7th NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS
THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT, ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY
SATURDAY, 25 OCTOBER – SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014
SATURDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2014
7:45 AM
REGISTRATION (OUTSIDE ESCALER HALL)
8:30 AM
WELCOME REMARKS (ESCALER HALL)
9:00 AM
SESSION 1
A.
Please select one of the following:
EGYPT OR THE SEA? REFLECTIONS ON EXODUS AND THE
JOURNEY OF OUR LIVES
ROBERTO O. GUEVARA, PH.D
As the foundational narrative in Israel’s life of faith, the Exodus embodies a
people’s journey from slavery and death to freedom and life. Through a rereading of select moments in Israel’s story, correlated with insights relevant to
our social and personal contexts, this presentation invites its hearers to reflect
on their own journey of faith and to embark on the road to freedom as
individuals and as a people.
B.
ECCLESIA IN AMNESIA? MEMORY, SACRAMENTS AND
THE LAITY
JOHN PAUL A. BOLANO
To remember the past would often carry the character of being stuck in old
fashioned ways and archaic traditions which are no longer relevant to the
present but more often than not, it is the loss of memory and not being grounded
with one’s history makes for a loss of one’s identity and direction for the
present. Aside from reasoning, exercise of free will and imagination, memory is
one of the resources an individual and a community, especially the Church, can
tap to help deepen the living out of one’s faith. The richness of memory, not
limited to mere recalling a past event, can serve as an inspiration and direction
for the present, kindling hope for the future and a re-membering of the
community of believers.
Drawing from the different themes found in the Scriptures and the Examen from
Ignatian Spirituality, this will be an attempt to uncover the power of using
memory in enriching the experience and the living out of the sacraments and
worship of the laity, most especially the youth, the greater majority of the
Church, who may have slipped away from the care of the Church because of the
prevailing culture of “memory-loss and loss of the sense of history”.
C.
THE FUTURE OF THE FILIPINO FAMILY
MARIA ELISA A. BORJA, PH.D (cand)
“The future of humanity passes by way of the family.” (Familiaris Consortio
#86)
The Filipino family plays a critical role in the Philippine Church and society,
especially today. This presentation is a moral reflection on the past, present
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and future of the Filipino family. It will begin by evaluating the strengths and
weaknesses of the Filipino family today, as well as possible causes that have
moved the family from its traditional to its contemporary structure. It will then
suggest some tips for the Filipino Catholic religious educator, in our joint
mission with the home, to strengthen the Filipino family through our students.
10:30 AM
MERIENDA BREAK
10:50 AM
SESSION 2
A.
Please select one of the following:
ESCHATOLOGY: ADDRESSING THE GAP BETWEEN FAITH AND
LIFE
RAYMOND B. AGUAS, PH.D
The Church, especially in the Philippines, has long lamented the gap between
the faith professed and the life lived. This talk proposes that a way to address
said gap is through a proper understanding of eschatology. The move
undertaken is one from seeing heaven as a goal to be attained in the afterlife
towards an understanding in line with Jesus' injunction to bring the kingdom
here on earth.
B.
JESUS THE CHEERFUL: A SMILING CHRISTOLGY
JAVIER MIGUEL GALVEZ
Pope Francis reminds us of the Joy of the Gospel, yet joy is an often overlooked
aspect of Jesus’ ministry. Gerhard Lohfink says that a true response to the
Kingdom of God comes not from a bare awareness of a duty, but rather from a
positive response of joy. By recapturing an understanding of the joy of Jesus,
this presentation hopes to present joy as something to which all the faithful –
especially the laity – are called.
Following an ascending Christology, this presentation will highlight the great
joy found in Jesus’ words as well as the great cheerfulness that marked his
deeds, exemplified in his ministry of table-fellowship, and paint a portrait of a
smiling and even laughing Jesus. The presentation will also touch upon Jesus’
death and how to understand the Resurrection in light of this framework of joy,
and end with a reflection on what this joy means for today.
C.
