Nueva Ecija who have also benefited from the help of Ateneo. They are here to witness the graduation of a new breed of Ateneans and Filipinos who not only have the brains but also the heart for our country and our people.
The journey to rebuild our country is just beginning and moving towards massive upscaling with the entry of corporations, national government agencies, LGU’s and Filipino organizations abroad.
Corporations too are searching for a deeper and better _expression of corporate social responsibility. Rival corporations are rising above business competition to help. P&G and Unilever, Jollibee and McDonalds, Shell and Petron, Pfizer and Wyeth and Smart-PLDT… and over a hundred others. Sabi ng Shell “Kung may layunin, malayo ang inyong mararating”. Sabi ng Smart “We’re not just building homes, we’re building a nation”. Both campaigns are inspired by the spirit of Gawad Kalinga, the spirit of being a person for others – going beyond conventional charity towards helping the poor become better stewards of their families and their communities. Converting our human resource from liability to asset, expanding the market base by empowering the poor make good business sense!
This afternoon we have with us the country chairman of Shell Philippines, Mr. Ed Chua, who is from La Salle and the president of Pfizer, Mr. Gerry Bacarro, who is from Ateneo. Both are firm believers of corporate social responsibility geared towards nation-building. It is our hope that the stiff rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle in basketball will be elevated to a higher level of nobility of building the most number of houses and communities and educating the most number of poor children.
My fellow Ateneans, when you leave this campus, many of you will join these corporations and will be happy to note that they have a keener sense of social responsibility and a work environment that will nurture your idealism.
In the field of governance, more than 300 mayors and governors have chosen the same path of nation-building. Hundreds more will join this year and members of Congress are being inspired to do the same. Many of you will be the future mayors, governors and members of congress… and again will be happy to note that your predecessors have begun the path of building and restoring our country.
Even Filipinos abroad have found a reason to hope and a way to concretize their love for the motherland. Many have gone beyond sending resources… they themselves are coming home to help build the nation of their dreams… Bicolanos helping Bicol… The Ilonggos helping Negros and Panay… the Cebuanos helping Cebu… And the Fil-Am doctors are going beyond the usual medical mission and are building healthy communities as a way of giving back to a country that they have never stopped loving.
When you care for others, especially the weak and the powerless, you will be amazed at how God will take care of you and the people you love. Today I thank God for my wife and my five children who have joined me in this mission to help restore this beautiful land. This is the best legacy I can give them. I honor my son Jay, who at 22, left his job and an exciting life of fast cars and beautiful girls in L.A. to help the typhoon victims of Bicol… and my son-in-law Dylan Wilk who left his country England, his family and friends, his extravagant lifestyle - his Ferrari, his Porsche and BMW… in exchange for the poor families in this country that he has learned to love and care for.
And of course, the nameless and unrecognized workers and heroes of other Ateneo initiatives like Pathways, Tulong Dunong, Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines, Leaders for Health and other NGOs and cause-oriented groups who love this county… Today there are tens of thousands of them… tomorrow there will be millions. Together we will build a slum-free, squatter-free, crime-free Philippines.
And so in the same spirit of heroism, I urge you young Ateneans to do the same. After you leave this campus, there is no doubt that you will soar to great heights but it will all be meaningless if you fly alone. The poor do not have strong wings like you do and they need you to carry them, inspire them to discover their own strength and greatness. Sana eto ang walang iwanan.
For the parents, as you have invested in the future of your children by giving them the best education possible… support also your children’s desire to invest in the future of this country. They will honor you even more if you value their aspirations for nobility and their dreams for a better country that will be a source of pride for them and their children.
As we go through this defining moment of Philippine history, let us strive never to forget four things:
(1) Never stop hoping for our country.
(2) Don’t stop caring for our people.
(3) Demand greatness of yourself as a Filipino.
(4) Inspire greatness in other Filipinos.
As you leave the campus to join the real world, let your vision and the power that you have discovered to change the world, define what is real to you.
Make your love for this country and our people, especially the poor, your reality and your priority. Make it the foundation of your career plans, your dreams and ambitions for your children and the goal of any political or economic power that you have the privilege to wield.
Wherever you are in the world, excel and prosper but remain connected to the motherland and dedicate your success to the fulfillment not just of your dreams but to the many in your country who have lost their capacity to dream.
Do not be content in finding artificial security in gated subdivisions when you can provide yourself a buffer of peace by caring for the needy around you. Nor be content with living in first world luxury in a third world environment and contributing to the discontent and the growing threats around the security of your own family.
Give value to the land of your birth by sharing with those who for generations have been deprived of its use and abundance. Be a blessing to your children’s future by making it your responsibility to be father or mother to the abandoned and neglected.
Be the healing of the soul of this nation and the fulfillment of the dream that we have forgotten.
Be the proud Filipino that we are not yet, but soon will be.
Be the hero who finds courage and the conviction that this country is worth saving, because it is a gift from God and that your life is meaningless if it is not dedicated to the fulfillment of a divine destiny to be a great people.
Let me end this speech and send you off with a prayer.
Dear God, pour out your blessing upon our new graduates. Guide them in their journey to greatness. Show your power and majesty to this troubled and sinful nation through these young Filipinos who will strive to live lives of righteousness and excellence. Make them healers of our wounded people and restorers of our broken land. Anoint them as the new generation of living heroes who will bring this country to our destiny of greatness.
Mabuhay kayong mga bagong bayani ng bayan! Kayo ang bagong lakas ng pagbabago! Kayo ang magandang mukha ng kinabukasan!
“The Eagle Will Not Fly Without the Poor”
By Antonio P. Meloto, Gawad Kalinga
Ateneo de Manila University Commencement Exercises
25 March 2006
I asked some members of the senior class last week why they chose me as their commencement speaker. I have no business empire. I hold no political power. And I am no academic genius. I am just an ordinary Filipino, a graduate of the Ateneo, who did not even excel as a student… just an ordinary man who loves to tell stories about the extraordinary things that people are doing for our country today.
