Pope Blessed John Paul II's 1995 Message to Women Who Have Had Abortions

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Blessed John Paul II's message to women who have aborted their children is theologically significant since it is found within the most important encyclical of his pontificate - Evangelium Vitae from 1995.  Paragraph 99 speaks directly to post-abortive women. Pope John Paul II speaks as one who knows that Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Divine Mercy of the Eternal Father and that the depths of His forgiveness is infinite. The words of His Holiness resound with the message of mercy and the Gospel of Life proclaimed by Christ. Below is the pertinent passage:

I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life. Through your commitment to life, whether by accepting the birth of other children or by welcoming and caring for those most in need of someone to be close to them, you will become promoters of a new way of looking at human life.  

- Pope Blessed John Paul II's Evangelium Vitae, 99 (1995)

One must admire how the Holy Father speaks of mercy, but also the need for penance and sacramental absolution. Also, he commissions these women to crusade against legalized abortion. His Holiness calls them to forgiveness, but also calls them to action.

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Costa Pacifica Raintree: A haven amid beauty of Baler

INQUIRER.net

7:30 pm | Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

 5 238 218

MANILA, Philippines – For those who vacation in the more popular destinations south of Metro Manila, Baler seems like a distant and remote spot. To the peripatetic and those bitten by wanderlust, Baler is a jewel of a paradise waiting to be discovered.  Tucked between mountain and sea, Baler is the economic hub and political center of the province of Aurora. Its very location between the formidable Sierra Madre mountain range and the waters of the Pacific Ocean endows the town with so many attractions.

For surfers, Baler has long been a byword among those searching for excitement and sure adrenaline rush.  Most famous among the town’s many surfing spots is Sabang Beach, a long stretch of gray sandy beach.  It offers a calm and soothing beachfront from March to June with moderate waves ideal or swimming. From October to February, however, the large waves come in which gives ample opportunity for surfers to ride the crest.  For experts, Lindy’s Point, along the southern part of the beach, offers more challenging waves.

Lovers of marine attractions will enjoy a visit to the coral-rich islands of Dimadimalangat, Aniao and Lukso-Lukso strewn just off the coast. The picturesque Dicasalarin Beach offers calm, crystal-clear waters for hours of swimming and just lazing on the white sand beach.  This is the same beach where the romantic scene between Anne Curtis and Jericho Rosales was shot for the movie “Baler”.

Baler is also a town with a rich historical past.  Baler Church marks the famous Siege of Baler when the last Spanish garrison of four officers and 50 men was besieged by Filipino insurgents from June 27, 1898 to July 2, 1899.  This was the last pocket of resistance of the Spanish Armed Forces to surrender to American troops.

It is also hometown to the late Pres. Manuel Luis Quezon and those who want to know more about the man can visit the Quezon Memorial Park—a beautiful park with stately trees, flowering ornamentals and gardens.  A statue of Pres. Quezon sits in the center where tourists can have their photos taken. In the middle sits the striking Museo de Baler.

Ermita Hill in nearby Poblacion Casiguran offers a commanding view of Casiguran Bay, Sabang Beach and the nearby islets. More than just a park and perch, this is also the site where seven families escaped to during the great tsunami of December 1735.  At the foot of the hill stands a stunning memorial created by artist Nemi Miranda—a sculpture depicting fathers, mothers and children clambering up on the hill to escape the rampaging waves.

In the midst of the beauty and attractions, Baler is a true haven designed to pamper the body and soothe the senses—Costa Pacifica Raintree. Located along Sabang Beach, it offers a breathtaking view of the ocean with windswept beaches and a striking sunrise.  More than that, Costa Pacifica Raintree is just a lazy walk away from the famous surfer’s beach.

Its 108 handsomely-designed suites are equipped with LCD television with cable programming, air conditioning, and hot and cold shower. Guests have free use of the pool and gym.  There is also complimentary Wi-Fi access for those who wish to be connected even on a holiday.  For the young ones, the hotel has an activity room and gym.

A feast awaits gourmands at Costa Pacifica’s dining outlets.  The Beach Shack offers a menu of mouthwatering local and international cuisine for lunch and dinner, and a breakfast buffet served daily.  It boasts of a wood-fired oven to give most selections a smoky, heartwarming flavor and offers calming view of the ocean.

Café Rosa is charming, Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and coffee shop where one can luxuriously savor themed buffets and ala-carte selections. Authentic Baler cuisine is the main attraction of the menu and is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Those who want to spice up out-of-town business gatherings, product launches and private parties such as weddings, anniversaries and birthdays will fall in love with The Pavillion. The handsome structure sits along the shoreline and opens to a panoramic view of the sea. More than a function room, it is a destination where one can make beautiful memories with friends, family and loved ones.

Costa Pacifica Raintree opens in the first quarter of 2013.

Costa Pacifica Raintree is located at Buton Street, Sabang, Baler, Aurora.  Sabang Beach is a few minutes away from the Baler town proper and about 230KM northeast of Manila. For details and inquiries, log on to inquiry@costapacificaraintree.com.

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Environment-Friendly Camp Attracts Tourists

January 23, 2013, 8:34pmBy Mar T. Supnad

CATAPANG JR.

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – The Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division (7ID) here has earned an image of being an environment-friendly military camp due to its effort to preserve giant, old trees inside the reservation. It is also eyeing the conversion of a portion of the  Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR) into a tourist destination.

The camp’s natural cool surrounding impresses its visitors, specifically several big trees lining up the streets, serving as shields against the heat of the sun.

This was due to the leadership of the army, led by 7ID Commander, Brig. Gen. Pio Catapang Jr., who spearheaded tree and environment preservation inside the camp.

Catapang met recently with representatives from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to explore more pro-environment activities.

“During our meeting with TIEZA representatives, we discussed some of the activities that environment lovers and tourists can do here such as wall climbing, hiking, downhill mountain biking, camping, motocross riding, 4x4 off-road driving, zip-line, and horseback riding as well as water sports in our coastal areas in Dingalan, Aurora namely kayaking, scuba diving, windsurfing, jet ski, and parasailing,” Catapang told newsmen.

“Now that we are becoming insurgency-free and the reign of peace and prosperity in Regions 1 and 3, it is high time that we transform certain parts of our camp into a place of leisure where families and friends can bond together. We want them to say that you haven’t been to Nueva Ecija if you haven’t visited Fort Magsaysay, the home of Kaugnay troopers,” Catapang declared.

The FMMR, with a total land area of 44,970 hectares, was created by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 237 dated December 19, 1955. It consists of the Cantonment area, Training Circuit, Kalinga sa Kawal off-based housing for military personnel, Jethropa Plantation, National Training Center (Balikatan area), and the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Catapang challenged the rebels in the area to join them in their programs to protect Mother Nature and its bounty for the future generation of Filipinos to enjoy.

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The Pope's Graphic Condemnation of Abortionists...Way Back in 1588!

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Pope Sixtus V, First Pope to Issue Bull Against Abortionists

Believe it or not, abortion was a growing problem way back in the 1500s. Some have speculated that this this was a response to an increased rate of prostitution. Whatever the case may be, Pope Sixtus V formally condemned abortionists in his papal bull Effraenatam,meaning in Latin 'without restraint.' The Holy Father uses the strongest words against those who kill the child while still in his mother's womb.

Pope Sixtus V, born with the name Felice Peretti di Montalto, was an interesting man. He was a Franciscan. Before he was elected Pope, legend states that Nostradamus once approached Felice, knelt down, kissed his cloak, and proclaimed that Felice would one day be Pope.
As Pope, Sixtus planned to turn the Colosseum into a silk weaving factory - a plan that never came to pass. Sixtus also had an ingenius way to avoid war with the Turks and end the Crusades once and for all. He would simply transfer the entire Holy Sepulchre of Christ from Jerusalem to Rome! No more pilgrimages necessary!

Pope Sixtus V issued Effraenatam from Mount Quirinal in Rome on November 29, 1588. The bull excommunicates those involved in abortions, but reserves varying degrees of punishment for varying degrees of involvement in the attempt to procure an abortion, as well as specific punishments for participants of particular vocations, e.g. clerics, pharmacists, and employers.

The Holy Father lists the dreadful means for procuring an abortion in his day. He describes the methods as “blows, poisons, medicines, potions, weights, burdens, work and labor imposed on a pregnant woman, and even other unknown and extremely researched means.” He also speaks of contraception as potions used to prevent conception. 

Here's a quote against abortionists found in Effraenatam:

“Noticing that frequently by various Apostolic Constitutions the audacity and daring of most profligate men, who know no restraint, of sinning with license against the commandment “do not kill” was repressed; We who are placed by the Lord in the supreme throne of justice, being counseled by a most just reason, are in part renewing old laws and in part extending them in order to restrain with just punishment the monstrous and atrocious brutality of those who have no fear to kill most cruelly fetuses still hiding in the maternal viscera. Who will not detest such an abhorrent and evil act, by which are lost not only the bodies but also the souls?”

I'd like to hear your thoughts on three things in particular:

First, I find it amazing that this was a huge problem in a Catholic era - the 16th century. Although there is reference to abortion and contraception in early Church documents, I naively assume that abortion is a recent phenomenon. Surely, it was not as common as it is today, but is there any way to know what abortion rates were like back then?

Second, the Holy Father refers to abortion as "monstrous and atrocious brutality"? Why don't we use that kind of language in public discourse?

Third, the Holy Father says that the victims of abortion, the babies, lose their bodies and also their souls. Is this a reference to limbo? That is, do the aborted, without baptism, lose the beatific vision? It seems this is the sense of the quote.

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Romano Catolico? Yes!

^-AA⁺A

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

THIS is in response to a letter by Amay P. Ong Vaño published last Jan. 12, 2013 entitled “Romano Catolico Ka?” In it, the author expressed his views regarding the Church’s being Catholic, Roman, and its use of Latin.

“Roman Catholic” is not a contradiction in terms—-we are Catholic (that is, Universal) precisely because we are Roman. It is a conditio sine qua non of our Catholicity, of our being Universal.

When Jesus told the apostles to gather all people from all the corners of the world, he did not tell the apostles to gather the people into bunches. Rather, he told them to gather them into one.

And we can only be one if we gather around the Bishop of Rome, Peter, whom Jesus instructed to feed the sheep and the lambs.

Only Rome can nourish the flock, and without this head, we will become no better than the thousands of Protestant sects scattered all over the world—-each with their own leaders, their own worship, and their own conflicting doctrines.

Universality and unity go hand in hand, and we can only be one if we are under one—under Peter and his successor.

Being Roman, then, is not a mere product of sentimentality or an accident of history, but a result of being steadfast to the Rock upon whom God built his Church.

Latin

Now, if the Church is to be truly universal, it has to have a universal language, inasmuch as in today’s economic globalization we must communicate in a global tongue—-not that this language will eclipse the others, but that it will unite them.

Thus, we need a language that all Catholics can call as their own—a language we can use to worship God as one whether we be in Cebu, or in Iraq, or in any other place, and one that possesses the beauty and preciseness that can withstand the test of time.

No language can do this, and has done this, better than Latin.

This language has been with the Church even during the time of Jesus—-from Pilate’s board bearing the INRI to the documents of the Second Vatican Council, even to the current Mass from which our Cebuano translation is based on, Latin has been—-and still is—-the medium of religious instruction and worship.

Unfortunately, we often do not bother to know why it was there in the first place, why it mattered, and why it still matters.

This negative attitude regarding Latin is a great mistake, and a costly one. By discouraging its use, we unwittingly denied a whole generation of Catholics of their two-thousand-year heritage.

We’ve been deprived of the beautiful prayers, the hymns, and the language which Catholics have been sharing for centuries already—a heritage whose beauty even the best translations can never quite capture, as last year’s re-translation of the Mass taught us.

