The Administration of Temporal Goods

I. Evangelization Programs

The evangelization program of the parish is much anchored on the active participation of the laity. Lay people usually serve the parish on a volunteer basis. Some organizations and movements are very responsive to the call of spreading the gospel. But the membership of these groups is so minimal compared to the total number of its parishioners. The regular activities that are conducted are the following:

1. Pre-Sacramental Instruction

a. Pre-Jordan Seminar. This is a pre-sacramental instruction done every week for the parents and sponsors of children who are to be baptized. The seminar is conducted by the Parish Catechetical Apostolate.

b. Pre-Cana Seminar. The members of the Family and Life Apostolate conduct this seminar on a monthly basis on two consecutive Saturdays and Sundays. This is one of the requirements for marriage.

2. Public School Catechesis

Catechesis in the Public Schools is carried over by volunteer catechists who are members of the Parish Catechetical Apostolate. They give catechetical instruction two periods (30 minutes each period) a week for each classroom.

3. Parish Re-orientation Seminar

Selected lay persons usually members of Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) go to every chapel yearly to conduct Parish Re-orientation Seminar (PROS). This activity is done simultaneously with the patronal chapel visit in the month of June. Modules vary every year depending on the pastoral priorities and programs of the parish.

4. Other Programs

An annual recollection is also offered at the main Church. Seminars and recollections are also conducted by each respective parish based organizations.

II. The Administration of Temporal Goods

1. Remuneration for Parish Workers

The workers who are considered as regular employees of the parish are those working in the parish office and in the convent. The parish secretary, sepulcher, cook/laundry woman receive a lawful salary and social benefits. Other workers in the convent are working students. The catechists are considered as volunteers; however, they receive an allowance based on the number of hours they spent in the classroom. As of the present parish priest, the catechists receive social benefits.

2. Physical Structures

The Parish has a new grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and a new Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. The church building has undergone maintenance which was mainly financed by a private benefactor. But it has not yet permanently set up a working sacristy. The present plan as prioritized by the Parish Priest and the Parish Pastoral Council is the construction of a new Parish Convent with an estimated project cost of Eight Million Pesos.

3. Parish Sustenance

The parish is still primarily dependent on the Arancel System and other mass offerings. To carry out its projects fund raising activities are conducted such as solicitations and second collections.

4. Financial Administrators

The Parish Priest is still considered as the head administrator of the financial matters in the parish. The PPC has a treasurer and a finance committee which is the primary custodian of financial matters in close collaboration with the parish priest.

IV. Critique

1. Priests, as co-workers with their bishops, have the primary duty of proclaiming the Gospel of God to all.[1] Thus, the highest priority must be given to evangelization. But sadly, the work of evangelization usually falls on the hands of the laity sometimes with little support from the pastors. Well, preaching is always given during the celebration of the Mass. But it doesn’t suffice if we have to consider the percentage of attendance during masses which would roughly be less than 10 percent of the total number of parishioners. If we have to count the efforts the pastor would say that much effort have been afforded to the work of evangelization. But if we have compare the amount of money spent for evangelizing works as against the maintenance and construction of projects, did we spent much for preaching the word of God?

2. Another aspect which the parish has not yet given attention is the works of the sacred apostolate and charity, especially the needy. This is part of the proper objectives as identified in Can. 1254 § 2. Would the parish include this matter in its plan for the administration of temporal goods? The answer only lies in the well informed Parish Administrator. That part of the Canon Law is one of the often neglected parts. Sometimes we get too engrossed with what gives us comfort and we only remember the needy during Christmas. They just become objects of our disguised charity to satisfy the fad brought by the season. And we are satisfied with giving “bundles of joy.”

3. Can. 1280 states that “every juridical person is to have its own finance committee.” The Parish of St. Paul might have satisfied this provision, but in my own opinion the existing finance committee which this parish has is just a part of the PPC not an independent one. Some other parishes have a Parish Finance Council which carries out the management of funds. I think our Parish needs such council. It is not an uncommon experience that those with financial responsibilities begin to feel that they are the ones responsible for its use. They can seek to determine how the money is spent and to whom it is given. It is the power that goes with the money that is corrupting. It can be easy to play favourites, and enhance one’s position by the way money is distributed.

4. Pursuant to Can. 1286 regarding the observance of civil laws in terms of employment, the parish at present has satisfied this provision. But to my knowledge some problems related to the security system for our volunteer catechists during the previous administrators have not yet been resolved. This is really one of the problematic areas for the newly assigned parish priests when the previous one is not diligent in giving the social benefits of our catechists.

