MikeLigalig.com

Our Parish Church, St. Mary of the Lake, has recently been talking about this as well -- the re-evanglization of the Church.

We have weekly meetings in the basement that discusses about the Faith in today's world, the importance of stressing the sanctity of the human life in today's world, as well as group bible study.

I also wanted to share this video that was shared with all of us by our pastoral priest.

comfortable man sigoro ning bajiha sa ijang lingkuranan.

Quote from: islander on April 03, 2011, 01:05:19 PM
about time.  sila ra ba diay ang magsigeg hangyo unya kita pay ma-bullied.  life sentence pod intawon sa atua nang chinese drug manufacturers no?

The Philippines is a merciful country.

puppy kisses

by: Lorenz de tubag bohol



my paw rises over
his kisses surround me
over the elbow over
my pup whimpers so

Catholic Converts

on my green shoulders

by: lorenz de tubag bohol



on my green shoulders
the little one rides
eyes and mouth open
two hearts are one.

The Human Person: A Dignity Violated and Exalted

5. We furthermore call to mind the violations to which the human person is subjected. When the individual is not recognized and loved in the person's dignity as the living image of God (cf. Gen 1:26), the human being is exposed to more humiliating and degrading forms of "manipulation", that most assuredly reduce the individual to a slavery to those who are stronger. "Those who are stronger" can take a variety of names: an ideology; economic power, political and inhumane systems, scientific technocracy or the intrusiveness of the mass-media. Once again we find ourselves before many persons, our sisters and brothers, whose fundamental rights are being violated, owing to their exceedingly great capacity for endurance and to the clear injustice of certain civil laws: the right to life and to integrity, the right to a house and to work, the right to a family and responsible parenthood, the right to participation in public and political life, the right to freedom of conscience and the practice of religion.

Who is able to count the number of babies unborn because they have been killed in their mothers' wombs, children abandoned and abused by their own parents, children who grow without affection and education? In some countries entire populations are deprived of housing and work, lacking the means absolutely essential for leading a life worthy of a human being, and are deprived even of those things necessary for their sustenance. There are great areas of poverty and of misery, both physical and moral, existing at this moment on the periphery of great cities. Entire groups of human beings have been seriously afflicted.

But the sacredness of the human person cannot be obliterated, no matter how often it is devalued and violated because it has its unshakable foundation in God as Creator and Father. The sacredness of the person always keeps returning, again and again.

The sense of the dignity of the human person must be pondered and reaffirmed in stronger. terms. A beneficial trend is advancing and permeating all peoples of the earth, making them ever more aware of the dignity of the individual: the person is not at all a "thing" or an "object" to be used, but primarily a responsible "subject", one endowed with conscience and freedom, called to live responsibly in society and history, and oriented towards spiritual and religious values.

It has been said that ours is the time of "humanism": paradoxically, some of its atheistic and secularistic forms arrive at a point where the human person is diminished and annihilated; other forms of humanism, instead, exalt the individual in such a manner that these forms become a veritable and real idolatry. There are still other forms, however, in line with the truth, which rightly acknowledge the greatness and misery of individuals and manifest, sustain and foster the total dignity of the human person.

The sign and fruit of this trend towards humanism is the growing need for participation, which is undoubtedly one of the distinctive features of present-day humanity, a true "sign of the times" that is developing in various fields and in different ways: above all the growing need for participation regarding women and young people, not only in areas of family and academic life, but also in cultural, economic, social and political areas. To be leading characters in this development, in some ways to be creators of a new, more humane culture, is a requirement both for the individual and for peoples as a whole(10).

Conflict and Peace

6. Finally, we are unable to overlook another phenomenon that is quite evident in present-day humanity: perhaps as never before in history, humanity is daily buffeted by conflict. This is a phenomenon which has many forms, displayed in a legitimate plurality of mentalities and initiatives, but manifested in the fatal opposition of persons, groups, categories, nations and blocks of nations. This opposition takes the form of violence, of terrorism, and of war. Once again, but with proportions enormously widespread, diverse sectors of humanity today, wishing to show their "omnipotence", renew the futile experience of constructing the "Tower of Babel" (cf. Gen 11:1-9), which spreads confusion, struggle, disintegration and oppression. The human family is thus in itself dramatically convulsed and wounded.

On the other hand, totally unsupressible is that human longing experienced by individuals and whole peoples for the inestimable good of peace in justice. The gospel beatitude: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Mt 5:9) finds in the people of our time a new and significant resonance: entire populations today live, suffer and labour to bring about peace and justice. The participation by so many persons and groups in the life of society is increasingly pursued today as the way to make a desired peace become a reality.

On this road we meet many lay faithful generously committed to the social and political field, working in a variety of institutional forms and those of a voluntary nature in service to the least.

Jesus Christ, the Hope of Humanity

7. This, then, is the vast field of labour that stands before the labourers sent forth by the "householder" to work in his vineyard.

In this field the Church is present and working, every one of us, Pastors, priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful. The adverse situations here mentioned deeply affect the Church: they in part condition the Church, but they do not crush her, nor even less overcome her, because the Holy Spirit, who gives her life, sustains her in her mission.

Despite every difficulty, delay and contradiction caused by the limits of human nature, by sin and by the Evil One, the Church knows that all the forces that humanity employs for communion and participation find a full response in the intervention of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man and of the world.

The Church knows that she is sent forth by him as "sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of all the human race"(11).

Despite all this, then, humanity is able to hope. Indeed it must hope: the living and personal Gospel, Jesus Christ himself, is the "good news" and the bearer of joy that the Church announces each day, and to whom the Church bears testimony before all people.

The lay faithful have an essential and irreplaceable role in this announcement and in this testimony: through them the Church of Christ is made present in the various sectors of the world, as a sign and source of hope and of love.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=669

Written by: John Paul II



To Bishops
To Priests and Deacons
To Women and Men Religious
and to All the Lay Faithful

INTRODUCTION

1. THE LAY MEMBERS of Christ's Faithful People (Christifideles Laici), whose "Vocation and Mission in the Church and in the World Twenty Years after the Second Vatican Council" was the topic of the 1987 Synod of Bishops, are those who form that part of the People of God which might be likened to the labourers in the vineyard mentioned in Matthew's Gospel: "For the Kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard" (Mt 20:1-2).

The gospel parable sets before our eyes the Lord's vast vineyard and the multitude of persons, both women and men, who are called and sent forth by him to labour in it. The vineyard is the whole world (cf. Mt 13:38), which is to be transformed according to the plan of God in view of the final coming of the Kingdom of God.

You Go Into My Vineyard Too

2. "And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too'" (Mt 20:3-4).

From that distant day the call of the Lord Jesus "You go into my vineyard too" never fails to resound in the course of history: it is addressed to every person who comes into this world.

In our times, the Church after Vatican II in a renewed outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost has come to a more lively awareness of her missionary nature and has listened again to the voice of her Lord who sends her forth into the world as "the universal sacrament of salvation"(1).

You go too. The call is a concern not only of Pastors, clergy, and men and women religious. The call is addressed to everyone: lay people as well are personally called by the Lord, from whom they receive a mission on behalf of the Church and the world. In preaching to the people Saint Gregory the Great recalls this fact and comments on the parable of the labourers in the vineyard: "Keep watch over your manner of life, dear people, and make sure that you are indeed the Lord's labourers. Each person should take into account what he does and consider if he is labouring in the vineyard of the Lord"(2).

The Council, in particular, with its rich doctrinal, spiritual and pastoral patrimony, has written as never before on the nature, dignity, spirituality, mission and responsibility of the lay faithful. And the Council Fathers, re-echoing the call of Christ, have summoned all the lay faithful, both women and men, to labour in the vineyard: "The Council, then, makes an earnest plea in the Lord's name that all lay people give a glad, generous, and prompt response to the impulse of the Holy Spirit and to the voice of Christ, who is giving them an especially urgent invitation at this moment. Young people should feel that this call is directed to them in particular, and they should respond to it eagerly and magnanimously. The Lord himself renews his invitation to all the lay faithful to come closer to him every day, and with the recognition that what is his is also their own (Phil 2:5) they ought to associate themselves with him in his saving mission. Once again he sends them into every town and place where he himself is to come (cf. Lk 10:1)"(3).

You go into my vineyard too. During the Synod of Bishops, held in Rome, 1-30 October 1987, these words were re-echoed in spirit once again. Following the path marked out by the Council and remaining open to the light of the experience of persons and communities from the whole Church, the Fathers, enriched by preceding Synods, treated in a specific and extensive manner the topic of the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world.

In this assembly of bishops there was not lacking a qualified representation of the lay faithful, both women and men, which rendered a valuable contribution to the Synod proceedings. This was publicly acknowledged in the concluding homily: "We give thanks that during the course of the Synod we have not only rejoiced in the participation of the lay faithful (both men and women auditors), but even more so in that the progress of the Synodal discussions has enabled us to listen to those whom we invited, representatives of the lay faithful from all parts of the world, from different countries, and to profit from their experience, their advice and the suggestions they have offered out of love for the common cause"(4).

In looking over the years following the Council the Synod Fathers have been able to verify how the Holy Spirit continues to renew the youth of the Church and how he has inspired new aspirations towards holiness and the participation of so many lay faithful. This is witnessed, among other ways, in the new manner of active collaboration among priests, religious and the lay faithful; the active participation in the Liturgy, in the proclamation of the Word of God and catechesis; the multiplicity of services and tasks entrusted to the lay faithful and fulfilled by them; the flourishing of groups, associations and spiritual movements as well as a lay commitment in the life of the Church; and in the fuller and meaningful participation of women in the development of society.

At the same time, the Synod has pointed out that the post-conciliar path of the lay faithful has not been without its difficulties and dangers. In particular, two temptations can be cited which they have not always known how to avoid: the temptation of being so strongly interested in Church services and tasks that some fail to become actively engaged in their responsibilities in the professional, social, cultural and political world; and the temptation of legitimizing the unwarranted separation of faith from life, that is, a separation of the Gospel's acceptance from the actual living of the Gospel in various situations in the world.

In the course of its work, the Synod made constant reference to the Second Vatican Council, whose teaching on the lay faithful, after twenty years, has taken on a surprisingly contemporary character and at times has carried prophetic significance: such teaching has the capacity of enlightening and guiding the responses that today must be given to new situations. In reality, the challenge embraced by the Synod Fathers has been that of indicating the concrete ways through which this rich "theory" on the lay state expressed by the Council can be translated into authentic Church "practice". Some situations have made themselves felt because of a certain "novelty" that they have, and in this sense they can be called post-conciliar, at least chronologically: to these the Synod Fathers have rightly given a particular attention in the course of their discussion and reflection. Among those situations to be recalled are those regarding the ministries and Church services entrusted at present and in the future to the lay faithful, the growth and spread of new "movements" alongside other group forms of lay involvement, and the place and role of women both in the Church and in society.

At the conclusion of their work, which proceeded with great commitment, competence and generosity, the Synod Fathers made known to me their desires and requested that at an opportune time, a conclusive papal document on the topic of the lay faithful be offered to the Universal Church(5).

This Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation intends to take into account all the richness of the Synod work, from the Lineamenta to the Instrumentum Laboris, from the introductory report, the presentations of individual bishops and lay persons to the summary reports after discussion in the Synod hall, from the discussions and reports of the "small groups" to the final "Propositions" and the concluding "Message". For this reason the present document is not something in contradistinction to the Synod, but is meant to be a faithful and coherent expression of it, a fruit of collegiality. As such, the Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the Secretariat itself have contributed to its final form.

This Exhortation intends to stir and promote a deeper awareness among all the faithful of the gift and responsibility they share, both as a group and as individuals, in the communion and mission of the Church.

The Pressing Needs of the World Today: "Why do you stand here idle all day?"

3. The basic meaning of this Synod and the most precious fruit desired as a result of it, is the lay faithful's hearkening to the call of Christ the Lord to work in his vineyard, to take an active, conscientious and responsible part in the mission of the Church in this great moment in history, made especially dramatic by occurring on the threshold of the Third Millennium.

A new state of affairs today both in the Church and in social, economic, political and cultural life, calls with a particular urgency for the action of the lay faithful. If lack of commitment is always unacceptable, the present time renders it even more so. It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle.

