0 Cardinal reveals challenges to Calungsod’s sainthood

ROME, Italy - The path to sainthood is hardly lined with roses.

According to Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the case for St. Pedro Calungsod’s sainthood was beset by questions over his actual existence and motivation for martyrdom.

Was Calungsod real?

“Did he really exist? Because the Church does not beatify ghosts!” Cardinal Vidal said in an interview, quoting authorities from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints when presented with Calungsod’s case for the first time.

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which is directly under the Roman Curia, is the body that takes charge of the beatification and canonization of saints and all the steps in between.

The dearth of documents mentioning the young martyr created the burden of proving Calungsod’s factual existence since work on his beatification started in 1986.

For Jesus or for friendship?

Another point of contention was St. Pedro’s motivation for martyrdom.

“Did he die for the priest or for Jesus?” Cardinal Vidal recalled one more question posed against Calungsod.

According to Cardinal Vidal, expert advice from a psychologist who studied what little is known of Calungsod cleared the point, saying, “On pain of imminent death, the motivation is always Jesus, not friendship.”

Calungsod is probably most known for the circumstances of his death in 1672 when he was speared to death together with Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores who angered the native Chamorros of the Marianas because of infant baptisms.

“Tedious work”

Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu, stressed how crucial documentation is to building up a cause for beatification and canonization.

“It’s not easy, it’s tedious work,” said Cardinal Vidal, whom former Vatican Ambassador Henrietta De Villa calls “Ama ni Pedro Calungsod” for taking up the cause of Calungsod when he was virtually unknown in the Philippines.

He also recounted how then Guam Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores, the first Chamorro bishop, invited Cardinal Vidal to Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores’ beatification in 1985.

“Come, so you will know who your candidates are,” Cardinal Vidal shared Abp. Flores’ words to him, referring to Calungsod whom Cardinal Vidal had never heard of before.

True enough, Cardinal Vidal would set the wheels of Calungsod’s beatification into motion the following year.

[Nirva'ana Ella Delacruz]

0 Saint Pedro’s image back in Philippines

MANILA - Despite heavy rains, Filipinos still gave a warm welcome as the official image of Saint Pedro Calungsod arrived in Manila Thursday.

Hundreds of people waving Calungsod and national flags welcomed the statue upon its arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 4 p.m. from Rome.

The three-foot tall wooden image of Calungsod was being carried by Fr. Charles Jayme, the official custodian of the statue.

The official pilgrim image was flown to the Vatican for the canonization of Calungsod, the second Filipino saint, last October 21.

From the airport, the image was brought via a motorcade to the University of Santo Tomas in España, Manila for an overnight stay at the UST’s Santisimo Rosario Parish Church.

The statue will then visit some dioceses in Metro Manila before it will visit other provinces in Northern Luzon down to the Bicol region.

From Luzon, the image will also visit different dioceses in Visayas and Mindanao.

On Nov. 27, the statue will be brought back to Cebu City from Bohol, the last stop of the “Duaw Nasud,” by sea in time for the Triduum Masses leading to the National Thanksgiving on Nov. 30.

Around a million bishops, priests, religious, government officials and pilgrims from different parts of the country are expected to participate in the event.

Patron saint of OFWs

Former Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Henrietta de Villa expressed that Calungsod will become the patron saint of all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

As a missionary, she said that the young Visayan martyr should not only serve as role model for the youth, but also of all Filipino migrants.

“We should not be confined to just welcoming our new saint. We should also pattern ourselves in the way Calungsod lived his life,” said De Villa of the National Commission for Calungsod’s canonization.

She also said that they will appeal on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to officially declare Calungsod as the patron saint of OFWs.

“We will write the CBCP and ask them to declare Saint Pedro Calungsod as patron saint of OFWs,” said De Villa.

(RL/CBCPNews)

0 TV personality challenges youth to emulate Calungsod

MANILA - A television personality has challenged every Filipino particularly the young to emulate the virtues of the 2nd Filipino Saint Pedro Calungsod.

GMA 7 News Anchor Mike Enriquez in an interview with YouthPinoy! said that Calungsod’s sainthood invites every Filipino to emulate the martyrdom and the life of Saint Pedro Calungsod as a witness of Christ to the world.

