Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, the CBCP media office director, said the online retreat will be available on visitaiglesia.net starting on Sunday.

“These are video reflections that will serve as alternative catechesis to those who are unable to attend Lenten retreats,” Monsignor Quitorio said during the website’s launch yesterday.

However, he emphasized that an online retreat is no substitute for spending a few days in a “monastic atmosphere.”

Monsignor Quitorio said retreats are important because they help the faithful understand the meaning of the Lenten season.

“Catholics are invited to reflect on themselves and prepare for the coming celebration of Holy Week.”

Other features on the site include podcast reflections, blogs of bishops, priests, Religious, and lay people.

The CBCP first launched the Visita Iglesia Online site in 2010 so overseas workers can participate in the country’s unique celebration of Lent, like the pabasa or the singing of the Gospel account of Christ’s Passion.

“This project is intended for Filipinos who have no way of going to churches, especially seafarers,” Monsignor Quitorio said.

Report from ucanews.com

Bishop Joel Baylon of Lagazpi on Sunday said there are other ways that one can practice abstinence during Lent aside from not eating meat.

“Apart from meat, one’s favorite fast food, junk food, sweets, and soft drinks are what the Catholic faithful are urged to forego this season of Lent to make one’s sacrifice a heart-felt one,” Baylon was quoted as saying by the official news agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

He said that in doing so, it would be like going on a healthy diet but that it has a spiritual complex.

“If health-conscious people undergo a diet and refuse a lot of food to get slim and fit to maintain external beauty, why can’t we impose the same discipline to make ourselves beautiful inside too?” said the chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth.

During Lent, traditional Catholic tradition provides that the faithful should not eat meat during Ash Wednesday and during all Fridays of the 40-day period as a form of abstinence.

But according to the prelate, there could be more to abstinence than just stopping oneself from eating meat.

“The point of abstinence is depriving ourselves of the things that give us comfort and luxury. It is imposing discipline on our body so that we may free up our souls,” Baylon said.

Report from Sun.Star

Conference president, Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu, said it is about time Filipinos think of the “common good, development and giving people hope” during the celebrations.

The bishop’s statement comes amid reports that the presidential palace will use the 26th anniversary of the uprising as a “show of force” against impeached Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The chief justice is accused of graft, flouting the constitution and betraying the public’s trust.

The government issued a memorandum this week encouraging government workers to join the celebrations that mark the end of the two-decade dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

The palace earlier said it is willing to enter into dialogue with the Catholic Church and other religious groups that have criticized the impeachment of Corona.

Government spokesmen on Monday allayed fears that the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) sect’s February 28 rally will be used to drum up support for the chief justice.

“The premise that religious groups favor the chief justice may not be entirely correct,” said Edwin Lacierda, President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman.

Report from ucanews.com

Lacierda did not specify which Palace officials have been meeting with the INC and the Catholic Church and what specifically are the topics being discussed.

He said the Palace is “not bothered” by the bible exposition to be held by the INC on February 28, adding that it is a religious activity.

He also said Malacañang is not involved in a newspaper ad discussing the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. The ad is said to have been put out by the Black and White Movement.

“Removing all technicalities, all arguments, this is what we have uncovered so far and I think this is informing the public to be engaged and to know what’s going on in the impeachment trial,” Lacierda said.

Report from ABS-CBNnews.com

The first-class relic of the virgin landed at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 3 p.m. and was ushered straight to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in a motorcade.

This is the first time that the relic of St. Clare was allowed to leave Rome. The Philippines is its first destination.

The relic was brought to the country by Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Mercedes Tuason, Josie Bantog, Nada Sbutega, Carmeni Montanari and Padre Jess Dajac of the Missionaries of Faith.

At the Cathedral, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma celebrated a Mass for St. Clare at 6 p.m.

In his homily, Palma said that yesterday was a joyful and privileged day to celebrate Ash Wednesday because of the arrival of St. Clare’s relic in the archdiocese of Cebu.

“Her entrance 800 years ago is a celebration of the beginning. Her desire to offer herself totally to God, for us the meaning is if we are to be inspired by Clare, then the season of Lent should also make us remember our beginning,” Palma said.

Palma further said that the Christian’s beginning as well as their end is God. However, right now, Palma said the world already lacks people who feel brotherly or sisterly to others.

“My prayer is that with Clare in our midst, with Pedro Calungsod, we can look at other person and say ‘you are my brother, my sister. I share my prayers with you. I share my hopes with you. I share my desire that one day we will journey towards heaven,” he said.

To end his 20-minute homily, the archbishop called on the devotees to turn away from sins, be humble and admit that all are sinners as they are smeared with ash on their foreheads.

The relic, a bone from the cranium believed to be part of St. Clare’s eye socket, rests in its original wooden box about 24 inches in height. It was exposed for public veneration up to 12 midnight.

The relic will be transported to the Poor Clare Monastery in Tayud, Consolacion today after an 8 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral, which will be celebrated by Msgr. Roberto Alesna. It will stay there for public veneration until February 25.

Report from philSTAR.com

National Epidemiology director Eric Tayag said 1,753 new cases were monitored for the period.

He said the National Capital Region still has the highest incidence of dengue, with 118 new cases. Tayag also lauded the newest invention of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) that detects the dengue fever immediately even at the disease’s stage of incubation period.

“Because the government made this, it will be available cheaper than currently available commercialized [testing kits],” Tayag said.

So far, Tayag said, the test kit Biotek-M is in the process of clinical validation, or confirming whether the device complies with the regulatory requirement before distribution in the market.

Currently, the DOST is conducting a pilot test of the kit for accuracy and efficiency in the three public hospitals of Rizal Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, and Philippine Children’s Medical Center.

Report from InterAksyon.com

Nafsiah Mboy, secretary-general of the National AIDS Eradication Commission (KPA), said the number rose from 354 cases in 2010 to 742 in 2011, the vast majority of the children being infected while still in their mother’s womb.

She said pregnant mothers with HIV bore at least a 30 percent risk of transmitting the virus to their babies.

“It is very dangerous. It means that if it is not dealt with immediately, hundreds of infants with HIV will die before they reach five,” she warned.

Bali province was cited as having one of the highest mother-to-fetus transmission rates.

Made Suprapta, secretary of the Bali chapter of the KPA, admitted the province has a problem with the rate of transmissions. Buleleng district, for example, had 80 cases last year, he said.

“That is only one district. I can assure you that there are hundreds of infants with HIV. We are doing our best to address this situation,” he said.

Report from ucanews.com

Gupta was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a fine of 8.4 million rupees (about US$105,000) in a case that goes back nearly a decade.

A Special Court charged Gupta with illegally amassing wealth and property worth 20.8 million rupees in March 2003. He was subsequently acquitted in 2007.

The Supreme Court overturned the previous decision and recommended the investigation of three former judges who presided over Gupta’s first trial.

Gupta made headlines recently for his outspoken support of ethnic Madhise communities in the southern Terai region.

He told reporters Tuesday that his conviction could be politically motivated.

“This was a plot against my struggle for the Madhise people.”

Prosecutors revealed during the trial that authorities had found bank accounts in his and his wife’s name containing more than 5 million rupees.

Report from ucanews.com

They say the killings could be linked to the journalist’s outspoken views on illegal mining in the state.

Police found the bodies of freelance journalist Chandrika Rai, 42, his wife and two children in their home in the town of Umaria on Sunday.

The state government Tuesday set up a special investigation team to look into the killings. State Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta said the government “is serious about bringing those behind the brutal murders to justice.”

However, Ajay Singh, the opposition leader in the Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly, yesterday accused the government of dragging its feet over the investigation.

“Law and order in this state has deteriorated to such an extent that even a journalist is not safe,” Singh said.

He added that his Congress Party would raise the matter in the assembly and press for an investigation into whether the pro-illegal mining lobby had a role in the killings.

Report from ucanews.com

In a statement Tuesday, the ecumenical organization said the exercises, which are “to prepare for a war on the Korean Peninsula,” come at a sensitive time following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

South Korea and the US are to conduct two joint exercises – “Key Resolve” from February 27 to March 9 and “Foal Eagle” from March 1 to April 30. The military says the exercises are necessary considering the threat posed by the North and will go ahead.

Last Monday, South Korea conducted live firing exercises on islets near the maritime border with North Korea in the Yellow Sea.

North Korea had issued a stern warning ahead of that exercise on Sunday.

Reverend Kim Young-ju, secretary-general of NCCK, said in the statement that “the upcoming exercises will significantly increase tensions between the two Koreas and hamper moves for peace on the peninsula.”

Report from ucanews.com

At the start of the 40-day Lenten season, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called on its flock to practice charity by supporting the Church’s Alay Kapwa program and other humanitarian projects.

Over Church-run Radio Veritas on Tuesday, CBCP president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma exhorted the people to reflect on the love of God to help them renew their weakened spirits during Lent.

“If there is one important thing during the Lenten season, it is to reflect on God’s love for us.… Hopefully, we will be renewed, especially in our appreciation of our dignity as children of God,” Palma said.

Among Roman Catholics, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent — the season of preparation for Jesus Christ’s death, followed by His resurrection on Easter Sunday, which falls this year on April 8.

Millions of devotees in the Philippines are expected to flock to churches today to have palm ashes traced on their foreheads in the form of a cross.

Ash Wednesday is also marked with repentance, fasting, abstinence — particularly from meat.

“We are all weak as human beings but we are always given a chance to be renewed so I hope this season of Lent will bring forth internal renewal among us,” Palma said.

Report from ucanews.com

“So as not to overwhelm our Catholic faithful with too many changes in the liturgy of the Church by the first Sunday of Advent this year, we shall proceed with our catechesis on the changes in the formula of the Lord’s Prayer,” Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan said in a recent circular.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) voted for the adoption of the New English Translation of the Roman Missal during its plenary assembly in January 2011. In this year’s plenary, the bishops agreed to implement the new translation on the first Sunday of Advent 2012 (December 2, 2012).

The new English version of the Lord’s Prayer is as follows:

Our Father who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

This same version of the Lord’s Prayer, Archbishop Villegas said, must be used in prayers outside the Mass like the rosary, invocations and similar situations.

The prelate urged priests to guide the faithful so that they may have a proper understanding of the changes.

The prelate urged priests to guide the faithful so that they may have a proper understanding of the changes.

“Once we have settled down with this new version, we shall proceed with the other parts of the Missal,” said Villegas.

Usually marked by praying, fasting and alms-giving, Ash Wednesday ushers in the Lenten Season for Catholics.

Report from ucanews.com

“Despite high levels of press and internet freedom, provincial journalists worked under the constant threat of reprisal,” said the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in its annual report released yesterday.

At least 72 journalists have been killed for their work since 1992, making the Philippines the second deadliest country in the world for journalists, the report said.

Iraq tops the 2011 list, with 151 cases, followed by the Philippines (72), Algeria (60 ), Russia (53), Colombia (43), Pakistan (42), Somalia (37), India (27), Mexico (27) and Afghanistan (24).

The country also ranks third in the organization’s Impunity Index, a ranking of countries based on unsolved journalist murder cases.

At least 56 journalist’s murders have gone unsolved over the past decade.

The report also observed that nearly two years after the killing of 57 people, 32 of whom were journalists, in the southern Philippines, “the fight for justice has simultaneously intensified in rhetoric and bogged down in technicalities.”

“Legal stalling tactics, a fractured prosecution, and slow-moving courts have conspired against a speedy trial,” the report added.

Report from ucanews.com

In a letter to Rep. Alfredo Maranon III, chairman of the House committee on health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said a scheme like this would mean the “selling and marketing of human organs.”

Likewise, the DSWD reiterated its stance that minors should be barred from donating their organs, even to relatives.

“However, any individual, at least 18 years old, of sound mind and who understands the nature and consequences of transplanting organs from his or her body may donate, by way of written consent to the removal of a specific organ, for the purpose of implanting the organ into another living person,” it said.

On the other hand, the DSWD said it supports a bill seeking to outlaw commercial organ donations or any other part of the human body.

It said that for therapy purposes, a person can donate an organ to someone who is not his relative provided that all other members of the immediate family of the recipient have been eliminated as potential donors.

With regard to the welfare of the donor, he or she must be provided with post-surgery care services or incentives by the recipient to compensate for lost wages, or meet travel and housing expenses incurred.

The DSWD also wants the Department of Health to develop a comprehensive program for the long-term monitoring of donors who may develop medical problems after donation.

Report from ucanews.com

“It is sad that some books devote only one paragraph about the EDSA,” Celso Santiago, chief of staff of the EDSA People Power Commission (EPPC), said. He added there were also some errors in the books.

“The commission is planning to form a technical working group composed of people who were there at EDSA; and, of course, book writers so as to have a comprehensive account of the events that transpired in 1986,” Santiago said.

He said it is very important that the younger generation be aware of the whole story behind the peaceful uprising that happened 26 years ago. He added that most books contain information only on what transpired on Feb. 25, 1986, even as there are also significant events before this.

The working group will be coordinating with the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to rectify the errors contained in the books used in all levels of education in the country.

EPPC is a government agency that aims to promote the spirit of EDSA by retelling the struggle for restoration of democracy in the country.

Report from Philippine Information Agency

Police served more than a dozen arrest warrants to Abdulpattah Ismael, who uses the nom de guerre Patah Hamjak, and was found in Isabela city on southern Basilan Island, birthplace of the Abu Sayyaf extremist group, said Paquito Ochoa Jr., who heads the Philippine Anti-terrorism Council.

Ochoa said Ismael is accused of involvement in the 2007 beheadings of 10 marines in Basilan’s Al-Barka township and a 2009 attack that allowed 31 mostly Muslim insurgents to escape from the provincial jail.

Those who escaped included Dan Laksaw Asnawi, a key commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebel group, who has also been implicated in the 2007 beheadings.

Police have also accused Ismael of buying the police commando fatigues that were worn by Abu Sayyaf militants who fired on civilians and detonated bombs in a bold attack that killed 14 people in Isabela city two years ago.

Report from Washington Post

Tagle was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI last Oct. 13 as archbishop and spiritual leader of 2.8 million Catholics in the capital city of the Philippines.

Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales handed over the symbols of office to his 54-year-old charismatic successor on Dec. 12 during Mass for his installation in the Manila cathedral.

See full report on Vatican Insider

Around 30 North Koreans reportedly face repatriation and an uncertain future after being arrested by Chinese authorities recently.

Amnesty Monday delivered a letter to Zhang Xinsen, the Chinese ambassador to South Korea, urging China not to send the defectors back.

If they are returned to their homeland, they would face detention, torture and even execution, Amnesty said.

“Their plight is even more precarious” because North Korean authorities threatened defectors with harsher punishments following the death of Kim Jong-il last December, said Nam Young-jin, chairman of Amnesty International South Korea in the letter.

International law prohibits the forcible repatriation of any individuals to a country where they are at risk of persecution or death, he pointed out.

Therefore, “the Chinese authorities must enable the North Koreans to seek asylum in China and other countries, and provide them with access to the UN refugee agency or other relevant refugee channels,” Nam said.

Report from ucanews.com

The Sundarbans Tiger Project (STP) was launched at Khulna University on February 17, a joint project involving the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB) and the Zoological Society of London, and will focus on promoting greater awareness of the threats to tigers and other wildlife.

According to research published by the World Wildlife Fund in 2010, tigers are among the world’s most threatened species, with only an estimated 3,200 remaining in the wild.

Organizers of the event said climate change along with human population growth have contributed to the shrinking of tiger and other wildlife populations.

The campaign will cover five coastal districts that comprise a large section of the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site at the mouth of the Ganges River.

“If we don’t take steps to address the impacts of climate change on the Sundarbans, the only way its tigers will survive this century is with scuba gear,” said Colby Loucks, WWF-US deputy director of conservation science and the lead author of the study Sea Level Rise and Tigers: Predicted Impacts to Bangladesh’s Sundarbans Mangroves.

Report from ucanews.com

Father Arulanandam Yavis, head of Caritas Kilinochchi, presided over a ceremony held at St. Anne’s Church in Valaipadu on February 19.

“Fifty boats, outboard engines, nets, other accessories and 22 permanent houses were given out to families to help them return to a normal life,” he said. “This is life support for displaced and homeless people.”

The project was funded by donations from Caritas Sweden and Caritas Luxemburg, the priest added. Annina Feller, program manager of Caritas Sweden, KS Vasantha Kumar, divisional government secretary, and Fr. George Sigamony, Caritas national director, also participated in the ceremony.

“We have selected beneficiaries on the criteria of widows, female heads of families, disabled members in the family and more female children in the family,” Father Yavis said.

Nearly 2,000 displaced people remain in need of permanent shelter in war-ravaged areas of the country, according to government data.

Ganamma Emmanuel, 52, mother of six, said her family fled fighting in her home village in 2002 and lived in several refugee camps ever since.

Report from ucanews.com

Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury, speaking on behalf of the British Episcopal Conference, appealed to “the Christian conscience” of the legislators to oppose “marriage” between people of the same sex.

The bishop encouraged British politicians to help protect the “God-given meaning of marriage for the sake of all generations to come.”

He also opposed the idea that “progress” should mean a “continuous shifting” of society away from its Christian foundations. The involvement of Bishop Davies, whose voice is among the most respected in the British religious arena, follows the announcement that a group of more than 100 Conservative MPs might have decided to vote against David Cameron’s proposal, which is in favor of gay union.

In April 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to allow homosexual “marriage,” awarding gay spouses the same rights and obligations as heterosexual ones.

In January 2003, Belgium’s parliamentary approved a law favoring gay union. In Spain, gay “marriage” became a reality in 2005 and homosexual couples can even adopt children.

In Sweden and Norway gay people can get married in Church after the parliament decreed so at the beginning 2009. In November of that year the Swedish Lutheran Church declared itself ready to celebrate these unions in front of the altar, even though there were still some people opposed to the idea. Canada legalized homosexual unions in July 2005 extending this opportunity to Canadian citizens living abroad.

Report from Vatican Insider

Pacquiao recently concluded a deposition hearing for his defamation suit against Mayweather and his uncle Roger. The Mayweathers have accused Pacquiao of using performance enhancing drugs in the past.

But Pacquiao said he is praying for his boxing rival.

“My prayer is for the Lord to touch his heart. I wish that he humbles himself and follow God’s commandment,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.

The eight-division world champion, appointed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference as its “Bible ambassador,” even cited a Bible verse for Mayweather’s benefit.

“My favorite verse is Matthew 12:36-37. It says: ‘Everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word that they have spoken, for by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned,’” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao also attended a star-studded gala in Las Vegas to celebrate boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday.

He will make his return to the ring on June 9 against undefeated American fighter Timothy Bradley Jr. and plans to start training on April.

Report from ABS-CBNnews.com

Swiss, Dutch and Filipino Church people, as well as activists who visited the building work at the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and nearby villages, said many communities have been displaced illegally to make way for the project.

The group presented its findings to the Commission on Human Right (CHR) yesterday.

Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona of the Prelature of Infanta said the project “violates the dignity of people, especially the poor.”

Father Ben Verberne of the Dutch Conference of Religious said his group was able to validate and document the violations.

Mark Cebreros of the CHR said the solidarity mission met with tribal people who complained of harassment and accused officials behind the project of land-grabbing.

The mission called on the government to “review or repeal” the 2007 law that created the economic zone and send special investigators to conduct a public inquiry that will provide justice for landowners.

Report from ucanews.com

Fr. Peter Geremia of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions alleged that those behind his compatriot’s murder must have had “good connections” with the authorities to carry out the attack.

Father Tentorio was gunned down outside the Mother of Perpetual Help Church in North Cotabato province on Oct. 17, 2011.

Father Geremia urged the Department of Justice to investigate the presence of soldiers near the church around the time of Father Tentorio’s murder.

“If [the soldiers'] mandate is to protect civilians, shouldn’t they explain why someone like Father Fausto was eliminated under their noses?” Father Geremia said.

Col. Leopoldo Galon, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command, denied Father Tentorio was targeted by the military.

He also criticized the hanging of banners outside a Catholic school alleging that Father Tentorio’s murder was part of a government anti-insurgency operation.

Father Geremia, however, said the allegation was not without basis by again pointing out that soldiers were in the vicinity of the church when the killing took place.

Report from ucanews.com

Senator Aquilino Pimentel over the weekend said gambling operators have become more daring, with some of them even operating casinos and setting up gambling websites with the help of corrupt government officials.

He also cited police reports that spoke of “rivalries among big-time operators,” which could lead to a breakdown in law and order.

The senator has called on the Senate committee on games and amusement to determine the social, cultural and economic effects of unregulated gambling.

“There is a need to look into the legality of new casinos and internet gambling sites because these are in apparent contravention of the charter of Pagcor [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation],” Pimentel said.

He demanded to know why slot machines and other gaming establishments are found in residential areas where the law prohibits them from operating.

Establishments like these, however, can be located in three-star hotels and resorts as long as they are accredited by the Department of Tourism, authorized by Pagcor and by the local government.

Senator Pimentel also wants to know whether the casinos are in accordance with local zoning laws and comply with local government rules on gambling.

According to its charter, Pagcor is tasked with regulating the operation and conduct of games of chance “to minimize, if not totally eradicate, the evils, malpractices and corruption that are normally prevalent in the conduct and operation of gambling clubs and casinos without direct government involvement.”

Report from ucanews.com

Archbishop Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said he was pleased with the Vatican’s announcement that the Filipino lay catechist and martyr would be canonized on Oct. 21.

“It is a blessing for the whole nation. Preparations are under way for a national celebration in November and the Archdiocese of Cebu would make the proper announcements when all is set,” Palma said.

Bishop Jose Oliveros of Malolos in Bulacan said once Calungsod has been proclaimed as a saint, he would be recorded in history as the second Filipino saint after San Lorenzo Ruiz.

Both Ruiz and Calungsod are laymen and martyrs, he said. “It shows that our lay persons can respond to the call of holiness. It also shows that they are brave to face even death for the sake of our faith. Pedro Calungsod was also a lay catechist. He was able to share his faith with others.”

Since Calungsod died at 17, Bishop Oliveros believes that he would be a good role model for the youth. “He was also young, an inspiration for the youth of today. Let us ask him to intercede for our country that we remain steadfast in our Catholic faith.”

Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa in Batangas said he was also “very happy” with the news of Calungsod’s canonization.

“A second Filipino canonized saint is a sign of the growing importance of the Church in the Philippines for the universal church. The fact that he, like St. Lorenzo, is a lay person shows the great importance of non-ordained faithful in the Church in Asia,” Arguelles said.

Report from philSTAR.com

“The World Meeting of Families was established by Pope John Paul II in 1994 as a triennial event,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

“The upcoming World Meeting of Families affords a privileged opportunity to rethink work and celebration in the perspective of a family that is united and open to life, thoroughly integrated in society and in the Church, attentive to the quality of relationship in addition to the economy of the family nucleus itself,” Pope Benedict XVI said in a message posted on the World Meeting of Families website.

Meanwhile, the CBCP said its family and life ministry intends to put up a website that promotes natural family planning as a way of countering the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill.

It said the website is just one of the measures being planned by the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL).

“Among the initial measures discussed are the updating and distribution of the Directory of Diocesan Directors and Workers for easier coordination, continued formation in Family and Life issues, establishment of NFP centers all over the Philippines, and the construction of a new ECFL website as a means of communication,” the CBCP said.

Reports from GMA Network Online and CBCP for Life

“It is ridiculous that after 54 years of independence and living side by side, Muslims still need ‘guidelines’ for interactions with non-Muslims,” said Marina Mahathir, a women’s rights’ activist and daughter of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The Ulama Association of Malaysia made the proposal on February 16. The association has also urged Muslims to stay away from religious festivals of non-Muslims, following Prime Minister Najib Razak’s visit to a Hindu celebration recently. The visit has started a debate on whether Muslims can attend a religious celebration of other religions.

“Surely we know what we as Muslims can and cannot do from our religious education. Or is this an admission that these ulama (Muslim scholars) have not been doing their job in educating us, that we should be ignorant to this day?” Marina said.

“Guidelines can be a very helpful tool in promoting harmony and avoiding misunderstandings,” admitted Rev. Eu Hong Seng, president of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Malaysia.

“But in the hands of narrow-minded and overzealous people who want to issue edicts to other religious groups disguised as ‘guidelines,’ this is sure to prove disastrous,” he warned.

Reverend Thomas Philips, president of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said the proposed guidelines are not necessary.

Report from ucanews.com

Pakistan’s Election Commission announced yesterday the election of Kamran Michael, the minister for minority affairs, finance and human rights in Punjab, along with 12 others, as new senators.

The country’s first Christian senator was elected unopposed after a rival contender withdrew from the race, the commission said in a statement.

Several Catholic priests have said the election, which follows an expansion of Senate seats from 100 to 104 to include representatives of religious minorities, would have little impact.

“He is not popular in Christian circles. Other provinces have nominated Hindu candidates, and one Christian lawmaker cannot exert his influence,” said Father Francis Nadim, patron of the National Council for Interfaith Dialogue in Lahore.

Michael drew widespread criticism after backing the Punjab government’s decision to demolish a chapel and sewing center managed by Caritas Pakistan in Lahore. Hundreds of Christians staged a protest against Michael last month.

Report from ucanews.com

Benedict Seo Gi-ho, a former judge in the Northern District Court of Seoul, said he was informed on February 10 that he was deemed “unqualified” for reappointment to the court.

A review of all judges’ performance is mandated by Korean law every 10 years.

Seo said he believed the decision was retaliatory for criticisms of the Lee Myung-bak’s administration made on Twitter.

“The assessment is unfair. I don’t think that I have done wrong in my duties [over the last] 10 years,” he told ucanews.com Sunday following a Mass held in his honor at the Catholic Youth Center in Seoul.

Seo had previously criticized the government’s move to regulate judges’ use of social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, claiming it was a restriction on freedom of expression.

Report from ucanews.com