(Photo by Myra Magno)
By Fr. Nonnette C. Legaspi
I AM Rev. Fr. Nonnette C. Legaspi from the Diocese of Novaliches. I am currently Parish Priest of Christ the King Parish, Atlas St., Filinvest Homes II, Batasan Hills, Quezon City. I am also a priest minister for Persons-with-Disabilities in our diocese. (See attachment at the end for a short bio from the back page of my book, “Heartprints of Love.”)
My years of exposure to and ministry with PWDs in general and the deaf in particular, spanning some 27 years (since my seminary days), had always posed a personal challenge to re-view, re-examine and re-new my Christian and priestly commitments. When I was invited to be one of the speakers of the First Philippine Conference on the New Evangelization (PCNE), I had initially simply wished to articulate the challenges I have always known, encountered and ruminated on these past years. My purpose, as was the overall purpose of the PCNE, was to reawaken new fervour within the Catholic Church to take up these challenges too so that She may be a more inviting, healing, and reconciling community of faith, where a “culture of encounter” thrives.
Of course there are many challenges that the Catholic Church faces today. I know that all of them easily make it to the news. Undeniably, the media hype they receive compounded by the gravity of the issues had always shaken the morale of the hierarchy and the laity with intensity 7s. Fortunately so, we are not only a “human” Church, we are Christ’s Body. Our Divine Head keeps us alive, fully human and indefatigable. He makes us rise through these rubbles of our own human doing. His mercy endures forever.
But there are challenges that never make a sound, nary a quiver. In this little write-up, I would like simply to focus on one big reality: the lack of active participation of persons-with-disabilities in the life of the church.
The Obvious: Numbers
National
Luzon has the greatest numbers of PWDs.
As per our National Statistics Office’s 2010 Census Report released in January 10, 2013, the total population of the Philippines is estimated at 92.1 million.[1] It indicated that 1.4 million or 1.57 percent of this number had disability. Among the 17 regions, Region IV-A (CALABARZON)[2] had the highest number of PWDs at 193 thousand. This was followed by the National Capital Region (NCR)[3] with 167 thousand PWDs. Region III (Central Luzon)[4] ranked third with 139 thousand PWDs. These three regions with the greatest numbers of PWDs are in Luzon.
Children and Youth Sectors have the greatest numbers of PWDs.
The report further said that disability was highest among persons aged 5 to 19 years. Children aged 10 to 14 years comprised the largest age group (7.2 percent), followed by those in the age groups 15 to 19 years (6.9 percent), 5 to 9 years (6.7 percent).
Catholics
The Good News So Far. In a recent Philippine Daily Inquirer article (August 11, 2013), in an attempt to verify the popular impression that the number of Filipino Catholics has been dwindling, the reporter noted with optimism the following:
“The Catholic Directory of the Philippines has said six million more Catholics in the country have been counted so far in 2013, an eight-percent leap from figures culled in 2012. This year, the number of Filipino Catholics reached 76.18 million out of the country’s estimated population of 96.8 million. The Catholic Directory also recorded 1.37 million baptisms since 2012.”[5]
The Not So Good News. Of this 76.18 million Catholics, we ask how many are PWDs? We do not know for sure as we have no Church records. And so we turn to our National Statistics Office (NSO). Unfortunately, however, except for the total PWD population (estimated at 1.4 million, in 2010, three years ago), the most relevant report pertaining to our inquiry that we can gather from their website is thirteen years old.[6] So, to simplify matters for our purposes, let us just tentatively use the old data (viz., “81.48% of the total PWD population are Roman Catholics”) and apply it to our 2010 PWD population (1.4 million) to get an estimate of PWD Roman Catholics. This results to more than 1.1 million Roman Catholics who have disabilities. And that is just based on antiquated data.
