Church

MANILA— A Catholic bishop has lauded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in its bid to protect and promote the rights of migrant workers across the region.The leaders of the 10-member states of the ASEAN gathered in Manila for a week-long summit are expected to sign on Tuesday a landmark document on the protection of migrant workers.Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Migrants on Itinerant People, described the agreement as caring and helpful initiative of the ASEAN leaders.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – In a time of religious intolerance in various parts of the globe, the National Youth Day 2017 hosted by the Archdiocese of Zamboanga City set an example of unity amid religious and cultural diversity.

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao – Unidentified men
set ablaze a Catholic chapel in Barangay Labo-Labo here Thursday night, fire
officials said.

Fire Officer 1 Alonto Blaim, Sharff Aguak fire
marshall, said the conflagration occurred at 9 p.m. amid heavy downpour.

Unidentified suspects poured gasoline at the San Isidro
Labrador chapel’s altar and religious articles and statues.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack on
the holy place situated beside the national highway.

MANILA— A Catholic prelate has expressed mixed feelings after the government declared an end to five months of fighting in the southern Philippine city of Marawi. Bishop Edwin dela Peña of the Marawi prelature said he is happy that the siege is over, while hoping that the rehabilitation of the city can proceed at dizzying pace However, I’m also sad because there is practically no house to go home to for the Marawi residents including us at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Dela Peña said.

COTABATO CITY – Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos has returned to his Creator
Saturday evening due to lingering illness, his secretary Fr. Michael Abellanosa
today said.

In a text
message, his secretary in the Diocese of Butuan, Fr. Michael Abellanosa, said Bishop
Pueblos breathed his last at 6:55 p.m.

Today, Oct
21, at 6.55 p.m., Bishop Juan De Dios Pueblos, D.D. returned home to the
Heavenly Father. May he rest in peace, Fr. ABellanosa said.

MANILA — Pope Francis has joined in mourning the death of Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, a leader of Catholics in Cebu for 29 years, commending his untiring and devoted service to the Church. In a letter to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, the pope said he was deeply saddened to learn the death of the retired cardinal. I extend my sincere condolences to you, and to the clergy religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Cebu, Francis said.The pontiff praised the cardinal for his constant advocacy of dialogue and peace for all the people in the Philippines.

MANILA — Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, the former Catholic archbishop of Cebu and the oldest among the four Philippine cardinals, has died at the age of 86, a church spokesman said.In a message, Cebu archdiocese’s spokesman Msgr. Joseph Tan said the prelate died earlier today, Wednesday, at 7:26 a.m. due to infection leading to septic shock .Requesting prayers for the prelate’s soul, Tan said the wake will be at the Cebu Cathedral. Details of funeral rites will be made available as soon as possible.Vidal became seriously ill and was admitted to the city’s Perpetual Succour Hospital on Oct.

MANILA — Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor Rex Ramirez, a priest of the Archdiocese of Palo, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Naval.The appointment was announced Oct.

MANILA — Pope Francis has appointed Italian Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.The Vatican made the announcement on Tuesday at 12 noon (6pm, Manila time), a day after the pontiff arrived back in Rome from a 5-day apostolic visit to Colombia.At the time of his new assignment, the 59-year-old archbishop was nuncio to Lebanon, a position he has held for the past eight years, since 2009.Caccia’s new post in Manila will be his second assignment as papal ambassador, succeeding Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, also an Italian, who was transferred to Croati

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Father Peter Geremia of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Mission (PIME) is this year’s Saint Theresa of Calcutta awardee.He was chosen for his humanitarian works in Mindanao.The PIME announced the award through its Facebook account.Geremia, since his assignment in Mindanao, has been to difficult missions.Among the mission areas he has served for several decades now included the town of Columbio in Sultan Kudarat and Arakan in North Cotabato.These areas are dominated by poor, disadvantaged, and underserved indigenous peoples (IPs) because of their inability to access he