We continue in our reading of the gospel parable: "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'. They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us'. He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too'"( Mt 20:6-7).

Since the work that awaits everyone in the vineyard of the Lord is so great there is no place for idleness. With even greater urgency the "householder" repeats his invitation: "You go into my vineyard too".

The voice of the Lord clearly resounds in the depths of each of Christ's followers, who through faith and the sacraments of Christian initiation is made like to Jesus Christ, is incorporated as a living member in the Church and has an active part in her mission of salvation. The voice of the Lord also comes to be heard through the historic events of the Church and humanity, as the Council reminds us: "The People of God believes that it is led by the Spirit of the Lord, who fills the whole world. Moved by this faith it tries to discern authentic signs of God's presence and purpose in the events, the needs, and the longings which it shares with other people of our time. For faith throws a new light on all things and makes known the full ideal to which God has called each individual, and thus guides the mind towards solutions which are fully human"(6).

It is necessary, then, to keep a watchful eye on this our world, with its problems and values, its unrest and hopes, its defeats and triumphs: a world whose economic, social, political and cultural affairs pose problems and grave difficulties in light of the description provided by the Council in the Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes.(7)This, then, is the vineyard; this is the field in which the faithful are called to fulfill their mission. Jesus wants them, as he wants all his disciples, to be the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" (cf. Mt 5:13-14). But what is the actual state of affairs of the "earth" and the "world", for which Christians ought to be "salt" and "light"?

The variety of situations and problems that exist in our world is indeed great and rapidly changing. For this reason it is all the more necessary to guard against generalizations and unwarranted simplifications. It is possible, however, to highlight some trends that are emerging in present-day society. The gospel records that the weeds and the good grain grew together in the farmer's field. The same is true in history, where in everyday life there often exist contradictions in the exercise of human freedom, where there is found, side by side and at times closely intertwined, evil and good, injustice and justice, anguish and hope.

Secularism and the Need for Religion

4. How can one not notice the ever-growing existence of religious indifference and atheism in its more varied forms, particularly in its perhaps most widespread form of secularism? Adversely affected by the impressive triumphs of continuing scientific and technological development and above all, fascinated by a very old and yet new temptation, namely, that of wishing to become like God (cf. Gen 3:5) through the use of a liberty without bounds, individuals cut the religious roots that are in their hearts; they forget God, or simply retain him without meaning in their lives, or outrightly reject him, and begin to adore various "idols" of the contemporary world.

The present-day phenomenon of secularism is truly serious, not simply as regards the individual, but in some ways, as regards whole communities, as the Council has already indicated: "Growing numbers of people are abandoning religion in practice"(. At other times I myself have recalled the phenomenon of de-Christianization that strikes long-standing Christian people and which continually calls for a re-evangelization.

Human longing and the need tor religion, however, are not able to be totally extinguished. When persons in conscience have the courage to face the more serious questions of human existence-particularly questions related to the purpose of life, to suffering and to dying-they are unable to avoid making their own the words of truth uttered by Saint Augustine: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you"(9).In the same manner the present-day world bears witness to this as well, in ever-increasing and impressive ways, through an openness to a spiritual and transcendent outlook towards life, the renewed interest in religious research, the return to a sense of the sacred and to prayer, and the demand for freedom to call upon the name of the Lord.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=664

FOREWORD

I

Christian wisdom, which the Church teaches by divine authority, continuously inspires the faithful of Christ zealously to endeavor to relate human affairs and activities with religious values in a single living synthesis. Under the direction of these values all things are mutually connected for the glory of God and the integral development of the human person, a development that includes both corporal and spiritual well - being.(1)

Indeed, the Church's mission of spreading the Gospel not only demands that the Good News be preached ever more widely and to ever greater numbers of men and women, but that the very power of the Gospel should permeate thought patterns, standards of judgment, and norms of behavior; in a word, it is necessary that the whole of human culture be steeped in the Gospel.(2)

The cultural atmosphere in which a human being lives has a great influence upon his or her way of thinking and, thus, of acting. Therefore, a division between faith and culture is more than a small impediment to evangelization, while a culture penetrated with the Christian spirit is an instrument that favors the spreading of the Good News.

Furthermore, the Gospel is intended for all peoples of every age and land and is not bound exclusively to any particular culture. It is valid for pervading all cultures so as to illumine them with the light of divine revelation and to purify human conduct, renewing them in Christ.

For this reason, the Church of Christ strives to bring the Good News to every sector of humanity so as to be able to convert the consciences of human beings, both individually and collectively, and to fill with the light of the Gospel their works and undertakings, their entire lives, and, indeed, the whole of the social environment in which they are engaged. In this way the Church carries out her mission of evangelizing also by advancing human culture.(3)

II

In this activity of the Church with regard to culture, Catholic universities have had and still have special importance. By their nature they aim to secure that "the Christian outlook should acquire a public, stable and universal influence in the whole process of the promotion of higher culture."(4)

In fact, as my Predecessor Pope Pius XI recalled in the preface to the Apostolic Constitution Deus Scientiarum Dominus,(5) there arose within the Church, from her earliest period, didascaleia for imparting instruction in Christian wisdom so that people's lives and conduct might be formed. From these houses of Christian wisdom the most illustrious Fathers and Doctors of the Church, teachers and ecclesiastical writers, drew their knowledge.

With the passing of centuries schools were established in the neighborhood of cathedrals and monasteries, thanks especially to the zealous initiatives of bishops and monks. These schools imparted both ecclesiastical doctrine and secular culture, forming them into one whole. From these schools arose the universities, those glorious institutions of the Middle Ages which, from their beginning, had the Church as their most bountiful mother and patroness.

Subsequently, when civil authorities, to promote the common good, began and developed their own universities, the Church, loyal to her very nature, did not desist from founding and favoring such kinds of centers of learning and institutions of instruction. This is shown by the considerable number of Catholic universities established in recent times in nearly all parts of the world. Conscious of her worldwide salvific mission, the Church wishes to be especially joined to these centers of higher learning and she desires that they flourish everywhere and work effectively to make Christ's true message present in the field of human culture and to make it advance in that field.

In order that Catholic universities might better achieve this goal, my Predecessor Pope Pius XII sought to stimulate their united activity when, by his Apostolic Brief of July 27, 1949, he formally established the International Federation of Catholic Universities. It was "to include all Athenaea which the Holy See either has canonically erected or will in the future erect in the world, or will have explicitly recognized as following the norms of Catholic teaching and as completely in conformity with that teaching."(6)

The Second Vatican Council, for this reason, did not hesitate to affirm that "the Church devotes considerable care to schools of higher learning," and it strongly recommended that Catholic universities should "be established in suitable locations throughout the world" and that "the students of these institutions should be truly outstanding in learning, ready to shoulder duties of major responsibility in society and to witness to the faith before the world."(7) As the Church well knows, "the future of society and of the Church herself is closely bound up with the development of young people engaged in higher studies."(

III

It is not surprising, however, that among Catholic universities the Church has always promoted with special care Ecclesiastical Faculties and Universities, which is to say those concerned particularly with Christian revelation and questions connected therewith and which are therefore more closely connected with her mission of evangelization.

In the first place, the Church has entrusted to these Faculties the task of preparing with special care students for the priestly ministry, for teaching the sacred sciences, and for the more arduous tasks of the apostolate. It is also the task of these Faculties "to explore more profoundly the various areas of the sacred disciplines so that day by day a deeper understanding of sacred revelation will be developed, the heritage of Christian wisdom handed down by our ancestors will be more plainly brought into view, dialogue will be fostered with our separated brothers and sisters and with non - Christians, and solutions will be found for problems raised by doctrinal progress."(9)

In fact, new sciences and new discoveries pose new problems that involve the sacred disciplines and demand an answer. While carrying out their primary duty of attaining through theological research a deeper grasp of revealed truth, those engaged in the sacred sciences should therefore maintain contact with scholars of other disciplines, whether these are believers or not, and should try to evaluate and interpret the latters' affirmations and judge them in the light of revealed truth.(10)

From this assiduous contact with reality, theologians are also encouraged to seek a more suitable way of communicating doctrine to their contemporaries working in other various fields of knowledge, for "the deposit of faith, or the truths contained in our venerable doctrine, is one thing; quite another is the way in which these truths are formulated, while preserving the same sense and meaning."(11) This will be very useful so that among the People of God religious practice and uprightness of soul may proceed at an equal pace with the progress of science and technology, and so that, in pastoral work, the faithful may be gradually led to a purer and more mature life of faith.

The possibility of a connection with the mission of evangelization also exists in Faculties of other sciences which, although lacking a special link with Christian revelation, can still help considerably in the work of evangelizing. These are looked at by the Church precisely under this aspect when they are erected as Ecclesiastical Faculties. They therefore have a particular relationship with the Church's Hierarchy.

Thus, the Apostolic See, in carrying out its mission, is clearly aware of its right and duty to erect and promote Ecclesiastical Faculties dependent on itself, either with a separate existence or as parts of universities, Faculties destined for the education of both ecclesiastical and lay students. This See is very desirous that the whole People of God, under the guidance of their Shepherds, should cooperate to ensure that these centers of learning contribute effectively to the growth of the faith and of Christian life.

IV

Ecclesiastical Faculties -- which are ordered to the common good of the Church and have a valuable relationship with the whole ecclesial community -- ought to be conscious of their importance in the Church and of their participation in the ministry of the Church. Indeed, those Faculties which treat of matters that are close to Christian revelation should also be mindful of the orders which Christ, the Supreme Teacher, gave to His Church regarding this ministry: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:19 - 20). From this it follows that there must be in these Faculties that adherence by which they are joined to the full doctrine of Christ, whose authentic guardian and interpreter has always been through the ages the Magisterium of the Church.

Bishops' Conferences in the individual nations and regions where these Faculties exist must diligently see to their care and progress, at the same time that they ceaselessly promote their fidelity to the Church's doctrine, so that these Faculties may bear witness before the whole community of the faithful to their wholehearted following of the above - mentioned command of Christ. This witness must always be borne both by the Faculty as such and by each and every member of the Faculty. Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties have been constituted in the Church for the building up and perfecting of Christ's faithful, and they must always bear this in mind as a criterion in the carrying out of their work.

Teachers are invested with very weighty responsibility in fulfilling a special ministry of the word of God and in being instructors of the faith for the young. Let them, above all, therefore be for their students, and for the rest of the faithful, witnesses of the living truth of the Gospel and examples of fidelity to the Church. It is fitting to recall the serious words of Pope Paul VI: "The task of the theologian is carried out with a view to building up ecclesial communion so that the People of God may grow in the experience of faith."(12)

V

To attain these purposes, Ecclesiastical Faculties should be organized in such a way as to respond to the new demands of the present day. For this reason, the Second Vatican Council stated that their laws should be subjected to revision.(13)

In fact, the Apostolic Constitution Deus Scientiarum Dominus, promulgated by my Predecessor Pope Pius XI on May 24, 1931, did much in its time renew higher ecclesiastical studies. However, as a result of changed circumstances, it now needs to be suitably adapted and altered.

In the course of nearly fifty years great changes have taken place not only in civil society but also in the Church herself. Important events, especially the Second Vatican Council, have occurred, events which have affected both the internal life of the Church and her external relationships with Christians of other churches, with non - Christians, and with non - believers, as well as with all those in favor of a more human civilization.

In addition, there is a steadily growing interest being shown in the theological sciences, not only among the clergy but also by lay people, who are attending theological schools in increasing numbers. These schools have, as a consequence, greatly multiplied in recent times.

Finally, a new attitude has arisen about the structure of universities and Faculties, both civil and ecclesiastical. This is a result of the justified desire for a university life open to greater participation, a desire felt by all those in any way involved in university life.

Nor can one ignore the great evolution that has taken place in pedagogical and didactic methods, which call for new ways of organizing studies. Then too there is the closer connection that is being felt more and more between various sciences and disciplines, as well as the desire for greater cooperation in the whole university environment.

To meet these new demands, the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, responding to the mandate received from the Council, already in 1967 began to study the question of renewal along the lines indicated by the Council. On May 20, 1968, it promulgated the Normae quaedam ad Constitutionem Apostolicam "Deus Scientiarum Dominus" de studies academicis ecclesiasticis recognoscendam, which has exercised a beneficial influence during recent years.

