Php 70.00 Vol. 44 No. 1 • JANUARY 2010 - IMPACT Magazine Online!

MANILA, Jan.
6, 2010 ─ Focusing
on the
interior renewal
of the clergy
in this year
dedicated for
priests, an intense
five-day
national priests’
congress will be
held this month
that will gather
diocesan and
religious clergy
around the
country.
The second National Congress of
the Clergy set on January 25-29 at the
World Trade Center, Pasay City will be
days of spiritual reflection and profound
prayer for priests aimed at providing
them a deep religious experience “that
will hopefully lead to spiritual conversion
and greater commitment.”
More of a spiritual retreat in dynamics,
the congress aims to bring the
clergy to a deepening of their pastoral
commitment through interior renewal.
Msgr. Gerry Santos, program committee
member said the retreat has
the following dynamics: prayer and
liturgy, conferences, group reflection
and journal writing and encounter with
host families.
“These activities will help achieve
an atmosphere of prayerful reflection
and presbyteral fellowship,” he
explained.
Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, a Franciscan
Capuchin and preacher of the
Papal household will deliver five conferences
that will delve on the theme
“Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness
of Priests”, which the Holy Father has
chosen as theme for the celebration of
the Year for Priests.
On the fourth day of the retreat,
Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle will
give two conferences touching on the
spiritual pastoral context of the Church
in the Philippines.
Three C’s
Filled with spiritual activities, the
five-day congress include other highlights
such as liturgical celebration of
the Eucharist, Communal Penance and
Reconciliation, the Via Crucis, Lauds
NEWS
FEATURES
Priests’ congress seeks spiritual renewal of clergy
and Vespers and the recitation of the
rosary.
Fr. Francis Gustilo, SDB, another
program committee member said Cantalamessa’s
reflection on the theme will
basically touch on the three C’s: “consecration,
conversion and commitment,”
which is the aim of the retreat.
“Consecration, [because] the priest
is consecrated, ordained for a mission;
conversion, because priests also commit
mistakes from what they promised
during their ordination; [and] commitment,
[or resolution] to renew their
lives,” he said.
Laity as participants
The laity are also encouraged by
organizers to participate in the upcoming
congress by way of praying and
offering sacrifices for their priests and
the success of the spiritual retreat.
Some lay people have been invited
to witness among the priests their pursuit
of holiness according to their state
in life. Sharers include former Chief
Justice Artemio Panganiban, Darren
Bancod (youth), Mr. and Mrs. Leopoldo
Repratente (couple) and Ms. Maria Voce
of the Focolare Movement.
The public will have their chance
to hear Cantalamessa preach on January
28 at the Araneta Coliseum, an event
open for the laity. He will speak to lay
people about their role in helping their
priests live faithfully their pastoral
commitment.
“Hopefully, our lay people will
be open enough to believe that change
can happen even to their pastors,” said
Gustilo.
He said it saddens him sometimes
that some people seemed to have taken
priests for granted.
“They are somewhat skeptical
whether this kind of retreat will effect
change in the priests. But of course,
if people are blinded by what they
already believed, they would not see
any possibility for change to happen,”
Gustilo said.
He said during the event people
should pray not only for the priests
Clergy, page 22
Malaysian protesters and hackers target
Catholic newspaper after ‘Allah’ ruling
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 5, 2010—Following the Malaysian High
Court’s approval of a Catholic newspaper’s use of the word “Allah” for God,
hundreds of Muslim youth have protested and the newspaper’s website has
been hacked several times.
The Herald, the country’s only Catholic publication, has been threatened
with the loss of its printing license for using “Allah” to name the Christian
God in its Malay-language section.
The newspaper argued that its usage follows centuries of tradition, while
the Malaysian government argued the usage by Christians would confuse
Muslims.
On Dec. 31 Judge Lau Bee Lan ruled in the Herald’s favor.
On Jan. 2 the Herald’s website was hacked twice and was found to be
hacked once again by CNA staff on the morning of Jan. 4.
Fr. Lawrence Andrew, the editor of the Herald, told the Malaysian Insider
that technicians have confirmed the cyber attacks took place and the website
was operating normally.
He declined to comment in detail, saying he did not want to add to the
tension on a “very sensitive” issue.
In Penang, about 250 members of the group Umno Youth conducted street
protests in front of the High Court building to protest the decision.
The Malaysian Insider says that protesters shouted “seditious” obscenities
in their protests.
Opponents of the ruling are also using social networking sites like Facebook
to rally support and to call for the ruling’s reversal.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said the Home
Ministry will appeal the ruling. (CNA)
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