PRIESTS MUST UNDERGO "CHARACTER CHANGE" T00

SEN. MIRIAM DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO is right. In calling for character change instead of Charter change, the Catholic Church hierarchy in the Philippines should first admit its failure to inculcate Catholic values among Filipinos.

The Dec. 17 prayer rally only revealed that we Filipinos address every pressing national problem and issue by using passion instead of reason.

I always believe that Christ wants the clergy to lead in promoting love and brotherhood. Sadly enough, some priests, and even a few bishops, add to the chaos and misunderstanding in Philippine society today. They even encourage the use of violence to change governments.

They should first address the "character change" message to themselves before they preach it to others. --ROMULO VITOR, via e-mail

Archbishop Cruz needs to reform Bishop Bactol

Bishop Filomeno Bactol





by ARCHBISHOP OSCAR V. CRUZ, D.D.



PHILIPPINE POLITICS has probably become the biggest obstacle to our socio-human development as a people, the most depressing reality in the life of our country. The mere mention of the word "politics" brings many different pitiful visions and painful reactions. The term "politicos" immediately and strongly carries many connotations — except what is really good and true, what is altogether honest and just.

In effect, it can be rightfully said that the way politics is understood and practiced by the present administration makes it synonymous with lying, cheating, and stealing. And more recently, specifically under the national leadership, politics has acquired more dangerous features, namely, narcissistic, delusional, and greedy for power — no matter the costs, whatever the means, with no holds barred.

The present overall manifestations and expressions of local and national politics in the Philippines are certainly not edifying, much less inspiring: Patronage politics. Politics of personalities. Politics of pay-offs. And lately: Transactional Politics. The combined product of all these political maladies is aptly captured by the shameful nomenclature of "trapos" appended to shameless politicians.

It is precisely of account of the above cited erratic politics and errant politicians that the Roman Catholic Church may not waive her mandate and mission to proclaim certain signal objective truths meant to guide the design and desire of the political community in this country. Otherwise, the Church would be an irrelevant institution here and now. And probably, the eventual loser would be the Filipino people — except the corrupt and corrupting politicians.

It would be rather easy and convenient for the Church to pretend to be — and act as — deaf, dumb, and blind on the deleterious agenda and acts of politics presently dominant in the Philippines. This would, however, be tantamount to the betrayal of her commitment of evangelization here and now in view always of the hereafter and beyond. Politics is a human activity. Human beings may not divest themselves of moral accountability for their actions. Even politicians may not be above ethical principles, above moral imperatives. Otherwise, politics becomes a vicious and odious social ingredient as it now precisely appears in Philippine life and history.



ETHICS AS established by Natural Law, and Morals as founded on positive Divine Law, are in the domain and within the competence of the Church. Yes, her human components may be weak and sinful like other ordinary mortals. But her divine element is what makes the Church essentially truthful that gives her a lasting existence and the pursuant long experience. Trapos come and go. But the Church remains to guide and pray for them now, and eventually to bury them and pray for their eternal repose.

Now and in the years yet to come, seeing the present disrespected administration and those still in waiting, confronted by the actual distrusted national leadership and others yet in the making, faced by the ruling trapos and the politicians coming on deck soon, the Church in the Philippines has to undertake the following more urgent, difficult yet necessary composite pastoral ministry:

Providing human formation and Christian education in the political life of the country in order to build a culture that does not separate politics and morals.

Guiding the conscience of the people in making a clear distinction between good and bad politics, praiseworthy politicians and unworthy politicos, trustworthy and dangerous political candidates.

Working for structural changes in Philippine politics that progressively do away with inculturated graft and corruption, and thereby gradually inculcate habitual right conscience in the exercise of public offices as public trusts.

Promoting laws that are premised on what is objectively right and just, and which assure and advance the common welfare of the citizenry.

Inspiring and urging the Christian lay faithful not only to be more involved in the political life of the country, but also to actually take a more active part in Philippine politics.

