Church

Bishop Leo M. Dalmao, who was ordained the fourth bishop of the Prelature of Isabela in Basilan yesterday, received strong words of encouragement from Archbishop of Ozamiz Martin Jumoad, his predecessor.

“People depend on you. Have courage and be strong,” Jumoad told the first Filipino Claretian to be ordained bishop, in a ceremony held at the Sta. Isabel de Portugal Cathedral in this city.

“Bp. Leo, trust your priests,” added the prelate, saying that the new bishop should love the priests of Basilan even if they commit mistakes.

A Catholic bishop has joined calls for greater press freedom in the country and deplored actions to suppress it.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos said the Church promotes freedom of the press as he stressed the importance of truth in journalism.

“Promoting the truth is promoting life. We join the call of respecting press freedom, respecting the truth and respecting human life,” Alminaza said in a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day.

The prelate also thanked the journalists who continue to fight for the truth “amidst the darkness”.

COTABATO CITY – The administrator of Jolo Vicariate today warned the public against a man claiming to be a priest and soliciting funds amount January 27 blast victims and for the rehabilitation of the bombed Our Lady of Mount Carmel cathedral.

“Please be informed that we have nothing to do with this person who is soliciting funds for the victims of Jolo Cathedral,” Monsignor Romeo Saniel of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), administrator of Jolo vicariate, said in his Facebook post Tuesday.

NAGDIWANG kahapon ng kanyang ika-80 kaarawan si Cotabato Archbishop-emeritus Orlando Cardinal Quevedo.

Ito rin ang hudyat na hindi na maaari pang bomoto si Quevedo sa “papal conclave” na pumili ng susunod na pinuno ng buong simbahang katoliko.

Tanging si Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle na lamang ang natitirang kinatawan ng Pilipinas sa papal conclave.

Si Quevedo ang ikawalong Pinoy na naging kardinal sa kasaysayan ng simbahan at kauna-unahan na mula sa Mindanao.

KORONADAL CITY – Bishop Emeritus Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel diocese has passed
away Sunday morning at a hospital in Gen. Santos City, the diocese announced
today.

He was 79 years
old.

VATICAN— Pope Francis said Wednesday that his recent trip to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was a step forward in Catholic-Muslim dialogue and promoting peace among religions.Though a brief visit, the scattered seeds of the Feb. 3-5 trip will bear fruit according to God’s will, he said during the general audience Feb. 6.The visit to the UAE, and second meeting with the Muslim Grand Imam of al-Azhar, wrote a new page in the history of dialogue between Christianity and Islam and in the commitment to promote peace in the world on the basis of human brotherhood.

COTABATO CITY – Archbishop Angelito Lampon of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate yesterday
assumed as the head of the archdiocese of Cotabato with mixed feelings as he
was battling an upheaval on one thing and celebrating a new assignment on
another.

Upheaval
because blood of Catholic faithful litter the cathedral he served for the past
21 years.

The Oblates of Mary
Immaculate, Philippine Province are in deep grief and sorrow with the bombing
of the Jolo Cathedral. We have lost brothers,
sisters, and friends. We are one with
their families in this difficult time – for they were also a family to us. Our grief is even greater as the bombing
happened at a time when the Holy Mass is being celebrated at the Our Lady of
Mount Carmel Cathedral.Indeed, they
have died as martyrs witnessing to their Christian faith as they braved to stay
in Jolo despite constant intimidation and risks.