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A heart filled with passion for service to the young has brought Fr. Vicenzo to go beyond peripheries into the “no man’s land” – the dark corners, inhospitable situations of abuse and exploitation – reaching out to the young who have been left to themselves in the rough corners of life.
Much has been said and proposed by governments and international organizations to help curb the effects of climate change. And yet there still seems to be a palpable indifference from industries and even common folk, perhaps because the consequences are not that felt amid the comfort of urban zones. It is the rural folk and the indigenous tribes – the ones who commune with and are closest to nature – who suffer the most.
There is no doubt that music is effective in communicating a message, evoking an emotion, or simply eliciting a response from a listener. That is why Church music is tailored in such a way that it encourages worship. Nowadays, however, there is an ongoing debate between traditional and contemporary liturgical composers and musicians over which kind of music can be considered appropriate in the liturgy. Without losing sight of the Church documents written specifically for this purpose, the Christian contemporary composer must now strike a balance between music which is acceptable and which can attract and sustain not only interest among mass-goers especially in this internet age, but also nurture and increase their faith.
Global violence is growing. While we are not facing the prospect of large-scale wars, there are many deadly conflicts that are killing, wounding, and displacing millions of people around the world. These are ethnic conflicts and religious wars between sects, tribes and indigenous rebels. What possible belief and value is universal enough to appeal to all sides and groups and help to end the conflicts?
Time and again, governments, research institutions, and even media organizations have released statistics about poverty, with the ultimate goal of addressing, if not solving it. However, despite the quantitative and qualitative analysis given by these groups, poverty remains. Is it a matter of definition? Is it measured by the lack of food or material possessions? Is it perpetuated by government inaction? Only when one has understood the true meaning of poverty can one truly begin to deal with it.
A close look at media across the world reveals a seemingly endless number of problems put on the spotlight, making headlines. It sets one to wonder: Is the world getting worse? But, then, could it be that the world is a better place overall than we think?