The Not-so-Obvious: Church Realities
Church PWD Ministries. The Catholic Church in the Philippines has 16 Archdioceses, 68 Dioceses, 4 Prelatures, 7 Apostolic Vicariates and a Military Ordinariate. A quick website survey and examination of the latest Catholic Directory of the Philippines (2011) will tell us that, so far, only two dioceses have an organized diocesan ministry for persons with disability. Let me state though that this is only a tentative result, as we continue to validate our quick survey results via phone interviews and correspondences. There may be service ministries done by religious congregations, even diocesan priests ministering to the elderly, sick, abandoned and PWDs, maybe even regular medical-dental missions coordinated on the parish and diocesan levels where PWDs are welcome, or maybe even some parishes having PWD ministries in their parish pastoral structure. These are, admittedly, positive signs of charity at work. But as to the presence of a permanent commission, ministry, an ecclesial office or even a desk for PWD affairs on the archdiocesan and diocesan levels (i.e., the wider level) our search brought us to only two localities, again, tentatively, viz., the Archdiocese of Manila and the Diocese of Novaliches.
Where Are They?So, we ask, where do these 1.1 million PWD Roman Catholics go to church? Who do they look up to as Mother, the Church? Where do they go for spiritual nourishment?
The Census of Population and Housing Report in 2000 indicated that there were a total of 121,598 persons with deafness of varying degrees. Of these there were 43,610 who belong to the children and youth sectors (ages 1-39). And majority of these, as we indicated above, were Catholics. How many Catholic Churches have signed masses (i.e., with interpreters at least in one mass every Sunday)? Are these deaf people still Catholics today, after 13 years?
The same Census Report in 2000 yielded the highest recorded number of persons under one disability: blindness, at 473,143. The report also indicated that in the National Capital Region alone, there were 58,311 with blindness of varying degrees. Again, majority of these were Catholics. Do we see them in our Catholic Churches? Or do we see them more often in the streets begging more than in our churches? Are these legally blind people still Catholics today, after 13 years?
Thirteen years ago there were 135,569 persons with physical impairments (loss of one or both arms/hands, loss of one or both legs/feet or quadriplegic). Are these persons-with-mobility disabilities still Catholics today, after 13 years?
With the active, creative and productive programs of non-Catholic Christian and non-Christian sects attending to our Catholic PWDs, many of these our sisters and brother have either left the church or are contemplating on leaving the Church even as I write this very moment.[7]
The Silence of the Lambs: Children of a Lesser God?
A parish priest once blurted out to a volunteer sign interpreter, “Hindi na naman nila kailangang mabasbasan ni Lord; mga innocente ang mga batang iyan! Mas banal pa nga sila kaysa sa atin!” (“These children don’t need to be blessed anymore by the Lord; they are innocent! They are even holier than most of us!”) It may sound cute but the context was far from patronizing the deaf children who want to occupy the first two pews in his church to have a better view of the mass and the interpreter. What he was actually and effectively saying was: “You and your group of deaf children should stay on the far side of the sanctuary near the sacristy where they will not be a cause of distraction for my congregation.”
They obeyed. They stayed there, at the margins, because they were just distractions. My heart bled for them when this was reported to me. For 27 years, this has probably gone on, in various places, in different dialects, in varying situations. But where are these subtle and obvert attitudes of marginalization coming from? I don’t know. I am not a social psychologist nor an anthropologist. But it is not rocket-science to know and feel exclusion and rejection.
Here you have children with disabilities bringing their physical presence before the Real presence of God in the Eucharistic celebration, and all I care about is close to sending them back home and be content with the Sunday TV mass, perhaps because they need God less than my entire congregation?
The silence of the pwds through all these centuries of Catholicism in the country will not change. It is in this still silence where they encounter God. What should change is our noisy culture of ignorance, complacency and shallow religiosity. A wrong culture obviously begets wrong language, spoken or unspoken.A “religious culture” bereft of spirituality, bereft of the culture of encounter, is a sham. In such a religion, some are children of God, while othersare children of a lesser God. And fortunately, such is not the Catholic religion. No one Catholic is a child of a lesser God.