5. The «charism of healing» in the present-day contest

In the course of the Church's history there have been holy miracle-workers who have performed wondrous healings. The phenomenon was not limited to the Apostolic period; however, the so-called «charism of healing,» about which it seems appropriate to offer some doctrinal clarifications, does not fall within these phenomena of wonder-working. Instead, the present question concerns special prayer meetings organized for the purpose of obtaining wondrous healings among the sick who are present, or prayers of healing after Eucharistic communion for this same purpose.

There is abundant witness throughout the Church's history to healings connected with places of prayer (sanctuaries, in the presence of the relics of martyrs or other saints, etc.). In Antiquity and the Middle Age, such healings contributed to the popularity of pilgrimages to certain sanctuaries, such as that of St. Martin of Tours or the Cathedral of St. James in Compostela, as well as many others. The same also happens today at Lourdes, as it has for more than a century. Such healings, however, do not imply a «charism of healing,» because they are not connected with a person who has such a charism, but they need to be taken into account when we evaluate the above-mentioned prayer meetings from a doctrinal perspective.

With respect to prayer meetings for obtaining healing, an aim which even if not exclusive is at least influential in their planning, it is appropriate to distinguish between meetings connected to a «charism of healing,» whether real or apparent, and those without such a connection. A possible «charism of healing» can be attributed when the intervention of a specific person or persons, or a specific category of persons (for example, the directors of the group that promotes the meetings) is viewed as determinative for the efficacy of the prayer. If there is no connection with any «charism of healing,» then the celebrations provided in the liturgical books, if they are done with respect for liturgical norms, are obviously licit and often appropriate, as in the case of a Mass pro infirmis. If the celebrations do not respect liturgical law, they lack legitimacy.

In sanctuaries, other celebrations are held frequently which may not be aimed per se at specifically asking God for graces of healing, but in which, in the intentions of the organizers and participants, the obtaining of healing has an important part. With this purpose in mind, both liturgical and non-liturgical services are held: liturgical celebrations (such as exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction) and non-liturgical expressions of popular piety encouraged by the Church (such as the solemn recitation of the Rosary). These celebrations are legitimate, as long as their authentic sense is not altered. For example, one could not place on the primary level the desire to obtain the healing of the sick, in a way which might cause Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to lose its specific finality, which is to «bring the faithful to recognize in the Eucharist the wonderful presence of Christ and to invite them to a spiritual union with him, a union which finds its culmination in sacramental Communion.»(26)

The «charism of healing» is not attributable to a specific class of faithful. It is quite clear that St. Paul, when referring to various charisms in 1 Corinthians 12, does not attribute the gift of «charisms of healing» to a particular group, whether apostles, prophets, teachers, those who govern, or any other. The logic which governs the distribution of such gifts is quite different: «All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who distributes to each one individually just as the Spirit choses» (1 Cor 12:11). Consequently, in prayer meetings organized for asking for healing, it would be completely arbitrary to attribute a «charism of healing» to any category of participants, for example, to the directors of the group; the only thing to do is to entrust oneself to the free decision of the Holy Spirit, who grants to some a special charism of healing in order to show the power of the grace of the Risen Christ. Yet not even the most intense prayer obtains the healing of all sicknesses. So it is that St. Paul had to learn from the Lord that «my grace is enough for you; my power is made perfect in weakness» (2 Cor 12:9), and that the meaning of the experience of suffering can be that «in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church» (Col 1:24).



II. DISCIPLINARY NORMS

Art. 1 â€" It is licit for every member of the faithful to pray to God for healing. When this is organized in a church or other sacred place, it is appropriate that such prayers be led by an ordained minister.

Art. 2 â€" Prayers for healing are considered to be liturgical if they are part of the liturgical books approved by the Church's competent authority; otherwise, they are non-liturgical.

Art. 3 â€" § 1. Liturgical prayers for healing are celebrated according to the rite prescribed in the Ordo benedictionis infirmorum of the Rituale Romanum (28) and with the proper sacred vestments indicated therein.

§ 2. In conformity with what is stated in the Praenotanda, V., De aptationibus quae Conferentiae Episcoporum competunt (29) of the same Rituale Romanum, Conferences of Bishops may introduce those adaptations to the Rite of Blessings of the Sick which are held to be pastorally useful or possibly necessary, after prior review by the Apostolic See.

Art. 4 â€" § 1. The Diocesan Bishop has the right to issue norms for his particular Church regarding liturgical services of healing, following can. 838 § 4.

§ 2. Those who prepare liturgical services of healing must follow these norms in the celebration of such services.

§ 3. Permission to hold such services must be explicitly given, even if they are organized by Bishops or Cardinals, or include such as participants. Given a just and proportionate reason, the Diocesan Bishop has the right to forbid even the participation of an individual Bishop.

Art. 5 â€" § 1. Non-liturgical prayers for healing are distinct from liturgical celebrations, as gatherings for prayer or for reading of the word of God; these also fall under the vigilance of the local Ordinary in accordance with can. 839 § 2.

§ 2. Confusion between such free non-liturgical prayer meetings and liturgical celebrations properly so-called is to be carefully avoided.

§ 3. Anything resembling hysteria, artificiality, theatricality or sensationalism, above all on the part of those who are in charge of such gatherings, must not take place.

Art. 6 â€" The use of means of communication (in particular, television) in connection with prayers for healing, falls under the vigilance of the Diocesan Bishop in conformity with can. 823 and the norms established by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Instruction of March 30, 1992.(30)

Art. 7 â€" § 1. Without prejudice to what is established above in art. 3 or to the celebrations for the sick provided in the Church's liturgical books, prayers for healing â€" whether liturgical or non-liturgical â€" must not be introduced into the celebration of the Holy Mass, the sacraments, or the Liturgy of the Hours.

§ 2. In the celebrations referred to § 1, one may include special prayer intentions for the healing of the sick in the general intercessions or prayers of the faithful, when this is permitted.

Art. 8 â€" § 1. The ministry of exorcism must be exercised in strict dependence on the Diocesan Bishop, and in keeping with the norm of can. 1172, the Letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of September 29, 1985,(31) and the Rituale Romanum (32).

§ 2. The prayers of exorcism contained in the Rituale Romanum must remain separate from healing services, whether liturgical or non-liturgical.

§ 3. It is absolutely forbidden to insert such prayers of exorcism into the celebration of the Holy Mass, the sacraments, or the Liturgy of the Hours.

Art. 9 â€" Those who direct healing services, whether liturgical or non-liturgical, are to strive to maintain a climate of peaceful devotion in the assembly and to exercise the necessary prudence if healings should take place among those present; when the celebration is over, any testimony can be collected with honesty and accuracy, and submitted to the proper ecclesiastical authority.

Art. 10 â€" Authoritative intervention by the Diocesan Bishop is proper and necessary when abuses are verified in liturgical or non-liturgical healing services, or when there is obvious scandal among the community of the faithful, or when there is a serious lack of observance of liturgical or disciplinary norms.

The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, approved the present Instruction, adopted in Ordinary Session of this Congregation, and ordered its publication.

Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, September 14, 2000, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross.



+ Joseph Card. RATZINGER
Prefect

+ Tarcisio BERTONE, S.D.B. Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli
Secretary



(1) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici, 53: AAS 81(1989), 498.

(2) Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1502.

(3) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Salvifici doloris, 11: AAS 76(1984), 212.

(4) Rituale Romanum, Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum, Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum, Ordo Unctionis Infirmorum eorumque Pastoralis Curae, Editio typica, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MCMLXXII, 2.

(5) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Salvifici doloris, 19: AAS 76(1984), 225.

(6) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici, 53: AAS 81(1989), 499.

(7) Ibid., 53.

( Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1511.

(9) Cf. Rituale Romanum, Ordo Unctionis Infirmorum eorumque Pastoralis Curae, 5.

(10) Ibid., 75.

(11) Cf. Ibid., 77.

(12) Missale Romanum, Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum, Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum, Editio typica altera, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MCMLXXV, 838-839.

(13) Cf. Rituale Romanum, Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum, Auctoritate Ioannis Paulii II promulgatum, De Benedictionibus, Editio typica, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MCMLXXXIV, 305.

(14) Ibid., 306-309.

(15) Ibid., nn. 315-316.

(16) Ibid., n. 319.

(17) Rituale Romanum, Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum, Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum, Ordo Unctionis Infirmorum eorumque Pastoralis Curae, Editio typica, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MCMLXXII, 3.

(18) Cf. COUNCIL OF TRENT, sess. XIV, Doctrina de sacramento extremae unctionis, cap. 2: DS 1696.

(19) AUGUSTINUS IPPONIENSIS, Epistulae 130, VI,13 (= PL 33,499).

(20) Cf. AUGUSTINUS IPPONIENSIS, De Civitate Dei 22, 8,3 (= PL 41,762-763).

(21) Cf. Missale Romanum, 563.

(22) Ibid., Oratio universalis, n. X (Pro tribulatis), 256.

(23) Rituale Romanum, Ordo Unctionis Infirmorum eorumque Pastoralis Curae, 75.

(24) GOAR J., Euchologion sive Rituale Graecorum, Venetiis 1730 (Graz 1960), 338.

(25) DENZINGER H., Ritus Orientalium in administrandis Sacramentis, vv. I-II, Würzburg 1863 (Graz 1961), v. II, 497-498.

(26) Rituale Romanum, Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum, Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum, De Sacra Communione et de Cultu Mysterii Eucharistici Extra Missam, Editio typica, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MCMLXXIII, 82.

(27) Cf. Rituale Romanum, De Benedictionibus, 290-320.

(28) Ibid., 39.

(29) And those equivalent to him in law by virtue of canon 381, § 2.

(30) Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Instruction on Some Aspects of the Use of the Instruments of Social Communication in Promoting the Doctrine of the Faith: Libreria Editrice Vaticana (1992).

(31) Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Epistula Inde ab aliquot annis, Ordinariis locorum missa: in mentem normae vigentes de exorcismis revocantur: AAS 77(1985), 1169-1170.

(32) Rituale Romanum, Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum, Auctoritate Ioannis Paulii II promulgatum, De exorcismus et supplicationibus quibusdam, Editio typica, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MIM, Praenotanda, 13-19

3. The «charism of healing» in the New Testament

Not only did wondrous healings confirm the power of the Gospel proclamation in Apostolic times, but the New Testament refers also to Jesus' real and proper transmission of the power to heal illnesses to his Apostles and to the first preachers of the Gospel. In the call of the Twelve to their first mission, according to the accounts of Matthew and Luke, the Lord gave them «the power to drive out unclean spirits and to cure every disease and illness» (Mt 10:1; cf. Lk 9:1), and commanded them: «Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons» (Mt 10:. In sending out the seventy-two disciples, the Lord charges them: «cure the sick» (Lk 10:9). The power to heal, therefore, is given within a missionary context, not for their own exaltation, but to confirm their mission.

The Acts of the Apostles refers in general to the wonders worked by them: «many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles» (Acts 2:43; cf. 5:12). These were amazing deeds that manifested the truth and the power of their mission. However, apart from these brief general references, the Acts of the Apostles refers above all to the miraculous healings worked by individual preachers of the Gospel: Stephen (cf. Acts 6:, Philip (cf. Acts 8:6-7), and, above all, Peter (cf. Acts 3:1-10; 5:15; 9:33-34, 40-41) and Paul (cf. Acts 14:3, 8-10; 15:12; 19: 11-12; 20:9-10; 28: 8-9).

In the conclusion to the Gospel of Mark, as well as in the Letter to the Galatians, as seen above, the perspective is broadened. The wondrous healings are not limited to the activity of the Apostles and certain of the central figures in the first preaching of the Gospel. In this perspective, the references to the «charisms of healing» in 1 Cor 12:9, 28,30 acquire special importance. The meaning of charism is per se quite broad â€" «a generous gift» â€" and in this context it refers to «gifts of healing obtained.» These graces, in the plural, are attributed to an individual (cf. 1 Cor 12:9), and are not, therefore, to be understood in a distributive sense, as the gifts of healing received by those who themselves have been healed, but rather as a gift granted to a person to obtain graces of healing for others. This is given in uno Spiritu, but nothing is specified about how that person obtains these healings. It would not be farfetched to think that it happens by means of prayer, perhaps accompanied by some symbolic gesture.