And they told me--- because I represent a movement that presents hope at this time when many in our country are in despair. You are looking for hope in me, but I am here to tell you that this school and the other members of this university have been a source of hope and inspiration for me in the last three years.
When Father Ben Nebres and the Ateneo Board of Trustees bestowed the Ozanam Award on Gawad Kalinga through me on July 23, 2003, they triggered A REVOLUTION OF HOPE in the Ateneo…sweeping the Ateneo from grade school, high school, college, to the Alumni... then leading the way for other universities, corporations, government institutions and Filipino organizations abroad to follow their example and joining the bandwagon for nation building. The Ateneo is showing the world that “The eagle will not fly without the poor”.
Thank you Father Ben for your great love for our country and for inspiring the young to make a difference in the lives of our people.
Caring for the poor and restoring the dignity of the Filipino in his own country have now become an urgent mission for Filipinos here and abroad. This is not just healing for our country’s poor and neglected but it is healing for me and many like me as well.
Unknown to most of you, for 32 years it wasn’t easy for me to return to Ateneo. I didn’t come to the reunions and homecomings, simply because of a sense of guilt of a person who grew up with the suffering poor but later forgot them after I got an Ateneo education. I was so focused on repackaging, and building up myself that I forgot the accompanying responsibility that came with the privilege of an Ateneo scholarship. I forgot the poor… I left them behind. I left them like so many others before me.
There are many who blame the rich and powerful for the plight of the poor. I know there is basis for the accusations but I cannot bring myself to blame them. How could I expect them to love the poor whom they do not know when I grew up poor and yet forgot to help them, too.
I realized my great shortcoming as a Filipino in 1985 when I joined Couples for Christ. It was then that I found my faith and grew a conscience and decided to live a righteous life… to correct the mistakes and the injustice committed to our country and to our people by people like me. Couples for Christ taught me to repent for my sins and to be genuinely sorry for the things I failed to do for my country and for my people.
I am really sorry for the state of things, because of my failure to do something about it. And many are now sorry, just like myself because of this state of degradation… But feeling sorry is not enough. Sorry does not restore beauty, sorry does not restore dignity, sorry does not restore the plan of God for man. Sorry begins it, but sorry is not enough.
What needs to be done is to bring sorry to action, to convert regret to reform, to lift apathy to compassion and development. We who have not done well by the talents and treasures we have been gifted with, we who have abdicated our responsibility of shepherding the poor and the young to their birthright of enjoying the treasures of a beautiful and abundant country, we who have seen the errors of our ways and are sorry --- we must now restore what we destroyed… or allowed to be destroyed.
Because the Ateneo is a Christian university which believes in the mission of forming students to become persons for others, the principle of good over evil goes beyond the fundamental understanding of right and wrong. It is not enough not to do wrong. To battle evil, we must do good. The path of reform and transformation for Ateneans… for Christians, must be one of peace. It must believe that good is more powerful than evil, and only in the exercise of good can evil be eliminated. Thus, the path of reform and transformation, personal and social, must be a path of good works.
Build homes. Build communities. Build capacities. Restore dignity. Restore abundance. Restore beauty. Restore peace. Build and restore, build and restore.
And you did! The eagle has landed in Payatas. Because you could not bring the poor of Payatas to Ateneo, you brought Ateneo to the poor of Payatas. In this once desolate place, you restored dignity, you have brought back hope!
The former squatters now have security in their land. You transformed 200 shanties -- the slum and the garbage have now become a beautiful middle class community. Crime has virtually disappeared. Former streetchildren are now in school. The idle have been motivated to find employment and are now living productive lives. Nawala ang sindikato sa lupa, sa tubig, at sa ilaw. You have transformed hell into a piece of heaven… all because you cared, you shared and you learned to work together. The grade school worked with their parents, the high school students gave up their parties… the college students gave up their weekends. And the Alumni from all over the world also helped.
I salute and honor the eagles of Payatas, especially Steph Limuaco, former President of the Ateneo Student Council and now full-time worker of Ateneo for Gawad Kalinga, students, parents, the caretaker team from CFC and Mayor Sonny Belmonte who not only paved the way for the poor to own the land in Payatas but also paved the roads.
Again you performed the same miracle in Gabaldon!
The surviving flood victims who were once squatters living in dangerous areas now have their own land in sites that have been cleared as environmentally safe and their own sturdy homes. Now the people are growing their own food and planting trees. Land for the landless, homes for the homeless, food for the hungry… For this I honor Mark Lawrence Cruz, the 300-strong Team Gabaldon and Mayor Mandia. You washed away the mud of despair and brought out the gold in the poor of Gabaldon.
Gabaldon is part of a massive rehabilitation and reconstruction effort called Kalinga Luzon that goes beyond the usual relief operations after the calamity. Malaki ang tulong dito ng 3 Atenista in helping 40,000 survivor families of the Luzon typhoons and floods… Secretary of National Defense and NDCC Chairman Avelino “Nonong” Cruz , Smart-PLDT Chairman Manny Pangilinan and former Agriculture Secretary Cito Lorenzo.
This afternoon I invited the proud leaders of Payatas and Gabaldon, together with the mayors of Cabiao, San Isidro, and Gen. Tinio, Nueva Ecija who have also benefited from the help of Ateneo. They are here to witness the graduation of a new breed of Ateneans and Filipinos who not only have the brains but also the heart for our country and our people.
The journey to rebuild our country is just beginning and moving towards massive upscaling with the entry of corporations, national government agencies, LGU’s and Filipino organizations abroad.
Corporations too are searching for a deeper and better _expression of corporate social responsibility. Rival corporations are rising above business competition to help. P&G and Unilever, Jollibee and McDonalds, Shell and Petron, Pfizer and Wyeth and Smart-PLDT… and over a hundred others. Sabi ng Shell “Kung may layunin, malayo ang inyong mararating”. Sabi ng Smart “We’re not just building homes, we’re building a nation”. Both campaigns are inspired by the spirit of Gawad Kalinga, the spirit of being a person for others – going beyond conventional charity towards helping the poor become better stewards of their families and their communities. Converting our human resource from liability to asset, expanding the market base by empowering the poor make good business sense!