Pope Francis’ Call: Spread a Culture of Encounter
In his audio message to the Italian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired last June 11, 2013, His Holiness Pope Francis exhorted everyone to “always spread a culture of encounter, solidarity, and hospitality towards persons with disabilities.”[8] It was in the same spirit of encounter when, visiting the Serafico Institute of Assisi, which provides care for the sick and children-with-disabilities, last October 4, 2013, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, he put aside his prepared message and spoke comparing the scars of Christ to the suffering carried by the young people before him.“These scars need to be recognized and listened to,” he said.[9]
Interestingly, this was not the first time he used the term. Earlier, in one of his homilies, also known as “fervorino,”[10] last April 29, 2013, he spoke of the sacrament of reconciliation as an “encounter with Jesus,” who always awaits us and takes us as we are, ready to give us his love and healing. Similarly, in his discussions with two Eastern Christian Churches in India, whose relationship for centuries had been marred by division and rivalry, he encouraged them to “work towards reconciliation and harmony through theological dialogue” and to cultivate a “culture of encounter,” overcoming prejudices and closed attitudes.[11]
The 1st PCNE: Retrieving Our Culture of Encounter
In the Opening Mass of the PCNE, Cardinal Tagle closed his homily with this invitation:
“Tell your stories; share your dreams, your sorrows, your fears, your tears. Only in the weaving of our stories with the story of Jesus can the wider bigger story of humanity especially here in Asia can we see again the path that the Lord opens to us: to proclaim the Good News with renewed fervor, with renewed methods, with renewed expressions.”
He might not have mentioned “encounter” but that was clearly the essence of PCNE. It is only by allowing God to make all things new can a culture of encounter spoken of by the Holy Father be retrieved, renewed and sustained.
Spirituality Re-defined: A Second Look at Spirituality
On the 2nd day of PCNE, I was one of the speakers for a “Pathways” session. My topic was on Spirituality and Ministry with Persons with Disabilities: A Journey Towards a Culture of Encounter.
I introduced my presentation by offering a review of the current spiritual theology definition and description of spirituality in view of coming up with a new definition that is more in keeping with the culture of encounter. New wine in new wineskins.
Spirituality: The Soul’s Auto-Search for the Sacred
It is not easy to look for a definition of spirituality that does not tend to be exclusive. Common Catholic definitions almost always involve the operation of one’s intelligence and will, in being engaged in introspection (again involving the cognitive faculties), or referring to a life lived with some degree of intensity marked by an explicit concern with the best things there are (i.e, those things most wanted by one’s intelligence and will), or similarly, the raising of the mind and the heart. These definitions are good, in that they capture for the “intelligent” and “willing” individuals (who can read and understand these definitions) the essence of the human spirit and its engagements. But to the extent that they seem to exclusively involve cognitive faculties lends the definition to being misconstrued as only for people who will pass an intelligence test and can strongly will to even take it. What of those who have developmental disabilities? What of those who have severe mental disabilities? Don’t they have a spirituality we can speak of?
Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ,[12] gives a kind of descriptive definition:
“At the heart of the notion of spirituality is the people’s search for the sacred, for a transcendent dimension to life, for something that gives people meaning in their lives, something that ennobles them to think of and be concerned about a higher cause, something that offers them inner connection and deeper purpose in life, something that helps them celebrate life and existence.”[13]
I prefer this description that could especially be narrowed down to: “a soul’s search for meaning and the sacred.” But as to the “search” term, let me add a rather modern qualifier: “auto,” so that our definition reads: “Spirituality is a soul’s auto-search for meaning and the sacred.”
Why “auto-search”? Because even the spirit of the still-born, without relying on cognitive faculties normally hosted by a physically grown brain, is instinctively attracted to or drawn by the Spirit from whence it came. It, thus, automatically searches for the Sacred. Even with the passage of time and the nuances of growth bringing with it the “age of reason” and its convoluted evolution, this auto-search-ability quality of the human soul is persistent. Of course, using the same “reason,” the existence of the Sacred can be ignored, denied, rejected and dismissed as a product of infantile magical thinking, but, I opine that the soul’s innate nature to auto-search this prime Spirit is eternal.
“‘Spirit’ signifies that from creation man is ordered to a supernatural end and that his soul can gratuitously be raised beyond all it deserves to communion with God.”[14] That man is “ordered to an end” and “can be raised” are strong indications that spirituality, Christian spirituality in particular, to the core of its meaning, is about a relationship with God, initiated, facilitated and sustained by God.
“A soul’s auto-search for meaning and the sacred,” my working definition for spirituality, is retrieved from this definition of “spirit” from our Catechism. It is more of the spirit being acted upon than man acting on his own. Not that man’s activities of actively searching for God and doing good do not matter in this life. They do. In fact these activities are the bases of ministry to Persons-with-Disabilities (hereafter, PWDs) by non-PWDs. But if we are to seriously consider ministry with PWDs which is more inclusive, then we also need to consider a more inclusive understanding of the nature of our human spirit.
