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==[[Marinduque News]]==
==[[Marinduque News]]==
'''Bishop: Palm Sunday no April Fool’s joke''''
'''Things to see and do for Holy Week 2012''''
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/170201/bishop-palm-sunday-no-april-fools-joke
*Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/253589/lifestyle/culture/things-to-see-and-do-for-holy-week-2012
*2:01 am | Sunday, April 1st, 2012
*April 2, 2012 3:32pm
:by : Jerome Aning
:by : CARMELA G. LAPEÑA, GMA NEWS
Philipine Daily Inquirer




Roman Catholic Filipinos should mark Palm Sunday, with piety and contemplation on the Passion of Jesus Christ and not with superstitious beliefs, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Saturday.
The longest weekend for 2012 begins this Holy Week, with holidays from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday. The following Monday, Araw ng Kagitingan, is also a holiday, giving Filipinos five days off from work.  
Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, CBCP media office director, said Palm Sunday, which coincides with the observance of April Fool’s Day, should not be marked with pranks and jokes.
“We should not deviate [from the message of Palm Sunday] and not focus on superstitious and pagan practices,” Quitorio said.
Many people see this period as a time to bond with family, or go on a much-needed getaway. Of course, this is primarily a time for reflection for many devoted Catholics. In the Philippines, reflection need not be boring. Here is a list of activities this Holy Week, from art exhibits to festivals.
April Fool’s Day is said to have its origins in the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria and in the Festival of Fools in the Middle Ages, where people played pranks on others and indulged in foolishness.
Pranksters are also active on Holy Innocents’ Day in December.
For Quitorio, the belief that the palm fronds (palaspas) blessed on Palm Sunday can ward off evil spirits and lightning strikes are examples of Fool’s Day foolishness that should be discarded.
“A person becomes a fool if his being a Christian is reduced to becoming superstitious,” Quitorio said. “Our concentration should be on [the Palm Sunday] Mass, on the gospel about the Passion of Christ. We should not veer away from it.”
Quitorio said the palaspas has only one symbolic meaning: “To welcome Christ as He enters Jerusalem and into the will of God.”
The Church, Quitorio said, is partly to blame for the persistent superstitious beliefs about the palaspas.
“Maybe [the people] think that way because of the Church’s failure to catechize [them],” Quitorio said. “So I think there is really a need for parish priests to teach the people … to understand its real meaning.”
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president, called on Catholics on Saturday to commemorate “the important mysteries of our faith” with the start of the Holy Week.
“Let us have time to participate, especially in the many important and significant activities of the Church like Palm Sunday, the Paschal Triduum, Chrism Mass, Last Supper Mass, the Seven Last Words and Easter,” Palma said in an interview over church-run Radio Veritas.
“If others are thinking about going on vacation—and it’s true that we need to have rest from work—I [hope] they can still participate in the celebrations of the Church [this Holy Week],” Palma said. “We should pray to have renewal in our country. Let us pray that we can improve.”


Too much partying
1. Siete Palabras
Marinduque Bishop Rey Evangelista called on the youth not to forget the meaning of Holy Week as he discouraged them from too much partying.
“Our Holy Week gatherings should not be for fun but for prayer and contemplation,” Evangelista said.
Produced by the Dominican Province of the Philippines, the annual Siete Palabras includes the communal recitation of the "Pasyon," a well-known Lenten practice among Catholics. As the name suggests, the main feature is the reflections of the Dominican fathers on the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ:
Also on Saturday, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action, called on the faithful to donate to Alay Kapwa Sunday, which also coincides with Palm Sunday.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34);
The Alay Kapwa (offering to one’s neighbor) Sunday is the culmination of the Lenten evangelization program of the Church that aims to raise social consciousness about the plight of the poor. This year’s proceeds will be used as emergency fund for the poor who have been affected by natural and man-made calamities.
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43);
“They may donate their time or talent. There are a lot of people in need of help. That has been the call of Alay Kapwa, for [the faithful] to share their time, talent and treasure,” Pabillo also said.
“Woman, behold your Son: Behold your mother” (John 19:26-27);
No to crucifixions
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34);
Palma reiterated the Church’s opposition to crucifixions on Good Friday, which some Catholic devotees, particularly in Pampanga province, continue to practice.
“I thirst” (John 19:28);
“While we are trying to discourage these practices, we could also not judge the intention of some devotees,” Palma said. “They have different vows, which, if they cannot fulfill them, [make them] feel very guilty. But the challenge really is, you do not have to [be], if your participation [in Holy Week rites] is really solemn and wholehearted.”
“It is finished” (John 19:30); and
Palma added: “It’s not so much the external manifestation of and identification with the Christ. It’s internal—the change of heart, the change of life. This, I wish, is the beautiful thing that we should do, not on the physical but more in the spirit. We do not judge and condemn, but we discourage it.”
“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of Pampanga and retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani have similar observations.
Aniceto said the body is a gift from God and should be taken care of, not tortured by crucifixion. He observed that the Good Friday crucifixions had become commercialized and turned into tourist attractions.
With the theme “Ang Pasyong Mahal sa Buhay ni Juan,” the event's aim, among others, is to emphasize the significance of Christian religion in Filipino culture.  
“The self-flagellations and crucifixions must be stopped,” Bacani said. “Caring for each other, doing good deeds is the best restitution [for sins],” Bacani said.
“Siete Palabras also reminds us of what we should appreciate and continue, like how we express our beliefs," DPP Media Board chairman Fr. Christopher Jeffrey Aytona, OP said in a report on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines website.
Preachers are Fr. Napoleon Encarnacion, OP; Fr. Nilo Lardizabal, OP; Fr. Enrico Gonzales, OP; Fr. Winston Cabading OP; Fr. Eugenio Cabillon, OP; Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, Jr., OP; and Fr. Florentino Bolo, Jr., OP, the CBCP report said. There will also be liturgical song and dance presentations from various groups, including the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe and the Tiples de Santo Domingo.
The report said there will be testimonials from former ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa, Letty Syquia (mother of Fr. Jocis Syquia, the director of the Archdiocese of Manila’s Office of Exorcism), comedienne-singer Elizabeth Ramcey, TV producer Tak Barrios, and director Laurice Guillen.
This year's Siete Palabras will be held on Good Friday, April 6 at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City. The annual tradition will also be broadcast live on GMA 7 starting 12 noon. Radio Veritas 846 will also air the broadcast simultaneously.
2. Walkway: Reflections on the Stations of the Cross (2012)
Now on its fourth year, Church Simplified's interactive art exhibit runs at Bonifacio High Street from Palm Sunday, April 1, to Easter Sunday, April 8.
Set up in the middle of an outdoor commercial complex, the Walkway invites people to take a step back from the usual window-shopping.
For each station, there is an explanation as well as a task that visitors are supposed to do, such as discover what their greatest treasure is, or make a difference by donating to a children's fund.
The Walkway is an interesting option for those who wish to observe Lent in a way that doesn't involve the usual church activities.
 