Whether the general public, and/or the political community in particular, would accept or reject the avowed pastoral ministry of the Church specifically in Philippine politics now and in the years ahead is eventually left to their respective option. Even the Good Lord respects the free will that He gave to human beings. Much less may His Church impose her Social Doctrine on the Filipino politicians. Hers remains the mandate to evangelize Philippine politics — among the other dimensions of Philippine society. To the politicians belongs the eventual decision to listen or play deaf thereto. But they may not claim that the Church did nothing to guide their lives as individuals and their ways as politicians.

The Church has a singular advantage that no politician or political party, no administration or national leadership can truly claim or could ever have: all the time to teach, all the time to guide, plus all the time to wait. Meantime, the Church in the Philippines may not and will not renounce its role and burden as the moral compass of the Filipino people, Philippine politics included.

Most Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, D. D. is the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan. He says he is also a priest who writes in the light of faith and reason.

Charter Change - and the Philippine Bishops

CHARTER CHANGE
CBCP spokesman says solons are missing the point


By Jerome Aning
Inquirer
Last updated 06:42pm (Mla time) 12/09/2006


THE CATHOLIC Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has no official comment yet on the House of Representatives’ latest moves to revise the Constitution, saying members of its permanent council are still consulting each other for unified stand that will be released by Monday.

However, in what might be a foretaste of the influential group's reaction, CBCP spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio told reporters Saturday that Speaker Jose de Venecia and his allies were missing the point by now calling for a separately elected constitutional convention to amend the Charter instead of forming Congress into a constituent assembly for the same purpose.

"These people do not get the point. The point is the people do not trust them. The people can't entrust Cha-cha [Charter change] to those that they do not trust," Quitorio said, stressing that his words were his personal reaction and not the CBCP's.

Quitorio said that he was mystified by the motivation behind the rush to amend the Charter, adding, "We have lots of problems today, such as the devastation of Bicol by the recent supertyphoon. Why don't we address these first?"

"Charter change is not the problem of the common folk; those pushing for it seem to be obsessive-compulsive in doing so. There's something wrong here, why are they so insistent?" he said.

Asked if the CBCP would go ahead with its plan to stage a rally against Charter change and the constituent assembly on Friday, Quitorio said the faithful should wait for the announcement of Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president.

"He has not said anything about this yet, but I've been feeding him updates on the matter," he said. He added a meeting of top CBCP officials may be held on Monday to gather inputs from the CBCP permanent council members.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches said it was worried by the politicians' rush to amend the Charter and by the tension it has created.

"We are concerned with the action of the House of Representatives in pushing for a constituent assembly. In their objective to shift to a parliamentary unicameral system, they are conducting their business as if they were already a unicameral parliament," PCEC said in a statement.

While the constitutional issue of whether the Senate can be bypassed forming Congress into a constituent assembly is a matter for the Supreme Court to decide, PCEC said it believed "the welfare of the nation requires that congressmen and senators must engage in open and honest dialogue regarding all the relevant issues."

"We appeal to our lawmakers to rise above narrow, partisan and personal politics. Is statesmanship impossible in our beloved land?" it said.

The Protestant group stressed that they recognize that no Constitution is perfect, that there are many ways of amending it and that they support the shift from a presidential to a parliamentary system of government, calling the latter "more democratic and more efficient."

Like the CBCP, PCEC called on its faithful to remain "prayerful, vigilant, and sober," adding, "Let us all enter into the discussions on how to improve our Constitution. Can we do this freely and eagerly without calling each other names? Let us do so because we love our country. It is the only one we have!"

Philippine Catholic Church in Politics

On Dec. 15, all roads lead to Rizal Park

By Carla Gomez, Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Christian V. Esguerra
Inquirer
Last updated 00:18am (Mla time) 12/08/2006

Published on Page A1 of the December 8, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE CATHOLIC Church is organizing a massive prayer rally on Dec. 15 against the House of Representatives' move to amend the Constitution by convening itself into a constituent assembly (Con-ass).

Part of the Church's plan is to fill up Rizal Park in Manila which, in rallies past, had held up to around one million people.

A Protestant umbrella group, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, is joining the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and the charismatic Catholic group El Shaddai in opposing the Malacañang-backed move in the House.

