Felipe Songson: When will he be beatified?

Blessed Pedro Calungsod, martyred in Guam in 1672, is now on his way to a definitive place on the altars of the Catholic Church. However, he is not the only Filipino to have been suffered for the Catholic faith in that island. This blog post is dedicated to another such witness for the faith: the Macabebe aristocrat and Jesuit donado Felipe Sonson (also spelled Songsong), who faithfully and devoutly served with Jesuit missionaries in Guam for almost 18 years, finally dying in 1685 after being seriously wounded in an attack that was brought about by hatred for the Catholic faith.

San Nicolas de Tolentino Church, Macabebe, Pampanga. Source.

Posted below are two readings regarding Felipe Sonson. 

1) The following passage regarding Sonson -- reproduced on this blog post without its footnotes --  is from pp. 281 - 282 of the article of Fr. John Schumacher SJ, "Early Filipino Jesuits" [Philippine Studies 29 (1981) pp. 271 - 308.]

"...Felipe Sonson of Pampanga ... was among the members of the Jesuit mission in the Marianas who were killed by the natives in 1684. (He actually died in 1685. See the Tantingco article below. CAP.) He is mentioned several times in a series of documents listed in the Maggs Brothers Catalogue no. 442, most of them letters from various Jesuits to the Duchess of Aveiro, great benefactress of the Marianas mission (...) A letter of 30 May 1686 to the Duchess by Fr. Lorenzo Bustillo, S.J., is reported as describing "the martyrdom of Padres Pedro Canaano and Pabon [sic], and the death of Padre [sic] Pelippe [sic] Sonson, a native of Pampanga 'whose solid virtues were an example to his countrymen, and who, being a noble among his own people, is now, we believe, from his blameless life, a most noble citizen of the Realm of Heaven.'" A letter of Fr. Antonio Zerezo to Fr. Balthasar de Mansilla, dated in Agadna [Agaña], Guam, 17 May 1686, is quoted as saying: "We have also learnt of the death of the saintly Philippine, Filipe [sic] Sonson...." Finally, a note of the Duchess of Aveiro from about 1686 to Fr. Luis Morals, S.J., written on the back of a list of martyrs, says she is returning it 'because I think that of the five or six martyrs and the good Sonson we can make a report which I shall have printed." The compiler notes after the name of Sonson that he was "a native Catholic who perished with the Padres." The list itself contains the names of four priests and Bro. Pavon (a Spaniard), not that of Sonson. From these contradictory annotations and partial quotations, a series of questions arises: was Sonson a Filipino? was he a Jesuit or not? And if a Jesuit, was he a priest or a brother?

He was in fact a Filipino from Macabebe, Pampanga. Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde speaks of him as an "Indio Philipino" who was attacked by the Guamanians together with Bro. Pavon. He does not, however, give him the title of either Padre or Hermano, a fact which is also true in both the direct quotations from letters given above (as distinct from the annotations of the cataloger). He was rather a donado, as is explicitly noted after his name in the manuscript Jesuit catalog of personnel in the Marianas mission in 1681 - 1682. Born in 1611, he had joined the Jesuits in 1667, at the age of 56, and had spent the past thirteen years in the Marianas as a helper in domestic labors, particularly as carpenter. Hence he would have been 73 years old when killed with Bro. Pavon in 1684 (See the article below. CAP). 

2) Next is the 2010 article of Mr. Robby Tantingco, with the title A Macabebe in heaven? [Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Conclusion] For easier reading I have put this five-part article into a single Word file on Scribd:

A tribute to Cardinal Sanchez, by Sen. Francisco Tatad

His Eminence José Tomás Cardinal Sanchez, the fifth Filipino to be elevated to the cardinalate (in 1991), the only Filipino ever to serve as Secretary and as Prefect of a Vatican Dicastery, and a prelate who had the privilege of being the Coadjutor and successor to the eminent Servant of God, Msgr. Alfredo Maria Obviar, as Bishop of Lucena, died on the morning of March 9, 2012, only 8 days before his 92nd birthday.

The following is a tribute to the late Cardinal, written by former Philippine Senator and pro-life advocate Francisco Tatad: 

In Memoriam - Jose Cardinal Sanchez (F. Tatad)

With the passing of Cardinal Sanchez, there are only two Filipino Cardinals left: the 81-year-old Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu, and Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila, who will turn 80 later this year. 

