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Fr. Patrick Longalong talks about predator priests, the Simbang Gabi, and the Church’s 8-minute rule
By Cristina DC Pastor I know very few Filipino priests in America. Three to be exact. One of them is this elderly priest, a favorite in the community, whose touchy-feely ways give me the heebie-jeebies. Another is the priest in my parish whose homilies I find a little gimmicky. In one homily, he brought a […]
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A region in Turkey where no violence or hatred toward others exists
By Wendell Gaa We know very well that Christianity has its roots in the Holy Land of Israel, but it may not be as widely understood that as an established religion and social institution, Christianity actually first blossomed in the ancient lands of Asia Minor, what is today known as Turkey. This is something my […]
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The Simbang Gabi is back!
The announcement was made by the Philippine Consulate in a statement issued September 10th. On September 16th there will be a community meeting to finalize the details of reviving the Filipino tradition of attending nine consecutive evening masses leading up to Christmas. In a statement the consulate said the Simbang Gabi will be held at […]
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Finding spiritual solace by the Western Wall, Israel’s most sacred site
By Wendell Gaa As a high school student in the summer of 1993, I took my first trip to Europe, and it was in Rome, Italy where I had a chance to meet then-Philippine Ambassador to Israel, the late Amante Manzano. A very humble diplomat with a genial demeanor, Ambassador Manzano encouraged me to visit […]
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The faith of Manny Pacquiao
By Elton Lugay When Manny Pacquiao said he wants to fight “to give glory to God,” I had trouble understanding at first what he truly meant. In the morning before the Pacquiao-Bradley fight of April 12, a group of about 30 of the congressman’s closest friends and family gathered in his penthouse suite in Mandalay […]
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Where is the Catholic Church’s humility in the RH law?
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Multiple Choice: Check the answers that would identify the Reproductive Health Law: _____ Measure took almost 16 years to become a law; _____ Was held in ‘deep freeze’ by the Supreme Court on March 13, 2013; _____ Law’s I.D. 10354; _____ President Aquino signed bill into law in 2012; _____ […]
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Roz Li calls for scientific approach to restoring Bohol’s historic churches
At least seven historic churches in Bohol were damaged by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in October, and a task force estimated it would take up to $4.5 million per church to repair the ruins and return the churches back to parishioners. “The Philippine government has made a commitment to restore and reconstruct the historically significant […]
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‘Noah:’ A flood of details never mentioned in the Bible
By Wendell Gaa Hollywood has capitalized on the recent resurgence of public interest in biblical tales, which is evident in the newly released film “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe and directed by the brilliant Darren Aronofsky. However an eccentric and sometimes unorthodox take of the classic Old Testament story it is, “Noah” is one of the […]
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Cardinal Tagle receives honorary degree, his ‘intellect, concern for the poor’ highlighted
Brimming with pride, hundreds of Filipino Americans came to witness the March 28 ceremony where Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle was conferred an honorary doctorate degree from Fordham University Tagle received the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa during a ceremony held at the Keating First Auditorium of Fordham’s Rose […]