Global

The problem is all the more problematic when we hear the reason—-because of “Vatican II”—-when in fact, the Second Vatican Council encouraged its use: “Steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.”—Article 54, Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy, Vatican II.

Thus, it seems that people only keep referring to something even without reading anything of it.

Also, if we completely reject this language, we will not be only cut off from the Catholics of the past, we will also be cut off from the Catholics of the present.

You see, if Latin mattered back then when we only travelled by horse and ship, it all the more matters today when going global is at its easiest.

Now that Catholics find it easier to travel to other places—either for tourism, for education, or for work—how delightful would it be when, even if one is in a foreign country, he still goes to Church hearing the same prayers and the same Mass, spoken in the same language as he is accustomed to back at home.

Of course, this preference of Latin does not mean the rejection of our own languages—-that is not the Church’s intention.

Contrary to what the previous letter-sender makes it appear, we do not wish to pray only in Latin, but to pray also in Latin—-that we pray not only in our own native tongues, but also in the language shared by all Catholics throughout the world.

And that’s universality in action.

Doable

Can this be done? Well, if today’s new generation can quickly learn and understand songs in Korean and cartoons in Japanese—and with much gusto at that—why not with Latin?---Sem. Gio Abastillas of San Carlos Seminary College, Cebu City

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Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 23, 2013.

Airport Roads Warning: Gangs Harassing Motorists by NAIA

Written By
WhenInManila Contributor

1 Comment and 8 Reactions

Beware of these men…

Around 9am last Friday (early January 2013), we made our way to the airport. As we left NAIA terminal 1, we passed under the NAIA flyover. There we saw a group of men harassing motorists. They were banging on the windows of the cars in traffic. Some were even jumping up on the sidesteps for the higher SUVs or trucks. Some of them raised our windshield wipers and started to supposedly clean our front windshield. So our driver lowered his window a bit and gave the men a P20 bill but they still wouldn’t leave, even if our car was moving already, they were still hanging on to our moving vehicle. My driver tried to close the window but the man just started to scream, “My fingers!” Finally, the man leg go of our window when he saw me bring out my camera phone and point it at him.

Experience a luxurious and comfortable life + affordable rates and plans.

I wasn’t able to snap a pic of our assailant but I was able to catch the other man harassing the car in front of us.

For that car, the driver fully opened his window so the harasser’s full arm was already in the car. I’m not sure what happened after as my view got blocked.

It was really scary as there were around 7-10 men and I saw other men were looking and snooping around the cars while one main guy distracts the driver as this whole thing was going on.

ALWAYS REMEMBER to lock your doors

Article Written by: Gina Limpingco-Marcos

Posted with her permission.

  

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PH takes China to UN arbitral tribunal

By Fat Reyes
Inquirer, net

3:33 pm | Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

 29 272 241

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday announced that the Philippines has taken the step of bringing its West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) territorial disputes to China before an Arbitral Tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to achieve a peaceful and durable solution to the disputes.

The announcement was made by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario.

Del Rosario, in a press conference, said that a note verbale detailing the notification and statement of claim that “challenges before the Arbitral Tribunal the validity of China’s nine-dash claim to almost the entire South China Sea (SCS) including the West Philippine Sea and to desist from unlawful activities that violate the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines under the 1982 UNCLOS” was handed to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing at around 1 p.m. Tuesday.

“The Philippines has exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful negotiated settlement of its maritime dispute with China……To this day, a solution is still elusive. We hope that the Arbitral Proceedings shall bring this dispute to a durable solution,” Del Rosario said.

“We hope that China would join us in this aspiration,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario noted that Solicitor General Francis H. Jardeleza has been tasked as the legal representative for the Philippines in these Arbitral proceedings.

“The lead counsel of the Philippines is Paul Reichler of Foley and Hoag LLP,” he said.

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Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City together with your own parking space at the low amount of only P12,000.00+ and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09164422611/09173373687.