THE MOTHER OF THE CHURCH IS A LAY WOMAN: A
REFLECTION ON LAITY, SOCIAL CONCERNS AND MARY, KEY
THEMES EMPHASIZED BYTHE CBCP PASTORAL LETTER ON THE
“YEAR OF THE LAITY AND SOCIAL CONCERNS” IN 2014, USING
BISHOP FRANCISCO CLAVER’S ECCLESIOLOGY
RACHEL SANCHEZ, MA
This talk is a reflection on three key themes found in the CBCP’s Pastoral Letter
on the “Year of the Laity and Social Concerns” in 2014, namely: laity, social
concerns and Mary, using the ecclesiology of Bishop Francisco Claver who
emphasized participation and lay empowerment in the Church, as well as social
involvement. The session begins with a description of the three themes in the
Pastoral Letter. This is followed by a discussion on how Bishop Claver’s
ecclesiology gives insight into how the message of the pastoral letter can be
exercised by the Church. Finally, the implications of Mary for lay women in the
Church, is explored by drawing from the framework of Claver’s ecclesiology is
explored.
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D.
“THE YOUTH AS THE PRESENT AND FUTURE HOPE OF THE
CHURCH IN MISSION”
RAOUL R. RONCAL, MA
Pope Francis in his homily the World Youth day held in Rio said:
What do I expect as a consequence of the Youth Day? I expect a mess. There
will be one. There will be a mess here in Rio? There will be! But I want a mess
in the dioceses! I want people to go out! I want the Church to go out to the
street! I want us to defend ourselves against everything that is worldliness, that
is installation, that is comfortableness, that is clericalism, that is being shut-in
on ourselves. The parishes, the schools, the institutions, exist to go out!
With this vision in mind, how do catechists and youth ministers work with the
young so that they would become the present and future members of the "Church
that goes out."
This presentation will give a few principles for our work with the youth that
would help foster a "Church on Mission."
12:20 PM
LUNCH BREAK
1:00-1:30
1:40 PM
DISCUSSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN
THE PHILIPPINES
SESSION 3
A.
Please select one of the following:
PROMOTING NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING: TOWARDS
THE EVANGELIZATION OF MARRIAGE
PASQUALE GIORDANO, S.J.
In this year of the Laity of the Philippine Church, the promotion of Natural
Family Planning is the key apostolate that must be fostered and developed
because it is only the married laity that can effectively carry it out. They must be
the lead actors supported by the hierarchical Church. The only response the
Philippine Catholic Church has towards the RH Law is the effective promotion
of Natural Family Planning. Next to the Church's Social Teaching, NFP is the
second greatest secret in the Catholic Church. Less that one percent of Filipino
women practice the modern methods of NFP. Most married couples know little
or nothing about NFP. Very few Archdiocese and Dioceses have working
programs. There is a vast amount of ignorance in the Philippine Church about
NFP. This talk will present the basics of Church teaching, especially from
HUMANAE VITAE, FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO, AND JOHN PAUL II'S
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY. Next, the six modern methods of NFP will be
presented. Finally, participants will be taught how to promote programs of NFP
in their parishes and dioceses.
B.
MAGTURO AY DI BIRO MAGHAPON SA YAPAK NI KRISTO (The
Call to "Courageous and Innovative Fidelity" to the Gospel)
HERMAN ROCHESTER, MA
During an audience with and an address to the participants of the plenary
session of the Congregation for Catholic Education held last February 13, 2014,
Pope Francis reminded everyone that, “Catholic education is one of the most
important challenges for the Church, currently committed to new evangelization
in an historical and cultural context that is undergoing constant
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transformation”. The Holy Father proposed three aspects for consideration by
the participants: 1) the value of dialogue in education; 2) the qualified
preparation of formators; and, 3) the responsibility of educational institutions
to express the living presence of the Gospel in the fields of education, science
and culture.
Referring to the first of these points, he said, “Effectively, Catholic schools and
universities are also called upon .... to present Jesus Christ as the meaning of
life, the cosmos and history. Jesus began to proclaim the good news of the
'Galilee of the people', a crossroads of people, diverse in terms of race, culture
and religion. This context resembles today's world, in certain respects. The
profound changes that have led to the ever wider diffusion of multicultural
societies require those who work in the school or university sector to be
involved in educational itineraries involving comparison and dialogue, with a
courageous and innovative fidelity that enables Catholic identity to encounter
the various 'souls' of multicultural society. With regard the second aspect, the
Pope emphasized that education in our times “is guided by a changing
generation, and that, therefore, every educator – and the Church as a whole is
an educating mother – is required to change, in the sense of knowing how to
communicate with the young”. As to the last Papal concern, in relation to the
responsibility of educational institutions to “express the living presence of the
Gospel in the field of education, science and culture”, Pope Francis reiterated
the need for Catholic academic institutions to avoid “isolating themselves in the
world”, and instead to “know how to enter, with courage, into the Areopagus of
contemporary cultures, to initiate dialogue, and to become aware of the gift
they are able to offer to all”.
C.
THE ROLE OF THE LAITY IN BUSINESS
STEPHANIE PUEN
Majority of students will pursue some form of corporate or business related job
once they graduate, due to one reason or another. As such, it is important for
them to know the important role of the laity in business. Catholic Social
Teaching makes it clear how Christians actualize the gospel in business,
particularly through the voice it can contribute in the discussion of business
ethics in the wake of the recent financial crises. Catholic Social Teaching gives
a “transcendent foundation of business ethics”, that “finds a certain degree of
support in philosophy”, and is “declared with full force and depth by theology,
and ultimately by faith” (Mele, 2000).
D.
50 YEARS OF THE LAITY: FROM VATICAN II, THROUGH JOHN
PAUL II, INTO TODAY
JAVIER LUIS GOMEZ, MA
In the Second Vatican Council’s decree on the apostolate of the laity, the
bishops state that “In fulfilling this mission of the Church, the Christian laity
exercise their apostolate both in the Church and in the world, in both the
spiritual and the temporal orders.” Nearly 25 years later, in his Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation, Christifidelis Laici, John Paul II echoes this saying, “lay
people as well are personally called by the Lord, from whom they receive a
mission on behalf of the Church and the world.” By reading these two
documents side by side, we have a lens by which we can examine the deepening
of the Church’s understanding of the role of laity - it’s trajectory from a passive
role to an active role and how our understanding continues to deepen up to
today.
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3:10 PM
MERIENDA BREAK
3:30 PM
SESSION 4
A.
Please select one of the following:
THE ROLE OF THE LAITY IN CATHOLIC HIGHER EDUCATION IN
THE PHILIPPINES
MARK CALANO, PHD
The paper aims to understand the role of the laity in Catholic Higher Education
in the Philippines; it aims to do so by looking at two very important apostolic
exhortations: John Paul II’s Ex Corde Ecclesiae and Francis’ Evangelium
Gaudii. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part aims to look at the
laity in relation higher education. The second aims to look at this role (in part
one) and understand it in relation to the two apostolic exhortations and to PCP
II. The third is an attempt to understand this role of the laity in the face of the
challenges confronting them. Perhaps it is in this section that we can argue for
the laity’s empowerment along missionary consciousness and social
transformation.
B.
THE WOMEN IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE AND DISCIPLESHIP
MA. LUCIA C. NATIVIDAD, PHD
This paper intends to show the role of the women and what they reveal about
discipleship through a literary and historical analysis of Luke 8:1-3 and the role
of the women during Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection in Lk 23:48-24:11.
Luke has a positive view on the discipleship roles of women. The interpretation
of the text has great implications on what it means to be a disciple of Christ in
the church today. In fact, this text shows that the Galilean women disciples
provide a better model of faithful and active discipleship in the Church today.
C.
CHURCH SOCIAL TEACHING AND LAY COMMITMENT:
PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR ENGAGING THE WORLD
Church Social Teaching and Lay Commitment: Principles and Guidelines
for Engaging the World
MICHAEL LIBERATORE, MA
Christifideles Laici reminds the lay faithful that “The ‘world’ thus becomes the
place and the means for the lay faithful to fulfill their Christian vocation,
because the world itself is destined to glorify God the Father in Christ.” (15)
Unfortunately, this has been inhibited by the tendency to be overly engaged in
Church activities to the detriment of professional, social, cultural, and political
responsibilities, and the separation of faith from life. (2). The creation of a justly
ordered social world depends on lay people engaging the world with their faith.
A key resource for this engagement is found in Church Social Teaching. This
session will explore some of the key concepts in Church Social Teaching and its
relevance for lay responsibility in the world today.
D.
NOT THE CROSS BUT THE CRUCIFIED: UNDERSTANDING
SALVATION IN JESUS AND HOW IT IS ACCOMPLISHED AND
APPLIED
WILSON ESPIRITU
This presentation intends to help lay people understand how Jesus Christ is the
savior and how human freedom plays a vital role in bearing the fruits of his
mission. It clarifies common misunderstandings about salvation and provides a
practical approach on how to explain it in a way that is both intelligible and
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understandable to lay persons. Using practical theology, it demonstrates how
salvation can be possibly applied to day to day life of contemporary Lay Filipino
Catholics. The participants are lead to realize how salvation in Jesus can bring
about healing and hope for all especially when confronting the problems of sin,
poverty and sickness, corruption and injustice, natural calamities and disasters.
SUNDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2013
8:00 AM
SESSION 5
A.
Please select one of the following:
THE LAITY LANDING: THE ROLE OF THE FILIPINO LAITY IN THE
CHURCH TO COME
MICHAEL DEMETRIUS ASIS, PHD
What is the role of the Filipino laity in an increasingly globalized Church?
The OFW phenomenon has made the Filipino Church the primary agent of
missionary evangelization all over the world, prompting acclaimed Vatican
specialist John Allen to say that the “Filipino diaspora” and the presence of the
large Philippine migrant population abroad have become the “infrastructure of
the future of the Church.”
The future of the universal Church, then, will be shaped in part by the way the
Filipino Church will handle itself in the years to come. What are the
characteristics and shape of this Filipino-inspired global evangelization of the
world? What are the traditional elements of Filipino piety, spirituality, and the
distinctively Filipino practice of the faith, that can help in the proclamation of
the Gospel in this century and the generations to come?
B.
PERPECTIVES IN TEACHNG THAT MATTERS TO THE YOUTH IN
THIS YEAR OF THE LAITY
TINNAH DE LA ROSA, MA
Grounded in the challenges and mission presented in church documents in this
Year of the Laity, this talk explores the task of religious education particularly
among the youth today using current studies available on the youth vis-à-vis
principles in religious education and catechesis. The participants will also be led
to reflect on their current teaching paradigms as well as explore approaches to
make religious education relevant for today’s Filipino Catholic youth. This talk
is best for those teaching or ministering to adolescents up to young adults.
C.
THE FILIPINO LAY CATHOLIC AS AN EDUCATOR: REFLECTION
ON TEACHING
DARY DACANAY, MA
Being a teacher in the University is a journey of discovery. A teacher devotes his
life in the over-all formation of the human being - this is the key to successful
teaching. This talk aims to describe my teaching experience at the Ateneo De
Manila University. One universal difficulty encountered by teachers is class
control. What I find effective is to fall silent, thank the class and then carry on
with the lesson. The most commonly asked question by any teacher is: “How do
you hold the attention of the class?” There are three principles to sustain
attention: connect with your audience, build on their experience of the subject,
and tell them your perspective. The challenges for teachers are questions that
one cannot answer. Admission that one does not know and efforts to look for the
answer will earn a great deal of respect from the students. My priority in
teaching is to challenge and bring students further to the frontier of knowledge
and be able to draw out significant learnings out of it that they themselves can
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utilize when they leave the halls of the academe.
9:30 AM
MERIENDA
10:00 AM
CONCLUDING SESSION (ESCALER HALL)
10:30 AM
EUCHARIST (COLLEGE CHAPEL)
11:30 AM
LUNCH