Monday, April 14, 2008

Dovetails

Fr. Herb speaking to CFC New Jersey

All the members of CFC-New Jersey (1993) under Felix Militante of People of Hope (who replaced Lou Ferris).


An anonymous LNP member sent me a little something that dovetails perfectly into the past few entries.

Going through the comments, I noticed that some have questioned the fairness and whether this whole history lesson might possibly just reflect CFC's position on the whole affair. I believe that may have been due to what wasn't shared before; and that was something official from LNP to lend credibility to Origins I & II.

Here is LNP's official statement on the split of 1993 to give you all a clearer picture of what was really happening back then. Thanks goes out to the sender of this, and to Ernie S for the pictures he emailed me a looong time ago when he was one of the first to bring up this whole topic.

Download the position statement of LNP on the CFC separation HERE.

Direct link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?9e01emgimt5

Besides my intro, I believe it speaks for itself. No need for embellishments or side stories from me. Just the painful truth. I give it to you all, as is.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

CD,
Paki tanong lang...

March 1, 1993 OLT meeting w/ CFC Council;

Sino-sino yung (some and they) "some members of CFC Council refused to acknowledge that CFC was an outreach of LnP...

They refused to acknowledge this reality as starting point of discussions...."


March 19, 1993 CFC Elders's Assembly;

Sino-sino yung "dissolved CFC Council".
Sino-sino yung "elected New Council".


Sa Response ng Ligaya;

Sino-sino yung (THEY) What "they" did was out of order and seriously damaging to relationship among brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Paki-paabot na lamang sa LnP at sa mga nanunungkulan nuong mga panahon na iyon,

Ang aming pasa-SALAMAT sa kanilang desisyon "to let go of CFC" at "Relinquish the rights to the name CFC and CFC Foundation with all it's assets and liabilities."

"FOR THE SAKE OF PEACE AND HARMONY IN THE CHURCH..."

At sa mga na-apektuhan ng pag-ka-kahati ng komunidad ng Ligaya ng Panginoon at CFC.

"We apologized to anyone who may have been scandalized by this unfortunate event and we seek your prayers as we try to serve the Lord in more determined way."

Dito lang natin matutunghayan sa blog ni CD ang katotohanan na may mga alagad pa ng Diyos sa mga panahon na ito "sinaktan at pinag-nakawan na sila pa ang unang nag-papatawad sa ngalan ni Kristo".

Ang iyong Kapatid...

Anonymous said...

I agree with the anonymous comment, it's admirable how LNP elders handled the split of '93 as compared to how CFC (both sides) handled it last year.

Anonymous said...

3 blind mice,
3 blind mice see how they run
see how they smile,
see how the hide
first mice
FP
second mice
P
third mice
M
guess who

Anonymous said...

as ernie s said, this is it. this is the truth...

Anonymous said...

Ang galing ng mga leaders ng LnP sa nangyari noon! Hindi katulad sa nagyari last year na tangay ang malaking pera sa CFC USA sa mga humiwalay sa atin..

Anonymous said...

history is such a great teacher.

ano na nga yung kasabihan?

fool me once, shame on you
fool me twice, shame on me
fool me thrice, ????

Ernie said...

To Anonymous said...

"I agree with the anonymous comment, it's admirable how LNP elders handled the split of '93 as compared to how CFC (both sides) handled it last year."

What can we expect, most of the CFC Elders (both sides) last year were the SAME bunch of guys WHOM as Ligaya said, "What they did was out of order and seriously damaging to relationship among brothers and sisters in the Lord".

We are lucky this time, we have CD's blog and other sites in the internet to share/gather information from those who were privy to the real story.

In God's time the TRUTH always prevails.

As Luke 12:3 says "Whatever is said in the dark, will be heard in the light, and whatever was wisphered behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops for all to hear".

God's justice will be shown before our very eyes.

As Paul says in Gal 6:7 "Don't be misled. Remember that you can not ignore God and get away with it. You will always REAP what you SOW!"

ErnieS

Anonymous said...

guesswho said...

3 blind mice,
3 blind mice see how they run
see how they smile,
see how the hide

first mice
FP -- Fernando Poe Da King?

second mice
P -- Pablo Virtuoso Da Side Kick?

third mice
M -- Mane Da Pulutan?


--nguess who?

Anonymous said...

to guess who, i think i know you, anyway,
to anonymous who asked:
Sino-sino yung "dissolved CFC Council".
answer:
1) frank padilla
2) roquel ponte
3) tony meloto
4) arben visenio
5) bobby pilar

you also asked-
Sino-sino yung (some and they) "some members of CFC Council refused to acknowledge that CFC was an outreach of LnP...

let us ask guess who, you said 3 blind mice, see how they run, see how they hide-
who are the 3 blind mice, or shall we say who are the 3 leaders?

guess who?

Anonymous said...

sino na nga ang 3 member ng council na ayaw tanggapin, ayaw aminin na ang cfc ay outreach ng ligaya?
FP- di frank padilla
M- Meloto
P- Ponte o Pilar

Hindi ko kilala si Pilar, cfc ba siya ngayon.

Tama ba ako na sila frank Padilla Tony Meloto at roquel Ponte ang mga tinutukoy ng official statement ng Ligaya?
Kung sila ang mga yon, ang tanong ko naman ano ang masasabi ni Tony meloto at roquel Ponte ngayo nalumbas na lahat ng ito. Totoo ba ang kwento ng origins part 1 and 2.?
Kung hindi eh di sinungaling pala ang mga taga Ligaya at kasali si Fr Herb?

Hindi ko na kailangan abalahin ang sarili ko kung sila ay mga sinungaling kasi ako rin sinungaling. Isa lang ang masasabi ko,kung sa tingin nila na may malaking kasalanan sila sa ating comunidad, dapat humingi ng patawad. Bakit kasalanan, kasi lahat tayo nasasaktan sa mga pangyayaring ito dahil sa kanilang mga ginawa at sinabi. Ngayon pa lamang pinapatawad ko na sila.

ang mahirap ay kung sa tingin nila wala silang kasalan, kung ganun naman eh di isa lang ang dapat nating gawin, ipagdasal ang kanilang mga kaluluwa.

regards kay cd. salamat po

Anonymous said...

nakalimutan ko pong idagdag, ang tawag dito sa post- dovetails sa tining ko po mas karapat dapat ang title na - stingray sa tagalog- bunto ng pagi. masakit po yun, ginagamit po ng tatay ko pamalo nung bata pa kami.

Anonymous said...

Um...

Although the LNP statement mentioned that Tito Frank was responsible for the Council dissolution on March 19, 1993, it pointed to a "they" as responsible: "What they did [the decision to separate] was out of order and seriously damaging to relationship among brothers and sisters in the Lord".

Does it mean that even if Tito Frank was unable to attend the March 19 meeting, the separation would still have taken place?

"God meant the separation to happen"? "God" was being equated to a group of men! (Sorry for that outburst.)

May I ask:

Who were responsible for the idea that CFC being separated from LNP would be a good thing?

Who were responsible for indoctrinating this idea to the lower CFC leaders and members?

(PS. I plan to write a story depicting a future Philippines where CFC remained in LNP. My plan was to remove FP from the March 19 meeting, but I realized someone else might take over him, which is why I posted my questions.)

Anonymous said...

Titos and titas, let us not pre-judge our bros. and sisters for we are warned that we are not to judge, for God is to judge us :)

For The case of t2 roquel and T2 Tony Meloto, let us w8 for their official statements, let us not speak for them, still this is not yet the whole truth. There is truth in parts of T2 Frank's Story There is also truth in the LNP's Story, but they look at it at 2 different views. Let us be fair and don't talk behind their backs :)

Basta ayan na ang katotohanan :D Let's not dwell in the mistakes of the past, but let us learn from them.

LOVE them di ba ;)

solidyfc
CL

Anonymous said...

Titos and Titas!!! Ito nanaman! I don't know is this is another propaganda of FFL, or half truth, pero is there any confirmation to this news?



http://www.abs- cbnnews.com/ topofthehour. aspx?StoryId= 115222


Vatican admonishes Couples for Christ over Gawad Kalinga

By CARMELA FONBUENA
Abs-cbnNEWS. com/Newsbreak

The Vatican has chastised the Couples for Christ (CFC) group supportive of Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio Meloto for the "erroneous steps [it has] taken" when it decided to shift its focus from the spiritual to the social. The group was instructed to make a public apology.
Central to the concern of the Vatican was the direction taken by CFC-founded social action group Gawad Kalinga (GK). The Vatican disapproved of CFC’s "overemphasis on the social work" and GK’s openness to donations from groups that promote artificial family planning. These issues have caused the high-profile split of the CFC in July last year.
In a March 11 letter to CFC president Jose Tale, Stanislaw Rylko of Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity said that CFC should "counterbalance the overemphasis on social work...." As for donations from agencies that promote artificial family control, the letter said; "Your decision to stop receiving this type of funding will help recover the good standing of your association Couples for Christ."
The letter was a result of Tale’s March 3 visit to the Vatican, where he "admitted [that] some mistakes have been made and a certain scandal and confusion [was] caused among the faithful."
"Since [the split] has caused public scandal, a certain public reparation is also needed. We urge that you prepare and spread in the newspapers in the Philippines and on your Web site a well thought and clear public declaration recognizing the erroneous steps taken," Rylko added.
Build a nation
Four letters between two Vatican officials, Tale, and Bishop Gabriel Reyes on the issue were obtained by abs-cbnNEWS. com/Newsbreak. Although the letters did not explicitly identify GK, it is clear—GK being CFC’s social arm—that it was what the Vatican officials were referring to.
"It is extremely important that your Philippine problem does not extend to the other regions of the world," Rylko said. He recognized that CFC is the "biggest ecclesial reality that was born in Asia and then expanded internationally. "
abs-cbnNEWS. com/Newsbreak was able to talk to Meloto on the phone. But he said he has not read Rylko’s letter. When told about the contents, Meloto maintained that GK’s mission is to "build a nation."
"We are working with different universities, different religious groups, the Muslims, and the Opus Dei," he said. "We are here to build a nation. The problem of poverty is best fought in the slums. We are here to save our children from malnutrition. We will just continue to work," he said.
Vatican sides with breakaway group
The controversy over CFC’s focus on GK broke out in August last year after CFC founder and a few hundred supporters left the group and formed a new group that wrestled against the original group for the CFC name.
Rylko’s letter effectively puts the Vatican on the side of the CFC breakaway group of Frank Padilla--the founder of CFC--which has long been protesting against Meloto on how GK was being managed.
GK aims to benefit 700,000 Filipino families by building 7,000 communities in seven years, or by 2010. Founded in 2003, GK has become popular worldwide and likened to the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, an initiative that earned Muhammad Yunus his Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. GK head Antonio Meloto himself earned his Ramon Magsaysay Award for leadership in 2006.
But Padilla’s group frowned on precisely the two things that displeased the Vatican. Padilla wanted to focus on evangelization. Some GK leaders prefer to work even with people who don’t strictly adhere to Catholic teachings.
Family planning
Padilla’s group also accused GK of not pushing for naturally planning—as prescribed by the Catholic Church—supposedly because some of GK’s corporate partners favored population control and the use of contraceptives.
Another Vatican official, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo of the Pontifical Council for the Family, pointed out in a November 2007 letter to Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes that "accepting donations from those who promote abortion and contraception will compromise the Gospel of the Family and of Life, and will greatly harm our efforts to strengthen and defend the family and life; hence, it should not be done."
Trujillo made the statement in response to a letter by Reyes, asking whether groups promoting family life may receive funds from pharmaceutical companies or abortifacient pills. Reyes is the chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Laity.
Reyes has sided with the breakaway group of Padilla. It was him, along with Archbishop Angel Lagdameo and Bishop Socrates Villegas, who tried to mend the differences between the two factions last year. But to no avail.
It is not yet clear if the unity of the two CFC groups is possible.

SOULSEARCHER said...

To Earnie,

You said:

" What can we expect, most of the CFC Elders (both sides) last year were the SAME bunch of guys WHOM as Ligaya said, "What they did was out of order and seriously damaging to relationship among brothers and sisters in the Lord". "

So who can we trust? It seems they are nobody is honest enough to be a Christian Leader.

And you're right this blog is awesome. I've learned so much more about CFC here than anywhere else.

Mike Santos said...

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=115222

Anonymous said...

hahaha this is funny, dovetails and stingray!
dovetails- ligaya official statement
stingray- abscbn news aka ffl spin

perhaps it is best if we learneth from whom the it cometh. who telleth the tale that vatican did chastice cfc?

official letter from vatican to cfc? who gets to receive this communique? why is ffl now writing about this? where did they get a copy of the said letter from vatican?
the article says-
"Reyes is the chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Laity.
Reyes has sided with the breakaway group of Padilla."
i thought reyes is the spiritual director of cfc?
oh so now he is the official letter courier to ffl too? for where on earth will ffl get a copy of the letter of vatican to cfc from?

"Trujillo made the statement in response to a letter by Reyes, asking whether groups promoting family life may receive funds from pharmaceutical companies or abortifacient pills."
oh, him again.

aha, this is not about dovetails nor is it stingray it is about a chameleon!

Anonymous said...

Following is info re the Vatican office mentioned in the news article in case anyone wants to communicate with that office.

-----
The Pontifical Council for the Laity is guided by a President, assisted by a Secretary. The President is at this time Archbishop Mons. Stanisław Ryłko (Poland). The Secretary is the German Bishop, Msgr. Josef Clemens. The Under-Secretary is at present the Uruguayan, Prof. Guzmán Carriquiry.

A Presidential Committee, composed of Cardinals and Bishops, meets periodically to discuss questions of major importance. The Members of the Council are 32 Bishops, priests and, especially, lay people, men and women, from all parts of the world, who meet in an annual Plenary Assembly to deal with matters which seem at the time of greater urgency for the life and mission of the laity. With the Council also cooperate 30 Consultors, who are convoked for working sessions or consulted individually on specific matters.

The Council has its headquarters in Palazzo San Calisto, Trastevere (Piazza San Calisto, 16 - 00153 Roma).

Postal Address:

Pontificio Consiglio per i Laici
Palazzo San Calisto
00120 Città del Vaticano

Telephone: +39 (0)6 698.87.396

Fax: +39 (0)6 698.87.214

E-mail: pcpl@laity.va

Anonymous said...

As far as I know, the Vatican would release a statement, pero not like this! Napagusapan na po ng Vatican at nila T2 Joe, and on that statement


Vatican is siding with CFC

My parents told me to w8 for the official statement nalng


Tsk, is ABS-CBN with FFL!?!?

Mike Santos said...

Vatican decision?
MERON NA!

(to concur with solidyfc -- sabi din ng household head ko)

...hintayin ang susunod na kabanata... Vatican official statement!

Anonymous said...

The Vatican on GK

From anonymous to anonymous who said that the good bishop Gabriel Reyes is a chameleon, please don't even put the good bishop's name in vain.

Magpakatao po sana kayo.

Now on the above subject, should we gear up for another battle or accept that indeed we have done wrong (from Tito Joe's admittance to the Vatican). Maybe from being defenders, we should instead promote healing and pointing our brethren towards acceptance of wrongdoings and while at it ask for forgiveness. (And let's stop saying this is another FFL spin - let's smarten up, people!)

This is indeed a big, massive undertaking for the International Council (and CFC) to consider a public apology. With great authority comes great responsibility. And now the IC has to lead by example and do what is asked of it by the Vatican. Or as the saying goes:

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't".

I consider this as a testing ground for us members. My mind is opened and now, tho I consider myself a through and through CFC member, I have to follow what the church says. Besides, the church has the authority handed done by Christ Himself. And CFC is just part of that greater church.

Anonymous said...

hmmmm...

sige lang mga bro. post lang kayo ng mga reactions niyo.

btw, sino ba ang parang bata na nagsusumbong palagi sa vatican? then you would know who/where this article came from?

is ABS with FFL?
hmmm... i dont think so. but if you recall who did they interview last August? maybe they are just being fed with these stories...

oh well what else is new...

mxssauh said...

The "Admonish..." news is one sided. It keeps focusing on faults of GK especially on the donations from non-christians, but fail to even mention the extent of the positive achievements of GK -- in terms of humility, unity to christian and non-christian groups and building houses for the poor. I for one believe that inorder to be truly christian, you relate and work with anyone regardless of faith and belief.

If you were asking for pledges/donations, do you ever care where they came from? It does not have to be someone of the same belief/faith who offers help. Because help can be offered by anyone in this earth. We should not discriminate. Because if we do -- others will treat us the same way. Say bye-bye to world unity...

The escalation of the CFC problem to the Vatican --- to the whole world, this means that Pinoys are unable to maintain unity among ourselves.

As a simple member who loves to serve, in receiving news like this, the FFL and GK will never stop the war of --"i am right-you are wrong". FFL will feel victorious over this news. GK will defend its position... this will keep on...Vatican will hear the underlying factors and will have bishops with differing opinions (soon) --- until finally it will be escalated to Heaven.

/mx

Anonymous said...

I agree with anonymous who said 'The Vatican on GK'. As what our Lord Jesus Christ taught us: 'Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sinned against us...' God bless us. - Bro. Ariel (East B 2A San Mateo, Rizal)

Anonymous said...

Little bit of info: when ABS-CBN reported on the separation back in August, they made an animation of the CFC logo being ripped and torn apart. One half of the torn logo showed those who left and the other half showed those who were left behind, with the GK logo as an addition.

Now, I don't know if ABS-CBN is sympathetic with those who left, but one thing's for sure: whoever made the torn-and-ripped-CFC-logo animation, as well as whoever told that animator to do the deed, were being insensitive to the hundreds of thousands of CFC members.

I'm sure that many among us (on both sides) shed tears and/or felt sadness when they saw that animation on TV. I'm also sure that many of us were embarrassed when people close to us who saw that animation turned to us and asked, "What's up with your CFC? Why did that happen? How can I believe you now, seeing that your leaders are very much similar to bickering politicians?"

On my part, I was at the office when I saw the ABS-CBN report with that animation, and I became terribly sad. Even my boss and my officemates (all of them outside of the community) saw that. Later on, one of my officemates asked me, "Please explain to me why that happened." He added that he looked up at CFC as a major force in changing Philippine society. I tried to answer him as simply as I could, but I faltered, and I avoided discussing the matter any further.

I hope that the ABS-CBN people responsible for that animation could apologize for what they've done. In a way, they have contributed to the conflict; I hope they realize that.

Anonymous said...

it is a sad thing indeed that FFL uses anything and everything to put them at an advantage.

the admission of tito joe tale of the mistakes in GK are the mistakes that happened during the headship of FAP. although again FFL will tell us that the IC is a collective body, but, we all know the influence of FAP ever since. the fact that FFL continues to sow into us that FAP is the founder of CFC means a lot of how influential FAP indeed is.

the apologies only came out at this time with a current IC who are more than aware that admission, the commitment to correct the wrong and public apology are manifestation of humility. humility is always asked of us who serve the Lord. and for those who twist this act into an ever spinning wheel to make them more palatable, perhaps,the Lord will deal with them accordingly.

i am not saying that the writer of the news item is a paid hack but her opinion is very one sided. one can even conclude that she is an FFL member.

personally, i see the news item as an act of desperation.

much as we would like to retaliate point by point to defend the community, we still believe that God's anointed (the members of the IC) are the ones who are more sensitive to God's directions. thus, we would rather wait for their official acts.

why can't FFL just move on? no more poaching from CFC members. it's been over a year already. start your CLS or however you call them. we in CFC will continue with our CLPs. never mind our mistakes or sins that you perceive we are committing. you are no longer responsible for our souls. others have been appointed by the Lord after you left us.

our evangelization work has been made more challenging especially in the provinces because of the sympathy of some clergy for FAP. in their provincial sorties, they always present FAP as the underdog.... it is made to appear that he was taken out of the Council instead of him voluntary stepping down; replaced as International Mission Director when there was a meeting with him regarding this matter and he acceded to the decision; presented as the Founder of CFC when in fact he is not... etc.. etc..

well, this conflict will go on and on until the wrath of heaven itself will be the ones to stop them who just can not stop.

i am saddened but i continue to be the servant of the Lord, in my limited and unworthy condition. for as long as the Lord uses me, I will serve Him. no matter the difficulties that my former comrades in arm will place before my path.

Anonymous said...

Di pa po t2s and titas, inadmit na po ng council na matagal na na may pagkukulang sila as councils, may pagkukulang ang CFC, and they PROMISED to resolve it. Naresolve na nga po, pero pnalaki nanaman po ang issue ULIT.

The Vatican has asked CFC to make a public apology, and CFC has accepeted to do it. Pero let us wait for the statement of the Vatican before CFC would make a statement, saan ba dpat sumunod ang CFC, sa NEWS or sa Vatican OFFICIAL statement :)


Ung mga problems na sinabi nila T2 Frank, pede nman maresolve eh! Kung nakapaghintay lng po sila, wla tau sa split ngaun...


And FYI, lahat po ng problems na yun nagsimula at nangyari nung sila T2 Frank pa ang namamahala :)


Let us not blame anyone, kasi lahat may shortcomings, lahta ay may weaknesses, all of us are weak. If we think that the leader is "sinful" kaya ndi na siya pede maging lider, eh di wla na dpat taung lider. Even the POPE dpat ndi leader, because all of us are sinful nman.

This is just God testing us, di pba po Silver is PURIFIED 7 Times. CFC would do its mission side by side with the Church. There's hope, pero there would be problems. Let us just stay put, wait for the statement before making any conclusions..

Un lng po...Tnx and GBU all

Anonymous said...

dear CD,

Reading the reactions of brothers and sisters on the recent developments, I believe further highlight and emphasis should be made on the sequence of events so that everyone will appreciate what has transpired, understand it better and move on.

The letter from Cardinal Rylko supposedly asking for a "public apology" was said to be dated March 3 according to the April 16 ABS News Online article "Vatican Admonishes CFC over GK". CFC, in a full page ad, more that a week before, on April 7, already wrote "We sincerely apologize for any scandal that the CFC leadership, past or present, may have caused among the faithful with our previous partnerships." Bishop Gabby Reyes in the Philippine Daily Inquirer April 18 front page story said he believes the letter of Cardinal Rylko was "not an admonition". So that's it! The ABS Online article was simply a case of "kuriente". The writer released a "scoop" that was not!

So,tama na! sobra na! tigilan na!

Also, If we are to remain in CFC, we need to start trusting and believing that our elected leaders are there to work for the good of the community.The hardest decisions to make are those that would not be popular, but if our leaders collectively prayed for and discerned their decisions, should we question the leadings of the Holy spirit?

Love one another na lang tayo, feels good pa!

Loving Member

Anonymous said...

dear CD,

Reading the reactions of brothers and sisters on the recent developments, I believe further highlight and emphasis should be made on the sequence of events so that everyone will appreciate what has transpired, understand it better and move on.

The letter from Cardinal Rylko supposedly asking for a "public apology" was said to be dated March 3 according to the April 16 ABS News Online article "Vatican Admonishes CFC over GK". CFC, in a full page ad, more that a week before, on April 7, already wrote "We sincerely apologize for any scandal that the CFC leadership, past or present, may have caused among the faithful with our previous partnerships." Bishop Gabby Reyes in the Philippine Daily Inquirer April 18 front page story said he believes the letter of Cardinal Rylko was "not an admonition". So that's it! The ABS Online article was simply a case of "kuriente". The writer released a "scoop" that was not!

So,tama na! sobra na! tigilan na!

Also, If we are to remain in CFC, we need to start trusting and believing that our elected leaders are there to work for the good of the community.The hardest decisions to make are those that would not be popular, but if our leaders collectively prayed for and discerned their decisions, should we question the leadings of the Holy spirit?

Love one another na lang tayo, feels good pa!

Loving Member