Tag Archives: Pope Francis

PHILIPPINE BISHOPS TO SECEDE FROM THE VATICAN

September 4, 2015 Pol Pinoy 1 Comment

Philippine bishops with former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (file photo)

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced today that it was seceding from The Vatican over recent pronouncements by Pope Francis.

The final straw for the Filipino bishops was the pope’s instruction allowing priests to absolve Catholics of the sin of abortion.

In a statement, CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the Church still considers abortion a mortal sin and that aborting a baby merits excommunication. Villegas said, “Choosing to terminate innocent, unborn life is not among a woman’s options, because her right to privacy and to make decisions about herself do not extend to the life in her womb, over which she enjoys no dominion at all.”

Other papal pronouncements that led to the decision of CBCP to cut ties with The Vatican include welcoming homosexuals and divorced (and remarried) Catholics into the fold of the church.

The Philippines, home to 100 Million people, about three quarters of whom are Catholics, is the only remaining country where divorce is still illegal. Homosexuality, while largely tolerated, is still frowned upon by many.

CBCP will soon convene a local Synod of Bishops to elect a titular head that will be fully independent of The Vatican. It will be held at the Philippine Arena, owned by the second largest religious group in the country, Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC).

Filipino Catholics are looking forward to the white smoke that will billow out of the arena to signal the election of a Filipino pontiff.

The Adobo Chronicles® will be bringing you live coverage of the Manila Synod.

International, Politics, Religion

POPE FRANCIS REFUSES TO MEET WITH DONALD TRUMP DURING U.S. VISIT

August 28, 2015 Pol Pinoy 2 Comments

THE VATICAN, Italy – (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Pope Francis has rejected a request by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for a private audience when the leader of the Roman Catholic Church visits the United States September 22-27, 2015.

During his papal visit, Francis will meet with President and Mrs. Barack Obama, address a joint session of the U.S. Congress, speak before the United Nations General Assembly and attend a huge religious gathering in Philadelphia.

Trump has sent a letter to The Vatican requesting a short private audience with the Pope. The controversial candidate offered to fly the Pontiff to Las Vegas on his private jet for a meet and greet at the Trump Towers. “He wanted to seek the Pope’s advice on how to better reach out to America’s Catholic voters,” a Trump spokesperson said.

In rejecting the request, Pope Francis said, “By the grace of God, I cannot agree to meet with someone who has denigraded migrants and hard-working people like the Mexicans. And Trump has the nerve to meet with me after his disparaging remarks about Latinos! Has he forgotten that I, too, am Latino? ”

Trump could not immediately be reached for comment.

Government, Law Enforcement, Religion

HEEDING POPE FRANCIS’ ADVICE, PHILIPPINES PROPOSES THREE-DAY WORK WEEK FOR EMPLOYEES

August 14, 2015 Pol Pinoy 2 Comments

Workers at a call center in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – In the Philippines — a predominantly Catholic country — the Pope’s word is treated as law, even when it comes to political, economic and social matters. Like work hours.

Pope Francis told the faithful at his weekly general audience at the Vatican that “millions of men and women, even children, are slaves to work,” and that this “is against God and against the dignity of the human person.”

“Moments of rest, he said,”give people time to enjoy the fruits of their labor.”

Heeding the pope’s advice, a bipartisan group of Philippine legislators proposed that the country adopt a three-day work week for all employees, so that they would have more time to rest and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The draft bill mandates that although workers will be required to report for work just three days each week, they will be paid the equivalent of five days of work.

If passed by Congress, President NoyNoy Aquino, a devout Catholic, promised to sign the proposed bill into law.

Labor unions praised the proposal, but companies operating call centers are strongly against it, saying they will lose huge contracts from foreign companies that expect the centers to be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Senator Nancy Binay has introduced an amendment which would exempt call centers from the proposed three-day work week. Binay’s amendment would also grant a similar exemption for workers in vital services such as doctors & nurses, police officers and firefighters.

Political analysts are saying that a three-day work week –if staggered — could finally solve the country’s nagging traffic problems since it would cut by almost half the number of employees trying to get to work in any given day of the week.