5. As an ordinary parishioner, I have observed that it is practiced in this parish to publish or announce the financial report from the PPC treasurer regarding the outcome of fund raising activities and projects. This is a good practice and also expressed in Can. 1287 § 2. However, we would not know the accounts with regards to mass offerings and stipends as well as an annual report of financial status of the parish. Transparency is already practiced by there is a need to be more transparent as PCP II Acts and Decrees Article 119 states that “the rules of transparency should be strictly observed by priests, religious and lay Church related organizations in regard to Church assets and liabilities.”

IV. Conclusion

“Temporal goods of the Church have material value, carry commercial implications, fall within the market forces.”[2] These goods are owned and managed by the Church not for any other reason but to safeguard, sustain and promote the evangelizing mission. Thus, those who are assigned to administer these things should have an unquestionable dignity and competence to carry out the obligations most effectively. Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that these are for the welfare and integral wellbeing of the whole of the Christian faithful under the headship of Christ.

[1] Presbyterorum Ordinis, 4.
[2] O.V. Cruz, JCD, DD, Administration of the Temporal Goods of the Church (Dagupan City: ALD Publications, 2005), 7.

TR 2

Experience

Adlaw kadtong Domingo. Kauban ako sa gamay nga katilingban nga naghimo og bible sharing o "Makalipang" didto sa kapilya. Usa sa mipaambit, usa ka babaye nga 23 anyos ang panuigon. Wala pa gani siya makasugod sa pagpaambit mitulo na dayon ang iyang luha. Gumikan diay kadto sa iyang kahimtang sa kaminyoon. Usa ka seaman ang iyang bana ug maoy nagpa-eskwela sa mga igsuon niini ug mga pag-umangkon. Siya isip asawa nagpuyo tipon sa gikanan ug mga igsuon sa iyang bana. Ang nakalisod sa iyang pagpuyo mao ang dili maayo nga pagtratar kaniya sa mga kadugo sa iyang bana. Mibati ako og kaluoy sa iyang kahimtang. Apan niadtong higayona igo lang ako sa pagpaminaw. Sa pagkataod-taod nakighinabi ako kaniya ginamit ang pipila ka punto nga akong nakat-onan sa kurso dinhi sa seminaryo bahin sa Sacrament of Marriage. Nakadayeg ako sa kaayo sa maong babaye tungod kay bisan pa sa dili maayo nga gibuhat ngadto kaniya wala siya mobalos og dautan hinuon nag-ampo siya alang sa ilang kaayohan.

Social Analysis

Usa gyud ka problema ang kahimtang sa maong babaye. Aduna gyuy depekto ang relasyon dinha sa sulod sa ilang pamilya karon. Maayo na lang gani kay adunay mga silingan nga motabang ug motambag kaniya bisan pag dili gyud lumad didtong dapita ang maong babaye. Sa laing bahin ako sa akong kaugalingon naglisod kon unsa ang akong ikasulti. Niadto pa gyud nga higayona ako nakasugat sa maong aktwal nga kahimtang. Tingali sayon ra kini sulbaron kon ang mga theory lang ang atong basihan. Apan dinha sa nahitabo-an mismo lisod gyud kini atubangon. Wala man gyud pud koy aktwal nga kasinati-an sa maong butang. Pero ang maong panghitabo baya nakadugang sa akong kahibalo. Ang kasinati-an sa maong mga tawo nga akong nasugatan naghatod nako ngadto sa kamimatngon sa akong kaugalingon nga kinahanglan ko nga motidlom o magpalawom dinha sa kasinati-an sa ubang tawo.