3. Vultus Christi art exhibit at Galerie Joaquin Podium
 
Coinciding with Holy Week is an exhibit featuring artists' interpretations of the last days of Christ.
 
Jovan Benito and Randy Roa paint scenes from the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Stations of the Cross for "Vultus Christi: The Face of Christ." Held at Galerie Joaquin Podium, the exhibit is in the spirit of highlighting the human character of Christ through iconography, which reminds us of the sacrifices required to save mankind.
"Befitting the reflective period before Holy Week, 'Vultus Christi: The Face of Christ' is a momentous exhibition that serves to encapsulate the meaning of sacrifice," Galerie Joaquin says on its website.
According to Galerie Joaquin, Benito's colorful style contrasts the subject matter's seriousness. "That childlike whimsy is evident in her choice of palette. The bright colors and figurative-abstract renderings of Christ and his followers [are] a dramatic counterpoint to what we're used to. The idea is to promote the concept of celebration as opposed to pain. The life of Christ is, after all, the conquering of the sinful nature of man," the exhibit notes say.
Meanwhile, Rando Roa's abstract figurations force the viewer to see Christ's last days as moments and reflections. "By refusing to conform to the limitations of authenticity, Roa gives us a glimpse of the spiritual aspect of the moment," the gallery said.
4. Visita Iglesia
The Visita Iglesia (church pilgrimage) has been practiced for years all over the country, since the Spanish colonizers introduced the practice to Filipino Catholics. Originally, early pilgrims would visit the seven great basilicas in Rome, for the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Maundy Thursday.  
According to a news bulletin on the Manila Cathedral website, there are no set prayers for the “Visita Iglesia." "However, it is good to note that it is a spiritual pilgrimage in which we are invited to reflect and pray as we accompany Jesus journeying through his Paschal Mystery," it notes.  
As a result, there are many different ways of doing the Visita Iglesia. Some continue to visit seven churches, while others visit 14 churches, thus completing "Via Crucis," where pilgrims follow the stations of the cross.  
The tradition has evolved with the times, and Filipino Catholics who are unable to take part in traditional Lenten practices may do so online with the CBCP's online Visita Iglesia. 
Because the country has an abundance of old churches, the Visita Iglesia can also be a cultural activity where pilgrims experience colonial era architecture, and the rich history that comes with it.  
Since 2010, artist and biking enthusiast Rock Drilon has been organizing Bisikleta Iglesia, which combines the religious church pilgrimage with biking.
 
5. Passion plays and religious festivals
Towns all over the country stage plays commemorating the passion and death of Christ. The Department of Tourism lists over 30 religious events all over the country.
In Pampanga, the flagellants whip their bare backs while parading the streets of San Fernando. In certain places, like San Pedro Cutud in San Fernando and Lourdes Northwest in Angeles City, some penitents are even crucified.  
In Binangonan, Rizal, the cenaculo is referred to as Giwang-Giwang, because so many people try to touch the Sepulkro that it sways.
At the Subok Festival, also in Rizal, different objects are inserted in the robe of Santo Entierro, the wooden image of the dead Christ. After the procession, the objects are retrieved and kept as talismans.
In Marinduque, masked soldiers perform in the Moriones festival. The towns of Boac, Gasan and Mogpog become the stage where they tell the story of Longinus, the centurion who pierced the side of the crucified Jesus.
In San Jose, Antique, Hudas-Hudas is celebrated on Black Saturday. People gather in the town plaza, where an effigy of Judas is hanged and burned.
In Quiapo, the image of the Black Nazarene is brought out from the Basilica Minore Shrine on Good Friday every year. The only other occasion that the image is taken out is on its feast day on January 9. Devotees believe that touching the life-sized statue of Christ will bring miracles.
 
Whether you just want to just stay at home, go out and enjoy the relatively quiet city, or even visit some of the beautiful provinces this long weekend, there are plenty of things to see and do this Holy Week. –KG, GMA News


==[[:Category:Marinduque, Philippines Photo Gallery|Marinduque, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
==[[:Category:Marinduque, Philippines Photo Gallery|Marinduque, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
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