Ministry: The Language of Spirituality of Encounter
Ministry is the language of the culture of spirituality. To speak the right language, one has to get the right culture. Thus, if spirituality is understood as only for those who are intellectually ready to grasp the “set truths” put forth as requirements in order to belong to a faith community as the Catholic Church, if spirituality is taken to exclusively mean the wilful engagement of the cognitive faculties of the individual with the sacred, then our doing ministry with PWDs will be a language that is irrelevant at best, useless at worst.
Let me illustrate this. Somewhere, I once saw a disability access ramp sign on a sidewalk. It pointed to a ramp. At least it was a good attempt at a language; potentially beneficial indeed. But then I noticed that the ramp’s actual location was some distance away from the pedestrian crossing. The ramp went straight to the busy street. It was actually useless for PWDs. Not only did it ignore the culture of safety of those who use the wheel chair, it actually revealed a careless, even an indifferent culture where probably wheelchairs are confused with grocery carts or with non-motorized vehicles. Wrong culture, therefore wrong language.
The point of the illustration is simple. If we take spirituality to mean active cognitive engagement in search for the Divine encounter, then the language we soon would use would be one of unreasonable expectations: “I expect you to keep still while seated,” “I need these children to know the basic prayers,” “I want them to keep quiet at all times,” etc. all these regardless of the inability of children with autism or ADHD to sit still or be quiet all the time, regardless of the inability of those with developmental delays to pick up even simple concepts and instructions and retain them. Sadly, we have seen and heard so much of these “wrong” language ending with a “no-deal” stance, “Nah, they don’t need God; they’re innocent. They’re already blessed any way! Let them stay home. Besides, they are distracting the solemnity of the mass. Some parishioners are complaining already.” The litany goes on, longer than the litany of reasons why PWDs, especially children, should have a place inside the Church.
A correct reading of this PWD culture has implications in the way we communicate (i.e., the language we use for) catechism to PWDs, be it for adult pre-baptismal preparation, or the anointing of the sick, be it inside the classroom or in the church pews. This will definitely affect the way we conduct our liturgical and para-liturgical activities and our spiritual exercises intended for the laity. This will hopefully guide us in assessing the architecture of our ecclesial edifices – not only our parish churches but also our parish and diocesan offices and other venues of encounter. The Church, being, the primary locus of encounter, initiates and facilitates this cultural dialogue. Where this dialogue is lacking, priests and church ministers will continue to refuse to give Holy Communion to children with downs syndrome, or call them “mongoloid,” or call the Deaf “deaf and dumb.” Real ministry only happens in the context of a “culture of encounter.”
Henri Nouwen, a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer, said that “Real ministry starts taking place when we bring others in touch with more than we ourselves are – the center of being, the reality of the unseen – the Father who is the source of life and healing.[15]
Ministry, then, is basically, the work of creating and sustaining a Christian culture where the encounter between God and man persists and is facilitated. This presentation is of the belief that the Ministry with and for PWDs is doing “real ministry” when it brings PWDs in touch with the Body of Christ, the Church, and allows the same PWDs to be active and full members of this same Body.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Creation of a New CBCP Commission on Persons-with-Disabilities
Since the early beginnings of the Persons-with-Disabilities Ministries in the Archdiocese of Manila and in the subsequent initiatives in the diocese of Novaliches through NPOWRD, the vision of the ministry has always been consistent. The ministry envisionspersons-with-disabilities (PWDs) upholding their dignity as active, productive, self-reliant and fulfilled members of God’s community in particular and our society in general. Guided by this vision, the PWD ministries created in the diocesan and parochial levels in the aforementioned dioceses have likewise been steered toward a common goal: the full participation of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church.
Since their incipient stages, the diocesan ministries for persons-with-disabilities have always been under the CBCP’s Commission on Health Care under the umbrella of the Department of Social Services and Communications. Thus, in effect, in the diocesan level, the PWD ministries are subsidiary social action programs of the Commission on Social Action.