This afternoon we have with us the country chairman of Shell Philippines, Mr. Ed Chua, who is from La Salle and the president of Pfizer, Mr. Gerry Bacarro, who is from Ateneo. Both are firm believers of corporate social responsibility geared towards nation-building. It is our hope that the stiff rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle in basketball will be elevated to a higher level of nobility of building the most number of houses and communities and educating the most number of poor children.
My fellow Ateneans, when you leave this campus, many of you will join these corporations and will be happy to note that they have a keener sense of social responsibility and a work environment that will nurture your idealism.
In the field of governance, more than 300 mayors and governors have chosen the same path of nation-building. Hundreds more will join this year and members of Congress are being inspired to do the same. Many of you will be the future mayors, governors and members of congress… and again will be happy to note that your predecessors have begun the path of building and restoring our country.
Even Filipinos abroad have found a reason to hope and a way to concretize their love for the motherland. Many have gone beyond sending resources… they themselves are coming home to help build the nation of their dreams… Bicolanos helping Bicol… The Ilonggos helping Negros and Panay… the Cebuanos helping Cebu… And the Fil-Am doctors are going beyond the usual medical mission and are building healthy communities as a way of giving back to a country that they have never stopped loving.
When you care for others, especially the weak and the powerless, you will be amazed at how God will take care of you and the people you love. Today I thank God for my wife and my five children who have joined me in this mission to help restore this beautiful land. This is the best legacy I can give them. I honor my son Jay, who at 22, left his job and an exciting life of fast cars and beautiful girls in L.A. to help the typhoon victims of Bicol… and my son-in-law Dylan Wilk who left his country England, his family and friends, his extravagant lifestyle - his Ferrari, his Porsche and BMW… in exchange for the poor families in this country that he has learned to love and care for.
And of course, the nameless and unrecognized workers and heroes of other Ateneo initiatives like Pathways, Tulong Dunong, Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines, Leaders for Health and other NGOs and cause-oriented groups who love this county… Today there are tens of thousands of them… tomorrow there will be millions. Together we will build a slum-free, squatter-free, crime-free Philippines.
And so in the same spirit of heroism, I urge you young Ateneans to do the same. After you leave this campus, there is no doubt that you will soar to great heights but it will all be meaningless if you fly alone. The poor do not have strong wings like you do and they need you to carry them, inspire them to discover their own strength and greatness. Sana eto ang walang iwanan.
For the parents, as you have invested in the future of your children by giving them the best education possible… support also your children’s desire to invest in the future of this country. They will honor you even more if you value their aspirations for nobility and their dreams for a better country that will be a source of pride for them and their children.
As we go through this defining moment of Philippine history, let us strive never to forget four things:
(1) Never stop hoping for our country.
(2) Don’t stop caring for our people.
(3) Demand greatness of yourself as a Filipino.
(4) Inspire greatness in other Filipinos.
As you leave the campus to join the real world, let your vision and the power that you have discovered to change the world, define what is real to you.
Make your love for this country and our people, especially the poor, your reality and your priority. Make it the foundation of your career plans, your dreams and ambitions for your children and the goal of any political or economic power that you have the privilege to wield.
Wherever you are in the world, excel and prosper but remain connected to the motherland and dedicate your success to the fulfillment not just of your dreams but to the many in your country who have lost their capacity to dream.
Do not be content in finding artificial security in gated subdivisions when you can provide yourself a buffer of peace by caring for the needy around you. Nor be content with living in first world luxury in a third world environment and contributing to the discontent and the growing threats around the security of your own family.
Give value to the land of your birth by sharing with those who for generations have been deprived of its use and abundance. Be a blessing to your children’s future by making it your responsibility to be father or mother to the abandoned and neglected.
Be the healing of the soul of this nation and the fulfillment of the dream that we have forgotten.
Be the proud Filipino that we are not yet, but soon will be.
Be the hero who finds courage and the conviction that this country is worth saving, because it is a gift from God and that your life is meaningless if it is not dedicated to the fulfillment of a divine destiny to be a great people.
Let me end this speech and send you off with a prayer.
Dear God, pour out your blessing upon our new graduates. Guide them in their journey to greatness. Show your power and majesty to this troubled and sinful nation through these young Filipinos who will strive to live lives of righteousness and excellence. Make them healers of our wounded people and restorers of our broken land. Anoint them as the new generation of living heroes who will bring this country to our destiny of greatness.
Mabuhay kayong mga bagong bayani ng bayan! Kayo ang bagong lakas ng pagbabago! Kayo ang magandang mukha ng kinabukasan!
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Monday, March 13, 2006
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Happy Birthday Jason!
diin an sibog padi? :-)Click here to send Jason a birthday card! his email addy is jacebalbedina @yahoo.c om
Friday, February 17, 2006
Junie's February 9 B-Day Celebration
We had a wonderful birthday celebration on February 9, 2006 at our residence. Thanks to everyone.
First to arrive was Fr. Peewee (in the company of two angels). He showed up at 3:00 pm to pick us up for a visit to Chinabank in Sorsogon City to withdraw the money for the fabrication of one stained glass. After the withdrawal, we dropped by the Bulwagang Pangkatarungan to personally invite Dante who seemed to have forgotten to respond to our text messages. He promised to join us after office hours.
We then proceeded home for Merienda.
Fr. Peewee left around 5 pm for a 6-pm mass in Bulan.
Around 30 minutes after Fr. Peewee had left, Henri's group arrived. He also had two angels with him. (At this point, my father wondered to my mom why my classmates seemed to be coming in the company of two girls/women each! For my part, i was already getting excited for the arrival of Dante. How many are coming with him? Ha ha ha.) After the meal, Henri's companions left.
Before 7 pm, Erwin, Dave and Rene arrived and were dismayed to know that Fr. Peewee had not waited for them to arrive. Madayaon kuno an Padi. Anyway, even without Fr. Peewee and Dante (who texted that he could no longer join us to attend to his ailing father) we had great fun.
