To the Ilonggo Faithfuls

To the Ilonggo Faithfuls

His Excellency Bacolod Bishop Vecente Navarra has recently issued a Pastoral Letter to all the Catholics in Bacolod. Please read below:

TO ALL PARISH PRIESTS, PAROCHIAL VICARS, CHAPLAINS AND RECTORS OF CHURCHES, SUPERIORS OF SEMINARIES, RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS, SECULAR INSTITUTES AND APOSTOLIC LIFE, HEADS OF SCHOOLS AND L.O.M.A.S AND THE CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL OF THE DIOCESE OF BACOLOD.
Greetings in the Risen Lord!

Once again we rejoice together with the whole Christian world because now we have a new Pope, POPE BENEDICT XVI, in the person of then CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER.

He is the 264th Successor of St. Peter, but the 265th Pope of the Universal Church in Rome.
I exhort our faithful, and Clergy, the Religious and the Lay, in the Diocese of Bacolod to accept him as the One sent by God to lead us, to guide us and to take care of us precisely at this point-in-time, in the life and history of the Church and of the world, this early part of the Third Millenium.

His election to the Papacy means just that. God has chosen him. And God knows best than any human judgments, preferences or choices. And as men and women of faith, we strongly and firmly believe God will be with him and will never abandon him, as he steers the Boat of Peter in safety and toward the Port where the Father beckons all of us.

Let us, therefore, love him, support him with our prayers and humble submission, and place our full trust and confidence in him, as he complies the heavy tasks with grave responsibilities incumbent upon his Office, as Chief Shepherd of the Universal Church and Servant of the Servants of God.

In a special way, let us pray for him and lift him up to the Almighty every time we mention or hear his name mentioned – “Benedict – English / Benedicto – Ilonggo” – in the Canon of the Holy Mass.

I also take this opportunity to inform you that sometime later we will offer a tribute to our newly-elected Holy Father, by holding a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving in the Cathedral Church of Bacolod. The date and the time will be announced in due time. Please come and offer this Holy Mass together with me and our priests.

So again, let us rejoice and be glad

! HABEMUS PAPAM!

With the assurance of my prayers and pastoral blessing!

Devotedly yours in the Risen Lord,
+VICENTE M. NAVARRA, D.D. Bishop of Bacolod

Money money money

Money money money

They say that money is the root of all evil. You think so? I don’t believe in you. I love money. My heart skips a beat every time a see a fresh, uncirculated paper bill.

I have been collecting paper money from other countries for more than a year now. Most of my collection are uncirculated. This means that Not even a single crease is present of the bill, no pen ink, no stapler holes, and definitely no no paperclip marks.

I already have bills from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Poland, Yemen, Uganda, Surimane, to name a few. I also have the polymer (or the plastic) notes from Romania and Papua New Guinea. I also have some limited editions of note like the centennial anniversary of the death of Jose Rizal on a 1-Piso bill, the 1995 World Youth Day Special print on a 1-Piso bill.

These bills make me feel satisfied and fulfilled. They allow me to explore the beauty of a country by studing its notes.

Do you know that famous personalites are also on other countries notes? Galileo is on the 2000 Lira, Democritus is on the Greek note as well. Marie Curie is also on the French Francs.

My limited edition of 1 Peso bill commemorating the centenary of the martyrdom of Jose Rizal

other notes