Having cited this structure let me mention the following observations:
Health Care View. In the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), disability is considered an umbrella term for any or all of the components: impairments, activity limitation and participation restriction, as influenced by environmental factors. Health conditions are a prerequisite but not a determinant. This consideration tells us that disability is not primarily a health issue.
Social Action View. To date, while sincere efforts of opening our Church doors to persons-with-disabilities are being undertaken in both the Archdiocese of Manila and the Novaliches Diocese, many dioceses still do not seem to have the same established ministries. Our faithful PWDs are often only reached out to when social action programs like free medical-dental mission services are sponsored by local parishes. The following noteworthy insights from the Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on People with Disabilities (November 16, 1978), no. 17, may help us verbalize this second observation:
“When we think of people with disabilities in relation to ministry, we tend automatically to think of doing something for them. We do not reflect that they can do something for us and with us… [ ] they have the same duty as all members of the community to do the Lord’s work in the world, according to their God-given talents and capacity. Because individuals may not be fully aware of the contribution they can make, Church leaders should consult with them, offering suggestions on practical ways of serving.” (emphases mine)
Urgent Appeal to CBCP. In the light of the aforementioned observations, we are requesting the CBCP to create a new Commission on Persons-with-Disabilities to effectively correct the misunderstood views that a) PWDs are only beneficiaries of Social Services and b) that disabilities are primarily health issues. As a separate commission, the proposed Commission on Persons-with-Disabilities will coordinate with other commissions within the CBCP structure with regards to the wide ranging scope of PWDs’ needs.
2. Issuance of CBCP Pastoral Statement and Guidelines
This request involves the CBCP’s creation of:
1) Pastoral Statement of the CBCP on the Pastoral Care of Persons-with-Disabilities
This will basically be a guide for all Dioceses and Parishes is setting up a local PWD ministry. It will re-affirm what the Catholic Church believes about persons with disabilities. It will present principles and faith-based beliefs that will form the foundation for the integration or inclusion of persons with disabilities into our church and our society.
2) Pastoral Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities
This will basically be pastoral guide for Ministers ordained and lay that will give consideration to Canon Law, Sacramental Theology, the culture and language of Persons-with-Disabilities so that the celebrating the Sacraments with persons with disabilities could be well directed and ordered.
3. Set Up PWD Ministry in the Diocesan and Parish Levels
This request is directed to all Bishops and Parish Priests. The objective of which are the following:
1) For the Bishops: To create a Commission on PWD in the diocesan level, and assign a priest (diocesan or religious) who will coordinate the diocesan PWD ministry.
2) For the Priests: To integrate PWD Ministry as one of the mandated ministries in the parish level and assign a Lay Coordinator who will regularly report to the Parish Priest as well as the Diocesan Priest Coordinator, when needed.
3) The PWD Ministry Diocesan Priest Coordinator: To design and develop pastoral care programs (e.g. sensitivity programs and awareness campaign for the members of the church, inclusion of the PWD Day in the liturgical celebration, the training of Catechist who will teach Special Education students in their local Public schools with Special Education Departments)
4) The PWD Ministry Diocesan Priest Coordinator: To check for Accessibility issues and matters in the Diocesan and Parochial levels. Accessibility refers to these three categories:
a. Physical (e.g. structural design, church facilities, priority seats and priority lane)
b. Spiritual (e.g. all sacraments and formation/catechism, vocation promotion (religious/priesthood)
c. Religious materials for formation/catechism (e.g. braille bible, inserts and sub-title for presentation/talks and catholic television programs)
4) Engage in Inter-Diocesan Efforts
In August 2013, the Archdiocese of Manila PWD Ministry and the PWD Ministry of the Novaliches Diocese have taken the initiative of creating a discernment-action group we initially called GOOD IDEAS, acronym for Guarding Our Open Doors through Inter-Diocesan Exploratory Assessment of Structures/ Services.
The immediate intentions and objectives of the GOOD IDEAS group are the following:
a) See. To provide a venue of exchange (experiences and best practices) among priests and lay collaborators (church-based ministers) involved in the pwd ministry either officially or voluntarily within the Suffragan Dioceses of Manila, viz.