In preparation for Lent: a reminder on the laws of fasting and abstinence in the Philippines

Reposting from last year:

Fasting and Abstinence in the Philippines and for Filipinos: Part 1 - The Legislation Currently in Force

It's official: Bl. Pedro Calungsod will be canonized on October 21, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI held an Ordinary Public Consistory today, during which he created 22 new cardinals and announced the forthcoming canonization on October 21, 2012 of the following beati (listed in the order that they were named by the Pope):

1) Jacques Berthieu S.J., (1838 - 1896), French Jesuit missionary, martyred in Madagascar

2) Pedro Calungsod, Filipino layman, martyred in Guam (d. 1672)

3) Giovanni Battista Piamarta (1841 - 1913), Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth

4) Maria del Carmen (Salles y Barangueras), in religion Carmen de Jesus (1848 - 1911) Spanish foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Education

5) Barbara Cope (better known by her name in religion, Marianne Cope, 1838 - 1918) German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse, USA who worked in the leper colony in Molokai

6) Kateri Tekakwitha (d. 1680) American Indian laywoman, the "Lily of the Mohawks"

7) Anna Schaffer (1882 - 1925) German laywoman

An MP3 recording of the Pope's announcement of the canonizations can be heard in this page on the News.Va website: Pope Benedict XVI holds Consistory, announces canonizations (beginning at the 2:30 mark). 

What is happening to De La Salle University - Manila?

"...it is evident that besides the teaching, research and services common to all Universities, a Catholic University, by institutional commitment, brings to its task the inspiration and light of the Christian message. In a Catholic University, therefore, Catholic ideals, attitudes and principles penetrate and inform university activities in accordance with the proper nature and autonomy of these activities. In a word, being both a University and Catholic, it must be both a community of scholars representing various branches of human knowledge, and an academic institution in which Catholicism is vitally present and operative" 

 -- Bl. John Paul II,
Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities Ex Corde Ecclesiae (#14)
(August 15, 1990)

...Again it is the inalienable right as well as the indispensable duty of the Church, to watch over the entire education of her children, in all institutions, public or private, not merely in regard to the religious instruction there given, but in regard to every other branch of learning and every regulation in so far as religion and morality are concerned.

Nor should the exercise of this right be considered undue interference, but rather maternal care on the part of the Church in protecting her children from the grave danger of all kinds of doctrinal and moral evil. Moreover this watchfulness of the Church not merely can create no real inconvenience, but must on the contrary confer valuable assistance in the right ordering and well-being of families and of civil society; for it keeps far away from youth the moral poison which at that inexperienced and changeable age more easily penetrates the mind and more rapidly spreads its baneful effects. For it is true, as Leo XIII has wisely pointed out, that without proper religious and moral instruction "every form of intellectual culture will be injurious; for young people not accustomed to respect God, will be unable to bear the restraint of a virtuous life, and never having learned to deny themselves anything. they will easily be incited to disturb the public order."

The extent of the Church's mission in the field of education is such as to embrace every nation, without exception, according to the command of Christ: "Teach ye all nations;" and there is no power on earth that may lawfully oppose her or stand in her way...

-- Pius XI

Encyclical on Christian Education Divini Illius Magistri # 23 - 25

(December 31, 1929)

The students should be encouraged to piety, fear of God, and horror of sin. They should be exhorted to frequent the sacraments. Sufficient time should be given by the students to the examination of conscience and the reflections. Teachers should be trained and instructed in the proper manner of speaking to and of exhorting students. 

-- St. John Baptist De La Salle
The Conduct of the Christian Schools

The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in De La Salle University - Manila. Originally dedicated in 1939 as the Chapel of St. Joseph, 16 Christian Brothers were killed here by the Japanese on February 12, 1945. Photo source.

One of the dirty secrets of contemporary Filipino Catholicism is the subversion of Catholic education in many Filipino Catholic colleges and universities. In many of these institutes of higher education, orthodox Catholicism is openly mocked and students who hold fast to its tenets risk ostracism and unfair treatment from their teachers and peers. It is the opinion of this author that, at present, it is frequently safer to educate Filipino Catholic youths in secular or state-run institutes of higher education than in their "Catholic" counterparts, many of which are Catholic in name only and positively promote heterodox or watered-down versions of the Catholic faith.