Makangangalas ini na mga kaklase ta. Habo mag-irinum. Sige mi lang an iristoryahan. At 10 pm, we called it a "birth"day and they left.
First to arrive was Fr. Peewee (in the company of two angels). He showed up at 3:00 pm to pick us up for a visit to Chinabank in Sorsogon City to withdraw the money for the fabrication of one stained glass. After the withdrawal, we dropped by the Bulwagang Pangkatarungan to personally invite Dante who seemed to have forgotten to respond to our text messages. He promised to join us after office hours.We then proceeded home for Merienda.
Fr. Peewee left around 5 pm for a 6-pm mass in Bulan.
Around 30 minutes after Fr. Peewee had left, Henri's group arrived. He also had two angels with him. (At this point, my father wondered to my mom why my classmates seemed to be coming in the company of two girls/women each! For my part, i was already getting excited for the arrival of Dante. How many are coming with him? Ha ha ha.) After the meal, Henri's companions left.
Before 7 pm, Erwin, Dave and Rene arrived and were dismayed to know that Fr. Peewee had not waited for them to arrive. Madayaon kuno an Padi. Anyway, even without Fr. Peewee and Dante (who texted that he could no longer join us to attend to his ailing father) we had great fun.
Makangangalas ini na mga kaklase ta. Habo mag-irinum. Sige mi lang an iristoryahan. At 10 pm, we called it a "birth"day and they left.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Happy Birthday Gabby!
padi naghuhulat-hulat lang kami san handa mo :-)
Click here to send Gabby a birthday card! his email addy is g lagamayo@yahoo.co m
Monday, February 13, 2006
Happy Birthday Mervs!
Anong handa mo mervs?Click here to send Mervs a birthday card! his email addy is m ervin.hael@rrd.co m
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Happy Birthday Junie!
happy birthday junie! kelan an irinuman?Click here to send Junie a birthday card! his email addy is fauscon@yahoo.com
Monday, February 06, 2006
FR. PEEWEE'S 8TH ORDINATION ANNIVERSARY, FEBRUARY 5, 2006
Last Wednesday I texted Fr. Peewee to tell him about our batch's donation for the renovation of the church in Butag not knowing that in a few days' time he'd be celebrating his 8th ordination anniversary. In his response, he included an invitation for our class to visit him on this anniversary. So i started texting our classmates who are based in Sorsogon. Unfortunately, most of them couldn't make it, except for Dave who also backed out at the eleventh hour to attend to his "expectant sow".
Fortunately, Henri showed up in our house in the morning of February 5 so i dragged him along to Butag. When we reached Butag around 1:30 pm, Fr. Peewee and his family (sira Sir Ipe tabi nan Ma'm Reno. Lain asawa nan batit ni Fr. Peewee. He he he.) had already left for San Benon.
But Henri and I were pleasantly surprised to see how big the improvement has been in the renovation of the church since our visit in October 2005. See for yourselves in the pictures below. Matibayon an kaklase ta. Makaskason an trabaho sa simbahan.
Kudos to Fr. Peewee!
Our donation will be installed on one of the side windows.
Naglanat kami sa San Benon.
Pag-abot mi, hinakbot tulos ni Henri an Sweet and Sour na isda.
Still very strong and healthy si Ma'm Reno.
Fortunately, Henri showed up in our house in the morning of February 5 so i dragged him along to Butag. When we reached Butag around 1:30 pm, Fr. Peewee and his family (sira Sir Ipe tabi nan Ma'm Reno. Lain asawa nan batit ni Fr. Peewee. He he he.) had already left for San Benon.
But Henri and I were pleasantly surprised to see how big the improvement has been in the renovation of the church since our visit in October 2005. See for yourselves in the pictures below. Matibayon an kaklase ta. Makaskason an trabaho sa simbahan.
Kudos to Fr. Peewee!
Our donation will be installed on one of the side windows.
Naglanat kami sa San Benon.
Pag-abot mi, hinakbot tulos ni Henri an Sweet and Sour na isda.
Still very strong and healthy si Ma'm Reno.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Kitakits sa Sunday - Jan 22
mga padi, pwede kamo sa isang dinner meeting sa sunday, jan. 22? star of the show si moonvale, our long lost batchmate. wala pa venue so if u have suggestions pls. text rino.
agenda will be post xmas and new year celebrations, 2006 calendar of acitivities and 20th anniversary summer outing
Tyrone will fly down from cebu for this "special" occasion. Also specal request daw po pala for the following; Yayes, Franz, Moonvale, BJ, Dino, Mervs and the Bikol delegation.
pls. textback to rino for confirmation
agenda will be post xmas and new year celebrations, 2006 calendar of acitivities and 20th anniversary summer outing
Tyrone will fly down from cebu for this "special" occasion. Also specal request daw po pala for the following; Yayes, Franz, Moonvale, BJ, Dino, Mervs and the Bikol delegation.
pls. textback to rino for confirmation
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Music goodness from a guitar god
jerry c is definitely my guitar god. i'm just completely amazed by his guitar playing skills. mad skillz man!!!! talagang my jaw drops seeing and hearing him play. i love his electric rock version of Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel. hanep sa alright talaga!!! nakakaalis lungkot hehehe :-)
also check out his wedding in the dream and rock on
also check out his wedding in the dream and rock on
Friday, January 13, 2006
Fun stuff
its been boring here lately. heto pampasaya - two chinese college students having fun with the backstreet boys
btw, this plays better if you are on fast internet connection- dsl or cable.
btw, this plays better if you are on fast internet connection- dsl or cable.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Jet in Hongkong
at the hongkong disneyland. we got in free by the way courtesy of a filipino friend ;-) there's lots of pinoy workers there. we werent able to explore the whole park coz there were so many people - from mainland china and the Philippine SEA Games gold medalist were there too - with mike arroyo no less and - there were so many things to do
we dont like rides so we catched the shows and the favo hands down was the philharmonic show - a kind of 3d animation show where not only can you see the movie in 3d with surround sound, you can actually smell the food shown on the screen and they even had water spraying us when during a water splashing scene as in real water that got us a bit wet. it was just simply amazing.