Diocese of Antipolo
Diocese of Cubao
Diocese of Imus
Diocese of Caloocan
Diocese of Malolos
Diocese of Novaliches
Diocese of Parañaque
Diocese of Pasig
Diocese of San Pablo
Should the other dioceses find this initiative beneficial, we can move towards a larger inter-diocesan circle.
b) Judge. To discern together on the very nature of the ministry with pwds in the light of the call for New Evangelization in the Church;
c) Act. To move together:
1) as an inter-diocesan team networking and collaborating with each other through shared resources;
2) to help dioceses set up a PWD ministry where there is none;
3) to encourage the CBCP to draw up a Pastoral Statement on Persons-with-Disabilities which will serve as a Magna Cartafor PWD Ministry in the Philippine Church;
4) by speaking for and on behalf of the pwd ministries as we lobby together for the creation of a newCommission on Persons-with-Disabilities within the structure of the CBCP (instead of being categorized as a subsidiary program of the Commission on Health Care);
5) or if the foregoing is not possible (considering the logistical and time constraints as well as the tedious process of having the proposed creation submitted for the approval of Rome), we can at least request CBCP that the PWD ministry be placed under Commission on Family and Life instead, as clearly the primary care for persons with disabilities falls within the ambit of Family and Life formation and not social services nor health care.
CONCLUSION
As a Church, we need to dialogue with persons-with-disabilities.
Last July 27, 2013, while speaking to political, economic and cultural leaders in Brazil, the so-called “ruling class of Brazil,” Pope Francis spoke of the culture of encounter as a culture of dialogue. “Today, either we stake all on dialogue, on the culture of encounter, or we all lose.” He said that dialogue is a third way between “selfish indifference and violent protest.” Dialogue is the only way to promote social peace.[16]
This cannot but remind me of how Filipino PWDs trooped to the Office of Commission on Human Rights to file their complaints against non-compliance by the MMDA of BP344 or the Philippine Accessibility Law and non-implementation of the Magna Carta on the Rights of the Disabled with regards the 20% discount on medicines that they ought to receive. That Rally was held in July 19, 2010.
Is a rally like this far from happening in the Church? I don’t think so. Do we want to hear the mandate and principles laid out by the Vatican Committee for the Jubilee Day of the Community With Persons With Disabilities in their document entitled The Duties Of The Civil And Ecclesial Community[17] read to our bishops and priests by PWD Catholics through megaphones from streets fronting the CBCP building or in front of our local parish churches? I don’t think so. But these are not impossible from happening given the long decades of silence – bereft of encounter – that we have accorded our catholic PWD sisters and brothers.
No, like you, I don’t think our PWD Catholics will be violent. No, like you, I don’t think our silent innocent children with disabilities will understand and care about what the grown-ups read from magna cartas and philosophical principles. For all they care, they would just squint at the hot midday sun, perspire and put their hands to their ears because of the noisy protests of grown-ups. These do not make them smile. They will not enjoy that kind of togetherness – in an indignation rally? C’mon! But do you know what they only care about?
They only care about wearing that white polo shirt or dress, wear that butterfly tie or tie that ribbon on her head, and she would put on a white veil, and they would hold a lighted white candle on one hand and place the hand other on their chest, queue up while others sing for them, at the right sacred time and sacred space, struggle with all their might to utter one word they have rehearsed for so long: “Amen,” as they receive the Body of Christ in their first holy communion. That is all they care about. That relationship is all that matters to them – at the right sacred time and sacred place.
Do we care about them? Do we care about their sense of presence before the presence of God? Do we care about their simple desire to belong? Do we hear their voices crying out wanting to celebrate their life despite their disabilities? If yes, then, first, as a Church, we need to dialogue with persons-with-disabilities and their families and their guardians. Because when we do, then we are already creating a culture of encounter.
Let us create this encounter right now, in our hearts, our homes, our parishes and our dioceses. Yes, in our nation. Because where we encounter God, we cannot but be transformed into His Image. And that is all that matters. Thank You.
Note:
On December 7, 2013, Saturday, at the Cuneta Astrodome, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m we held the FIRST IDEAS PWD DAY gathering. This pioneering inter-diocesan engagement served both as our Catholic Persons-with-Disabilities Day and Pre-Christmas celebrations as we closed the Year of Faith and continue to journey through our Era of New Evangelization. We gathered close to 5,000 participants from the PWD sectors of 13 Suffragan Dioceses of Manila and other dioceses near or far.