However, in this as in many other areas of concern in the Catholic Church in the Philippines, few dare raise their voices; it seems that silence and smugness continue to dominate. Unlike in the United States and (to a much lesser extent) in Western Europe, where orthodox Catholic laity have formed vigorous movements to counteract the dominance of secularist ideas and values in Catholic higher education, and where orthodox Catholics have founded their own Catholic colleges and universities as beacons of doctrinal fidelity, the Philippines' Catholic community largely continues to live in a state of denial regarding the real state of its higher educational system.

One of the worst-hit in the wave of secularization that has overwhelmed Filipino Catholic education is De La Salle University - Manila. I myself have long heard about the strength of radical liberal and atheistic ideologies within its walls, to the detriment of orthodox Catholicism. Fortunately, with the recent (January 8, 2012) publication of the article below, there can be no more denying that orthodox Catholicism has become a persecuted entity within that university.

Some of the most fervent and joyful Catholics whom I've met are alumni of this university. It is my hope that they and their fellow alumni will ask the right questions and do something about the deterioration of the Catholic faith within their beloved alma mater. Institutions go through good and bad times, and there is no reason why De La Salle University cannot, once more, become a bastion not just of academic excellence, but of Catholic orthodoxy as well.

My comments in dark blue.

A look at Lasallian Catholicism

January 8, 2012 By Juan Batalla under University 

Bernie*, a typical Catholic Lasallian, is having doubts with his faith. His friends, technically Catholics and Christians like him, invite him to go on drinking binges periodically, tell him in detail about their sexual encounters, and laugh at him whenever he mentions something so sensitive as prayer. 

When asked about his personal beliefs, Bernie admits that faith has been a matter of passive obedience for him since childhood. He has been receiving Sacraments without an active, deliberate understanding of its value, and looks at Mass as an interruption to an otherwise lazy Sunday morning. 

Bernie’s condition of relative detachment from the religious sentiments of the Church is not an uncommon thing. The way that Lasallians are exposed to the Church in the Catholic environment and the end result of such exposure (including authentic religious commitment) may not be achieving the desired effects of formation. 

“They are not too expressive of their faith,” shares Andylyn Simeon, director of the Lasallian Pastoral Office (LSPO). “It is uncool to express being Catholic in the University. Inside the classroom, the sentiment is generally anti-Catholic. [A passionate Catholic] feels that he is alone, unable to defend his faith [upon encountering anti-religious sentiments]." (The question really is, why have the Christian Brothers allowed this anti-Catholic sentiment to fester, develop and dominate in what is supposed to be a Catholic university?)

Religiosity and authenticity 

While the University is in the precarious position of upholding in its students the core value of religio, or Faith, it is not something that falls under the direct responsibility of the University, by the nature of its social function. 

“Faith is not the monopoly of the University,” clarifies Dr. Eduardo Domingo, chairperson of the Theology and Religious Education (TRED) Department. “In fact, the University or any Catholic school is only one of the support groups that help individuals and families form, develop and mature in their faith.” 

Given this, Domingo explains that the family is the unit with a direct responsibility over the faith, growth and maturity of the individual. “The real challenge on the part of the University is when parents do not fulfill their roles in terms of their responsibility to the faith life of their children, as it becomes difficult for the University to fashion an appropriate solution.”  

(Has anyone ever claimed that faith is the monopoly of the University? This is a strawman of the position of orthodox Catholics regarding the role of the Catholic university. It is also true that parents are the primary educators of children, and have the primary duty of passing on the faith to their children. However, a Catholic university is still supposed to be one of the primary assistants of parents in the Catholic Christian formation of the students entrusted to its care, and the fact that the parents of these students frequently fail in their duty to properly educate their children is no excuse for the University to abdicate its role, or to plead that it's not its job to ensure that students receive adequate formation in accordance with the teachings of the Church.)

Brittle pillars 

Even if a Lasallian Catholic should have an authentic faith, it comes under fire from many influences. In the University, beyond peer pressure of vices, the academic environment plays its own role in breaking often weak moral foundations. (And why is this situation even allowed to continue? Many students in La Salle are enrolled there presumably because their parents want them to receive a Catholic education. Are the parents of these students aware that they are actually sending their children into an anti-Catholic environment?)