Other groups and individuals such as labor and peasant organizations and President Joseph Estrada are calling on their forces to oppose Con-ass.

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the CBCP, issued on Wednesday a strongly worded statement describing the House effort as "fraudulently illegal and scandalously immoral."

The CBCP yesterday said simultaneous prayer rallies would be held in all dioceses around the country, according to Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, conference spokesperson.

The country has 86 dioceses, including the military ordinariate, the Church unit for soldiers and policemen headed by Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak.

"There is a need to respond more collectively to the present crisis produced by the prospect of Charter change (Cha-cha) by administration congressmen desperately bent on creating themselves into a constituent assembly," Lagdameo said in the statement titled "Watch and Pray: Magmalasakit Para sa Bayan."

He called on people to be vigilant, saying the temptation to manipulate and to hold on to power endangers the common good and the safety of the greatest number.

Rosales' blessing
Quitorio said the prayer rally had the blessing of Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, archbishop of the powerful Metropolitan See of Manila.

The low-key cardinal is known to shy away from politics, preferring instead to focus quietly on poverty alleviation and values formation programs in his archdiocese.

Rosales is expected to join other Metro Manila bishops at Rizal Park for the big anti-Charter change prayer rally, according to Quitorio. The other prelates are Bishops Deogracias Iñiguez of Caloocan, Antonio Tobias of Novaliches, Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao, Jesse Mercado of Parañaque and Francisco San Diego of Pasig.

Quitorio said the rally was the bishops' reaction to developments in the House, particularly the adoption of the majority bloc's resolution convening Congress into a constituent assembly.

No more morals
"We are alarmed with what's happening at the lower house," he told the Inquirer. "There are no more morals, no more rules. The rule is what suits administration congressmen."

Quitorio said the CBCP was particularly dismayed that supporters of President Macapagal-Arroyo seemed more preoccupied with their political interest in Manila while thousands of Filipinos were dying and starving in Bicol in the aftermath of Typhoon "Reming."

He said it was unwise for the Arroyo administration and its allies in the House to push for Con-ass with apparent haste and questionable motives. "They're just instigating the people," he said.

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. confirmed last night that he met with El Shaddai leader Bro. Mariano "Mike" Velarde early in the day in a bid to forge an alliance against the House-only Con-ass.

"I've been going around conferring with groups opposed to Con-ass to apprise them of the Senate position, as well as to get their position," he said.

The Senate invited Velarde, who earlier told the Inquirer that he would block the legally flawed House Con-ass, to a hearing set for Monday on the proposals to amend the Constitution.

The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, which pushed for the dismissed people's initiative to amend the Charter, sought a breakfast meeting with Villar today in a bid to broker a dialogue between the Senate and House on Charter change.

Nat'l Council of Churches
In a statement, the NCCP said it was joining "the CBCP and other sectors of society in their efforts to thwart this deceptive machination to tinker with the Constitution."

The NCCP said it was not against Charter change per se. "Amendments are necessary in order for the Charter to ensure the welfare of the citizens. No doubt, the present Constitution stands in need of substantial improvement, but definitely not at this time and certainly not for the wrong reasons," it said.

In Tanay, Rizal, where he is detained, Estrada urged Filipinos to go out into the streets and protest Con-ass.

"With every breath I have, I will fight this unconscionable rape of our Constitution and the murder of our democracy and freedoms," Estrada said in a statement.

He deplored the move of the House majority to convene a Con-ass without the cooperation of the Senate.

"As in 2001 when (President Macapagal-Arroyo) mounted a coup d'etat in January to depose [me], the Constitution was treated as a dirty rag. There was no respect shown for the Constitution and democracy, with the sacred document and covenant with the Filipino people trampled by the coup plotters," he said.

Estrada, despite five years in detention, remains the acknowledged leader of the United Opposition.

In May 2001, Estrada's arrest and detention caused thousands of his loyalists to come out into the streets and picket the Edsa Shrine in what would be called Edsa III.

Davao businessmen
In Davao City, businessmen are opposing Con-ass as a means of introducing amendments to the Constitution, an official of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII) said.