GMA 7 News Anchor Mike Enriquez hosting the Calungsod simultaneous event in San Juan Arena. Organized by the Catholic Media Network (CMN) and GMA 7. Photo Courtesy: Yen Ocampo of CBCPNews.

“We must take this as a challenge especially to the youth to discern for their call and mission not just to the Church but to God Himself. And this historic event poses a challenge to each and every faithful to defend the Faith,” Enriquez said.

Enriquez mentioned that he get to know the life of Saint Pedro Calungsod through the media, while attending his obligations as a Catholic faithful and through a continuous dialogue with the members of the Catholic hierarchy; the bishops and priests.

Enriquez was one of the hosts at the joint live streaming coverage of Catholic Media Network and GMA 7’s at San Juan Arena, San Juan City of Saint Pedro Calungsod’s canonization in Rome last Sunday, October 21.

(Jandel Posion with reports from Guilian Geronimo)

0 Young people celebrate 2nd Filipino saint

MANILA - The canonization of Pedro Calungsod on October 21, was a very special day to all Filipinos around the world particularly the young Pinoys who joined the country in welcoming the new Filipino saint.

In Manila, thousands of faithful and young people gathered at the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish covered court to witness the canonization rites at the Vatican through live streaming.

Aside from Saint Pedro Calungsod, 33 other young saints were introduced to the audience during the program, to make them understand that holiness is not only for priests or religious but for everyone, especially the youth, according to Fr. Bobby Dela Cruz, an attached priest in the parish.

“Presenting the teen saints makes young people see that even a child or a teenager can be holy like Pedro. So in their generation today, they can still be holy and can be a saint,” dela Cruz said.

The crowd cheered and applauded as Pope Benedict XVI declared Calungsod and six other blesseds as saints, and the tapestry of the new saints including Pedro Calungsod, was unveiled at the Church’s veranda.

Sto. Niño Parish youth director Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT said in his homily during the culminating Mass that even in simple ways, the youth can be missionaries and can imitate Saint Pedro Calungsod as a model missionary.

“We must make Saint Pedro an example by imitating his ways like being happy, energetic, obedient, faithful and most of all, Godly and devotional,” Gliponeo said.

In Malolos, Bulacan

Almost 1,000 youth from different parishes, schools and organizations in the diocese of Malolos gathered at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center in Bulacan to celebrate the event.

The diocesan Pilgrimage of Faith was also launched during the event where the images of Saint Pedro Calungsod, Taize Cross and Immaculate Conception, the patron of the Diocese of Malolos were presented.

Saint Pedro’s image will visit the different Vicariates of the diocese until November 24 which aims to promote Calungsod’s sainthood as a role model to the young people of the diocese.

In Makati City

The member-organizations of the Federation of National Youth Organizations (FNYO) celebrated the canonization rites of Saint Pedro Calungsod at the Savio Dome of Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati City.

Themed “Pedro at Ako: Faith that is shared. Life that is offered,” the event serveds as the celebration of Filipino youth in the sainthood of Saint Pedro Calungsod and to affirm the federation’s 22 years of presence in the country.

A re-enactment and an MTV on the life of Calungsod were shown to the young people, after which, they were given a formation session on St. Pedro Calungsod in relationship with the goals and aims of FNYO.

The youth were able to follow the canonization rites in Rome through live streaming.

Fr. Favie Faldas, SDB, newly inducted chaplain of the federation, led the launching of St. Pedro Calungsod as Patron of FNYO. The activity ended with a praise concert led by the YFC.

Fr. Favie Faldas, SDB, during the mass at the Savio Hall of Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati for the FNYO Day 'Pedro at Ako' last Oct. 21. Photo grabbed from Fr. Favie's facebook.

Citing the fact that there were no relics of Calungsod presented during the canonization rites, Faldas challenged the young people to be the relics of the saint.

He also explained that the theme “Pedro at Ako” means that a young person must become the extension of the missionary work of the saint in the present time.

Present during the event were the 21 member-organizations of FYNO: SYM-SDB & FMA, CFC-FFL, Chiro Youth Movement, CFC-YFC, SCAP, Franciscan Youth-Philippines (YouFra), Canossian Youth Movement (CYM), Christian Life Community of the Philippines (CLCP), Christ’s Youth in Action (CYA), Columbian Squires, CFC-Singles for Family and Life (CFC-SFL), CFC-Singles for Christ (CFC-SFC), Filipino Youth with a Mission (FYM), Filipino-Chinese Catholic Youth (FCCY), Focolare Movement-Youth for a United World, Institucion Teresiana-Youth (IT-Youth), Junior Catholic Women’s League (Junior CWL), Mary Help of Christians Crusade (MHCC), Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP), Tarcisian Adorers and Youth for Mary and Christ (YMC).