A research paper written by DLSU students for an international academic forum last January (last academic year) conducted an analysis of DLSU Catholic students on their awareness of basic Catholic foundation and morals, and the application of said foundation. Around 65.6 percent of respondents in the said research said that they could explain their faith, signifying an awareness of basic theological concepts and Church tradition. 

Interviews conducted with these respondents, however, showed that such ‘basic understanding’ was not thorough, although ‘backed by a self-proclaimed prescription to Catholic moral values’. Discrepancies between results showed that DLSU students may also adhere to viewpoints contrary to the Church’s, especially with regard to contraception and death penalty. 

Possible repercussions of otherwise shallow exposure to Catholic intellectual life in the University includes a conscious reversion in attitude towards the Church due to an inability to stand for Church arguments or hold fast in faith. 

Since his Introductory Philosophy (INTFILO) class last term, Matthew’s* personal ideals in religion were understandably shaken. “Being in [that philosophy class] last term, I have come to form some serious doubts and questions towards my religion.” 

Matthew testifies that the questioning phase brought on by INTFILO naturally sways Lasallians, often receiving their first exposure of philosophy in college. 

(College students cannot and should not be expected to have the thorough knowledge of advanced philosophy and theology needed to comprehensively defend the teachings of the Church against their own professors. Any professor worth his degree knows this. That's why these youths are in college in the first place: they need to augment their knowledge. That many students in La Salle feel pressured to drop their Catholic faith simply because they "can't defend their beliefs" under the withering rhetorical fire of their professors bespeaks of the existence of an intolerant form of rationalism on campus. This kind of rationalism insists that any point that cannot be defended by an individual should be rejected or scorned by said individual: a point that would ultimately make all pedagogy impossible. Knowledge cannot grow in a situation where nothing is fixed and everything is open to question.)

Lost in exegesis 

One of the possible reasons for these paradigm shifts may be attributed to a shallow understanding of Church teaching, where not all sources in the University may be teaching uniform interpretations of doctrine. 

Hence, uniformity in Catholic education becomes questionable in a liberal academic setting, where Theologians may be responsible for instilling beliefs, which in the end contribute to detachment from the Church. 

For instance, some classes are told that virgin birth, referring to the virgin birth of Christ through Mary, may actually have been a common phenomenon during Jesus’ milieu, and that the Resurrection, similar to the Creation, may have been symbolic and fictitious. Such beliefs often are not in line with traditional Catholic theology. (It needs to be asked why a university that proclaims itself to be Catholic is allowing liberal Protestant / secularist "theology" to be taught in its name.)

To contribute to the unity of effort in Catholic education, Simeon shares that the LSPO is working towards making Lasallian Formation mandatory for DLSU faculty. (What the anti-Catholic section of the faculty needs is good old-fashioned catechesis. Even prior to that, what they need is a good dose of honesty. There is nothing honest in earning money from a Catholic educational institution by teaching things that are diametrically opposed to Catholicism.) 

But even if Catholic Lasallians, exposed to numerous influences besides different philosophies, media and peers, turn to say, agnosticism or atheism, Simeon affirms that the grounding in faith should be the testament of a true Lasallian formation more than apparent religiosity. (This artificial dichotomy between external religiosity and internal faith is nauseating. Faith is for the whole person, and exists not only in the mind and heart but is expressed through words and deeds, which by definition are external in nature. Furthermore, if a Lasallian -- or anyone else, for that matter -- turns to unbelief, then how can it be said that he has "grounding in faith"?)

*Student’s names were changed upon their discretion.

The greatest of Filipino Catholic processions

UPDATE: A lot of wonderful pictures of this year's procession on Yahoo and Daylife.


***

Every January 9 sees the largest and greatest of Filipino Catholic processions: the day-long sojourn of the venerated statue of the Black Nazarene, Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (Our Father Jesus the Nazarene) through the streets of the Quiapo district in central Manila. The statue is enshrined in the Minor Basilica of St. John the Baptist ("Quiapo Basilica"), one of the four basilicas located within a very few kilometers of each other in the heart of Manila. (The three other basilicas are Binondo Church, the San Sebastian Church - National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Manila Cathedral.)