DCCCII has about 386 members and is considered one of the country's influential business groups.

But lawyer Bienvenido Cariaga, DCCCII president, clarified the chamber was not against the moves to amend the Constitution. He said the chamber would prefer a constitutional convention (Con-con) as a way of introducing changes in the Charter to prevent politicians from inserting provisions that would serve their interests.

He said during the chamber's general assembly on Dec. 2, at least 55 members stood up for Con-con while only two voted in favor of Con-ass. Cariaga said on Tuesday the chamber distributed survey forms and found out that 99 percent of those who answered were against Con-ass.

He said businessmen fear that the Con-ass would become a venue for politicians to introduce changes that would only further their personal agenda.

Widespread protests
Militant groups are also gearing for widespread protest actions.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said it would mobilize its 1.5 million members to launch protest actions against Con-ass.

"We should also join our forces with that of the Church and the El Shaddai as well as other forces genuinely against Charter change and have the people's interest at heart," said KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos in an e-mailed statement.

The Kilusang Mayo Uno, Partido Manggagawa and Sanlakas said they were planning mass actions in Metro Manila and elsewhere against Con-ass.

"If they think the people would accept hook, line and sinker the Cha-cha they're cooking, they're mistaken," said KMU chair Elmer Labog.

Labog said that once the Constitution was opened to amendments or revisions, basic labor rights such as the eight-hour daily work, prohibition on contractual jobs and freedom to form unions might be removed.

Noise barrage
Members of Partido Manggagawa and allies Sanlakas and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino held a noise barrage at noon yesterday against Con-ass at Mabuhay Rotunda in Quezon City, along Edsa at the corners of North and Timog Avenues, Malinta interchange in Valenzuela City and SM Fairview.

Today, the Ilonggos' Movement Against Arroyo's Charter Change (I March) and Bagong Alyansang Mabayan in Panay will kick off their protest actions in Iloilo City.

In Ormoc City, Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, parish priest of the Saints Peter and Paul, called on the faithful to raise a collective voice to stop the "Cha-cha" train.With reports from Juliet Labog-Javellana, Norman Bordadora and Jerome Aning in Manila; Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas; Rizalene Acac and Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao

Bishops and Gloria Arroyo's Goverment

11/01/2006

The general perception of the attitude of the
Catholic Church toward
the woman that it helped install in the
presidency in 2001 is one of
selective indifference toward its demonstrated
shortcomings. This
perception has been strengthened by statements
made by some members
of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP)
regarding a report said to have been prepared,
and presented to the
CBCP, by a committee created to investigate the
allegation that
Gloria Arroyo cheated Fernando Poe Jr. of victory
in the 2004
election.

According to the statements made by some CBCP
members, the committee
concluded, on the basis of its inquiries with
church-related entities
and their civil society groups, that the
standard-bearer of the
Kilusan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) was
cheated of around 600,000
votes by Mrs. Arroyo. The entities to which CBCP
directed its
inquiries were the Catholic Church-organized
Parish Pastoral Council
for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the National
Movement for Free
Elections (Namfrel).

Teodoro Bacani, the former Bishop of Novaliches,
is one of th CBCP
members who have stated that a report prepared by
the committee
created by the CBCP to investigate the 2004
electoral fraud
allegations — marked "For Your Eyes Only" — was
presented to the CBCP
members during a plenary session held early this
year in Manila.
Bishop Bacani has written that "(t)he figure of
the CBCP
investigating panel that the fraud was massive:
600,000 votes." The
bishop added that a high official of the PPCRV,
when asked in the
course of a private conversation whom he thought
really won the 2004
election, had answered "FPJ."

Another prominent CBCP member, the Archbishop of
Lingayen, Oscar
Cruz, has publicly confirmed that the report of a
CBCP committee
created to investigate the 2004 electoral fraud
allegations was
circulated during a CBCP plenary meeting. "A
report was handed to the
bishops during our plenary meeting," the
courageous prelate has
stated.

Bishop Bacani noted that in his testimony before
the Senate, the then-
Namfrel chairman for Lanao del Sur — one of the
handful provinces
which Gloria Arroyo claims to have won —
"categorically stated that
FPJ and Loren (Legarda) were cheated in 2004."

