CBCP head sees abundant graces in 2012

MANILA, Philippines—Despite present difficulties, the year 2012 promises “abundant divine graces” for the faithful, the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Saturday.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, the current CBCP president, said that Catholics would witness in 2012 a meeting in Rome of bishops from around the world to reinvigorate the Church’s evangelization efforts and also the canonization of the country’s second Catholic saint, Pedro Calungsod.

“As we thank God for the many blessings He bestowed on us last year, we offer Him praise and thanksgiving as He brings us to another year, the New Year 2012…. For us Catholics, the year 2012 promises abundant divine graces,” Palma said in his New Year message.

“That God has given us yet another year is both a gift and a task.  We are here for a reason; we have a mission.  As we embark on life’s journey, we pray for courage and hope.  Surely, the task which God has given us is meant for our own good and for the good of the church and the community,” he added.

Palma said the bishops would be meeting in Rome to discuss the  “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.”

“It will trace, in communion with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, the Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor of the Church, the new methods and means for transmitting the Good News to people in our world today. It hopes to direct evangelization with a renewed enthusiasm,” Palma said.

“This year will also see the canonization of our very own Blessed Pedro Calungsod.  We envision efforts toward renewal because of the preparations which come with canonization.  If we know him better and emulate his virtues, particularly his zeal for learning, living, spreading and even dying for the faith, we become a better people,” he added.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle prayed for those who suffered from the devastation wrought by Tropical Storm Sendong and those “ruined daily by poverty, disease, corruption, lack of employment, inadequate services and abuse of creation.”

“Some people might think that mentioning the ruins of life does not belong to a New Year message that purports to center on hope. But in the bible, hope arises and becomes truer in absurd and difficult situations,” Tagle said.

“Christian hope does not consist in wishes or in the denial of truth but in an unwavering trust in God. God is our hope. God declared to John, ‘Behold, I make all things new’ (Rev. 21:5). If we eliminate God in the promotion of life and the construction of society, we will find ourselves buried in ruins of our making,” he said.

“Pride and false self-sufficiency destroy; they never build a world fit for human beings. We should know by now that God is not an extraneous factor in genuine development,” Tagle added.

Bishop Efraim Tendero of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, prayed for justice, assistance to the victims of the typhoon, and deliverance from poverty and graft-ridden politics.

“This 2012, as we help the poor and suffering, call for accountability among government, civic and other officials, and pursue the ‘tuwid na landas’, let us all seek to uphold justice that is balanced with kindness and motivated by the submission to God’s authority. By doing such, we will enjoy the blessings, guidance, and protection of God throughout this New Year,” Tendero said.