me during one of the anti-wto rally. it was actually festive and peaceful. far from the violent or rowdy event bannered by the hysterical media. it was i think boring for the media so they had to hyped things up a bit. Hongkong people were nice and tolerant and also the police. one of the famous chants during the rallies was in fact "we love hongkong, we love hongkong police" . the police were really nice and helpful it was a bit unnerving
see the shirt? maelstrom ina :p at the hongkong airport going home.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
kinder junie and vic
hanep an japorms san duwa didi na taga-gubat. mga angelito ano :Dpix courtesy of sano ronny y. (b85)
Monday, November 21, 2005
MAELSTROM
BY YAYES BASARES
We were 29 when we entered OLPS way back in 1982 – about a thousand hairs ago. Only one became a priest. Some left early, others almost made it. Some (may) have shed tears, for others a feeling of frustration, still others resignation.
I left early and carried the mark of an ex-seminarian like a stigma attached to an identity of failure. I tried, in vain, to go back. Truth to tell, every single soul who entered the portals of OLPS and stayed there for at least a year carried with him in his heart the burning desire of becoming a priest. I am no exception.
Nothing outside could offer the same feeling of joy and happiness OLPS did. There was always a void space inside, an empty feeling. Joy and happiness inside OLPS was joy and happiness rooted in faith. It was this joy and happiness from where MAELSTROM was born.
Now in the midst of my agony of dwindling hairs and early manifestation of memory gap (Jesus H. Christ) I could no longer recall the names of all the girls I have loved before (hehehe) nor the names and faces of all my classmates in high school and college, but MAELSTROM remains embedded.
For MAELSTROM is special. It speaks of bonding in diversity; of respect and concern, of friendship between distance; of family through ages.
I am proud I am MAELSTROM. I am proud I am SANO.
I told my son, “when you finish your elementary please enter OLPS. By that time you need not call me daddy, call me SANO.”
My son smiles back. As always in his most mischievous manner. God help me!
We were 29 when we entered OLPS way back in 1982 – about a thousand hairs ago. Only one became a priest. Some left early, others almost made it. Some (may) have shed tears, for others a feeling of frustration, still others resignation.
I left early and carried the mark of an ex-seminarian like a stigma attached to an identity of failure. I tried, in vain, to go back. Truth to tell, every single soul who entered the portals of OLPS and stayed there for at least a year carried with him in his heart the burning desire of becoming a priest. I am no exception.
Nothing outside could offer the same feeling of joy and happiness OLPS did. There was always a void space inside, an empty feeling. Joy and happiness inside OLPS was joy and happiness rooted in faith. It was this joy and happiness from where MAELSTROM was born.
Now in the midst of my agony of dwindling hairs and early manifestation of memory gap (Jesus H. Christ) I could no longer recall the names of all the girls I have loved before (hehehe) nor the names and faces of all my classmates in high school and college, but MAELSTROM remains embedded.
For MAELSTROM is special. It speaks of bonding in diversity; of respect and concern, of friendship between distance; of family through ages.
I am proud I am MAELSTROM. I am proud I am SANO.
I told my son, “when you finish your elementary please enter OLPS. By that time you need not call me daddy, call me SANO.”
My son smiles back. As always in his most mischievous manner. God help me!
Friday, November 18, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Pix from Collins
mga padi! collins has uploaded new pix via flickr today! galing ni collins nafigure out kaagad yung flckr :D
lots of pix, some are private which u can only view by logging in using our pass :-)
here's the pix of that cool beach resort in butag. going up the parking lot.
a lovely landscape shot by collins. bulusan volcano maybe?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
De Sacerdotalis Caelibatus
by Kit Gacias
(Diary Entry: 02-14-93)
I have just received a Valentine card from a lady and it was really touching. I really had a very pleasant time reading and re-reading her message. Some words which she had written started to bother me, however. May I quote the words thus:
“By Jove, are you really going to become a priest? You are so sweet and thoughtful – traits that are better found not among ordained ministers but among future husbands. For your sweetness and thoughtfulness are just as spontaneous as the flowing rivers and oftentimes your thoughts are just as immeasurable as the deepest sea. I know you could be a greater lover than a priest. And it is no wonder at all that you’ve made a special place for yourself deep in my heart.”
Very flattering words, they indeed are. Especially made tempting since they come from a very beautiful lady. But that someone would remark that I am better as a lover than as a seminarian – or as a future priest really disturbs me a whole lot. While I admit that I am indeed flattered – and really tempted - with the remark, it nonetheless bothers me more. It offers me something to reflect on. I ask myself, why can’t I be both, a priest and a lover – especially in the emotional and physical sense - at the same time? Sayang, I could have enjoyed life more, couldn’t I?
This may sound apologetic but the question seeks a scape-goat, something which it can lay the blame upon, something whose very nature could offer a possible answer or at least simulate one convincing explanation. And obviously, it all redounds to the issue of celibacy – that priests are not allowed to marry and concurrently, that seminarians – those who contemplate of becoming priests – should not indulge in premarital relationships.
Albeit I have considerably studied the subject in the seminary, and albeit I have already consigned myself to the prevailing and accepted contention that it is an essential element of priestly discipline, still I cannot but entertain some questions that pertain to its nature, effects and relevance. Somehow, I cannot but ask myself, is the priest, by professing the vow of celibacy and by being entrapped by the clerical environment, also being put in the wrong place and is excluded from normal life, something like a square peg in a round hole? Is he deprived, bypassed and denied of one basic need and luxury of humanity? Does he outrightly reject his humanity or his masculinity for that matter by professing the vow of celibacy? Or does celibacy produce a good effect in him after all? And finally, what really is celibacy and why should it be demanded of priests?
Nominally, the word celibacy came from the Latin “coelebs” which means “single” or “alone.” Strictly speaking, however, this word applies to everyone who has not contracted matrimony regardless of his motivations. The Italians for instance, call “celibe” a man who is not married.
However, the practice of celibacy, strictly speaking, implies religious motivation. In this case, the word “celibacy” may be qualified with the adjectives “ecclesiastical,” “clerical,” or “priestly.”
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical “Sacerdotalis Caelibatus” defines priestly celibacy as “the voluntary renunciation of the natural and lawful desire of man to love a woman and to raise a family for the sake of the kingdom of God.” In this light, the celibate ordained minister not only is and remains unmarried but also endeavors to forego all directly willful indulgence in the pleasures of genital sex, whether with others or alone.
The practice of celibacy can be seen already existing among the sacred ministers in Christian antiquity. Tertullian, Ephiphanius, Eusebius of Caesarea, Cyril of Jerusalem and many others can be cited as witnesses to the fact that innumerable clerics have remained unmarried for the Lord’s sake. From a biblical perspective, the New Testament foundations for celibacy as a Christian way of life can be gleaned from the example of St. Paul. Christ, accordingly, also did not marry.
But all of these are still highly debatable. To date, for example, no one could still authoritatively dispute the possibility that Christ had a woman, or more far out, even had children. On a biblical basis, the Church calls St. Paul to the defense of celibacy but she does not explain what the Saint meant in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Concerning celibacy, I have no commandment of the Lord.” Or, in that same letter: “Do we not have the right to marry a believing woman like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” Or in his first letter to Timothy: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife… one that rules his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.”
At the most, there is only one biblical passage that is brought forward in defense of clerical celibacy. It is the text of Matthew 19:10: “If that is the case between man and wife, it is better not to marry. Jesus replies: Not everyone can accept this teaching, only those to whom it is given to do so. Some men are incapable of sexual activity from birth; some there are who have freely renounced sex for the sake of God’s reign.”
But even so, it can still be argued that while Christ and St. Paul might have regarded celibacy as superior and thus embraced that life-style, still nowhere in the Scriptures did Christ or St. Paul demand celibacy of anyone. And of course no one will find in it any mention of recent studies that claim that St. Paul, unlike the other apostles, vouched for celibacy and remained unmarried because he might have been suffering from sexual impotence.
For our discussions here, I would like to point out that based on present ecclesiastical setup, there are two forms of clerical celibacy. The first is clerical celibacy as an option. Here, celibacy is freely chosen and freely accepted particularly for the love of God. This we may see in the lives of Mother Theresa, St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio, Pope John XXIII and St. Theresa of Avila. This form of celibacy is the true celibacy for it is a gift and gifts are not always given to everyone. The text of Matthew 19:10 is very clear: “Only those to whom it is given…”
The second form of clerical celibacy is the compulsory celibacy. Here, celibacy is not a gift but a mere form of discipline, something which is imposed by a system or a superior order. This form is introduced and developed by the Church throughout its history. And this form of celibacy is, I believe although I am quite afraid to accept it, the kind of celibacy that most of our priests now seek to profess.
As we may see, the distinction offered above is very important for our understanding of the subject not only because it is thought of before that there was only one form of celibacy, but more importantly, because the two were often confused and muddled. I believe, for instance, that in the text of Matthew 19:10, Jesus was only referring to the first form of celibacy (for there was only one form then), that is, celibacy as an option and gift, although it will be seen that the Church would later use it to address also the second form of celibacy, that is, celibacy as a compulsory discipline. In other words, what Christ has excluded, the Church later on included.
Of course, as already mentioned, in the beginning, there was only one form of celibacy, that is, celibacy as an option and gift. It is said that the communal practice of celibacy entered Christianity via monasticism. It appears that the first attempts to legislate celibacy on the clergy may be traced back to the practice of instituting common life among ordained ministers on a more or less monastic pattern. However, according to Edward Schileebeeckx in his book “The Church with a Human Face,” celibacy originated in a partly pagan notion of ritual purity. Accordingly, in the fourth century, a law forbade a married priest from having sexual intercourse the night before celebrating the Eucharist. When the Western Church began to celebrate the Eucharist daily, this abstinence became a permanent condition for married priests. And a priest was obliged to live with his wife as if she were a sister, which became more and more intolerable. Finally, in 1123 at the first Lateran Council, the Church forbade altogether the marriage of priests and declared such marriages null and void. It is the first recorded ecumenical council to require celibacy of all the clergy. Thus, enters the second form of celibacy, i.e., as a compulsory form of discipline.
It is noteworthy however, that the first recorded case of a law on celibacy occurs in the Synod of Elvira in Spain (c. 306). Likewise, while the Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 did not impose celibacy on all priests, it nonetheless forbade marriage after diaconate.
A different but parallel and equally convincing account on the origin of compulsory celibacy as imposed by the Church is likewise raised by Sidney Ehler in his book “Twenty Centuries of Church and State” wherein he states that celibacy was imposed in the eleventh century during the ascendancy of the Church in the feudal society. Accordingly, the feudalization of the Church involved the selling of benefices to the highest bidder by the patrons of various churches. Since there was a tendency to make the church benefices hereditary because a great number of the clergy were married and had children quite openly, clerical marriage became the root cause of such evil. Reformers formed in Rome, headed by Cardinal Hildebrand. Their principal aim was the dematerialization of the Church, concentrating on stamping out the two greatest evils: clerical marriage and simony. Then, in 1073, Hildebrand was elected pope under the name of Pope Gregory VII. And that was the beginning of the Gregorian Reformation, considered as one of the most glorious chapters in the history of Christianity.
Parenthetically, it is highly significant that throughout these centuries of canonical legislation on clerical celibacy, the popes of succeeding generations promoted, defended and restored ecclesiastical celibacy even when they met opposition from the clergy itself. As A.M. Stickler observes in his book “Priesthood and Celibacy,” “it was solely the Roman primacy that succeeded in regaining full observance of the ancient discipline as a rule of life (p. 550).”
Now, in the foregoing discussions on the historical development of clerical celibacy, it may be noted that the Church’s canonical legislations on the subject were concerned merely with the second form of clerical celibacy – celibacy as a compulsory discipline. It willfully neglects to acknowledge the first form, that is, celibacy as a free option and gift.
It is with such a history that, no longer at ease in the old dispensation, thousands upon thousands of priests are now rising and walking out of the ministry. The records say it all: more than thirty thousand priests have walked out of the priesthood since 1975! If all priests in earlier centuries could marry, why can’t they now? Isn’t it that celibacy from the very beginning was merely optional and never compulsory? Isn’t it that Christ Himself merely referred to celibacy as a gift and hence, optional rather than a compulsory discipline?
And they’re there, and they’ll wait it out, pushing every system and every person concerned to change the whole thing.
As for me, I am convinced that priests should be given the freedom to choose. Two options are clear: Celibacy as a free option and gift and celibacy as a compulsory discipline.
Dear Reverend Father: Which one would ye choose?
Postscript: “I made the vow of chastity, but did nothing to remove the strength of desire, to which I have succumbed in passing fashion.” – Abbe Pierre, 93-year-old Roman Catholic priest and one of France’s most revered public figures, suggesting he has had sex, in a book excerpted last week.
- from Time, November 7, 2005 issue, page 9.
Sources
1. Msgr. Antonio Rañola, DD, “Priestly Celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church,” Boletin Ecclesiastico de Filipinas, ed. by Vicente G. Cajilig, OP, Manila: Santo Tomas University Press, Vol. LXVI, nos. 728-729, July-august 1990, pp. 395-400.
2. A.M. Stickler, Priesthood and Celibacy.
3. ______________, Valentine Card, 4 February 1993.
(Diary Entry: 02-14-93)
“Do I regret that I have never been married? Do I miss having children and grandchildren? Is there something absent in my life because there has never been a relationship of long term sexual passion with a woman? The answer to those questions is yes.”
Fr. Andrew M. Greeley, in “Confessions of a Parish Priest”
Fr. Andrew M. Greeley, in “Confessions of a Parish Priest”
I have just received a Valentine card from a lady and it was really touching. I really had a very pleasant time reading and re-reading her message. Some words which she had written started to bother me, however. May I quote the words thus:
“By Jove, are you really going to become a priest? You are so sweet and thoughtful – traits that are better found not among ordained ministers but among future husbands. For your sweetness and thoughtfulness are just as spontaneous as the flowing rivers and oftentimes your thoughts are just as immeasurable as the deepest sea. I know you could be a greater lover than a priest. And it is no wonder at all that you’ve made a special place for yourself deep in my heart.”
Very flattering words, they indeed are. Especially made tempting since they come from a very beautiful lady. But that someone would remark that I am better as a lover than as a seminarian – or as a future priest really disturbs me a whole lot. While I admit that I am indeed flattered – and really tempted - with the remark, it nonetheless bothers me more. It offers me something to reflect on. I ask myself, why can’t I be both, a priest and a lover – especially in the emotional and physical sense - at the same time? Sayang, I could have enjoyed life more, couldn’t I?
This may sound apologetic but the question seeks a scape-goat, something which it can lay the blame upon, something whose very nature could offer a possible answer or at least simulate one convincing explanation. And obviously, it all redounds to the issue of celibacy – that priests are not allowed to marry and concurrently, that seminarians – those who contemplate of becoming priests – should not indulge in premarital relationships.
Albeit I have considerably studied the subject in the seminary, and albeit I have already consigned myself to the prevailing and accepted contention that it is an essential element of priestly discipline, still I cannot but entertain some questions that pertain to its nature, effects and relevance. Somehow, I cannot but ask myself, is the priest, by professing the vow of celibacy and by being entrapped by the clerical environment, also being put in the wrong place and is excluded from normal life, something like a square peg in a round hole? Is he deprived, bypassed and denied of one basic need and luxury of humanity? Does he outrightly reject his humanity or his masculinity for that matter by professing the vow of celibacy? Or does celibacy produce a good effect in him after all? And finally, what really is celibacy and why should it be demanded of priests?
Nominally, the word celibacy came from the Latin “coelebs” which means “single” or “alone.” Strictly speaking, however, this word applies to everyone who has not contracted matrimony regardless of his motivations. The Italians for instance, call “celibe” a man who is not married.
However, the practice of celibacy, strictly speaking, implies religious motivation. In this case, the word “celibacy” may be qualified with the adjectives “ecclesiastical,” “clerical,” or “priestly.”
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical “Sacerdotalis Caelibatus” defines priestly celibacy as “the voluntary renunciation of the natural and lawful desire of man to love a woman and to raise a family for the sake of the kingdom of God.” In this light, the celibate ordained minister not only is and remains unmarried but also endeavors to forego all directly willful indulgence in the pleasures of genital sex, whether with others or alone.
The practice of celibacy can be seen already existing among the sacred ministers in Christian antiquity. Tertullian, Ephiphanius, Eusebius of Caesarea, Cyril of Jerusalem and many others can be cited as witnesses to the fact that innumerable clerics have remained unmarried for the Lord’s sake. From a biblical perspective, the New Testament foundations for celibacy as a Christian way of life can be gleaned from the example of St. Paul. Christ, accordingly, also did not marry.
But all of these are still highly debatable. To date, for example, no one could still authoritatively dispute the possibility that Christ had a woman, or more far out, even had children. On a biblical basis, the Church calls St. Paul to the defense of celibacy but she does not explain what the Saint meant in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Concerning celibacy, I have no commandment of the Lord.” Or, in that same letter: “Do we not have the right to marry a believing woman like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” Or in his first letter to Timothy: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife… one that rules his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.”
At the most, there is only one biblical passage that is brought forward in defense of clerical celibacy. It is the text of Matthew 19:10: “If that is the case between man and wife, it is better not to marry. Jesus replies: Not everyone can accept this teaching, only those to whom it is given to do so. Some men are incapable of sexual activity from birth; some there are who have freely renounced sex for the sake of God’s reign.”