In the Letter of James, reference is made to the Church's action, by means of the priests, directed toward the salvation â€" in a physical sense as well â€" of the sick. But this is not to be understood as a wondrous healing; it is different from the «charisms of healing» of 1 Cor 12:9. «Is anyone sick among you? He should call for the priests of the Church and have them pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the sick person and will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven» (Jas 5:14-15). This refers to a sacramental action: anointing of the sick with oil and prayer «over him» and not simply «for him,» as if it were only a prayer of intercession or petition; it is rather an efficacious action on the sick person.(18) The verbs «will save» and «will raise up» do not suggest an action aimed exclusively or predominantly at physical healing, but in a certain way include it. The first verb, even though the other times it appears in the Letter of James it refers to spiritual salvation (cf. 1:21; 2:14; 4:12; 5:20), is also used in the New Testament in the sense of «to heal» (cf. Mt 9:21; Mk 5:28, 34; 6:56; 10:52; Lk 8:48); the second, while having at times the sense of «to rise» (cf. Mt 10:8; 11:5; 14:2), is also used to indicate the action of «raising up» a person who is lying down because of illness, by healing the person in a wondrous fashion (cf. Mt 9:5; Mk 1:31; 9:27; Acts 3:7).



4. Prayers to obtain healing from God in the Church's tradition.

The Fathers of the Church considered it normal that believers would ask God not only for the health of their soul, but also for that of their body. With regard to the goods of life, health, and physical integrity, St. Augustine writes: «We need to pray that these are retained, when we have them, and that they are increased, when we do not have them.»(19) St. Augustine has also left us the testimony of a friend's healing, obtained through the prayers of a Bishop, a priest, and some deacons in his house.(20)

The same perspective is found in both the Eastern and Western liturgical rites. One of the post Communion prayers of the Roman Missal asks «...may the power of this heavenly gift take hold of our minds and bodies.»(21) In the liturgy of Good Friday, Christians are invited to pray to God the Father Almighty that he «may keep diseases away... and grant health to the sick.»(22) Among the texts that are most significant is that of the blessing of the oil of the sick, in which God is asked to pour forth his holy blessing so that all «those who are anointed with it may receive healing, in body, soul and spirit, and be delivered from all sadness, all weakness and suffering.»(23)

The expressions used in the prayers of the anointing of the sick in the Eastern Rites are very similar. For example, in the anointing of the sick in the Byzantine Rite, there is the prayer: «Holy Father, doctor of souls and bodies, you who sent your only begotten Son Jesus Christ to cure every sickness and to free us from death, heal also your servant from the infirmity of body and spirit that afflicts him, by the grace of your Christ.»(24) In the Coptic Rite, the Lord is invoked to bless the oil so that all who will be anointed with it will obtain health of spirit and body. Then, during the anointing of the sick person, the priests make mention of Jesus Christ who was sent into the world «to heal all sicknesses and to free from death» and ask God «to heal the sick person of the infirmities of body and to grant him the right path.»(25)

2. The desire for healing and prayer to obtain it

Presuming the acceptance of God's will, the sick person's desire for healing is both good and deeply human, especially when it takes the form of a trusting prayer addressed to God. Sirach exhorts his disciple: «My son, when you are ill, delay not, but pray to God, who will heal you» (Sir 38:9). A number of the Psalms also ask for healing (cf. Ps 6; 37; 40; 87).

Large numbers of the sick approached Jesus during his public ministry, either directly or through friends and relatives, seeking the restoration of health. The Lord welcomes their requests and the Gospels contain not even a hint of reproach for these prayers. The Lord's only complaint is about their possible lack of faith: «If you can! Everything is possible to one who has faith» (Mk 9:23; cf. Mk 6:5-6; Jn 4:48).

Not only is it praiseworthy for individual members of the faithful to ask for healing for themselves and for others, but the Church herself asks the Lord for the health of the sick in her liturgy. Above all, there is the sacrament «especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of the Sick.»( «The Church has never ceased to celebrate this sacrament for its members by the anointing and the prayer of its priests, commending those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them.»(9) Immediately before the actual anointing takes place, in the blessing of the oil, the Church prays: «Make this oil a remedy for all who are anointed with it; heal them in body, in soul, and in spirit, and deliver them from every affliction»(10) and then, in the first two prayers after the anointing, the healing of the sick person is requested.(11) Since the sacrament is a pledge and promise of the future kingdom, it is also a proclamation of the resurrection, when « there shall be no more death or mourning, crying out or pain, because the old order has passed away» (Rev 21:4). Furthermore, the Roman Missal contains a Mass pro infirmis in which, in addition to spiritual graces, the health of the sick is requested.(12)

In the De benedictionibus of the Rituale Romanum, there is an Ordo benedictionis infirmorum, in which there are various prayers for healing: in the second formulary of the Preces (13), in the four Orationes benedictionis pro adultis (14), in the two Orationes benedictionis pro pueris (15), and in the prayer of the Ritus brevior (16).

Obviously, recourse to prayer does not exclude, but rather encourages the use of effective natural means for preserving and restoring health, as well as leading the Church's sons and daughters to care for the sick, to assist them in body and spirit, and to seek to cure disease. Indeed, «part of the plan laid out in God's providence is that we should fight strenuously against all sickness and carefully seek the blessings of good health...»(17)

I. DOCTRINAL ASPECTS

1. Sickness and healing: their meaning and value in the economy of salvation

«People are called to joy. Nevertheless each day they experience many forms of suffering and pain.» (1) Therefore, the Lord, in his promises of redemption, announces the joy of the heart that comes from liberation from sufferings (cf. Is 30:29; 35:10; Bar 4:29). Indeed, he is the one «who delivers from every evil» (Wis 16:. Among the different forms of suffering, those which accompany illness are continually present in human history. They are also the object of man's deep desire to be delivered from every evil.

In the Old Testament, «it is the experience of Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and evil.» (2) Among the punishments threatened by God for the people's unfaithfulness, sickness has a prominent place (cf. Dt 28:21-22, 27-29, 35). The sick person who beseeches God for healing confesses to have been justly punished for his sins (cf. Ps 37; 40; 106:17-21).

Sickness, however, also strikes the just, and people wonder why. In the Book of Job, this question occupies many pages. «While it is true that suffering has meaning as punishment, when it is connected with a fault, it is not true that all suffering is a consequence of a fault and has the nature of a punishment. The figure of the just man Job is a special proof of this in the Old Testament... And if the Lord consents to test Job with suffering, he does it to demonstrate the latter's righteousness. The suffering has the character of a test.» (3)

Although sickness may have positive consequences as a demonstration of the faithfulness of the just person, and for repairing the justice that is violated by sin, and also because it may cause a sinner to reform and set out on the way of conversion, it remains, however, an evil. For this reason, the prophet announces the future times in which there will be no more disease and infirmity, and the course of life will no longer be broken by death (cf. Is 35:5-6; 65: 19-20).

It is in the New Testament, however, that the question of why illness also afflicts the just finds a complete answer. In the public activity of Jesus, his encounters with the sick are not isolated, but continual. He healed many through miracles, so that miraculous healings characterised his activity: «Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness» (Mt 9:35; cf. 4:23). These healings are signs of his messianic mission (cf. Lk 7:20-23). They manifest the victory of the kingdom of God over every kind of evil, and become the symbol of the restoration to health of the whole human person, body and soul. They serve to demonstrate that Jesus has the power to forgive sins (cf. Mk 2:1-12); they are signs of the salvific goods, as is the healing of the paralytic of Bethesda (cf. Jn 5:2-9, 19-21) and the man born blind (cf. Jn 9).

The first preaching of the Gospel, as recounted in the New Testament, was accompanied by numerous miraculous healings that corroborated the power of the Gospel proclamation. This had been the promise of the Risen Jesus, and the first Christian communities witnessed its realization in their midst: «These signs will accompany those who believe: ...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover» (Mk 16:17-18). The preaching of Philip in Samaria was accompanied by miraculous healings: «Philip went down to a city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralysed and crippled people were cured» (Acts 8:5-7). Saint Paul describes his own proclamation of the Gospel as characterized by signs and wonders worked by the power of the Holy Spirit: «For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit» (Rom 15:18-19; cf. 1 Thes 1:5; 1 Cor 2:4-5). It would not be without foundation to suppose that these signs and wonders, manifestations of the power of God that accompanied the preaching of the Gospel, were constituted in large part by miraculous healings. Such wonders were not limited to St. Paul's ministry, but were also occurring among the faithful: «Does then the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you have heard preached?» (Gal 3:5).

The messianic victory over sickness, as over other human sufferings, does not happen only by its elimination through miraculous healing, but also through the voluntary and innocent suffering of Christ in his passion, which gives every person the ability to unite himself to the sufferings of the Lord. In fact, «Christ himself, though without sin, suffered in his passion pains and torments of every type, and made his own the sorrows of all men: thus he brought to fulfilment what had been written of him by the prophet Isaiah (cf. Is 53:4-5). (4)» But there is more: «In the cross of Christ not only is the redemption accomplished through suffering, but also human suffering itself has been redeemed... In bringing about the redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the redemption. Thus each man in his suffering can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ.» (5)

The Church welcomes the sick not only as the recipients of her loving care, but also by recognizing that they are called «to live their human and Christian vocation and to participate in the growth of the kingdom of God in a new and more valuable manner. The words of the Apostle Paul ought to become their approach to life or, better yet, cast an illumination to permit them to see the meaning of grace in their very situation: ‘In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church' (Col 1:24). Precisely in arriving at this realization, the Apostle is raised up in joy: ‘I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake' (Col 1:24). (6)» It is a paschal joy, fruit of the Holy Spirit, and, like Saint Paul, «in the same way many of the sick can become bearers of the ‘joy inspired by the Holy Spirit in much affliction' (1 Thess 1:6) and be witnesses to Jesus' resurrection.» (7)

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH


INSTRUCTION ON PRAYERS FOR HEALING


INTRODUCTION



The longing for happiness, deeply rooted in the human heart, has always been accompanied by a desire to be freed from illness and to be able to understand the meaning of sickness when it is experienced. This is a human phenomenon, which in some way concerns every person and finds particular resonance in the Church, where sickness is understood as a means of union with Christ and of spiritual purification. Moreover, for those who find themselves in the presence of a sick person, it is an occasion for the exercise of charity. But this is not all, because sickness, like other forms of human suffering, is a privileged moment for prayer, whether asking for grace, or for the ability to accept sickness in a spirit of faith and conformity to God's will, or also for asking for healing.

Prayer for the restoration of health is therefore part of the Church's experience in every age, including our own. What in some ways is new is the proliferation of prayer meetings, at times combined with liturgical celebrations, for the purpose of obtaining healing from God. In many cases, the occurrence of healings has been proclaimed, giving rise to the expectation of the same phenomenon in other such gatherings. In the same context, appeal is sometimes made to a claimed charism of healing.

These prayer meetings for obtaining healing present the question of their proper discernment from a liturgical perspective; this is the particular responsibility of the Church's authorities, who are to watch over and give appropriate norms for the proper functioning of liturgical celebrations.

It has seemed opportune, therefore, to publish an Instruction, in accordance with canon 34 of the Code of Canon Law, above all as a help to local Ordinaries so that the faithful may be better guided in this area, though promoting what is good and correcting what is to be avoided. It was necessary, however, that such disciplinary determinations be given their point of reference within a well-founded doctrinal framework, to ensure the correct approach and to make clear the reasoning behind the norms. To this end, it has been judged appropriate to preface the disciplinary part of the Instruction with a doctrinal note.

"All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.  These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons.  Wearing charms is also reprehensible.  Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it.  Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of anothers credulity."

-----The Catechism of the Holy Roman Catholic Church

Apostolic Letter

In the form of "Motu Proprio"

SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM

BENEDICT XVI
-----------------



The following unofficial translation has been prepared by the USCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy. Only the Latin original of the Apostolic Letter may be considered the official text.



It has always been the care of the Supreme Pontiffs until the present time, that the Church of Christ offer worthy worship to the Divine Majesty "for the praise and glory of his name" and "for the good of all his Holy Church."

