Editor’s note: Josephine Darang is in the hospital, but religious organizations and her readers continue to send announcements and dispatches to her. Sunday Lifestyle is publishing them in behalf of her well-read column, Pure.
The Archdiocese of Manila has issued a warning against bogus Facebook accounts purportedly of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle appealing for donations.
The accounts urge readers to donate to charities run by Cardinal Tagle by depositing supposedly to his “treasurer,” identified as “Mildred Gala of Wawa Ibaba, Lemery, Batangas.”
“Beware,” said Peachy Yamsuan of the media office of the Arzobispado. “This is a bogus FB account using the name of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle and asking donations through this letter which bears the wrong address and wrong signature of the Cardinal. The Archdiocese of Manila calls on Facebook to close this account. It victimizes foreign Filipinos; a number of whom in Switzerland responded to the appeal and made donations.
“We advise the people to make sure that the letters of solicitation they respond to, especially those purportedly signed by Cardinal Tagle and other officials of the Church, come from official sources.”
Yamsuan said Cardinal Tagle does not post charity appeals on his FB. “Donations for the poor can be coursed through Caritas Manila, the social services arm of the Archdiocese of Manila,” she added.
Adamson supports Tagle campaign
Meanwhile Cardinal Tagle has urged Catholics to wear “Huwag Kang Magnakaw” t-shirts on Dec. 16, the first day of the traditional nine-day “Simbang Gabi” (Misa de Gallo or dawn Mass) in the run-up to Christmas.
The Archbishop of Manila has called on the faithful to support and join its campaign against all forms of thievery and stealing.
Adamson University on San Marcelino Street, Ermita, Manila was the first to respond to Archbishop Tagle’s call for support for his “Huwag kang magnakaw” campaign. This was in late September, when members of the Adamson community began wearing shirts and displayed banners with the slogan.
Among those who joined Adamson’s initiative were the Canossian, Franciscan and Holy Spirit sisters.
In a memorandum on Dec. 2, 2014, Cardinal Tagle called on all parish priests, shrine rectors, chaplains, school directors and superiors of religious organizations in the Archdiocese of Manila to support the campaign as part of their obligation to follow the seventh commandment of the Lord and obey the basic laws that God has given. The campaign is spearheaded by Fr. Atilano “Nonong” Fajardo, CM, head of the archdiocese’s ministry of public affairs and director of Adamson University’s integrated community extension services.
One of the campaign’s main platforms is the radio program on Radio Veritas (DZRV 846kHz) aired every Friday 7-8 a.m. and hosted by Fr. Fajardo and Prof. Ernie Gonzales of the University of Santo Tomas.
Cardinal Tagle has said that the people’s support for the campaign is one of the best contributions to the preparation of Pope Francis’ visit to the country in January 2015.
Mass of Remembrance
The Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls of the Monfort Foundation Inc. held its monthly Mass of Remembrance at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubaolast Dec. 8 for the following:
The tens of thousands of victims who died in the Messina, Sicily earthquake in 1908;
The tens of thousands who died in the 8.6-magnitude earthquake in Kansu, Chuna in 1932;
The thousands killed in the cyclone that hit Karachi, Pakistan in 1965;
The thousands who died in the earthquake in Bam, Iran in 2003;
The 230,000 victims who died in the earthquake and tsunami that hit 14 South Asian and Southeast Asian countries in December 2004;
The 1,430 people who died when tropical storm “Sendong” hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities in Mindanao on Dec. 17, 2011;
The thousands (at least 4,000) who died from the collision of MV Dona Paz and MT Vector tanker in the Visayas in 1987;
The 22 victims who died from the terrorist bombings of the Jemaah Islamiyah in Metro Manila in 2000;
The more than 2,805 victims who have died from the air strikes on Syria since September; and
The casualties (15,678 so far) of the Ebola epidemic.
Retreat for media
Cardinal Tagle and Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara were the retreat masters in the extraordinary spiritual recollection held for church and secular media men covering the papal visit next year. The retreat was spearheaded by the Committee on Information and Media, Papal Visit 2015 headed by Bishop Vergara and was held at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, OP Building of the University of Santo Tomas.
According to Lito Zulueta of Inquirer who attended the retreat, Cardinal Tagle said he had informed the Holy See about the retreat “to spiritually prepare” the media for the visit. Vatican officials expressed their astonishment and told Tagle this would be the first time they had ever heard of such a retreat held in the run-up to a papal visit.
The Manila prelate later teased the news media, recounting he had been asked if retreatants should bring a hankie, since those who attend retreats usually shed tears for their sins. Tagle reportedly replied, “Huwag lang panyo pero tuwalya” (Don’t just bring a hankie, bring a towel).
Caritas aids ‘Ruby’ victims
Caritas Philippines has given P2 million for the relief of those affected by typhoon Ruby. It has also launched a solidarity appeal to the country’s 85 dioceses to raise funds for its relief efforts.
In the letter sent to all 85 bishops nationwide, Cáceres Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona, who heads the national secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (Nassa)/Caritas Philippines, said the emergency funds from “Alay Kapwa” were not enough because of the damage caused by the typhoon.
Nassa/Caritas Philippines has released P2 million from Alay Kapwa, the Church’s Lenten evangelization and fundraising program, and from other funds.
Those who are interested to help in the relief operations of the Catholic Church may deposit their donations through Bank of the Philippine Islands (acct. name: CBCP Caritas Filipinas Foundation, Inc.; acct. number: 4951-0071-08).