But even so, it can still be argued that while Christ and St. Paul might have regarded celibacy as superior and thus embraced that life-style, still nowhere in the Scriptures did Christ or St. Paul demand celibacy of anyone. And of course no one will find in it any mention of recent studies that claim that St. Paul, unlike the other apostles, vouched for celibacy and remained unmarried because he might have been suffering from sexual impotence.
For our discussions here, I would like to point out that based on present ecclesiastical setup, there are two forms of clerical celibacy. The first is clerical celibacy as an option. Here, celibacy is freely chosen and freely accepted particularly for the love of God. This we may see in the lives of Mother Theresa, St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio, Pope John XXIII and St. Theresa of Avila. This form of celibacy is the true celibacy for it is a gift and gifts are not always given to everyone. The text of Matthew 19:10 is very clear: “Only those to whom it is given…”
The second form of clerical celibacy is the compulsory celibacy. Here, celibacy is not a gift but a mere form of discipline, something which is imposed by a system or a superior order. This form is introduced and developed by the Church throughout its history. And this form of celibacy is, I believe although I am quite afraid to accept it, the kind of celibacy that most of our priests now seek to profess.
As we may see, the distinction offered above is very important for our understanding of the subject not only because it is thought of before that there was only one form of celibacy, but more importantly, because the two were often confused and muddled. I believe, for instance, that in the text of Matthew 19:10, Jesus was only referring to the first form of celibacy (for there was only one form then), that is, celibacy as an option and gift, although it will be seen that the Church would later use it to address also the second form of celibacy, that is, celibacy as a compulsory discipline. In other words, what Christ has excluded, the Church later on included.
Of course, as already mentioned, in the beginning, there was only one form of celibacy, that is, celibacy as an option and gift. It is said that the communal practice of celibacy entered Christianity via monasticism. It appears that the first attempts to legislate celibacy on the clergy may be traced back to the practice of instituting common life among ordained ministers on a more or less monastic pattern. However, according to Edward Schileebeeckx in his book “The Church with a Human Face,” celibacy originated in a partly pagan notion of ritual purity. Accordingly, in the fourth century, a law forbade a married priest from having sexual intercourse the night before celebrating the Eucharist. When the Western Church began to celebrate the Eucharist daily, this abstinence became a permanent condition for married priests. And a priest was obliged to live with his wife as if she were a sister, which became more and more intolerable. Finally, in 1123 at the first Lateran Council, the Church forbade altogether the marriage of priests and declared such marriages null and void. It is the first recorded ecumenical council to require celibacy of all the clergy. Thus, enters the second form of celibacy, i.e., as a compulsory form of discipline.
It is noteworthy however, that the first recorded case of a law on celibacy occurs in the Synod of Elvira in Spain (c. 306). Likewise, while the Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 did not impose celibacy on all priests, it nonetheless forbade marriage after diaconate.
A different but parallel and equally convincing account on the origin of compulsory celibacy as imposed by the Church is likewise raised by Sidney Ehler in his book “Twenty Centuries of Church and State” wherein he states that celibacy was imposed in the eleventh century during the ascendancy of the Church in the feudal society. Accordingly, the feudalization of the Church involved the selling of benefices to the highest bidder by the patrons of various churches. Since there was a tendency to make the church benefices hereditary because a great number of the clergy were married and had children quite openly, clerical marriage became the root cause of such evil. Reformers formed in Rome, headed by Cardinal Hildebrand. Their principal aim was the dematerialization of the Church, concentrating on stamping out the two greatest evils: clerical marriage and simony. Then, in 1073, Hildebrand was elected pope under the name of Pope Gregory VII. And that was the beginning of the Gregorian Reformation, considered as one of the most glorious chapters in the history of Christianity.
Parenthetically, it is highly significant that throughout these centuries of canonical legislation on clerical celibacy, the popes of succeeding generations promoted, defended and restored ecclesiastical celibacy even when they met opposition from the clergy itself. As A.M. Stickler observes in his book “Priesthood and Celibacy,” “it was solely the Roman primacy that succeeded in regaining full observance of the ancient discipline as a rule of life (p. 550).”
Now, in the foregoing discussions on the historical development of clerical celibacy, it may be noted that the Church’s canonical legislations on the subject were concerned merely with the second form of clerical celibacy – celibacy as a compulsory discipline. It willfully neglects to acknowledge the first form, that is, celibacy as a free option and gift.
It is with such a history that, no longer at ease in the old dispensation, thousands upon thousands of priests are now rising and walking out of the ministry. The records say it all: more than thirty thousand priests have walked out of the priesthood since 1975! If all priests in earlier centuries could marry, why can’t they now? Isn’t it that celibacy from the very beginning was merely optional and never compulsory? Isn’t it that Christ Himself merely referred to celibacy as a gift and hence, optional rather than a compulsory discipline?
And they’re there, and they’ll wait it out, pushing every system and every person concerned to change the whole thing.
As for me, I am convinced that priests should be given the freedom to choose. Two options are clear: Celibacy as a free option and gift and celibacy as a compulsory discipline.
Dear Reverend Father: Which one would ye choose?
Postscript: “I made the vow of chastity, but did nothing to remove the strength of desire, to which I have succumbed in passing fashion.” – Abbe Pierre, 93-year-old Roman Catholic priest and one of France’s most revered public figures, suggesting he has had sex, in a book excerpted last week.
- from Time, November 7, 2005 issue, page 9.
Sources
1. Msgr. Antonio Rañola, DD, “Priestly Celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church,” Boletin Ecclesiastico de Filipinas, ed. by Vicente G. Cajilig, OP, Manila: Santo Tomas University Press, Vol. LXVI, nos. 728-729, July-august 1990, pp. 395-400.
2. A.M. Stickler, Priesthood and Celibacy.
3. ______________, Valentine Card, 4 February 1993.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
da holy men!
hehehe, rino, dante, jason and tyrone looking good and saintly with the big boss, Bishop Arturo Bastes 
Friday, October 28, 2005
in da chapel
relaxing in the chapel which is still under renovation. i kinda miss the old chapel with its heigh ceilings and long pews. it looked spacious and felt light then. not cramped and kulob as it is now
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)