CBCP: New Pinoy nuncio to Haiti faces 'tough' challenges

MANILA, Philippines - Newly consecrated Filipino archbishop Bernardito Auza will face tough challenges in his new mission as apostolic nuncio to Haiti, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Tuesday.

A statement on the CBCP website said Auza, 49, would have to work amid "never-ending conflict and even bloodshed" as Haitians are longing for economic and political stability.

"There a people wait to be helped in their efforts of material and spiritual progress ... (His work will be) not a small one," said papal nuncio to the Philippines Edward Joseph Adams.

Adams made the remarks in his sermon during Auza's thanksgiving Mass at the Manila Cathedral Monday. Excerpts of his homily were posted on the CBCP website Tuesday.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries on earth with about 56 percent of its 8.2 million populations live in extreme poverty.

Also, Adams said Haiti is deeply in need and its economy virtually bled dry. He said violence is everywhere there.

The papal nuncio added that at one time, around 85% of the eight million or so Haitians were Catholics. Today, they make up less than 50% of the population, he said.

Sadly, he added, many of them only have a hazy understanding of the teachings of the Church, especially those unable to afford a good education.

Adams said the situation in Haiti represents a major challenge for the Catholic Church and needs to be countered with the help of priests, religious and lay pastoral workers.

Auza will celebrate Mass with Haiti's Catholic bishops on September 9 but he will officially assume his post as Papal nuncio on August 15.

He admitted he has to face urgent concerns in his new assignment, saying "There are many issues, I'm sure."

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Auza as Nuncio to Haiti last May 8 but it was only last July 3 when he was ordained to the episcopacy by Vatican's Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.

Auza is the fourth Filipino to be appointed to such a high diplomatic position in the Catholic Church.

The first to be named apostolic nuncio is Archbishop Oswaldo Padilla, now in Korea. The second is Archbishop Adolfo Yllana currently in Pakistan. The third is Padilla's younger brother, Archbishop Francisco Padilla, now in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. - GMANews.TV

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more