Furthermore, two officials of the Commission on
Elections (Comelec),
Arsenio Rasalan and John Clinton Colcol said to
have detailed, in
affidavits, how Gloria Arroyo's operatives
altered entries in the
Certificates of Canvass to ensure her victory in
the 2004 election.

Any sensible observer would have thought that a
report such as that
prepared by the electoral-fraud investigating
committee would create
a stir during the plenary meeting and move the
Catholic Church's top
clerics to action. But it didn't. Why not?

A third CBCP member who confirmed the
distribution of the committee
report during the CBCP plenary meeting stated
that the report failed
to satisfy the bishops' questions on the charge
of massive electoral
fraud leveled against Gloria Arroyo. "It didn't
create a ripple among
the bishops," he said. "(They said) it wasn't
worth it because the
report came from second-hand information taken
from other reports
made available by different groups."

At the beginning of this piece, I spoke of the
general perception
that the CBCP practices selective indifference
toward the Arroyo
government's demonstrated shortcomings. The
Catholic Church
leadership group's reaction to, and inaction on,
its electoral fraud
investigating committee's findings is a perfect
example of this.

This country's Catholic prelates could not be —
refused to be — moved
to action against Gloria Arroyo's gigantic fraud
and grand deception
in the 2004 election notwithstanding Mrs.
Arroyo's highly improper
and exceedingly incriminating canvass-stage
conversations with
Comelec official Virgilio Garcillano, the
unwavering testimonies of
civil society people involved in the monitoring
of the election and
the mounds of testimony received and compiled in
the course of the
numerous inquiries that have been conducted, in
Congress and
elsewhere, into the 2004 electoral-fraud
allegations. In so doing —
or not doing — this country's Catholic bishops
completely disregarded
the series of opinion surveys that found the
majority of Filipinos,
often up to 80 percent, (1) believe that Gloria
Arroyo cheated her
way through the 2004 election, (2) think that the
issue of Gloria's
legitimacy must be settled conclusively and (3)
want her to get out
of Malacañang.

There are many discernible indications that the
Roman Catholic Church
in this country has steadily been losing ground
among its flock. Its
selective indifference toward the wayward ways of
Gloria Arroyo's
administration, as demonstrated by its attitude
to the reports of its
electoral-fraud investigating committee, is
guaranteed to not bring
about a reversal of that trend

CBCP - Bishops and Philippine Goverment

CBCP: Anti-Cha-cha stance not to push church tax
exemption

11/03/2006

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) yesterday
said it had no sectoral agenda in its expressed
opposition to the
proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution and is
not trying to coerce
the government into lifting the imposed tax on
the church.

Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, spokesman and media
director of the CBCP, said
the CBCP's aired objection to the proposed
revision of the 19-year-
old Charter was basically due to the reason
stated by the government
in pushing Charter change (Cha-cha).

"Changing the Constitution would only worsen the
situation of the
Philippines because of the (government's) hidden
agenda and this is
perpetuated by deception, lying and corruption,"
he said.

Quitorio added the issue on the tax on the church
is an almost
insubstantial part of their objection to Cha-cha.

He said the Catholic church is abiding by the law
and is paying its
taxes along with schools and other businesses
owned and operated by
the church.

Quitorio stressed the proposed amendments to the
Constitution through
the government-backed people's initiative had
just been revived
following the controversy hounding the legitimacy
of the Arroyo
government.

In an earlier statement, the CBCP lauded the
Supreme Court (SC) for
scrapping the petition for the recognition of a
people's initiative
to effect Cha-cha that was filed by the Sigaw ng
Bayan movement and
the Union of Local Authorities (Ulap).

Prior to the SC's junking of the petition, the
Commission on
Elections (Comelec) turned it down on the grounds
that there was no
enabling law to allow for it.

CBCP president, Jaro, Leyte Arhcbishop Angel
Lagdameo said the
Catholic Church is not against Cha-cha per se
since they agree that
some provisions of the Constitution needs to be
amended, but what
they are opposing is the timing of the proposed
amendments.

To My Dear Brother Bishops

Address by Pope Benedict XVI to the Irish Bishops at Vatican City, OCT. 29, 2006-
Bishop Filomeno G. Bactol should read and pray on.....

In the exercise of your pastoral ministry, you have had to respond in recent years to many heart-rending cases of sexual abuse of minors. These are all the more tragic when the abuser is a cleric. The wounds caused by such acts run deep, and it is an urgent task to rebuild confidence and trust where these have been damaged. In your continuing efforts to deal effectively with this problem, it is important to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected and, above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes. In this way, the Church in Ireland will grow stronger and be ever more capable of giving witness to the redemptive power of the Cross of Christ. I pray that by the grace of the Holy Spirit, this time of purification will enable all God's people in Ireland to "maintain and perfect in their lives that holiness which they have received from God" (Lumen Gentium, 40).

HOPE IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

HOPE IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

(Must reading for Bishop Filomeno G. Bactol)

A Message from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

Beloved People of God: As we your bishops gathered at Tagaytay for our annual Spiritual Retreat and our 85th Plenary Assembly, a destructive typhoon raged for several days. We were reminded of Peter and the other disciples on a boat being swamped by the waves. There were terrified and in panic. Aroused from sleep by the disciples, Jesus said to them: Why is your faith so little? Have courage! And he stilled the storm.

In a very true sense we are going through a terrible storm. In our country, a great number of our people continue to suffer dehumanizing poverty. Criminality, senseless violence, irresponsible politics and other serious ills are fast becoming the staple of our daily lives. Many have a sense of despair or hopelessness. To the various crises in society, we must now, with great sorrow and shame, add problems in the Church. We confess that cases of grave sexual misconduct by clerics and religious in the Philippines have rocked the bark of Peter.

Sexual misconduct on the part of shepherds of the flock betrays the holy Priesthood that Christ has shared. The people of God are faced with the mystery of the Church, at once holy and yet sinful in its members. Have courage, Jesus says to all of us. With courage as a gift from God, we your Pastors humbly ask for forgiveness for the grave sins committed by some leaders against members of the flock. The whole Gospel that we proclaim is an indictment of such unpriestly behavior. Yet saying thins, let us all realize that the great majority of the clergy and religious are faithful to their priestly and religious commitments and sincerely strive with the help of God's grace to be holy and zealous.

We realize that forgiveness and apologies must flow into a commitment to be purified and renewed. That is what we resolve to do. We your bishops are now in the process of drafting thorough wide consultation with experts from among the lay people, religious men and women, a protocol that addresses the various types of sexual abuse and misconduct. It will provide steps for profound renewal.

Even as Jesus convicts us for our lack of faith, we likewise make our way to him and plaintively ask, Lord, what shall we do? The words of Micah the Prophet ring loud and strong, "You know what the Lord God expects of you: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

With everyone who despairs of ever changing society, with victims and offenders of sexual abuse in the Church, we find hope in the midst of a storm through the words of Micah.

We see hope in acting justly. Justice required that all of us, clergy and religious, your spiritual leaders look after the good of the flock without any regard for profit, pleasure, or power, because that is the call of God to us. We see hope in loving tenderly. Love requires all spiritual leaders to offer the sacrifice of their talents, in fact their very lives, for the people given by God to their care. For this was the manner of Christ's own love. It demands a love that neither exploits others nor takes advantage of any member of the flock, but respects and uplifts all members as God's own beloved children.

We see hope in walking humbly. We walk humbly when we ask for forgiveness from God and from the victims of our sins. We walk humbly when, divesting ourselves of power and authority, go to those from whom we have separated ourselves through self-interest, arrogance, or abuse of power, and reconcile with them heart to heart. For why should not religious leaders be one with their flock, when they themselves are ambassadors of reconciliation?

The hope of a better Philippines, of a holy Church, that God gives as a gift comes through a life that is renewed, a life that acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly with God. Such a life is itself the grace of God.

This is the message we wish to proclaim to you as we journey through a series of storms whose waves threaten to swamp both Church and society. Have faith! Have courage, says Jesus. In him we have hope that does not disappoint.

