DOJ clears bishops from sedition raps (CBCP News)

The Department of justice has cleared four Catholic bishops from a sedition case that accused them of plotting to overthrow the Duterte administration. The DOJ ruled that Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Bishops Pablo Virgilio David, Honesto Ongtioco and Teodoro Bacani, Fr. Robert Reyes and La Salle Bro. Armin Luistro, showed no intention of committing sedition and that the complaints filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group lack evidence. The sedition case and other charges stemmed from a viral video accusing President Duterte and his family of the illegal drug trade. (CBCPNews)continue reading →

Cardinal Tagle assumes new post in Rome

Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle left Manila for Rome on February 9 to assume his new task of promoting the mission of the Church in the world. The Archdiocese of Manila's Office of Communications said Tagle was appointed by Pope Francis as the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, one of the leading departments in the Roman Curia. He succeeds Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni. He is only the second Asian to hold the post, with the other being Cardinal Ivan Dias who served from 2006 to 2011. Cardinal Tagle was…continue reading →

Commissioning of Liturgical Ministers

Renewal Commissioning for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) was held on November 17, 2019 and January 12, 2020 (for those who were not able to make it to the November 17 main schedule). CTK has a total of 91 EMHCs renewing their service for fresh one-year term, bringing the total active EMHCs to 97. This figure includes the 6 new recruits last year. The Lectors and Commentators Ministry also had two commissioning rim for its members, one in November 2019 and the most recent one on January 12. There are now 137…continue reading →

Cubao Diocese helps Taal Volcano eruption victims

CTK and other parishes of the Cubao Diocese bonded together and responded to the urgent needs of those stricicen by the recent Taal Volcano eruption. Helmed by the Social Services Development Ministry of the Diocese, F. Ronnie Santos made a diocese-wide appeal for donations of basic necessities including food, water, tents, toiletries, even portalets and the like. Called Bayanihan 4 Batangas, #bayanihan4batangas, donations from the Cubao parishes forwarded these to the Cubao SSDM, who in turn delivered the relief items to several lesser-served. parish churches and areas that were transformed as temporary evacuation…continue reading →

CTK Youth Ministry Spreads Love to Orphans

by Tessa Mangahas At first, the coronavirus scare almost spooked the activity. Bur later on, the Youth Ministry', led by its ministers Teenie de Leon and Mikee Maliksi, were able to hold their outreach activity on the Valentine weekend of February 16 for about thirty orphaned children. Teenie and her group of twenty-three Youth Ministry volunteers spent the entire Sunday morning to spread the love among the orphans of Gentle Hands Orphanage. They had a fun time interacting with the kids, having storytelling sessions, playing games, and sharing gifts that included cash, toys,…continue reading →

Saturday Night Live

by Mika Reyes Whenever I think about church group activities, I used to think about older people who have experienced life much farther down the road gathering to discuss what God h. in store for them, or little children in Sunday school learning about the Bible. The CTK Youth Ministry's Saturday Night Life (SNL) completely changed my view of church group activities. Rather than the audiences that I had thought of above, there were people ranging from their early teens all the way to people in their late twenties who come from different…continue reading →

Let the Little Children Come

by Mina Mejia Sam first attended Mustard Seed (MS) in 2015, when he was only six years old. "It's fun and they let you do arts and crafts while still learning about our faith: shared Sam. He is the eldest son ofJ and Denise Sabat. "I love that Mustard Seed helps the kids grow in their faith by bringing the stories and lessons of the Gospel closer to their own experiences," said Denise. Sam was a regular attendee of Mustard Seed and would participate in the group discussions. Now that he is almost…continue reading →

The Rosary A Weapon for Intercession and Discernment

by Robert Locsin Many Catholics don't realize the powerful ally they have in Mama Mary and the formidable intercession tool we have through the rosary. In a talk attended by fifty members of the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion last October 18, Fr. Herbie Santos reiterated this by narrating miracles attributed to our Lady. There is the battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, when a patchwork fleet of Catholic ships primarily from Spain, Venice, and Genoa was at a distinctive disadvantage. The much larger fleet of the Ottoman Empire—a force with 12,000…continue reading →

Purity Is Still Possible in This Internet Age

by Robert Locsin Pornography has been called the "siknt epidemic"—onc that is widespread not just in the world but in the church as well. Studies have shown that in Christian circles, fifty seven percent of American pastors struggle with pornography. It's also a major cause of divorce in three out of five cases. The Internet has only aggravated the issue given that even minors can access pornographic materials instantly and privately. It creates the habit of juvenile delinquency and erectile disfunction even of the very young, and encourages more grievous sins—including human trafficking…continue reading →

BEC opens up CTK Image Home Visits to ‘parishioners beyond borders’

By Eileen de Leon SINCE its launch on September 2019, the image of Christ the King has been visiting several homes in the community. The welcome has been beyond enthusiastic both in villages and the Libis areas. Two days after the 40th fiesta of CTK, an image of CTK was also installed by parish priest Fr. Steven Zabala in Our Lady of Carmel chapel in Camp Karingal which is accessible to the Libis community. This is a milestone of sorts as in the past years, only a picture of CTK's image was being…continue reading →