As from time immemorial so in the future the principle shall be respected "according to which each particular Church must be in accord with the universal Church not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and sacramental signs, but also as to the usages universally handed down by apostolic and unbroken tradition. These are to be maintained not only so that errors may be avoided, but also so that the faith may be passed on in its integrity, since the Church's rule of prayer (lex orandi) corresponds to her rule of belief (lex credendi)." (1)

Among Pontiffs who have displayed such care there excels the name of Saint Gregory the Great, who saw to the transmission to the new peoples of Europe both of the Catholic faith and of the treasures of worship and culture accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He gave instructions for the form of the Sacred Liturgy of both the Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Divine Office as was celebrated in the City. He made the greatest efforts to foster monks and nuns, who militating under the Rule of St Benedict, in every place along with the proclamation of the Gospel by their life likewise exemplified that most salutary expression of the Rule "let nothing be given precedence over the work of God" (ch. 43). In this way the sacred liturgy according to the Roman manner made fertile not only the faith and piety but also the culture of many peoples. Moreover it is evident that the Latin Liturgy in its various forms has stimulated in the spiritual life very many Saints in every century of the Christian age and strengthened in the virtue of religion so many peoples and made fertile their piety.

However, in order that the Sacred Liturgy might more efficaciously absolve its task, several others among the Roman Pontiffs in the course of the centuries have brought to bear particular concern, among whom Saint Pius V is eminent, who with great pastoral zeal, at the exhortation of the Council of Trent, renewed the worship of the whole Church, ensuring the publishing of liturgical books amended and "restored according to the norm of the Fathers" and put them into use in the Latin Church.

It is clear that among the liturgical books of the Roman Rite the Roman Missal is eminent. It grew in the city of Rome and gradually down through the centuries took on forms which are very similar to those in vigor in recent generations.

"It was this same goal that as time passed the Roman Pontiffs pursued, adapting or establishing liturgical rites and books to new ages and then at the start of the present century undertaking a more ample restoration." (2) It was in this manner that our Predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St Pius X(3), Benedict XV, Pius XII and the Blessed John XXIII acted.
In more recent time, however, the Second Vatican Council expressed the desire that with due respect and reverence for divine worship it be restored and adapted to the needs of our age. Prompted by this desire, our Predecessor the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI in 1970 approved for the Latin Church liturgical books restored and partly renewed, and that throughout the world translated into many vernacular languages, have been welcomed by the Bishops and by the priests and faithful. John Paul II revised the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus the Roman Pontiffs have acted so that "this liturgical edifice, so to speak,...might once again appear splendid in its dignity and harmony." (4)

However in some regions not a small number of the faithful have been and remain attached with such great love and affection to the previous liturgical forms, which had profoundly imbued their culture and spirit, that the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, prompted by pastoral concern for these faithful, in 1984 by means of a special Indult Quattuor abhinc annos, drawn up by the Congregation for Divine Worship, granted the faculty to use the Roman Missal published by John XXIII in 1962; while in 1988 John Paul II once again, by means of the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, exhorted the Bishops to make wide and generous use of this faculty in favor of all the faithful requesting it.
Having pondered at length the pressing requests of these faithful to our Predecessor John Paul II, having also heard the Fathers of the Consistory of Cardinals held on 23 March 2006, having pondered all things, invoked the Holy Spirit and placed our confidence in the help of God, by this present Apostolic Letter we DECREE the following.

Art. 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is to be regarded as the ordinary expression of the law of prayer (lex orandi) of the Catholic Church of Latin Rite, while the Roman Missal promulgated by St Pius V and published again by Blessed John XXIII as the extraordinary expression of the law of prayer (lex orandi) and on account of its venerable and ancient use let it enjoy due honor. These two expressions of the law of prayer (lex orandi) of the Church in no way lead to a division in the law of belief (lex credendi) of the Church, for they are two uses of the one Roman Rite.

Hence it is licit to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as the extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church. The conditions laid down by the previous documents Quattuor abhinc annos and Ecclesia Dei for the use of this Missal are replaced by what follows:

Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, any priest of Latin rite, whether secular or religious, can use the Roman Missal published by Pope Blessed John XXIII in 1962 or the Roman Missal promulgated by the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI in 1970, on any day except in the Sacred Triduum. For celebration in accordance with one or the other Missal, a priest does not require any permission, neither from the Apostolic See nor his own Ordinary.

Art. 3. If Communities or Institutes of Consecrated Life or Societies of Apostolic Life of either pontifical or diocesan rite desire to have a celebration of Holy Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962 in the conventual or "community" celebration in their own oratories, this is allowed. If an individual community or the entire Institute or Society wants to have such celebrations often or habitually or permanently, the matter is to be decided by the Major Superiors according to the norm of law and the particular laws and statutes.

Art. 4. With due observance of law, even Christ's faithful who spontaneously request it, may be admitted to celebrations of Holy Mass mentioned in art. 2 above.

Art. 5, § 1. In parishes where a group of faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition exists stably, let the pastor willingly accede to their requests for the celebration of the Holy Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962. Let him see to it that the good of these faithful be harmoniously reconciled with ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the Bishop according to canon 392, avoiding discord and fostering the unity of the whole Church.

§ 2. Celebration according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII can take place on weekdays, while on Sundays and on feast days there may be one such celebration.

§ 3. Let the pastor permit celebrations in this extraordinary form for faithful or priests who request it, even in particular circumstances such as weddings, funerals or occasional celebrations, for example pilgrimages.

§ 4. Priests using the Missal of Blessed John XXIII must be worthy and not impeded by law.

§ 5. In churches, which are neither parochial nor conventual, it is the Rector of the church who grants the above-mentioned permission.

Art. 6. In Masses celebrated with the people according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII, the Readings can be proclaimed even in the vernacular, using editions that have received the recognitio of the Apostolic See.

Art. 7. Where some group of lay faithful, mentioned in art. 5§1 does not obtain what it requests from the pastor, it should inform the diocesan Bishop of the fact. The Bishop is earnestly requested to grant their desire. If he cannot provide for this kind of celebration, let the matter be referred to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

Art. 8. A Bishop who desires to make provision for requests of lay faithful of this kind, but is for various reasons prevented from doing so, may refer the matter to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", which should give him advice and help.

Art. 9, § 1. Likewise a pastor may, all things duly considered, grant permission to use the older ritual in administering the Sacraments of Baptism, Matrimony, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick, as the good of souls may suggest.

§ 2. Ordinaries are granted the faculty to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation using the former Roman Pontifical, as the good of souls may suggest.

§ 3. It is lawful for clerics in holy orders to use even the Roman Breviary promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962.

Art 10. It is lawful for the local Ordinary, if he judges it opportune, to erect a personal parish according to the norm of canon 518 for celebrations according to the older form of the Roman rite or appoint a rector or chaplain, with due observance of the requirements of law.

Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, erected in 1988 by John Paul II, (5) continues to carry out its function. This Commission is to have the form, duties and norm for action that the Roman Pontiff may wish to assign to it.

Art. 12. The same Commission, in addition to the faculties it already enjoys, will exercise the authority of the Holy See by maintaining vigilance over the observance and application of these dispositions.

Whatever is decreed by Us by means of this Motu Proprio, we order to be firm and ratified and to be observed as of 14 September this year, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, all things to the contrary notwithstanding.

Given at Rome, at St Peter's, on 7 July in the Year of Our Lord 2007, the Third of Our Pontificate.

BENEDICT XVI



USCCB Q & A on Summorum Pontificum

USCCB Q & A on 1970 Missal vs. 1962 Missal

------------------------------------------------

1 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, third edition, 2002, n. 397

2 Pope John Paul II, Ap. Letter Vicesimus quintus annus, 4 December 1988, n. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.

3 Ibidem.

4 Pope St Pius X, Motu Proprio Abhinc duos annos, 23 October 1913: AAS 5 (1913) 449-450; cf. Pope John Paul II,

Ap. Letter Vicesimus quintus annus, 4 December 1988,11. 3: AAS 81 (1989) p. 899.

5 Cf. Pope John Paul II, Motu proprio Ecclesia Dei adflicta, 2 July 1988, n. 6: AAS 80 (1988) p. 1498.

Church Has Always Condemned Abortion       
By  Fr. William Saunders




The Roman Catholic Church has consistently condemned abortion â€" the direct and purposeful taking of the life of the unborn child. In principle, Catholic Christians believe that all life is sacred from conception until natural death, and the taking of innocent human life, whether born or unborn, is morally wrong. The Church teaches, "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being" ("Donum vitae," 5).

The respect for the sacredness of life in the womb originates in Christianity’s Jewish roots. The ancient Jewish world was much different from the surrounding cultures of Palestine where infanticide, infant sacrifice and abortion were not uncommon, and in some cases prevalent. For the Jewish people of those times and orthodox Jews to this day, all human life has as its author the one God whose creative power produces the child in the mother’s womb and brings it step-by-step to full life. The Old Testament revelation, which the Church inherited and accepted, gives clear evidence that life in the womb was considered as sacred. Moses proclaimed, "When you hearken to the voice of the Lord, your God, all these blessings will come upon you and overwhelm you: May you be blessed in the city, and blessed in the country! Blessed be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your soil and the offspring of your livestock, the issue of your herds and the young of your flocks! Blessed be your grain bin and your kneading bowl! May you be blessed in your coming in and blessed in your going out!" (Dt 28:2-6). The angel told the mother of Sampson, "As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb" (Jgs 13:5). Job stated, "Did not he who made me in the womb make him? Did not the same one fashion us before our birth?" (Jb 31:15). In Psalm 139:13, we pray, "Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb."

The Old Testament also testifies how God had specially marked individuals for an important role of leadership from the very first moment of their lives: "Beloved of his people, dear to his Maker, dedicated from his mother’s womb, consecrated to the Lord as a prophet, was Samuel, the judge and priest" (Sir 46:13). The prophet Isaiah proclaimed, "Hear me, O coastlands, listen, o distant peoples. The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb He gave me my name. He made of me sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of His arms. He made me a polished arrow; in His quiver He hid me. You are my servant, He said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God. For now the Lord has spoken who formed me as His servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to Him and Israel gathered to Him, and I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength!" (Is 49:1-5). Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah recalled, "The word of the Lord came to me thus: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you" (Jer 1:4-5).

Granted, some later rabbinic interpretations allowed exceptions for abortion, but there was no consistent or prevailing justification. The overriding Jewish teaching upheld the sanctity of the life of the unborn child.

The Greco-Roman world at the time of our Lord and in which Christianity grew permitted abortion and infanticide. In Roman law, the two acts were really not distinguished because an infant did not have legal status until accepted by the pater familias, the head of the family; until accepted, the infant was a non-person who could be destroyed. In some parts of the Roman Empire, abortion and infanticide were so prevalent that reproduction rates were below the zero-growth level. (Sad to say, most European countries face a similar plight today due to contraception and abortion.)

Nevertheless, the Christians upheld the sanctity of the life of the unborn child, not only because of the Old Testament revelation as cited but also because of the mystery of the incarnation. The early Christians, as we still do, believed that Mary had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and through her, Jesus Christ â€" second person of the Holy Trinity, consubstantial with the Father, and true God â€" became also true man. No faithful Christian would ever deny that Jesus was a true person whose life was sacred from the first moment of His conception in the womb of His blessed Mother Mary.

The story of the visitation further attests to the sanctity of life in the womb and the personhood of the unborn child: "Thereupon Mary set out, proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out in a loud voice: ‘Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb. But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby leapt in my womb for joy. Blest is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled’" (Lk 1:39-45).

Given the revelation of the Old and New Testaments, with special emphasis on the mystery of the incarnation, the Roman Catholic Church has condemned the practice of abortion. Several examples of teaching which span the first three hundred years of our Church include the following: The "Didache" ("The Teachings of the Twelve Apostles," c. 80 A.D.) asserted, "You shall not procure abortion. You shall not destroy the newborn child." The "Epistle of Barnabas" (138) also condemned abortion. Athenagoras (177) in his "A Plea on Behalf of Christians" (a defense against paganism) emphasized that Christians consider as murderers those women who take medicines to procure an abortion; he condemns the killer of children, including those still living in their mother’s womb, "where they are already the object of the care of divine providence." Tertullian, (197) in his "Apologeticum" likewise asserted, "To prevent birth is anticipated murder; it makes little difference whether one destroys a life already born or does away with it in its nascent stage. The one who will be man is already one." In the year 300, the Council of Elvira, a local church council in Spain, passed specific legislation condemning abortion (Canon 63).

After the legalization of Christianity in 313, the condemnation against abortion remained. For instance, St. Basil in a letter to Bishop Amphilochius (374) clearly pronounces the Church’s teaching: "A woman who has deliberately destroyed a fetus must pay the penalty for murder" and "Those also who give drugs causing abortions are murderers themselves, as well as those who receive the poison which kills the fetus."

While many other examples could be offered, the key point is that the Roman Catholic Church from the beginning has consistently upheld the sanctity of the life of the unborn child and condemned the act of direct abortion. To oppose this teaching contradicts the revelation of Sacred Scripture and Christian tradition. As our nation marks the anniversary of the tragic Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, we as Catholic Christians must pray for a change of heart in all citizens and courageously teach and defend the sanctity of human life, particularly that of the defenseless, innocent unborn children.


Source: Rev. William Saunders, "Church Has Always Condemned Abortion." Arlington Catholic Herald (www.catholicherald.com/).

Quote from: Lorenzo on April 02, 2011, 01:13:02 PM
"... Wearing charms is also reprehensible.  Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it.  Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of anothers credulity...."

-----The Catechism of the Catholic Church

"All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.  These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons.  Wearing charms is also reprehensible.  Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it.  Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of anothers credulity."

-----The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 02, 2011, 06:15:28 AM
Chinese poachers

In Manila, the Chinese Embassy said the case of six Chinese fishermen caught poaching in Philippine waters should not be linked to the Wednesday execution of the three Filipinos.

“The issue involving the Chinese fishermen is a different case,” Ethan Sun, the embassy spokesperson and deputy chief of political section, said in a text message to the Inquirer.

“We are still checking on the details. We hope that the issue would be addressed in an appropriate manner,” Sun said.

He did not respond to questions on whether China expected Philippine law enforcement or judicial bodies to take a retaliatory stance toward Chinese nationals facing charges in the Philippines.

On Thursday, Agence France-Presse reported that Philippine authorities had vowed to seek long jail terms for the six Chinese fishermen caught poaching fish and sea turtles, as part of a crackdown against foreigners stealing local marine wildlife.

The report quoted Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, the head of a multiagency task force against illegal entrants, as saying that he planned to take a hardline stance against all foreign poachers, unlike previous officials who had allowed them to be released.

In earlier cases of Chinese poachers caught in Philippine waters, the Chinese Embassy has successfully lobbied for their release.

The DFA declined to comment.


Reports from AFP, DJ Yap, Norman Bordadora and Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

Interesting...

Quote from: Mulligan on April 02, 2011, 12:58:33 AM
Clubhouse joke at the turn.

Starter.......... :  Would the priest golfer on the ladies tee move backward please !!!

The golfing priest did not mind and proceeded to make his stance until interrupted again by the starter.

Starter.......... :  Would the priest golfer on the ladies tee move backward pleaseeeeeee  !!!

Golfing priest...:   Will you shut up and let me finish my second shot - pleaseeeeeeeeeee ((((((((((((((((   !!!   

 

bwahahaha!!

Quote from: taga tigbao on March 31, 2011, 03:36:39 PM
Puwede man ka modalikyat Bro ug flight padung Manila. Then inig ka human ug EB balik na pud ka sa Amerika.

haha! oh how i wish i could come, Brod Vince. Okey lang lagi, kai pohon, mag EB pood ta lagi. Enjoy kamo tanan! God Bless!

beautiful!

the old frog

by: lorenz de tubag bohol


an old frog sleeps
the ocean breeze caresses
he yawns and smiles.

old pond

by: basho


   old pond . . .
   a frog leaps in
   water’s sound

Addendum: It's interesting. American forces are slowly leaving Iraq , while Chinese forces are slowly increasing its presence in Iraq.

The Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) has a strength of over 2.4 Million strong.

People's Liberation Army in Iraq-- protecting Chinese oil fields in Iraq.

Chinese oil field in Iraq start operation, PLA resided

   A oil field in Iraq that is joint venture start operation on wednesday.
   The Chinese oil company invest 3 billion us-dallors in the oil field.

   For the Safety Situation,PLA sent military police soldiers to Iraq to defend the oil field.

A: Preliminary statistics showed China had 1.341 billion people at the end of 2010, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Monday.

Quote from: kan-ogong on April 01, 2011, 07:19:16 PM
Bai may mag balahibo mana gihapon sila sa ilaha mga ilok

hehe sigoro balhiboon ilang ilok ug ilang ....

cream white skin with jet black hair. 

Quote from: hofelina on April 01, 2011, 06:28:57 PM
mo function ni?

manay, mahadlok pood ta aning picture da.

nong, you have a fine, eclectic taste for art and beauty.

Michael Jackson- Man in the Mirror Lyrics

Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson Smooth Jazz Tribute

befitting diay ning song:

Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson Smooth Jazz Tribute

Quote from: dondon on April 01, 2011, 02:01:47 PM
Just last week i successfully member of this site and thank you so much to the admin for accepting my application....Im also lumad boholano from lapsaon dimiao..SInce I left Philippines that was the time na akong nakita ang blessings sa Ginoo nako..which is di nako nakita noong nasa bohol pa ako. God has always purpose for us diay....ang hinugdan nga nganu nga iya ko gitagaan ug chance nga mag abroad just to eimpress in me na  YOU have a BIG GOD..Faithful jd ang LOrd kay bisan sa mga panahun nga wla ko naka hinomdom sa iyaha he doesnt leave me...he still pour me all the blessings...Praise God na sa isa sa mga linya dire sa tubag bohol I can share the GOOd ness of our  LOrd Jesus Christ....Till now continue seeking for God for his Promise na ...seek first the kingdom of God and all this things should added on to u.....Glory to the LOrd

Amen, brod Don! Salamat kaayo sa imohang guapo nga testimony! oo bro, naa bitaw plans ang Ginoo para nato. Sometimes we are hit hard with problems and hard times, pero, if we trust in HIM ..mo ayudar man jud sija nato. Taga dimiao diay ka, don? Neighbors man diay ta. taga valencia ko. originally pero naa na intawn sa gawas.

i'm happy you joined this site! God Bless you Don!

Quote from: dondon on April 01, 2011, 03:26:11 PM
sus ganhan kaajo ko ug bike....racer bike nakagasto na ako ug 20k not so expensive ,,we travel in part of luzon,,pero sa ksamaang palad  gikawat....pertin nakong guuwa adto....pero nalipay nalang ko kay ang bike nako naalisdan ang motor..and i wish parin na sa pag uli ko mag assemble ako pag usab..

don, na guuw pood ko kai gi kawat man diay imohang motor bike. mahala pood diay ang racer bike dinha sa pinas? kai 20 k man.

naa kai pictures, bai?

tsk tsk tsk, i guess the saying holds true: "absolute power corrupts absolutely..."

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 01, 2011, 11:33:44 AM
Hayahaya...

modern day Qianlong Emperor...

tsk tsk tsk, i can't believe they were even using mentally ill children. one thing is for sure, corruption in china is quite rampant. i read reports of the chinese FDA chief who was found guilty of accepting millions worth of bribes. he was sentenced to death for this. '

i'll try to find the article.

Quote from: BolBuhol on March 31, 2011, 06:07:39 PM
maaningdot hang plawer sang dalan pati hang  logar sang naagihang mo haw sir lorenzo, manogbantay ka lang gid sang mga mananap kag animal sang kalasangang basing manogokod sang imong sir lorenzo

ti may ara akon na bisiklita osa hang ligid ya, sang bungtag lang ginag gamit sang gabii si nene hang kaubang ko manogbisiklita

hu-o bala, utod, mabantay ako gid sa mga animals dito--madamo sang deer kag squirrels dito. utod bol, maanyag gid sang scenery dito. magduaw ka dito sa New Jersey, utod Bol. Pramis ko , i'll show you around bala! hehehe

kamusta naman si nene? ikaw? okey ka lang?

Chinese hackers: No site is safe


They operate from a bare apartment on a Chinese island. They are intelligent 20-somethings who seem harmless. But they are hard-core hackers who claim to have gained access to the world's most sensitive sites, including the Pentagon.

In fact, they say they are sometimes paid secretly by the Chinese government -- a claim the Beijing government denies.

"No Web site is one hundred percent safe. There are Web sites with high-level security, but there is always a weakness," says Xiao Chen, the leader of this group.

"Xiao Chen" is his online name. Along with his two colleagues, he does not want to reveal his true identity. The three belong to what some Western experts say is a civilian cyber militia in China, launching attacks on government and private Web sites around the world. Watch hackers' clandestine Chinese operation

If there is a profile of a cyber hacker, these three are straight from central casting -- young and thin, with skin pale from spending too many long nights in front of a computer.

One hacker says he is a former computer operator in the People's Liberation Army; another is a marketing graduate; and Xiao Chen says he is a self-taught programmer.

"First, you must know about the Web site you want to attack. You must know what program it is written with," says Xiao Chen. "There is a saying, 'Know about both yourself and the enemy, and you will be invincible.'"

CNN decided to withhold the address of these hackers' Web site, but Xiao Chen says it has been operating for more than three years, with 10,000 registered users. The site offers tools, articles, news and flash tutorials about hacking.

Private computer experts in the United States from iDefense Security Intelligence, which provides cybersecurity advice to governments and Fortune 500 companies, say the group's site "appears to be an important site in the broader Chinese hacking community."

Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks of on-again, off-again e-mail exchanges. When they finally agreed, CNN was told to meet them on the island of Zhoushan, just south of Shanghai and a major port for China's navy.

The apartment has cement floors and almost no furniture. What they do have are three of the latest computers. They are cautious when it comes to naming the Web sites they have hacked.

This week, the Pentagon said computer networks in the United States, Germany, Britain and France were hit last year by what they call "multiple intrusions," many of them originating from China.

At a congressional hearing in Washington last week, administration officials testified that the government's cyber initiative has fallen far short of what is required. Most alarming, the officials said, there has never been a full damage assessment of federal agency networks. Watch Pentagon bans Google from bases

"We are here today because we must do more," said Robert Jamison, a top official in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "Defending the federal system in its current configuration is a significant challenge."

U.S. officials have been cautious not to directly accuse the Chinese military or its government of hacking into its network.

But David Sedney, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, says, "The way these intrusions are conducted are certainly consistent with what you would need if you were going to actually carry out cyber warfare."

Beijing hit back at that, denying such an allegation and calling on the United States to provide proof. "If they have any evidence, I hope they would provide it. Then, we can cooperate on this issue," Qin Gang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said during a regular press briefing this week.

But again off-camera, Xiao Chen says after the alleged Pentagon attack, his colleagues were paid by the Chinese government. CNN has no way to independently confirm if that is true.

His allegations brought strenuous denials from Beijing. "I am telling you honestly, the Chinese government does not do such a thing," Qin said.

But if Xiao Chen is telling the truth, it appears his colleagues launched a freelance attack -- not initiated by Beijing, but paid for after the fact. "These hacker groups in my opinion are not agents of the Chinese state," says James Mulvenon from the Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis, which works with the U.S. intelligence community.

"They are sort of useful idiots for the Beijing regime."

He adds, "These young hackers are tolerated by the regime provided that they do not conduct attacks inside of China."

One of the biggest problems experts say is trying to prove where a cyber attack originates from, and that they say allows hackers like Xiao Chen to operate in a virtual world of deniability.

And across China, there could be thousands just like him, all trying to prove themselves against some of the most secure Web sites in the world.

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-03-07/tech/china.hackers_1_hackers-web-sites-chinese-government/2?_s=PM:TECH

Its rather interesting. China's modernization reminds me of the age of American Industrial Revolution during the 19th century when urbanization was rampant, pooling rural folk to the cities to look for a better future.

Given China's size, 1.3 Billion, its only going to be a humanitarian issue for Beijing to handle. The issue regarding health, housing, and work for the masses. The latter is something that China has in abundance, man power, an over-abundance which fuels its manufacturing arm.

tsk tsk tsk. indeed, appeasing a rising hegemon doesn't pay.

China knows that the Philippines is a strategic ally of the United States.

Quote from: bol-anon nga cebuano on April 01, 2011, 05:35:55 AM
very few and doesn't have the capability to detect enemies because it doesn't have radar and sonar.

no radar and sonar? 

without American strategic alliance, who can protect Philippines from Chinese military aggression?

This is quite saddening. This means that Chinese Submarines are now using Philippine waters as exercise regions. Quite alarming, actually.

How can the Philippine Navy even fend off against Chinese submarines? Our naval ships are obsolete and very few?

A Chinese sub within Philippine territorial waters?

CNN reports that near Subic Bay in the Philippines, a Chinese Navy (PLAN) submarine hit the sonar towed array of USS John S. McCain, an Arleigh Burke destroyer. McCain, commissioned in 1994, displaces 8,850 tons fully loaded and has provision for an SQR-19B(V)1 passive (listening only) towed array. Neither the ship nor the sub were harmed, but the towed array, a cable fitted with hydrophones, did suffer damage. Unnamed U.S. officials are calling the event an inadvertent encounter, saying they dont think it was a deliberate act of Chinese harrassment.

To me, it sounds more like a close trailing that went bad, something which fits a parsing of the words used by these officials, although there are other plausible explanations that fit equally well. Was the Chinese sub diesel or nuclear powered? This would be important to evaluating deployment ranges and operational abilities of different PLAN sub classes. Were McCains sonarmen aware of the Chinese sub before the collision? This could shed light on the current relative level of Chinese submarine stealth and American surface ship ASW capabilities.

The SQR-19s cable is 1,700 meters (5,600 feet) long, so the sub had to at one point be within one nautical mile of the destroyer. Was the sub intentionally trailing McCain by using the latters propulsion noise as a passive sonar target, but she got too close, and hit the array by accident? (Such an event would be inadvertent, and wouldnt qualify as harrassment because it was unintentional.) Or did the sub approach McCain without realizing she was there, barely miss colliding with her or even sail right under her, and then hit the cable? An Arleigh Burke can be rather quiet if her propulsion noise is being masked by the bulk of her hull. Do Chinese submarine passive sonars have very poor figures of merit?

How did both vessels react right after the event? Did they communicate by radio, perhaps with the submarine surfacing? Or is the only evidence of the Chinese sub a sonar recording and the damaged array?

Given the secrecy of submarine and ASW ops, and the U.S. Navys desire to not sensationalize the late-2006 close encounter beween a Chinese sub and the carrier USS Kitty Hawk near Guam, the public might not hear much more now. But such encounters cant occur unless Chinese submarines and American surface ships are operating in the same waters. The PLAN is certainly beginning to make its undersea presence felt in the strategic First and Second Island Chains separating China from the vast and deep Pacific. Will this trend continue, or even intensify?

Read more: http://defensetech.org/2009/06/15/us-china-sub-encounter-raises-questions/#ixzz1ID9gSI1i
Defense.org

Hi Don! Thanks so much for sharing your view Don, yes, bro, through bible reading ! Glad to have you here.

China: The Export Capital of the World, The World's Industrial Capital.





everything is now made in China...

The Red Dragon Rises:


the financial district of Metro Shanghai.


Greater Shanghai..

Quote from: chicogon on April 01, 2011, 03:44:35 AM
I hope not kay kapoy balhin sa China... gawas ug pugson ko ni Jet Li o di ba ni Jackie Chan ug puyo didto, bwahehehehe 

Hehehe. America will not collapse as in be destroyed like Rome. It will merely be eclipsed in terms of power and economics. But considering how very patriotic and hardcore Americans are in being #1, this might be a sore issue.

I don't like saying that America will be eclipsed, but as the trends show, it is inevitable. America has already reached her zenith.

China, which is surging and growing, has yet to reach its growth potential maximum. She has not reached her zenith.

What we are seeing now, in this early 21st century, are the verges of the rise of a Greater China.

We are in the beginning age of PAX SINICA (Chinese Peace).

Quote from: chicogon on April 01, 2011, 03:40:18 AM
Chinese food tastes better in the U.S., mor pa!!! 

Authentic Chinese cuisine is second to none but I'm addicted to Americanized or Pinoy Chinese food 

Chowking baby!!! 

Hahaha @ Chowking.

For me, nothing can come close to Filipino Food. Bar None. I like some Chinese food (Wong Ton, Peking Duck, Yunnan Pork), but dili ka lupig ang Chinese food sa Pinoy Food.

Quote from: Raquelproud boholana on April 01, 2011, 01:55:59 AM
Watch late night t.v show in america all you get is infomercial, some people in Europe say if you watch late night show mostly you get is soft porn. In China and Korea if you watch late night show ilang show daw kay learning and teaching mathematics ug ubang science field.
Kadaghan na ni nahitabo nako ex nagbayad ko unya akong bill is 12 dollar karon wala man koy 10 so gihatagan nako ug 22 aron suklian ko ug 10 perting liboga jud sa utok aning american hehehhe wa kakita ug calculator gihatagan man nuon ko ug 5 dollar sukli so ing reklamo ko nga 10 dapat gitubag man nuon ko Oh I got confuse. Lahi ni sila nato kay ang pinoy bisan unsa ka bulok ug Math abtik man makakwenta hahahha.
Akong pagtuo sa una kini sila nga breed diri ang kina brightan sa tanan pero pinoy diay ang bright bisan balibalihon.

Raquel, tinuod bitaw ka. Late night shows for premium channels such as Starz, Showtime, HBO etc have adult xxx movies. Dili bitaw ni angay para sa mga bata. Oversexualized man gud ang society diri sa America and in the west.

In China, sex is still a taboo and considered 'disrespectful' and considered as one of the societal 'vices'. In Chinese Confucian culture it is considered 'sub par' to be too sexual or in Filipino, "Uwagon-Uwagon/ Hindot-Hindot/ Iyuut-Iyuut".

Their society puts large emphasis on the sciences and math as well as in the arts. Education and the aquisition is standard for many East-Asian societies. In Confucian culture, education and filial piety is integral for any child, and parents/guardians are expected to provide said education for their children.

When I was in college, I had 3 good friends who were foreign exchange students from China (Rongbin, Zhao and Yu Fang). Very polite and oriented in the math and sciences (all three were economics majors). During weekends when my group and friends would go out to parties or late night shows, I would always try to invite these three with us. At first, dili sila gusto mo uban, they usually stay in the campus center and study. By the end, they eased a bit and went along sometimes, but always jud ni sila mo prioritize ang studies. Very strict and regimented.

When I asked them if they were interested in staying in the US and working here, all three told me that they are going back to China. The last time I heard, all three are now working in finance firms in Shanghai.

Quote from: bol-anon quo nyur! on April 01, 2011, 01:52:10 AM
Dong Lorenzo, kong matino-od ning imong giingon-> akong ipa TURTELYAS ang usa nako ka itlog, ug ang usa akong ipa SUNNY SIDE UP!

Nong, ajaw pood oy, ka sakita pood na.

Quote from: islander on March 31, 2011, 10:38:01 PM
one even seems to be on the throes of first love with anything chinese.

No, not love, but interested in the political-economic-cultural dynamic of China in its relation to the world.

One cannot help but be interested in how China will be like to its neighbors. One can only hope that she will be a benevolent power. A nation that has over 1.3 billion people. A friendly China will be a benevolent power to its neighbors. A militant and hostile China would be a nightmare to many of its neighbors and adversaries.

Quote from: islander on March 31, 2011, 10:33:49 PM
no question about the presence of china being there (you must mean chinese civilization).  but then it's not as if other nations weren't there when "china was there".  in fact, it's not as if rome just sprouted one day or the land now called the united states weren't there.  but come to think of it, what does your reminding me of china's ancient presence got to do with china's current perceived ascendancy, its attendant arrogance, imagined or otherwise, and its threat to u.s. hegemony? 

Quote from: islander on March 31, 2011, 10:33:49 PM
no question about the presence of china being there (you must mean chinese civilization).  but then it's not as if other nations weren't there when "china was there".  in fact, it's not as if rome just sprouted one day or the land now called the united states weren't there.  but come to think of it, what does your reminding me of china's ancient presence got to do with china's current perceived ascendancy, its attendant arrogance, imagined or otherwise, and its threat to u.s. hegemony? 

The Chinese Civilization , yes. The three sovereigns (the three emperors): Fu Xi, Shennong, and Huang Di (the yellow emperor) indicates the first Chinese civilization in 2076  BC. This represents 4,000 years of continuous history. Of course there were other pre-historic civilizations in what is now China that were populated by the early Han people (the Han ethnic group composes the majority of the Chinese population).

This suggests that historically speaking as well as pre-historically speaking, the region of modern-day China has been occupied thousands of years prior to recorded Chinese history. (it is estimated that the earliest hominids in China date back from 250,000 to 2.2 million years ago).

Quote from: islander on March 31, 2011, 10:36:59 PM
talk of materialism... it is as if all that matters in a country is material wealth.

Of course, materialism is not what matters in regards to national history / civilization, but the progress and the contribution that nation, that civilization has given to the region and the world.

Chinese civilization heavily influenced other east-asian civilizations. The Chinese Confucian culture, specifically, as well as Chinese written language and political processes , influenced the civilizations in Korea (Koryo, Koguryo, Pekjae kingdoms), the Japanese clans and eventual Japanese empire, as well as the Vietnamese Dai Viet Kingdoms.

You are right, material wealth is not everything, cultural and lingustic as well as political machinations also are worthy of note.

China contributed greatly in terms of culture to the region. Politically speaking, the Chinese concept of 'Dynastic Rule' and 'Dynastic Processes' was eventually adopted in neighboring Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. As well as extending its influences in Burma, Siam, Khmer Empire (Cambodia) and also in much of the Malay Kingdoms; all of which paid annual tribute to the Emperor of China.

In terms of national strength and progression (as well as historical premise), all things are taken into conisideration: history, culture, military, material growth.

Indian defenders. Many of India's troops were overwhelmed and neutralized by the PLA (People's Liberation Army) that tore through India's border...

The Sino-Indian War (Hindi: भारत-चीन युद्ध Bhārat-Chīn Yuddh), also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict (simplified Chinese: 中印边境战争; traditional Chinese: 中印邊境戰爭; pinyin: Zhōng-Yìn Biānjìng Zhànzhēng), was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan uprising, when India had granted asylum to the Dalai Lama. India initiated a Forward Policy in which it placed outposts along the border, including several north of the McMahon Line, the eastern portion of a Line of Actual Control proclaimed by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1959.

The Chinese launched simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line on 20 October 1962, coinciding with the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chinese troops advanced over Indian forces in both theatres, capturing Rezang la in Chushul in the western theatre, as well as Tawang in the eastern theatre. The war ended when the Chinese declared a ceasefire on 20 November 1962, and simultaneously announced its withdrawal from the disputed area.

The Sino-Indian War is notable for the harsh conditions under which much of the fighting took place, entailling large-scale combat at altitudes of over 4,250 metres (14,000 feet). This presented enormous logistics problems for both sides. The Sino-Indian War was also noted for the non-deployment of the navy or air force by either the Chinese and Indian sides.


Result: Decisive Chinese Military Victory



reference: wikipedia

Now its in the era of Hu Jintao.

it is only a matter of time ( i give it 3-4 decades time) that China will eclipse America. i only hope that China will be a benevolent power...

hehe. good taste, isles. good taste.

a comparison of china's  & america's defense spending:

the chinese confidence in their ascendency is legitimized. They are currently growing at an unprecedented rate of over 7% and continuing. their military spending is quite large, and at almost $100 Billion a year. In the past year, China's economy eclipsed Japan's (then the 2nd largest economy in the world) as the 2nd largest economy in the world.

China is growing. She continues to industrialize and modernize. She needs raw natural resources to fuel this growth. Her military will make sure that it will not be threatened (sino-indian war of 1962, sino-vietnamese war of 1979, chinese involvement in the korean war, chinese pacification of tibet, speak of her militant nature and unyielding determination to uphold Chinese interests in the region).

facts are facts.

Quote from: islander on March 31, 2011, 01:21:36 PM
this noise about the ascendancy of china is only adding to the current chinese confidence that veers on arrogance.  and most of the claims about china rising are made by american opinion makers and writers.  sure, the chinese hold over a trillion u.s. treasury securities.   but is the u.s. a hostage debtor?  i doubt it.  so yes, doomsday pronouncements may just be wake-up calls for policymakers.