Theological Reflection

Bisan pa kon wala akoy giandam nang daan nga mga tubag sa ilang mga pangutana, ang labing mahinungdanon diay mao ang pagpakig-uban ug pagpaminaw kanila. Ug ang mga kasulbaran moabot ra unya sa panahon nga gitakda sa Ginoo. Kini nakapahinumdom nako sa duha ka butang diha sa Balaang Kasulatan:
Una, ang pagpakig-uban ni Jesus sa mga tawo. Ang Ginoo miuban gyud sa mga tawo ilabi na niadtong mga kabus ug mga nag-antos. Gani kita iyang gidapit aron sa pagpabilin diha kaniya. Iyang kining gihulagway sama sa punoan sa paras ug mga sanga. Nag-ingon ang Ginoo, "pabilin kamo kanako ug ako magpabilin diha kaninyo…" (Jn 15:4).
Ikaduha, kining maong suod nga relasyon sa Ginoo ug sa tawo dili gyud maguba kon dili mobiya ang tawo palayo sa Ginoo. Matod pa ni San Pablo, walay makapahimulag kanato sa gugma ni Cristo (cf. Rom 8:35-39).
Mao nga ako manghinaot ug mag-ampo nga aduna akoy ikatampo dinha sa pagsinati sa mga tawo sa presensya ni Cristo. Ug hinaut usab nga kini motubo dili lang dinha sa mga tawo kondili dinhi usab sa akong personal nga relasyon ngadto sa Ginoo.

Pastoral Action

Ang gikinahanglan gyud nga buhaton mao ang pagpakig-uban sa mga tawo diha sa Ginoo. Kini dili lang passive nga pakig-uban kondili aktibo gayud. Busa, kinahanglang andamon ug bansayon ko ang akong kaugalingon alang niining maong katakos.

A Family of Families for Families

Since the Parents-Seminarians’ Recollection is held yearly in the seminary, my mother has become accustomed to this activity. Even when I was yet about to report to the seminary this formation year, she already asked me about the schedule for parents to come to the seminary. To my mind it was only of less importance. Aside from it was yet so far from the appointed day, the recollection is only one of the many formative activities in the seminary. What I did not realize was the willingness and eagerness of my mother to come. Only after reaping the fruits of the recollection that I recognize the movement of the Spirit who really inspired me in an undetermined and unexpected way. Well, each of us from the facilitator to the most distant relative or friend present in that recollection has one’s own experience of faith prompted by that activity. But I can only competently talk about myself.

At the beginning there was a slight sense of reluctance on my part because it seemed that there was nothing new. We have the same facilitator in all our Parents-Seminarians Recollection. Most of us seminarians with the parents were already familiar with each other. The venue as well is not new to us. The only obvious change is the theme of the recollection. We have reflected together on being and becoming a good shepherd that is founded in the family. The theme was for me a source of consolation since it contains my favorite biblical imagery of the Lord – the Good Shepherd. The sharing of the parents was also very enlightening. It manifested clearly how our parents love and care for us. No one would doubt about the identity of the shepherd being reflected in our parents. And what is more amazing is the fact that this shepherding extends beyond their own immediate family.

In our class we have established a closer bond among ourselves. When our respective families gathered through that recollection I felt more secured. Our parents are becoming shepherds not only of their children but of us all. The plan to gather again regularly after our seminary formation would be a flowing stream where we could easily draw refreshing strength and inspiration for the priestly ministry.

In the seminary we are formed as well to journey with our families. Our group is becoming a family of families. And it is our hope that through this way of life we could redeem the receding value of the family in our contemporary society.

Indulgences

When the Catholic Church has an important celebration more often an indulgence is granted. An informed catholic may have already known what it means and the conditions for gaining such indulgence. Those who are more educated in the faith may have known it through the church’s catechism that "an indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints" (CCC 1471; Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Norm 1). But an ordinary practicing catholic may know just the phrase "remission of temporal punishment."
The doctrine of indulgence is not very well understood especially among the vast common people. If the interest on indulgence is heightened, there would be a great influx of people going to confession and prayer in churches on occasions when indulgence is granted. Some years ago, Karl Rahner observes that the "interest in indulgences is largely diminishing in the Church even circles where religion is devoutly practised." In our becoming more secularized world today, indulgence catches attention only when a priest announces in the church that such is granted.
It is possible that practicing catholics may just be contented with attending masses on Sundays and living a good life. But the Church continues to invite people to avail indulgences even if she is not assured that the faithful are still interested in it. The Church has not considered much whether the willingness is still there among the people. Moreso, she is not assured that the faithful understand well such doctrine. There are still some catholics who falls into the understanding of quantification of indulgences even if such idea is no longer regarded after Vatican II. This idea and other misconceptions regarding indulgences need to be clarified for a right understanding of this doctrine. According to an official in the Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, "… it is absolutely essential above all to know and understand the correct doctrine of the practice of indulgences, intended by the Church as a meaningful expression of God’s mercy, which assists his children, helping them to satisfy the punishment due to their sins but also and above all to impel them to greater and more fervent charity."