Pope Needs to Pray for the Diocese of Naval - With Erroring Bishop

Continue serving as shepherds, Pope tells RP bishops
MANILA, July 5, 2008— Pope Benedict XVI is praying for and praised the nation’s bishops as he urged them to continue serving as the shepherd of their flocks, Vatican Secretary of State Tarcio Bertone said.

Bertone said the Pope urged the Filipino prelates to continue acting their role as the chief catechists of their respective pastoral jurisdictions.

This means, he said, that bishops must be willing always and everywhere to stand up and teach those in need of instruction “to have their faith confirmed and purified.”

“The Holy Father prays that you will continue to nourish the mind, spiritual attitudes and moral behavior of your people with the truth of the Gospel while always remembering that the faithful need the word of their bishop,” said Bertone.

The Pope’s message was read this morning by CBCP President Archbishop Angel Lagdameo at the opening of two-day Plenary Assembly, CBCP’s 97th which is being held at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila .

Cardinal Bertone said the Pope also assured his “apostolic blessing” to the CBCP as he commend their works for the Catholic Church.

CBCP secretary general Msgr. Juanito Figura said around 87 bishops—82 active and 5 retired members—were present at the regular plenary meeting as of Saturday morning.

The CBCP has 99 active and 32 honorary members.

The event was started with a Eucharistic celebration led by Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.

Aside from the reports which will be rendered by half of the 33 CBCP commissions, socio-political and economic issues will also be discussed by the prelates at their bi-annual meeting.

The Plenary Assembly is CBCP’s highest decision-making body. Composed of active and retired bishops, the Plenary Assembly meets in regular session twice a year, in January and in July. (Roy Lagarde

To the readers of the Biliranisland.com Blog:

It is good to see the support of the people of the Diocese of Naval for their Church. May God continue to Bless them with His heavenly grace.

Bishop Filomeno Bactol needs to make formal the denunciation of the charges that Brother Stephen M. Greinke, MBPH has placed:: If the sworn statement that Brother Stephen submitted to the Holy See (Vatican) is false, Bishop Bactol must refute these charges and formally charge Brother Stephen with making false statements under the code of canon law of the Catholic Church. Otherwise without a formal censure, from the Church for making false statements, the Church has given it consent to the authenticity of the charges he has submitted.

Further more; the “mother congregation’ ( Redemptorists) from the General Government in Rome or the Provincial Government in the USA have never commented on the mental health of Brother Stephen or other related issues regarding Brother. Therefore the information of Bishop Bactol has given to the media is without merit.

As to this statement from the Clergy of the Diocese of Naval:

“While in the United States, Greinke wrote letters accusing the Bishop and the clergy of wrongdoings, maligning their good names. One such letter was addressed to late Holy Father John Paul 11. Because of this, a Visitation and Investigation was made on the Clergy and the Bishop of Naval by the Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, D.D., the bishop of Calbayog. Then, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo, Most Rev, Pedro R an, Jr., D.D., also conducted his own investigation (the Bishop of Naval being his sufragan) and refuted point for point the accusations hurled by Greinke against the bishop and the Clergy of Naval.”

If these two Bishops are going to conduct an investigation - would you not first make contact with the person(s) who made the charges and get detailed information on the charges. (evidences, sworn statements etc…) There has been no contact with MBPH Brothers or Brother Stephen of any kind contact during their so-called investigations made by these two Bishops!

Again we await to hear if Bishop Bactol makes a formal censure of Brother Stephen Greinke!

Imelda Marcos Factor

According to Canon Law of the Catholic Church the Discipline of a Bishop is reserved to the Supreme Pontiff. The Nuncio represents the Holy See (Holy Father) to the Philippines. But all information concerning the behavior of a Bishop is transmitted to the Holy through the Papal Nuncio. CBCP has no authority to discipline a fellow bishop, but can refer a problem to the Holy See through the Papal Nuncio. - This information was also communicated to us by letter through the former President of the CBCP - Archbishop Quevedo. Archbishop Quevedo ask the Nuncio to investagte Bishop Filomeno Bactol, Bishop of Naval.

Bishop Bactol has strong political relations with the former first lady Imelda Marcos (Imelda’s Bishop). Imelda was the person who recommended to the Holy See that Bactol be made Bishop. The Marcos Family have donated much to the Vatican over all these years. So before the investigation can get anywhere the Marocs factor needs to be overcomed.

Nuncio Archbishop Adams (an American) will need to put into practice what he has learned from the mistakes of the sexual abuse cases in the USA. CBCP knows that Filomeno G. Bactol has sexual problems with youth below the age of 16. So what will break first, good donations or cleaning up moral problems in the Diocese of Naval, Biliran.

With the resent resignations (asked to resign). of two Philippines Bishops, Bishop Nestor Carino of Legazpi on November 7,2007 and Bishop Jesus Cabrera of Alaminos , July 2, 2007. Maybe Rome is trying to clean things up!

Letter From Cardinal Rosales

Letter from Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila concerning Bishop Filomeno Bactol, Bishop of Naval, Biliran and the Sexual Abuse Charges

No tolerance to 'misbehaving priests', Cardinal says

MANILA, 01 October 2007— A ranking Catholic Church official has called on the faithful to come forward and report errant priests.
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales who heads the Commission on Clergy of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said “misbehaving” priests deserve serious action.
“Parishioners can report them (misbehaving priests) to whoever next in line. (He) can be the bishop or the monsignor,” said Rosales, who is also the Archbishop of Manila.
He vowed they would give due attention to any report and would do further action especially if a case merit further probe.
In his pastoral jurisdiction, for instance, Rosales said that whenever they receive a complaint about a priest, they listen to it and then conduct an investigation.
"We call the person involved." Rosales said. When the complaint is grave, they ask the priest to "reconsider his vocation," he said.
But the prelate described as rare situation when some priests are reported for scandals and when they do, “there’s a good chance that the complaints are true,” he said.
“Except when there are intrigues, it’s usually true when the report comes from lay people,” he also said.
The cardinal is grateful contentious matter involving local priests is not very common unlike in other countries.

A LETTER TO CARDINAL ROSALES:

Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales
Archbishop of Manila
121 Arzobispo St., Intramuros,
P.O. Box 132, 1099
Manila, Philippines


Dear Cardinal Rosales,

Greetings in the Lord.

I am forwarding my sworn statement concerning Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol, Bishop of Naval and the Clergy of the Diocese of Naval.

You have vowed that due attention to any report and would further action especially if a case merit further probe.

I have other statements and other material to back an investigation into this matter.

I look forward hearing from you on this subject, since you made it clear that investigations would be conducted!

Hope to hear from you soon,

I remain,



Sincerely yours in Christ, &
Our Mother of Perpetual Help,



(Bro) Stephen M. Greinke, MBPH
Superior / President