Isles, before rome was born, even before the etruscan kingdom sprouted in italium, CHINA was already there. Before the pyriamids of egypt were built, CHINA was already there.

Considering the capabilities that China has, its growth potential and her national dynamic, we can only hope that she will be a benevolent power and not a militant one. Most of Asia (if not all) will be at the mercy of her national will.

Quote from: islander on March 31, 2011, 01:24:59 PM
the u.s. of a. still holds one of the things that gave it its current status:  as a nation of immigrants, it is strengthened by the contributions and talents of different cultures and races (as rome was when it was the center of power in ancient times).  unfortunately, the u.s. also has one of the things that bring down powerful nations (again, like rome at the peak of its grandeur): costly wars.   

the roman empire buckled from within. to prevent an american collapse, the government of the united states of america have to ensure that the people are cared for and that the needs of the people are soothed. maintaining a large standing army is essential for the protection of national interest, but, a lesson america should learn from rome is this:

Too many wars is bad.

The united states needs to get out of iraq as soon as possible and then finish its deployment in afghanistan.

Quote from: islander on March 31, 2011, 01:24:59 PM
the u.s. of a. still holds one of the things that gave it its current status:  as a nation of immigrants, it is strengthened by the contributions and talents of different cultures and races (as rome was when it was the center of power in ancient times).  unfortunately, the u.s. also has one of the things that bring down powerful nations (again, like rome at the peak of its grandeur): costly wars.   

yes isles. rome in its zenith was fighting many border wars at any given time. then the political instability that was pronounced with the corruption of the emperors , and then the resulting assassination of emperors by the praetorian guard further crippled the empire. this hampered in its ability in maintaining its vast territory.

wars. yes, indeed, that was a major cause of rome's eventual fall.

another good response:

Precor etiam tibi et omnibus sanitatem mentis corporisque, felicitatem, prosperitatem et abundantiam bonorum....

(And may good health, sound mind, happiness, and prosperity be in an abundance to you..)

Response:

"Et in terram Pax"

(And Peace be with you)

or

"Pax Vobis In Nominae Domini "

(Peace be with you in the Name of the LORD)

Pax Vobis

(Peace be with you)

Hahaha. Nice. Nice. Sashimi? Sushi? Miso Soup? Tempura?

Sake?!

Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that, Fr. Roel. But you guys had a good time right?

 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

-Acts 17:31

 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
-2 Peter 3:3

awwww. no! how did you manage to loose you putter?

Way Nada, Thank You very much for your explanations. As always, you add so much deep information about things biblical and religious discourse that I did not know about.

Thank You, again, Sir.

Lorenzo.

Quote from: chicogon on March 31, 2011, 12:54:08 PM


The southpaw's turn... to pose (at the 9th) 

Kuyawa da! Nag Hawaiian shirt pood! Hahaha. Nice.

Nice! How did you do, Fr. Roel?

QuoteIn my opinion the founding of Christianity happened because in Judaism where a closely knit society of the jews are defined; it is difficult for gentiles to integrate. The messiah is promised always to Israel in the old testament. This happens when the people of Israel is oppressed and in trouble with other nations. Moses and Cyrus the Great of Persia are messiahs to Israel because these men saved Israel from perdition. Messiah means savior and to the jews he is not God but a man... just like Cyrus the Great of Persia and Moses.

When the OT was translated into greek by 70 rabbis it was that opportune time for the greeks and hellenists to understand the hebrew writings. They found out that in the OT jews abhorred to intermingle with gentiles. The greeks and hellenists burned their eyebrows studying the hebrew scriptures until they were able to understand and write the NT in harmony with the scriptures of the jews... but making Christ the God of the gentiles.

This is where they are divided... Judaism which is a hebrew philosophy of worship and Christianity which is greek in origin. But this division did not start by just a snap of a finger. It took years for Christianity to develop since the Septuagint Version of the bible was written.

The jews until today reject Jesus as the Christ because in Judaism Christ has to fulfill a task for Israel. There are 10 tasks; first and foremost is for a Christ to rebuild the third temple. The question is; how can Jesus Christ rebuild the third temple when he proclaimed in the NT that his body is the temple and he is the lamb of God to be sacrificed?

There is no more solution to the division. Furthermore if you want to understand it clearly the NT is a discourse against Judaism because jews do not believe in Jesus Christ.      

It is really very interesting that , indeed, the Jews today are adamant in their refusal of Jesus Christ. I personally know of the Orthodox / Ultra Orthodox Jews who go as far into claiming that Jesus Christ was a 'false prophet' / 'charlatan'. I was very saddened to hearing this and the Jewish view of Christians and Christian Pilgrims, Christian Missionaries in Israel to this day. A very good friend of mine who went on a Christian evangelization mission to Israel was met with stiff resistance from Jews who were condescending in their words towards Christians. Some even were throwing rocks and pushing my friend and other missionaries with him.

It is very apparent to me , after hearing of this, why Jesus Christ was so very critical of the pharisees and the saduccess of the time. The Jews who were observant of all the Laws, but were not close to God in prayer and in the spirit. This same mentality, unfortunately, is common in Israel and for most Jews (practicing Jews, that is).

You mention how the New Testament is a discourse between the Jews and the Christian Faith.

A big difference between Judaism and Christianity is an understanding of the role of the Messiah. Christians say that Jesus was Messiah in accordance with prophecy, and that his work and kingdom was spiritual. “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) Jews, both at the time of Jesus and now, believe that the Messiah will come to set up a physical kingdom on this earth. As you said, the Jews' understanding of the Messiah is that of the physical and personal revelation of that.

What I also realize, from my reading of the Tanakh is that it does not focus on the here-after, but on the here-and-now. Jews are not worried so much on the life after death, so much as the life of the now and living life according to the Laws passed on by Moses. They have many rules and laws in how to do things, such as: what to pray , what to think about when praying, how to prepare food, how to shave, how to clean, how to act with gentiles, etc.

It is different in many levels to Christianity in that Christianity teaches on spiritual acceptance of God, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and on the salvation of the soul for the next life.

It is rather interesting. The Jewish concept of 'SALVATION' is the physical, the salvation of current oppression from an enemy and a nation state. The Christian concept of 'SALVATION' is of the metaphysical, the eternal soul in the here-after.

Salvation for the Jews is according to pure works. While for Christians, salvation is not by works but by grace and living that faith.

QuoteThe wailing wall is the part of the temple of Solomon that was not destroyed by the Romans. In their diaspora it is the tradition of the jews to pray facing Jerusalem. Part of their prayer is; "next time in Jerusalem". It means that their prayer is for the rebuilding of the temple of Solomon and once restored all jews will be delivered up in Jerusalem praying to their God.

The Jews want a reconstruction of a second temple? This cannot occur as it would lead to an Islamic Jihad. As the Masjid Qubbat As-Sakhrah (Dome of the Rock) is located on the site of the ruins of the Jewish Temple. If the Jews were to rebuild the Temple, it would require the demolition of the Masjid Qubbat As-Sakhrah, which is one of the Holy Sites in Islam. This would lead to a massive Intifada and eventual JIHAD.

QuoteThey do not believe Jesus Christ and they do not also believe in the new testament. According to them; christians hi-jacked the hebrew bible to be integrated with Christianity and to make their God also the God of christians.  

Most Jews reject Jesus Christ and the Christian Faith. Tho there are some , Messianic Jews, who believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Messianic Jews also worship with other Christians.

Those who reject and deny Jesus Christ have a fate. Jesus Christ tells us this in:-

There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
-John 12: 48

I feel that many Filipinas are somewhat sexualized by many foreigners. I personally hold Filipinas above the fay. No other woman in the world can compare to the Filipina. None is as resilient in the work force, as loving, mother-like, a good wife, and as family oriented as a Filipina.

That is why I am sickened when I read reports of foreign men coming to the Philippines to take advantage of Filipinas sexually. Sure there are Filipinas who marry and go abroad, but the reasons for their doing so is their own and thus should not be talked about negatively. Who are not in their predicament, not in their shoes.

It is evident that the Asian Woman is the most sexualized by the mass media here in the United States. She is portrayed as submissive, sexual, and ready to please the husband. Pish Posh!

Pardon my reactive response. I don't take too kindly to the sexualization of my own people. Sure there are some black sheep out there, but that few should not represent the overwhelming majority.

tsk tsk. but the sleeping with her best friend is just down right sleezy. and cheap.

the first one? unsa man ni? instead of pepsi max its more like "Kuripot Max"

the second one? pish posh! a man who insults a woman based on her physical looks is a penis-less scum. who needs to grow a pair.

all women are young looking. just tell them that. 

standard rule: always compliment a woman how very young she looks and how baby-soft her face is.

perhaps, perhaps, folks, they're just not having enough sex? good sex, that is.   

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too. 
~Samuel Butler, Notebooks, 1912

Taken during a 14 mile cross country bike ride. Starting from Glassboro, NJ to Williamstown, NJ.

The beauty of nature photographed.

Quote from: BolBuhol on March 30, 2011, 06:40:56 PM
malayo gid hang mag kros kawntri budlay gid manog bike gid man, may ara gid ba kros kontininti?

Utod Bol,

Hiaguman ako sa cross country tongod kay guapo gid sang mahinuklugon sa New Jersey! Plus ang malamig nga air -- ay prisko sa akon nawong! Utod Bol,..ka nami ang sight seeing dito..ang katahum na katahum babae kag ang Nature! ehehe.

Ikaw, utod bol, bisikleta ka gid dyan? hilig mo bisikleta si Nene?

The name of this song is "Live to Tell the Tale"

Live to Tell The Tale- Passion Pit (acoustic cover)

May God turn their cries and mourning into sounds of joy and laughter. God Bless Japan and the Japanese people.

Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

-Matthew 13.8

Quote from: Way Nada on March 24, 2011, 04:29:01 PM

When John the Baptist saw Jesus he exclaimed....

"Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!"

The story behind this exclamation is that John the Baptist is an Essene who followed the essenic doctrine of baptism. Essenes also do not believe in the Jewish teaching that your sins are forgiven by sacrificing a firstborn lamb in the temple.

In this setting you can tell that Jesus started his ministry through baptism by John. The verse here is trying to tell us [gentiles] that the strict mosaic laws are all finished in the coming of Jesus. The new temple is Jesus Christ and all sacrifices ended with Jesus on the cross.

WN
 

Way Nada,

In regards to the fullfillment of God's Promise to send a Messiah to Israel, the Jews , themselves, have rejected Christ Jesus. It is the gentiles that accepted Christ. As it was said that Christ was "A Light unto the Gentiles and Glory to the People of Israel".

When Jews pray before the Wall of the Temple of Solomon and offer shabbat to God, do you think it is acknowledged?

I understand that the Jews are God's Chosen People and yes that God made a covenant with Abraham, however, since the Jews do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, will they be saved?

I'd like to know the answer to this.

It's hard to please everybody, and impossible to please everyone.

Philippine economy is strong under his administration tho. He's doing something right.

The Chinese government is unfair. When recently the Philippines extradited Chinese nationals to China for smuggling charges, the Philippines catered to China's request. And adhering to the One China Policy.  Now when it concerns our own citizens, the Chinese give no credence or respect. They could have granted leniency to show mercy that Government of the People's Republic of China is capable of.

Next time. When the hordes of Chinese illegal fishermen are caught fishing in the protected fishing zones in the Philippines, they, themselves, too, should be subject to high criminal punishment afforded by the Philippine Government. Next time, the Philippine Government shouldn't be so quick to grant leniency and quick to cater to the Chinese Government. As in the form of extraditing Chinese criminals in the Philippines back to China. Let them suffer Philippine Justice.

There is no territorial respect or as Santiago would deem as "mutual respect". If there was 'mutual respect', China would not be contesting territories that are integral to the Philippines such as the Kalayaan Islands in the Spratlys.

It's simple bullying.

Ka grabeh pood ang gobyerno sa Tsina.

I do hope that the Government of the Philippines can help the children of the victims.

Luoy pood ang anak intawn. Dili na sila ka kita ug ka dungog sa ilang mama, ug papa.

Pasayloa intawn sila, Ginoo...