Millions join the January 9 procession (the Traslación) -- a large number of them barefoot -- as the statue is brought from Quirino Grandstand facing Manila Bay (whence, for the past several years, it has been brought for a preliminary vigil beginning about 1 P.M. on the day before the procession to give devotees more time to take part in the "Pahalik sa Poong Nazareno" [the kissing of the statue of the Nazarene] as well as more ample space for this devotional practice) and back to Quiapo Church. This year, 8 million people are expected to take part in the traslación. The Traslación commemorates the transfer of the Black Nazarene image from the now-destroyed San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Intramuros, Manila to Quiapo Church in 1787.

The lyrics of "Lumang Krus", the song accompanying the video:

Lumang Krus

Sa malayong pook, malapit sa bundok

Nariyan ang isang lumang krus

Na pinagpakuan ng Poong Maykapal

Sa sala ng tao’y tumubos.

Koro:

Kung kaya’t aming iniaalay

Ang lahat sa lumang krus na iyan

Handog ko’y dalangin at dasal

Nang hirap Niya’y maparam.

Krus na iyan ay tigib

Ng dugo at luha

Kay Hesus na Mahal ng madla

Nagtiis ng hirap

Namatay Siya sa krus

Sa sala ng tao’y tumubos

(Repeat Koro)

"Lumang Krus" is actually the Tagalog adaptation of the Baptist hymn "Old Rugged Cross". Despite its Protestant origins this Tagalog adaptation has long been used in Filipino Catholic devotional exercises (although its popularity has declined in recent years).

The Philippines: set to have no cardinal-elector for the first time since 1960.

The first Filipino Cardinal, Abp. Rufino Cardinal Santos of Manila, (1908 - 1973) shortly after his elevation to the cardinalate on March 28, 1960. From a private archive.

Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI announced the names of 22 clergymen whom he will raise to the cardinalate on February 18, 2012. Eighteen of them are below the age of 80, qualifying to become "cardinal electors". (Under the rules set in place in 1970 by Paul VI and slightly revised by Bl. John Paul II in 1996, cardinals who have finished their 80th birthday on the day before a Pope's death can no longer take part in the conclave that will elect his successor. Those cardinals who have not yet finished their 80th birthday are, therefore, commonly called "cardinal electors".) Unless one or more of the cardinal-electors and new cardinal-electors-elect were to pass away before February 18, there will be 125 cardinal electors by the end of that day. Should no cardinal elector not scheduled to turn 80 years old until 2013 die this year, there will be 114 cardinal electors by Dec. 31, 2012. (Eleven cardinals are going to turn 80 between February 18 and the last day of this year, including the sole remaining Filipino cardinal elector, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila.) Another 10 cardinals are going to turn 80 in 2013, making another consistory in that year all but certain. 

Some Filipinos had speculated that either Abp. Jose Palma of Cebu or Abp. Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila would be made a cardinal this year. However, of the 22 new cardinals to be elevated on February 18 only two are from Asia, namely, Major-Archbishop George Alencherry of Ernakulam-Angamaly (head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India), and Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong. Perhaps there will be a Filipino cardinal in the next consistory, but it is highly unlikely that one will be called before 2013. 

So, where will all of this leave the Philippines in "red hat" terms? Come August 11, 2012 (the day after Cardinal Rosales' 80th birthday), the Philippines will find itself in the unenviable position of being one of only two among the 20 countries of the world with the largest Catholic populations, and far and away the largest Catholic country, to have no cardinal elector.* The other country is Uganda, with a Catholic population that is less than a sixth of that of the Philippines and which currently has one cardinal (Emmanuel Card. Wamala, who is 85 years old). On September of this year, the Philippines and Uganda will be joined by Colombia from among the 20 countries when its sole remaining cardinal elector, Pedro Cardinal Rubiano Saenz, Archbishop Emeritus of Bogota, turns 80.