Please support us in this advocacy. Email me at broshlegaspi@gmail.com for more info on how to be of help. ♥
[1] Source: http://www.census.gov.ph/content/persons-disability-philippines-results-2010-census
[2] CALABARZON region is composed of five provinces, namely: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon; whose names form the acronym CALABARZON. The region is also more formally known as Southern Tagalog Mainland.
[3] NCR stands for National Capital Region, also known as Metro-Manila or the Manila metropolitan region, which is composed of the City of Manila and the surrounding cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, as well as the Municipality of Pateros.
[4] Central Luzon regional provinces are: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
[5] Jocelyn R. Uy, “Filipino Catholic population expanding say Church officials,” Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 11, 2013. (emphases mine) Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/463377/filipino-catholic-population-expanding-say-church-officials
[6] As of the time of writing this paper, NSO has not included in its 2010 report the data of distribution of disabilities by religion. This detail was however present in its Census of Population and Housing Report in 2000, thirteen years ago.Back then, the total Philippine population estimate was 75.33 million. The PWD population then was only 942,098, of which, according to their analysis, Roman Catholic was the most dominant religious affiliation (81.48 percent) among PWDs..
[7] In his opinion column, “Public Lives,” sociologist Randy David in April highlighted three findings of a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) in February: “First, that weekly church attendance has significantly gone down from a high of 64 percent in July 1991 to a low of 37 percent in February 2013. Second, that only 29 percent of Filipino Catholics consider themselves “very religious,” compared to 50 percent of Protestants, 43 percent of Iglesia ni Cristo members, and 38 percent of Muslims. And finally, that 9.2 percent (one out of 11) “sometimes think of leaving the Church.” Source:: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/463377/filipino-catholic-population-expanding-say-church-officials#ixzz2gikC9QYT
[8] http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/25553/
[9] http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-visit-to-seraphicum-institute-of-assi
[10]Fervorino (plural: fervorini, fervorinos) is an Italian noun for: a) exhortation, admonition, advice, pep talk; or b) “a small spontaneous prayer or meditation of love, affection, trust, thanksgiving that arises from the heart and flies like an arrow to the heavenly throne.” There is an important distinction between fervorinos and authoritative teachings. In a Catholic News Service article (“In interviews, Pope Francis crafts a new genre of papal language” Oct 3, 2013), Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, is cited to give the distinction: “‘Catholics have traditionally heard or read a pope’s words in certain authoritative forms: magisterial documents, such as encyclicals or apostolic exhortations, which carry the full weight of the papacy’s teaching authority; canonical decrees with the force of church law; and homilies delivered at major papal liturgies. In all such cases, Vatican officials ordinarily review the texts prior to delivery and provide official translations in major languages to reduce the possibility of ambiguity or confusion.’ Pope Francis’ addition to the magisterial, canonical and pastoral forms of papal communication, Father Lombardi said, is a genre that might be termed ‘conversational,’ comprising not only the pope’s interviews with journalists but also his off-the-cuff homilies at daily morning Masses, of which the Vatican publishes only summaries with verbatim excerpts. When the pope speaks spontaneously, his words should carry correspondingly less weight than in more traditional forms and contexts, Father Lombardi said.” This second definition (b) is from: http://www.pilgrimreaderbooks.com/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=29620. The quotation from Catholic News Agency is from:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1304164.htm
[11] http://www.ucanews.com/news/pope-calls-for-culture-of-encounter-with-the-indian-orthodox-church/69200
[12] Alejo, Albert, SJ., “Popular Spirituality As Cultural Energy.” This paper was delivered during the Spirituality Forum III on August 5,2003 at University of Sto. Tomas CME Auditorium, Manila, Philippines, previously published in Lecture Series 3 on Spirituality, 2004. Source: http://www.isa.org.ph/pdf/alejo.pdf
[13] Alejo, Ibid., p.4.
[14]The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), §367.
[15]Henri Nouwen in Turn My Mourning into Dancing, cited by Wil Hernandez in Henri Nouwen and Soul Care: A Ministry of Integration (Kindle Location 664). Kindle Edition.
[16]http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1303253.htm
[17] http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/jubilevents/jub_disabled_20001203_scheda5_en.htm