For the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines:

+ORLANDO B. QUEVEDO, OMI, DD
Archbishop of CotabatoPresident,
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
7 July 2002

Letter sent to Bishop Bactol from St. Alfonso Monastery

Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol, DD
Diocese of Naval
6543 Naval, Biliran, Philippines



Dear Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol,

Consider this:

Can. 401 ß2 a diocesan Bishop who, because of illness or some other grave reason, has become unsuited for the fulfillment of his office, is earnestly requested to offer his resignation from office.

Because of your immoral behavior you are unsuited for the office of diocesan Bishop.

It is good for the Diocese of Naval and the full Catholic Church that you submit your resignation to the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.


Sincerely, in Christ and
Our Mother of Perpetual Help,


Stephen M. Greinke, MBPH



Cc Apostolic Nuncio

Archbishop Dean coments on Bactol's Problems

Msgr. Pedro Dean, expressed his thanks to Bishop Bactol publicly for his cooperation during his stint as Archbishop of Palo.
He gave this piece of advice to the honoree as he said "you welcome worries, disappointments, burdens because these humps in life are not to give you problems but to ask you to go slow so that you can reach the peak of fulfillment of your life as bishop and as servant of God.
"I hope you can reach the golden years of your episcopacy", he said.

Imelda Marcos - at Bishop Bactol's 25th

Former FL hails God’s miracles on bishops’s silver anniversary
By Lanie Pitao-Tupaz
Naval, Biliran (18 October) -- Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, special principal sponsor of Bishop Filomeno Bactol in his episcopal ordination 25 years ago, came to Naval, Biliran, to attend his silver anniversary celebration of episcopal ordination.
In her speech before the bishops, clergies, nuns, and parishioners, Mrs. Marcos emphasized the miraculous powers of God for those who religiously ask for His help and blessings.
Mrs. Marcos recalled the day they were ousted from the palace for their years of exile in Hawaii. Their destination that day was unknown to her and their family. All she thought was that they were to leave the palace for Ilocos, the late President Marcos’ hometown.
In packing their belongings, the first thing she took with her was the image of the Sto. Niño, the patron saint of her birthplace, Tacloban City. The image of the Sto. Niño stayed with them in Hawaii and it was the Sto. Niño whom she asked for all the strength and courage to face the gargantuan trials she and her family are facing.
Since their ouster in power in 1986, Mrs. Marcos said, they face hundreds of cases not from individuals but from governments and super powers. However, she and her family remain strong as they were. This she attributed to her strong religious faith.
Mrs. Marcos even pitied his friends involved in those cases along with them who passed away along the process.
Somehow, she is still very thankful for the intercession of God for giving her the strength to face all those trials and got acquitted in most of them.
Moreover, she has high hopes for a peaceful community within the entire diocese of Naval with Bishop Filomeno Bactol. (PIA

Bishop Filomeno G. Bactol - Bishop of Naval

I, Stephen M. Greinke, being of legal age, a member of the Roman Catholic Church, swear and declare before Almighty God the following facts and statements, under penalty of Law, Civil Law, and Canon Law (Canons 1390 - 1391) of the Roman Catholic Church.

I have served as President / Superior of a Private Association of the Christian Faithful called the Society of the Missionary Brothers of Perpetual Help from 1990 to the present. Founded in the State of Washington 1989 and accepted into the Diocese of Naval, in September 8, 1990 when invited by Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol, D.D. Bishop of Naval to come to his newly created Diocese as an Apostolic Union.

The Missionary Brothers received little or no spiritual and financial help from Bishop Bactol and the Diocese of Naval during our 13 years of belonging to the Diocese of Naval.

I was told by the Vicar General of the Diocese of Naval, that the only reason I was asked to come to the Diocese of Naval was to be a sexual play thing for the Bishop of Naval. I was also told by several priests of the Diocese, that the priest advisors where not consulted on my being invited to be a vital part of the Diocese as decided by the Bishop.