* The 20 countries of the world with the largest Catholic populations, in order of size of Catholic population, are: Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, U.S.A, Italy, France, Colombia, Spain, Poland, Argentina, Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, Germany, Venezuela, Nigeria, India, Canada, Ecuador, Uganda, Chile. (Source)

Pope speaks of Mindanao flooding victims once again

Pope Benedict XVI at his Urbi et Orbi address for 2011.
SOURCE

During his Urbi et Orbi address for Christmas Day 2011, the Pope briefly prayed for the victims of recent floods in Southeast Asia, including Mindanao:

May the Lord grant comfort to the peoples of South-East Asia, particularly Thailand and the Philippines, who are still enduring grave hardships as a result of the recent floods.

Thank you, Holy Father! Keep us in your prayers!

Maligayang Pasko! Merry Christmas!

Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat!

The Nativity of Our Lord by Galo Ocampo. Stained glass window in Sto. Domingo Church (the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Naval), Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

On the custom of fasting and abstaining from meat on December 23

I have published an essay on the official blog of Una Voce Philippines regarding the pre-Vatican II practice of fasting and abstaining from meat on December 23 in preparation for Christmas, and its enduring relevance in our day:

Reminder: the fast of December 23

It's official: Pope Benedict XVI recognizes a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Pedro Calungsod

From a Catholic News Service article published today:

Pope Benedict also recognized miracles attributed to the intercession of five other people, who now can be declared saints. They are: 

-- Blessed Giovanni Battista Piamarta, an Italian priest who founded the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth for men and the Humble Servants of the Lord for women. He died in 1913. 

-- Blessed Jacques Berthieu, a French Jesuit priest who was martyred in Madagascar in 1896. 

-- Blessed Carmen Salles y Barangueras, the Spanish founder of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. She worked with disadvantaged girls and prostitutes and saw that early education was essential for helping young women. She died in 1911. 

-- Blessed Peter Calungsod, a lay Catholic from Cebu, Philippines, who accompanied Jesuit missionaries to Guam as a catechist and was martyred there in 1672 while he was in his late teens. 

-- Blessed Anna Schaffer, a lay German woman who wanted to be a missionary, but couldn't do so after a succession of physical accidents and disease. She accepted her infirmity as a way of sanctification. Her grave has been a pilgrimage site since her death in 1925.

Deo gratias!

The Pope in solidarity with the victims of the floods in Mindanao

From Rome Reports:

Pope prays for typhoon victims in the Philippines

December 19, 2011. (Romereports.com) During the pope's Angelus, he expressed his solidarity for the people of the Philippines after a typhoon devastated the island of Mindanao on December 16.

Flash floods and landslides left more than 800 people missing and 650 dead along with reports of entire houses being swept away into the sea.

Benedict XVI

“I want to assure the populations of the southern Philippines, hit by a violent tropical storm, of my closeness. I pray for the victims, mostly children, the homeless and the many missing.”

The pope also spoke about the annunciation to Mary to mark the fourth Sunday of advent. Speaking from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI noted the importance of her virginity in the story of salvation.

Benedict XVI

“Those who trust deeply in God, welcome Jesus and His divine life within them, through the action of the Holy Spirit. This is the mystery of Christmas.”

This was the last Angelus before the coming Christmas activities at the Vatican that includes the unveiling of the Nativity Scene in St. Peter's Square.

Christmas in the Philippines c. 1940

"Parol" by Philippine National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. 
Source: the blog of Dennis Villegas

I found the following description of Filipino Christmas in the SVD archives, specifically in the first page of the December 1941 – January 1942 issue of “The Cenacle Missionary”:

“The rural districts present a more colorful and pompous celebration of Christmas than the urban districts. From the first day of the Novena to its termination, masses are held in every Catholic Church usually varying from 2:00 A.M. to 4:00 A.M. The 16th of December is the first day of the novena… The church patio is usually well-lighted for the occasion by home made lanterns if there is no electric light service in the town…

Christmas season, mission church in Abra, pre-WWII era. Take note of the six-pointed parols and the lanterns of different shapes. From a private collection.

The day preceding Christmas is a busy day, because of the feverish activities in every home; cleaning of yards and houses; preparing of cakes for the next day; decorating of homes; and the making of Christmas trees… The last novena mass which is usually a high mass fills the churches due to the addition of the returning people from their temporary residence. The mass (of Christmas Eve - CAP) begins at 12:00 midnight to coincide with the birth of our Saviour, Christ the King. These novena masses are like any other masses except infinitely more joyous.

