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Fr. Gerald G. Metal considers himself a missionary in Jordan where he attends to the spiritual needs of the Filipino community. Christians are respected in this Muslim majority country in which Filipinos contribute to the increase of the churches’ attendance.
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) take and practice their faith fervently wherever they go or are. That is why the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines appreciates the role of OFWs as modern-day apostles of evangelization in the foreign countries where they work.
We often think of holiness as something that is only available to some who, by their vocation, are “predestined” to a path of holiness. On the contrary, holiness is a free gift to all. In this way, it becomes the mission and responsibility of each one.
In the Year of the Youth, we hear how some young people endeavor to live the ideal of holiness. Even though beset by numerous challenges, the youth can aspire to be holy by relying on God’s grace and looking at the lives of the saints.
Pope Francis, through his 2018 apostolic exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad (Gaudete et Exsultate) [GE], has sparked a renewed interest in holiness. This inviting document bears the subtitle: “On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World,” and it echoes the identical invitation found in Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium (#39-42): “The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church.”
For centuries, Catholics in China have been dogged by disputes with Confucian rites and Communist beliefs, as well as issues of infighting, imperial opposition and politics.
French Jesuit Benôit Vermander, teacher in Shanghai and one of the most important scholars on China, maintains that the newly-signed agreement between Beijing and the Vatican can indicate a mitigation of the strict policies imposed by the Chinese Government.
It is to keep alive a Church that has been divided for so many years that Pope Francis has just signed a “historic agreement” with Beijing, which recognizes the Pope’s legitimacy in the appointment of future bishops.
In biblical times, children were hardly considered of social value. In the Gospels, their appearance was scarce. Yet, during his public life Jesus interacted with them. He valued the younger members of society and acted in their favour.
The sexual abuse of children is everywhere, in institutions, in schools, gyms and in the church. The good news is that abusers are being caught, sentenced, and jailed at an ever-increasing rate. It is one of the most potent means to prevent child abuse.