From the very beginning I witnessed Bishop Bactol sleeping with young under age boys under the age of 16, in his bedroom at night. I knew it a bad idea for the Bishop to leave himself open to scandalous gossip among the townspeople. I had frequently told him this when I served as his secretary for 6 months. His response was always “ I need the boys around me at night”.

Priests in the Diocese would make jokes about the Bishop’s homosexual conduct and said these where their aces, if they would get in trouble with the Bishop.

I openly heard a parent talking about having his two young boys having had sex with Bishop Bactol and was happy that the Bishop was paying for their education as there reward for having sex with him.

After 6 months of living at the Bishop’s Palace I wanted to move out and begin the Brother Community that the Bishop had offered and approved..

In the beginning, of the MBPH Monastery I reported to the Bishop that I witnessed some of the Brother Candidates masturbating each other. I reported this directly to the Bishop and he said that was part of the Filipino culture and that “you Americans don’t understand our Filipino culture“.

Another time I was informed that the some of our candidates were receiving money from a priest of the Diocese of Naval. They said they where being paid by the priest to have sex with him. This same priest served as our first confessor to our community. (Violation of Canon 1387) I went to Bishop Bactol and informed him that it was not right for the priest to hear the confessions of his victims of sexual abuse. The Bishop did not do anything about it. I finally objected to this priest hearing confessions at the Monastery. With the Bishop knowledge and approval, this same priest continued to hear confessions at our Monastery.

It was common knowledge that the senior priest of the Diocese was fathered children by women in the area. When I brought it to the Bishop’s attention, the Bishop stated he had heard there were three children now, I informed him there was four. And the Bishop laughed. This same priest continued public ministry until the day he died.

Immorality was very evident among the priests of the Diocese. Many times our Brother Candidates were witnesses to women sleeping in the same convents (rectories) that our Brother Candidates were staying. Even to the point of a Brgy. Government spying on and bringing to the Bishop’s attention these sexual relations. One of our Brothers had to take over the Church (by request of the Bishop) until a priest could be found to replace the priest who was caught in adultery. Later on this same Brother (in formation) was having sexual relations with a married woman and her child - This Brother had learned this was the way of life in the Diocese of Naval. The people in Naval said if priests can have babies, why can’t Brothers?

Our Chaplain was upset with this Brother about what this Brother was saying about him in public. This priest, in the presence of a Brother Associate, wanted me to pay P5,000 pesos to have this Brother murdered. He was not joking. He told me that he had someone in mind who would do the job. I met to discuss this before our Monastery Community Council. They recommended that I go to the Bishop and report it. I did this and the Bishop was not alarmed, the took no action. I asked if we could have another Chaplain, due to the serious nature of this. The Bishop said “no“.

In May of 1997 our MBPH Community place $2.000 in the Diocese of Naval Social Action account with the chancery. This was the Misso Money for building our church (grant money). Our Chaplin told us that we would get it back in September of that year. When that time had passed the money was gone. I went to the Bishop, the Bishop told me that that money was gambled away. The Bishop told me to raise Mass Stipends from the USA to pay off the debt that was owed by the Diocese. The priests would say the masses, and we keep the money. I could not accept using mass money in this improper way.

Sometimes the priests would use 10 mass stipends at one mass and then keep the money.
Getting Mass stipends was a big business with the priests of the Diocese. Sometimes it was told to the people that without an stipend - no mass!

I bring these and other charges against Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol, for the purpose that this Bishop has shown little spiritual leadership to the people of the Diocese, that he is a poor role model for priests and religious of the Diocese of Naval. That this Bishop with his immoral lifestyle is a public scandal to the Church. That said, the Bishop needs to be replaced for the good of the Church.

I again call for removal of Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol, DD, and that the Holy See appoint a worthy Bishop for the people of the Diocese of Naval and a worthy role model for the priests of the Diocese. I believe that Bishop Bactol has abused his authority as Bishop through negligence. Allowing violations of the moral law of the Catholic Church (Canon 1389). This includes violations of celibacy (Canons 1394, 1395).




I swear and declare the these above facts are true, before Almighty God, under penalty of law.


on this date: June 13, 2006



Stephen M. Greinke, MBPH

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