There are not only the usual choir voices, there are also castanets, tambourines, etc. This last mass is the most awaited of all. At the stroke of 12, the priest sings “Gloria in excelsis Deo” and the choir voices burst into song. The Christ Child has been born…”

Notable features:

1) In some places, Simbang Gabi Masses began as early as 2:00 A.M. At present, the dawn Masses normally begin at 4:00 or 4:30 A.M.; I've heard of only one church with a Mass starting at 3:00 A.M., and that is an "early" Simbang Gabi before the main Simbang Gabi of 4:00 A.M.

2) Christmas decorations were often prepared and put up on December 24, very different from the contemporary practice of unduly prolonging the Christmas season in the minds of most people by putting up Yuletide lights as early as November.

3) Tambourines and castanets were used at the Mass of Christmas Eve. This corroborates the testimony to me of one of the oldest members of the Van de Steen Choir (made up of members of the former Manila Cathedral Boys’ Choir from the 1950's and 1960's), who told me that he remembers tambourines being used at Christmas Eve Mass when he was still small. I'll add that Gerry de Leon's 1961 film adaptation of Noli Me Tangere features a short sound clip of the Gloria being sung on Christmas Eve, and the sound of tambourines can be clearly heard along with it. 

4) I find the practice of timing the Christmas Eve Mass so that the intonation of “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” falls on the stroke of midnight, to be a fitting announcement that Christmas Day has indeed come.

Installation of Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle: the reading of the papal letter of appointment

From the Youtube channel of Congressman Roilo Golez:



The full text of the papal letter of appointment (the "Papal Mandate") can be found here.

The 32nd Archbishop of Manila

Most Rev. Luis Antonio G. Tagle, D.D.

By the Grace of God 

And Favor of the Apostolic See

Archbishop of Manila

Installed on December 12, 2011

*

Prayers for the Archbishop:

Heavenly Father,

in these trying times

when the spirit of the age

threatens Christian values,

give our bishop holiness of life

and wisdom to direct and guide our archdiocesan

family so that we may grow in your love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

*

A Prayer for Priests and Bishops

Taken from the Roman Missal.

O God, who hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son to be the eternal High Priest for the glory of Thy Majesty and the salvation of mankind; grant that they whom He hath chosen to be His ministers and the stewards of His mysteries, may be found faithful in the fulfillment of the ministry which they have received. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen

On the need for more priests: the situation in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan

It is incredible to note that, to this very day, three metropolitan provinces (Nueva Segovia or Vigan, Lingayen-Dagupan and Tuguegarao) covering 3 archdioceses and 11 dioceses [plus two Apostolic Vicariates directly reporting to the Apostolic Nuncio]  spread out over three entire regions of the Philippines (Region 1 or "Ilocos Region", Region 2 or "Cagayan Valley Region" and the Cordillera Autonomous Region) plus the large province of Nueva Ecija in the central Luzon plain, send most of their theology (that is, post-college) students to just one theological school: the Immaculate Conception School of Theology in Vigan (the current see city of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia). To alleviate the situation the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan has initiated fund-raising for a new Theology school to be located in Brgy. Palapad, San Fabian, Pangasinan. 

This comes against the background of the acute priest shortage in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. According to the archdiocesan website:

The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan comprises sixteen municipalities and two cities including the capital town of the Province of Pangasinan. It has a Catholic population of one million two hundred thousand composed of thirty three parishes. There are only fifty nine diocesan priests and twelve religious priests ministering to the huge Catholic population. 

As of the year 2011, there are one hundred three high school seminarians, thirty-two seminarians in philosophy and eighteen seminarians in theology. The nearest theology seminary is three hundred kilometers away from the archdiocese in Vigan City, the Immaculate Conception School of Theology.

The Papal Bull (Apostolic Letter) of Appointment for the Archbishop-elect of Manila

BENEDICT, BISHOP, SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD,

to the Venerable Brother Luis Antonio G. Tagle

until now Bishop of Imus, now transferred to the Archdiocese of Manila,

Greetings and Apostolic Blessing.

We, who have succeeded in the place of Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, have desired to provide for the Metropolitan Church of Manila, an old and illustrious See in the beloved country of the Philippines, after it was left vacant due to the retirement of His Eminence, Gaudencio B. Rosales, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, a Bishop of great merit.