Other youth celebrations

Meanwhile, more than 500 young people in the diocese of Novaliches gathered at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Covered Court on October 21 for the diocesan wide event Calungsod Youth Day.

Over in Cebu, hundreds of young people attended the Barkadahay ni Pedro Live event organized by the Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese of Cebu and the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City, together with the City Government to celebrate  the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod.

(Jandel Posion with reports from Mark Vertido and Ryan Rayos)

0 Youth can be saints like Pedro - priest

MANILA - A Catholic priest from Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish encouraged young people to imitate the values of the newly canonized Saint Pedro Calungsod.

“Young people will see that even a child or a teenager can be holy like Pedro. So they can see that in their generation today, they can still be holy and be a saint,” Fr. Bobby de la Cruz said.

He added that holiness is not reserved only for priests or nuns, but everyone can be holy by following God’s way.

“By making Pedro a model of holiness, young people can think of following his way because it is the way to a closer relationship with God,” dela Cruz furthered.

Meanwhile, Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT, the parish youth director expressed hopes that celebration of St. Pedro’s canonization may leave an impact on the youth that they learn from the examples of the second Filipino saint.

The Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish celebrated simultaneous events on the canonization of the 2nd Filipino Saint Pedro Calungsod at the Church premises where more than a thousand young people attended.

(Jandel Posion)

0 Young people can be missionaries like San Pedro Calungsod—priest

MANILA - A Catholic priest commented that young people can be missionaries like Saint Pedro Calungsod by doing simple ways in their day to day life.

Sto. Niño Parish youth director Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT said in his homily in the culminating mass on Calungsod day in Tondo that in simple ways, the youth can be missionaries and can imitate Saint Pedro Calungsod as a model missionary.

“We must make Saint Pedro an example by imitating his ways like being happy, energetic, obedient, faithful and most of all, Godly and devotional,” Gliponeo said.

He added that the youth may really be the hope not only of the people but by the Church and everyone is called to become a missionary like Saint Pedro.

The priest also mentioned that God’s manifestation continues to bless the Filipino faithful by giving a new saint.

He emphasized that before Dr. Jose Rizal said that “the young people are the future of our Fatherland” and before the late Senator Ninoy Aquino realized that the Filipino people are worth fighting for, Pedro Calungsod was the first to make a statement by sacrificing himself as a martyr in Tumhon, Guam on April 2, 1672, together with Father Diego Luis de San Vitores.

“He was 17 years old. A young brave who faced death because of faith in God. And the young must follow his ways by becoming strong like Pedro, in his faith and devotion to God,” Gliponeo furthered.

(Jandel Posion/CBCPNews with reports from Jeric San Antonio)

0 Priest advocates ongoing program for Calungsod awareness

MANILA - With the canonization of the 2nd Filipino Saint Pedro Calungsod, a Catholic priest has suggested ways to continue raising the awareness of Filipinos, particularly the youth on the life and works of Calungsod.

In an interview, Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT, said simple catechism in schools is one way of making the saint known especially to Filipino kids and students.

But for the out-of-school youth, the priest said, the Church must have concrete programs not just pamphlets or books.

“This way, we can reach many Filipinos, particularly the youth and those who are un-Churched. And the youth ministry in every parish can be the prime movers of this concrete plan,” Gliponeo said.

Aside from catechism, pamphlets and books, the youth director of Sto. Niño Parish in Tondo mentioned that youth ministries in every parish can also establish groups, clubs or associations attributed to the saint.

On his part, Gliponeo said he is planning to establish a San Pedro Youth Club in the parish with the aim of deepening the experience of youth members in relation with fellow young people, their own self, with the environment and their relationship with God by imitating San Pedro Calungsod.

“The canonization is timely because Pedro is reminding the youth to meditate on their relationship with their own self, fellow young people, environment and God. These kinds of concrete actions will justify the continuing awareness especially for devotees of San Pedro Calungsod,” he furthered.

(Jandel Posion/CBCPNews)