Having heard the advice of the Congregation for Bishops, We judged it best to commit its government to you, Venerable Brother, endowed as you are with proven qualities of mind and heart and skilled in pastoral affairs, having until now worked laudably in the Diocese of Imus.

Wherefore by our supreme authority, We free you from the above-mentioned episcopal See and name you Metropolitan Archbishop of Manila with all the rights and obligations.

We order that this Letter be read to your clergy and people, whom We urge to welcome you gladly and remain united to you.

May the Filipino saints be propitious to you, Venerable Brother, so that supported by their patronage and following their examples, you may perform your office as Bishop and Father. By the leadership of your example, may the faithful entrusted to your care heed their Superiors and above all pursue holiness of life to which we are called, according to the exhortation of the Apostle to the Gentiles: "This is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3).

May the gifts of the Spirit, the Paraclete, by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, sustain, foster, and gladden you together with the Auxiliary Bishops and the ecclesial community of Manila.

Be strong in Christ, all you brothers and sisters that are dearly beloved to this Apostolic See and to Us.

Given in Rome, at St. Peter, on the thirteenth day of the month of October, in the year of the Lord 2011, the seventh year of Our Pontificate.

Benedict PP. XVI

H/T Katolikong Pinoy's Facebook page. The picture of the actual bulla is from the Facebook page of Fr. Carmelo Arada

The Patroness of the Philippines

Among the titles under which Mary is venerated in the Philippines, two are particularly prominent: the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of the Rosary. The invocation of the Immaculate Conception goes back to the year 1578 when Pope Gregory XIII in a Bull issued on February 6 decreed that the Manila Cathedral should be erected under the invocation of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Clement VIII decreed on 13 August 1595 that the Cathedrals of Nueva Segovia and Caceres also be erected under the same title of the Immaculate Conception. Moreover, one of the three ships that reached the Philippines in the first voyage of Magallanes in 1521 was the "Concepcion," named after the Immaculate Conception, together with the ships "Trinidad" and "Victoria." Hence the Islands before being named Filipinas, and even before the name of Christ had begun to be preached, saw on these shores the name of Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception.

***

The Immaculate Conception , whose feast falls on December 8, remains the principal Patroness of the Philippine Islands. After the suppression of several Church holydays in the Catholic Calendar of the Philippines, still her feast stays as one of the three holydays of obligation during the year, the other two being Christmas and January 1, when the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is celebrated.

From: ANG MAHAL NA BIRHEN

Mary in Philippine Life Today

A Pastoral Letter on the Blessed Virgin Mary

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

February 2, 1975

Photo source:  The blog of Marwil N. Llasos OP.  This blog is a rich source of Marian images and apologetics. I also recommend the following article from this blog: The Dominicans in the Philippines and the Immaculate Conception. 

Filipino Monsignori

"Dandom's Blog" has published a list of Filipino priests appointed as monsignori from the 1950's to the present, based upon the relevant entries in the Acta Apostolica Sedis. The list is divided according to the three existing ranks of monsignori and includes those who held equivalent ranks prior to the reform of monsignorial ranks and privileges by Pope Paul VI in 1968.

The list doesn't include Filipino monsignori appointed before the 1950's such as the famed Msgr. Mariano Sevilla (appointed a Domestic Prelate on November 17, 1920) as well as the numerous Filipino priests who have held the courtesy title "Monsignor" for the duration of their terms as Vicars General in their respective dioceses, except those who were also appointed to a monsignorial rank by the Holy Father.

Apostolic Protonotary (P.A.) – Invested Filipino Monsignori (October 7, 1950 to June 7, 2008)

Honorary Prelate (H.P.) – Invested Filipino Monsignori (September 19, 1950 to December 2010)

Papal Chaplain (P.C.) – Invested Filipino Monsignori (April 16, 1953 to May 6, 2010)


(Photo: Msgr. Moises Andrade, Jr., born in 1948, appointed Honorary Prelate on May 11, 1999, died in 2009.)

On the custom of fasting and abstaining from meat on December 7

I have published an essay on the official blog of Una Voce Philippines regarding the pre-Vatican II practice of fasting and abstaining from meat on December 7, the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and its enduring relevance in our day:

A reminder to practice fasting and abstinence on the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception