in memoriam Fr. Cantius Kobak, ofm

An unappreciated landmark

Or maybe, a local treasure would be a more appropriate title to this blog post. These are pictures which I took last November 1, 2011. It's the arch at the entrance of the Calbayog Catholic Cemetery. I have featured this in my previous blog posts and I am doing it again. After all, not all cities in Samar have a landmark which dates back to 1885. 

Just in case you'd be interested

The Diocese of Calbayog is 101 years old today.

For some pictures and write-ups on last year's Centennial Celebration, please these: link 1, link 2, link 3.

Here's something about the history of the Diocese of Calbayog which I got from the CBCP website:

Samar was once one island province comprising one political unit, the whole island being the third largest in the archipelago. The Island of Samar is bounded on the north by San Bernardino Strait, on the west by the Samar Sea and San Juanico Strait, on the south by Leyte Gulf, and on the east by the Pacific Ocean. Today the island comprises three administrative provinces: Eastern, Western and Northern Samar.

It was in Homonhon, an island off the Samar coast, where Magellan first landed in 1521. In the year 1596, the Catholic faith was brought to the island of Samar by the Spanish Jesuit missionaries. From the mission center in Palapag in northern Samar, the missionaries brought the faith to the people of Laoang, Catubig, Pambujan, Catarman, and Bobon. The missionaries from Catbalogan established missiones in Gandara and Paranas, while the missionaries from the island of Capul established mission stations in Calbayog.

In 1768 the Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines and the Spanish Franciscan missionaries took over the first parishes in Samar: Catbalogan, Gandara, Paranas, Palapag, Catubig, Catarman and Capul. From these settlements the Catholic faith spread to the entire island.

Leyte and Samar were once considered one province by the Spanish government placed under the jurisdiction of Cebu. In 1768 it was divided into separate provinces, with Tacloban as the capital of Leyte and Catbalogan the capital of Samar.

On April 10, 1910, Pope Pius X separated the island provinces of Samar and Leyte form the Diocese of Cebu, and erected the Diocese of Calbayog comprising both island provinces. In 1914 the Franciscans turned over the administration of the parishes of Samar to the secular clergy.

On November 28, 1937, Pope Pius XI separated Leyte from the Calbayog diocese by creating the Diocese of Palo, in Leyte. On October 22, 1960 Pope John XXIII decreed the division of Samar by creating the Diocese of Borongan, also in Samar. And again on March 11, 1975, Pope Paul VI decreed the creation of the Diocese of Catarman, also in Samar. Thus the whole island of Samar now has three dioceses: Calbayog in Western Samar, Borongan in Eastern Samar, and Catarman in Northern Samar. These three dioceses belong to the Ecclesiastical Province of Palo, Leyte, and are suffragans of this archdiocese.

From the Calbayog Diocesan Pastoral Assembly held at St. Vincent de Paul College Seminary in Calbayog City February 12-15, 1992, the following Diocese of Calbayog Pastoral Plan came into being:

Vision: "A community of persons united in faith, hope and love, centered in Christ, living by the Word and the Sacramantes, prophetically witnessing to the Gospel values of sharing, unity, peace and justice, in solidarity with the poor, within the concrete historical situation and needs of the people of Samar, under the guidance of the Magisterium and the example of Mary, Mother of the Church."

Goal: "By the year 2000, the Diocese of Calbayog shall have Ecclesial Communities that are renewed, transformed, animated and consumed by the Gospel values of sharing, unity, peace and justice in solidarity with the poor, imbued with the spirit of Vatican II and Plenary Council of the Philippines II, conscious and actively working toward Total Human Development, whose impact will be felt by society."

Thrust: "Basic Ecclesial Communities that are committed to Evangelization and Total Human Development."

The objective of the plan is to implement on a diocesan level all programs and structures identified by the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly, to evaluate the implementation of the Diocesan Pastoral Council every year, and to come up with objectives for a second phase, f rom 1996 to the year 2000.

There are 27 parishes in the diocese, served by 61 priests. There are 6 Catholic institutions, 9 pastoral centers, and 18 parishes with BEC programs.

Dr. Rolando Borrinaga's Remarks during the reopening of the CKC Museum

Prof. Rolando Borrinaga as he delivered his messages during the program which reopened the Fr. Cantius Kobak, OFM - Samar Archeological and Cultural Museum.

Prof. Borrinaga with Fr. Mar Tubac, OFM and George Emmanuel Borrinaga

(Speech at the Reopening Ceremonies for the Fr. Cantius Kobak, OFM – Samar Archeological and Cultural Museum at Christ the King College (CKC), Calbayog City, December 29, 2010.)

It is my great pleasure to have been invited to attend the reopening of the Fr. Cantius Kobak, OFM – Samar Archeological and Cultural Museum at the Christ the King College (CKC) in Calbayog City. With this development, a very symbolic one, you have reclaimed Calbayog City’s prominence as the center of historical and cultural research and preservation in the entire island of Samar. I would like to congratulate your president, Fr. Marcelo Tubac, OFM, the Franciscan community of CKC, and civic-oriented citizens of Calbayog for making this possible.

The reopened museum is appropriately named after the late Fr. Cantius J. Kobak, OFM, who will forever remain a giant insofar as research on the history and culture of Samar is concerned. His generosity in sharing his source materials also helped other scholars such as William Henry Scott and Bruce Cruikshank to write and publish scholarly studies that have expanded and deepened the understanding of Bisayan history and culture during the past 30 years.

Father Kobak’s greatest scholarly achievement, however, was the tracking, transcribing, translating to English, and publishing or preparing for publication all extant copies of the manuscripts of Fr. Francisco Ignacio Alcina, SJ, which is known in the academic community as Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas … 1668. This is the only comprehensive ethnographic and historical account of the Bisayas region in the seventeenth century. Parts of the Alcina manuscripts now appear as books in English translation under the title History of the Bisayan People in the Philippine Islands (Vols. 1, 2 and 3). These were co-edited by Fr. Lucio Gutierrez, OP, and published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. Only Volume 4 remains to be published, but the manuscript is already there.

By sheer chance or fate, I happened to be the Filipino with the most extensive contact with Father Kobak during the last two years of his life. He posted a note in the guestbook of my Internet website sometime in late 2002, and that led to our exchange of e-mails and snail-mails which provided each of us with needed new data and information about the local history and culture of Leyte and Samar.

Then somehow we agreed to collaborate on the English translation for possible publication of a book on the history of Leyte. The book was titled Reseña de la Provincia de Leyte by Manuel Artigas y Cuerva, which was originally published in Spanish in 1914. Father Kobak had done partial translation of the book, and I supplied the other half after its bound photocopy, which had been mailed to CKC, was retrieved and delivered to my house in Tacloban by your former president, Fr. Rodrigo San Jose, OFM. I completed the manuscript on August 14, 2004. The next day, Father Kobak passed away in the U.S. at the age of 74.

Our co-authored book came out in 2006 under the title The Colonial Odyssey of Leyte(1521-1914), and this won the 2006 National Book Award for Translation given by the Manila Critics Circle. I am donating a copy of this book to the museum along with two other books I have written and published – The Balangiga Conflict Revisited, which came out in 2003, and Leyte-Samar Shadows: Essays on the History of Eastern Visayas, which came out in 2008.

I am also donating a copy of Vol. 54 of The Journal of History, published in 2009, which includes my paper titled “The 1984 Scott-Kobak Correspondence: A Sharing that Reconstructed the Sixteenth-Century Bisayan Society and Culture.” The title is self-explanatory. Also in this volume is the paper titled “The Pulahan Movement in Samar (1904-1911): Origins and Causes,” which was written by George Emmanuel Borrinaga, my son who now teaches history at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, and who accompanied me here.

Finally, I would like to turn over a mounted picture of Father Kobak. At the back of the frame are written his signature and the dateline – “Calbayog, January 1970.” Let me tell you how this came into my possession:

Around March 2004, Father Kobak learned after a routine medical check-up that he was suffering from cancer of the lymph glands. It did not take him long to accept the fate that he was going to the Great Beyond. He offered to bequeath to me the last items in his personal archives – including books, documents, and manuscripts that he had held on for years. I humbly accepted the offer, and promised to take care of them. He sent the items in about 10 mail parcels which contents eventually measured about two meters in thickness. Some of the parcels arrived after he had passed away.

I am now working on a few manuscripts left behind by Father Kobak, which hopefully will see publication over the next few years. One of these is the English translation of Vocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya, the oldest Bisayan dictionary compiled by Fr. Mateo Sanchez, SJ, in Dagami, Leyte around 1616 and published in Manila in 1711.

Father Kobak may be gone, but aspects of his work are still coming out in the historical literature. And with the reopening of your museum, all these are assured of a house to go home to – in Calbayog, a place that always meant a lot to him.

Thank you and good afternoon.

Prof. Rolando O. Borrinaga, PhD.
School of Health Sciences
University of the Philippines, Manila
Palo, Leyte

The History of the CKC Museum

The Archaeological Expedition of Fr. Cantius in Samar.
(Read by Dean Venancio Bajet during the reopening of the CKC Museum)

Shortly upon his arrival, Fr. Cantius J. Kobak, ofm began to take great interest in the local history and culture of the place. He collected and compiled histories of Samar and Leyte towns and of the Colegio (de San Vicente de Paul), Bisayan songs, poetry, dramas, riddles, dictionaries, etc.

In 1965, the Bishop (of Calbayog) and the Rector of the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral began the renovation of the said Cathedral. Interested in church furnishings that were being cast aside, Fr. Cantius was given permission to salvage several items. Among the items offered were an old altar with a Franciscan coat of arms, a wheel with some twelve small bells attached to it on a stand with a crankshaft (it was used to ring bells during the sanctus, elevations, communion, processions, etc), few candelabras, an old painting of a saint and several items in poor condition.

From Capul Island, a pastor brought him a discarded old chalice, a ciborium and a monstrance. These items created an interest in other materials such as wooden statues of saints (some with ivory faces and hands), crucifixes, stone cereal grinders called gilingan, antique charcoal flat irons, jewelry boxes, old Spanish coins, jewelry, rings, earrings, bangles and Chinese porcelain plates and jars.

He also collected Bisayan publications like old Spanish-Bisayan dictionaries and the Pasyon which was chanted by elderly women during the Holy Week.

In 1967, some public school teachers brought him ancient stoneware and jars which were found near Gandara. This triggered and sparked his interest in visiting the ancient burial grounds in Samar Island. It was the Jesuit priest Ignacio Alcina who, in his “Historia” gave some accounts on how and where the ancient Samareños buried their deceased. It was with this knowledge that Fr. Cantius made plans to visit these burial grounds during the semestral breaks.

On April 1968, Fr. Cantius gathered a group of college students and began the first archaeological expedition in Oras, Eastern Samar. The caves that were searched yielded pottery shards and bones. (15th century blue-white) Chinese porcelain were found in a small opening in the shore cliffs. Upon the suggestions of old folks, the group proceeded to Tubawbaw, an islet facing Oras. Broken stoneware, porcelain shards, human bones and teeth were recovered from the site.

Upon returning to mainland Samar, Fr. Cantius saw a boy carrying fermented wine (tuba) in an ancient dragon jar. He asked the professors who were with him to buy the tuba and the jar. The boy hesitated because he needed the jar to sell more tuba. They offered to triple the price of the tuba and the boy sold it with the jar.

From Oras, they went to the town named McArthur. They were introduced to the Parish Priest and the Town Mayor who told them to the Minalungon Island where there was a cave used for ancient burials. Lungon is the bisayan term for coffin or casket.

The cave was littered with broken earthenware shards, bones and pieces of wood. They learned that for some time, foreigners arrived and dug at the island since as early as 1923. Fr. Cantius’ team attempted some diggings, but the artifacts seem to have been exhausted by the previous digging expeditions; and the fisherfolks who were in the area did not like the idea (of more diggings) because they believed it might cause strong typhoons.

On May 24, 1968, the group went to Calicoan, Lilibucan and Cando Islets in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, where an American Naval / Air Base was constructed during the second World War. They found nothing except an artillery piece which Fr. Cantius took as a souvenir unaware that it might explode. He would later call this “a foolish venture carrying it in our jeep on such bumpy dirt roads.” He stored it in a cabinet at the museum, it rusted, leaked a yellow sulfur-like substance and burned the cabinet a bit.

They (the group of Fr. Cantius) even went to Homonhon, the island where Ferdinand Magellan landed centuries ago. Unfortunately it was fiesta and there was no opportunity for diggings, albeit the priest and the people received them with wonderful hospitality.

Back to Guiuan, they explored the high mountains believed to have protected the place from the treacherous waves of the Pacific Ocean. They found hundreds of pieces of shell bracelets that are both broken and in perfect shape.

On November 18, 1968, they visited Laoang, Batag and Kahayagan in Northern Samar. In Barangay Burabod in Batag Island, the people presented them with large burial jars with stone lids. In a little hill in another barangay of Batag Island, inquiries from old folks led them to finding “a small Chinese stoneware bowl”. Since it looked broken, Fr. Cantius took off a large portion and it revealed as small skull in deteriorated state. Digging gently further, longer arms or wrist bones with five shell bracelets appeared, all indicative of a child burial. Other archeological items were also found: rusted daggers, ancient agong (bell), beads and a golden earring.

On December 28, 1968, they found some fine treasures in Capul, Mungulbungol (now San Vicente), Dalupiri (now San Antonio) and Samputan Islet, west of Capul. A kind individual in Mungubungol gave them a blue and white Chinese burial urn with lid, small jars, beads, bracelets and carnelian gemstones. It was a child-burial jar of a Datu (class). In Dalupiri, the group was given a fine precious celadon dish.

On February 1969, Fr. Cantius requested the Filipino friar who was with him in Batag Island to go back and see. The said priest went to Batag and came back with two sacks of broken stoneware, earthenware, porcelain dragon jars and other archeological recoveries. When as family cleared a hill for two hectares, broken recoveries were given to the friar while the good ones were sold. Fr. Cantius was happy even with the broken recoveries. He restored three dragon jars and a lot of porcelain and earthen wares.

The CKC Museum was established. While recoveries were being made, a large hall (at the CKC campus) was allocated for the planned museum. At that time some Professional American Archaeologists heard about the finds and came to Calbayog to see it. They dated, labeled and described all the materials recovered from burial sites.

In 1969, the Christ the King College Archaeological Museum was formally opened for public viewing. It was temporarily closed in 2005 when the Padua Building was renovated.

The Museum’s Second Spring. In November 2009, two months after the 5th death anniversary of Fr. Cantius, the City Council of Calbayog passed a Resolution declaring him as “An Honorary Samarnon and Adopted Son of the City”.

Before the end of 2010, it was deemed fitting that in its reopening the CKC Museum be named in his honor, he who was known as the Historian of Samar and the Bisayan region.

Images from the reopening of the CKC Museum

The Samar Archeological Museum of Christ the King College formally reopened yesterday. It has been renamed as the Fr. Cantius Kobak, ofm - Samar Archeological and Cultural Museum. The simple reopening program (which I hosted) preceded the Thanksgiving Mass which marked the start of TARAGPO 2010.

Here are some pictures I managed to take during the event.

Mr. Venancio Bajet, Dean of the CKC of Education as he narrated the Samar Odessy of Fr. Cantius Kobak, OFM.

U.P. Professor Rolando Borrinaga as he delivered his message.

Bro. Ramon Balan, OFM as he formally declared the reopening of the museum.

Dr. Francisca Santos and Mr. Pio Santos

Councilor Rey James Uy and Artist Raul Isidro

Fr. Sebastian Gabuy, OFM as he lead the prayer of blessing.

(l-r) Dr. Francisca Santos, Mr. Pio Santos, Mr. Venencio Bajet, Armando Toleza, George Emmanuel Borrinaga, Professor Rolando Borrinaga and Artist Raul Isidro.

The CKC Museum's new home

The CKC Museum is set to be reopened this coming December 29, 2010, in time for Taragpo 2010. I was at the CKC campus the past few days to finalize things for the opening and other details about Taragpo and the CSVP-CKC Alumni Association elections. Here are the pictures I took as workers got busy to finish the new home of the museum.

You might think that statue in front of the museum looks familiar. It should look familiar to every Christi Regian. It used to stand in front of the Technical Building, shown here:

Images from the Centennial Thanksgiving Mass

My internet connection was restored only a few minutes ago. Joselo Co of Studio 8 gave me some pictures taken during the Centennial Thanksgiving Mass which was held last Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The Centennial Thanksgiving Mass was the highlight of the Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Calbayog as a Diocese. The Eucharistic Celebration was presided over by the Papal Nuncio in the Philippines, Archbishop Joseph Edward Adams.

Here's the first set of pictures that I would like to share with you.

Rev. Cris Tan as he read the Gospel. With the Papal Nuncio are Archbishop Jose Palma and Palo Archbishop Emeritus Pedro Dean.

His Grace, Joseph Edward Adams

The Papal Nuncio with Archbishop Jose Palma, Bishop Isabelo Abarquez and Archbishop Pedro Dean. Also in photo are (l-r) Rev. Marlo Mangubat, Rev. Cris Tan, Rev. Fr. Julio Gaddi and Rev. Jake Yboa.

Bishop Isabelo Abarquez with Rev. Jojo De Guzman and Rev. Roger Oñate.

Some of the Archbishops and Bishop on hand for the celebration.

Some of the more than 300 priests as they took communion.

(More pictures in my next blog posts. In the meantime I would like to thank Mr. Joselo Co / Studio-8)

Diocese of Calbayog is 100 years old today

The faithful of the Diocese of Calbayog will gather at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral today to celebrate a Centennial Thanksgiving Mass as the Diocese turns 100 years old.

The Pope’s Ambassador
The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Joseph Edward Adams will lead the faithful in today’s centennial celebration. He is expected to arrive at 8:oo am today at the Calbayog airport where he will be accorded planeside honors. Bishop Isabelo Abarquez, Congressman Reynaldo Uy, Mayor Mel Sarmiento and Monsignor Bienvenido Chiquillo will lead church and government officials at the airport ceremonies. A motorcade will then convey the Papal ambassador to the Centennial Pastoral Center to prepare for the Centennial Thanksgiving Mass. The Eucharistic celebration will be followed by a luncheon at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

As of this writing, at least 29 Archbishops and Bishops have confirmed their attendance in the celebration. Priest from region 8, as well as the Dioceses in Cebu and Bicol will be on hand for the event. All 31 parishes of the diocese are expected to send their delegates.

Spiritual Preparations
Preparations for the big event started about two years ago with the various pre-synod activities and the 2nd Diocesan Synod itself which was held on April 14 to 17, 2009.

Catechisms and Missions led by the Redemptorist Missionaries were also held in the various barangays all over the diocese.

Religious Activities
Activities which included novena masses, reflections and catechisms were held in various parishes all over the diocese since April 1, 2010. Other highlights included the Re-dedication of the Cathedral on April 8, 2010; and yesterday’s events which included the Congress of the Clergy with Archbishop Soc Villegas; the Grand Centennial Procession; and the Diocesan Centennial Awards.

Cultural events
The Calbayog Clergy did two concerts. One at the St. Bartholomew Church in Catbalogan and another at the Calbayog City Sports Center. The CKC-Jose Gomez Orchestra also gave a free concert; and the Calbayog LGU through the City Arts and Culture Office present “Calbayog: An Pag-Ilawod” (The Journey). On the other hand, the Diocesan Museum was formally opened on April 8, 2010.

LGU preparations
In line with the celebration, Mayor Mel Sarmiento citing Calbayog City as the seat of the diocese, encouraged the faithful and the concerned LGU Department Managers to give their all-out support to the celebration. For its part, the City Government of Calbayog offered the free use of the Calbayog City Sports Center and the Buses for the various events in the past four days. It also arranged the arrival honors for the Nuncio; and coordinated the security preparations for the event.

Short History (taken from the Calbayog coffee table book)
The Diocese of Calbayog was created by virtue of the consistorial Decree Novas Erigere Dioceses which was issued by Pope St. Pius X on April 10, 1910. The decree separated the islands of Samar and Leyte from the Diocese of Cebu. Calbayog was designated as sede (or seat) of this new diocese.

How and why Calbayog was chosen to be the sede is not exactly known. Calbayog, at that time, was relatively a newcomer among the towns and parishes of Samar and Leyte after all. But the choice had its logic. Calbayog was, by then, the largest and most progressive town in the region. It had the biggest church. It was easily accessible to Leyte and Cebu by sea. But most importantly, it was a stoutly Catholic town, firmly grounded on its religious traditions and institutions with strong and active Catholic lay elite. It was also the only town in the region with a Catholic colegio.

The Bishop of Cebu, Msgr. Thomas Hendrick, must have remembered how in 1904, a group of principales of Calbayog, headed by Señor Buenaventura Rosales, petitioned the American Governor of Samar to have religion taught to their children in the public schools. When the Governor ignored the request, the group, with the help of Fr. Jose Diasnes, parish priest, approached the Bishop and asked him to allow a Catholic school to be established in the town. They requested that it be run either by the Paules (the priests of the Congregation of the Mission) or the Jesuits. The Bishop of Cebu sent his Vicar General, Msgr. Pablo Singzon, to Calbayog to look into the feasibility of the request. This resulted in the establishment in 1905 the Colegio de San Vincente de Paul, which the people of Calbayog supported. This event greatly impressed the Bishop and Msgr. Singzon, and must have been a factor in the choice for the seat of the new diocese.

It was a long way from being a visita of Capul to being the sede and center of a rather large diocese comprising of 86 parishes. This promotion not only confirmed and enhanced the status of Calbayog then. Being the Episcopal seat would exert strong influences on its development in the future.

Centennial Event: The Calbayog Clergy Centennial Concert

The clergy of Calbayog will be in town tomorrow for the second cultural event in line with the Centennial Celebration of the Diocese of Calbayog -

The Calbayog Clergy Centennial Concert

The said concert will be held tomorrow at 7:00 pm at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

Diocesan Centennial Update: Pilgrimage Sites

I checked my files and I found this picture of a billboard which was installed at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral many months ago (yup months before they started doing the landscaping project. Don't look for it (the billboard) now, it was blown away when a typhoon hit the city a few months ago. Anyway, the billboard contained this announcement:

In celebration of the

Centenary of the Diocese of Calbayog

this Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul

has been proclaimed as Pilgrimage Site

You can gain Plenary Indulgence

Other churches which the Bishop of Calbayog proclaimed as Pilgrimage Sites are:

• St. Bartolomew Church in Catbalogan
• St. Michael the Archangel Church in Bassey
• Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish Church in Calbiga
• St. Anthony de Padua Parish Church in Zumarraga
• The Diocesan Marian Shrine in Ubanun, Catbalogan

A Centennial Book on Our History

I recently got hold of a flyer on the Coffeetable Book which will be published in time for the Centenary of the Diocese of Calbayog. I thought I would like to share with you the contents of that flyer and the appeal from the Bishop of Calbayog and the Centennial Book Committee for support to the project.

"Celebrating the 100th year of the Founding of the Diocese of Calbayog: A Centennial Book on Our History"

On April 10, 2010, the Diocese of Calbayog will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding as a Diocese. It was on April 10, 1910, when Pope St. Piux X issued the Consistorial Decree Novas Erigere Dioecesis that establshed the new Diocese of Calbayog covering Samar and Leyte islands, separate from the Diocese of Cebu.

For more than 300 years before this event, Samar island was administered by the Spanish missionaries - 173 years under the Order of the Society of Jesus and 134 years under the Franciscans - all under the Bishoperic of Cebu.

Bishop Pablo Singzon, a native of Calbiga who was Ecclesiastical Governor of the Diocese of Cebu from 1901 to 1903 was appointed as the first Bishop of the new diocese. Bishop Singzon chose the town of Calbayog in Samar which was the largest and most progressive town in the region, to be the seat of the new diocese.

The newly-erected diocese had 84 parroquias - 39 in Samar and 45 in Leyte. there were 35 priests in Samar (26 were Franciscans and only 9 were native clergy). In Leyte, there were 42 priests, all secular clergy. Bishop Singzon named Fr. Sofronio Hacbang as Provisor and Vicario General while Fr. Conrado Maga was named Secretaria de Camara y Gobierno. On May 2 - 4, 1911, Bishop Singzon convoked a diocesan Synod held at the church of Palo, Leyte.

And so,

--- the cornerstone for the foundation of the diocese had been laid.

Researching for our history
How it developed and how it transformed the lives of the faithful particularly Samareños in the last 100 years is the subject of an ongoing research.

A Centennial Book
In time for our centennial celebration on April 2010, we will publish the history of the Diocese in a coffeetable book.

We already have embarked on the project to research and write the history of the Diocese, tracing its beginnings not just to 1910 when it was erected but to go further back to 1596 when the first Spanish missionaries came to Samar to introduce the Christian faith to Samareños.

We truly believe that the centennial celebration of the founding of the Diocese can be viewed and appreciated more significantly if the church - the clergy and the laity understands its history.

------------------------------------

An Appeal from the Bishop of Calbayog:

Your generous support is needed
This cherished dream to document the growth of our faith in Samar will only be realized with your generous support for its publication.

Be part of history
May we, therefore, enjoin you to be part of our history, be part of our centennial celebration and be one of our Benefactors and Sponsors of the book.

Your names enshrined
Your names will be enshrined in the book and you will also receive free copies of the coffeetable book.

May the Lord reward your generosity and shower your family with bountiful blessings!

------------------------------------

For more information, please contact the Centennial Book Committee:

Fr. Noel Labendia: +63 927-896-4252
Fr. Niceas Abejuela: +63 918-939-4637
Charo Nabong-Cabardo: +63 915-429-6113
Rene Nachura: +63 918-900-5048
Diocesan Chancery: (+63 55) 209-13-72/ Telefax: (+63 55) 209-30-12
Email: centennialbook.calbayogdiocese@gmail.com

The Centennial Celebration

Today in history: Pope John Paul I Elevated to Papacy (1978)

Hi there! It's the history buff in me again. Thanks to the various conspiracy theories about the death of Pope John Paul I, I got stock on the late pope. It has been 31 years since his election. Let me give you something which I got from "The Free Dictionary".

Pope John Paul I

(Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. I, Italian: Giovanni Paolo I)

Born Albino Luciani, (October 17, 1912—September 28, 1978)

Reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church

and as Sovereign of Vatican City from August 26, 1978 until his death.

His 33-day papacy was one of the shortest reigns in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes. John Paul I was the first Pope to have been born in the 20th century. Having died before he could make a legacy as a pope, he is best remembered for his friendliness and humility, making him known as "the smiling Pope", drawing comparisons with "Good Pope John", the widely popular Pope John XXIII. He was the first pope to choose a double name and did so to honor his two immediate predecessors, Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. He was also the first (and so far only) pope to use "the first" in his regnal name. In Italy he is remembered with the affectionate appellatives of "Il Papa del Sorriso" ("The Pope of the Smile") and "Il Sorriso di Dio" ("God's Smile").

Arms of John Paul I, a blending of the arms of his two predecessors

Biography
Personal background and papal electionAlbino Luciani was born in Forno de Canale (now called Canale d'Agordo) in Belluno, a province of the Veneto region in northern Italy. He was the son of Giovanni Luciani, who had two daughters from a previous marriage, and Bortola Tancon. While his father was allegedly a Socialist and anti-clerical in his beliefs, his mother was reported to be a devout Catholic,[1] having once considered becoming a nun. Albino was followed by a sister named Antonia and a brother named Edoardo, who later became a schoolteacher. Giovanni Luciani had no regular job, and was forced to seek work elsewhere, including Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and France; it was a Bergamese man Giovanni met in Germany after whom Albino was named. By 1935, however, Giovanni had a permanent job as a Murano glass-blower. Bortola, meanwhile, remained home and helped support the family by writing to the illiterate and working as a scullery maid.

He entered the minor seminary of Feltre in 1923, where his teachers found him "too lively", and later went on to the major seminary of Belluno. During his stay at Belluno, he attempted to join the Jesuits but was denied by the seminary's rector, Bishop Giosuè Cattarossi. Ordained a priest on July 7, 1935, Luciani then served as a curate in his native Forno de Canale before becoming a professor and the vice-rector of the Belluno seminary in 1937. Among the different subjects, he taught dogmatic and moral theology, canon law, and sacred art. In 1941 Luciani began to seek a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, which required at least one year's attendance in Rome. However, the seminary's superiors wanted him to continue teaching during his doctoral studies; the situation was resolved by a special dispensation of Pope Pius XII himself, on March 27, 1941. His thesis (The origin of the human soul according to Antonio Rosmini) largely attacked Rosmini's theology, and earned him his doctorate magna cum laude.

In 1947, he was named vicar general to Bishop Girolamo Bortignon, OFM Cap, of Belluno. Two years later, in 1949, he was placed in charge of diocesan catechetics. On December 15, 1958, Luciani was appointed Bishop of Vittorio Veneto by Pope John XXIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 27 from Pope John himself, with Bishops Bortignon and Gioacchino Muccin serving as co-consecrators. As a bishop, he participated in all the sessions of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). On December 15, 1969, he was appointed Patriarch of Venice by Pope Paul VI and took possession of the archdiocese on February 3, 1970. Pope Paul created Luciani Cardinal Priest of S. Marco in the consistory of March 5, 1973.

John Paul I described himself as quiet, unassuming, and modest, with a warm sense of humor. In his notable Angelus of August 27, delivered on the first day of his papacy, he impressed the world with his natural friendliness. What also struck Catholics was his humility, a prime example being his embarrassment when Paul VI once removed his papal stole and put it on Patriarch Luciani. He recalls the occasion in his first Angelus thus:

Pope Paul VI made me blush to the roots of my hair in the presence of 20,000 people, because he removed his stole and placed it on my shoulders. Never have I blushed so much!

Papacy
Luciani was elected on the fourth ballot of the August 1978 papal conclave. He chose the regnal name of John Paul, the first double name in the history of the papacy, explaining in his famous Angelus that he took it as a thankful honor to his two immediate predecessors: John XXIII, who had named him a bishop, and Paul VI, who had named him Patriarch of Venice and a cardinal.

Observers have suggested that his selection was linked to the rumored divisions between rival camps within the College of Cardinals:

• Conservatives and Curialists supporting Giuseppe Siri, who favored a more conservative interpretation or even correction of post-Vatican II's reforms.
• Those who favored a more liberal interpretation of Vatican II's reforms, and some Italian cardinals supporting Giovanni Cardinal Benelli, who was opposed because of his "autocratic" tendencies.
• The dwindling band of supporters of Sergio Cardinal Pignedoli, who was allegedly so confident that he was papabile that he went on a crash diet to fit the right size of white cassock when elected.

Outside the Italians, now themselves a lessening influence within the increasingly internationalist College of Cardinals, were figures like Cardinal Karol Wojtyła. Luciani later claimed to his private secretary, Father John Magee, that he had sat facing the next pope. (Some reports claim he called the man "the foreigner".) In 1980, having become Papal Master of Ceremonies, Magee out of curiosity checked the seating plans in the Sistine Chapel for the August 1978 conclave, which were kept in a file in his office. It showed that the man opposite Luciani was indeed Wojtyła. He immediately told Wojtyła, who was later known as Pope John Paul II, of his predecessor's prediction. Magee discusses this in the interview he gave to RTÉ on the 8th April 2005, available in the external links, below.

Over the days following the conclave, cardinals effectively declared that with general great joy they had elected "God's candidate". Argentine Eduardo Cardinal Pironio stated that, "We were witnesses of a moral miracle." And later, Mother Teresa commented: "He has been the greatest gift of God, a sunray of God's love shining in the darkness of the world."

Long conclave predicted
Many, including the cardinals, expected a long conclave, deadlocked between the camps. Luciani was an easy compromise. He was a pastor more in the spirit of Vatican II than an austere intellectual, a man with few autocratic pretensions and so less unwelcome to some than Giovanni Cardinal Benelli. And for Italian cardinals, determined not to "lose" the papacy to a non-Italian for the first time in centuries and faced with other controversial Italian candidates, Luciani was an Italian with no baggage. He had no enemies created through a high profile career in the Curia, made no controversial or radical statements or sermons and was just a smiling gentleman, a pastor.

Even before the conclave began, journalists covering it for Vatican Radio noted increasing mention of his name, often from cardinals who barely knew him but wanted to find out more; not least, "What is the state of the man's health?" Had they known just how precarious his health was (his feet were so swollen he could not wear the shoes bought for him by his family for the conclave) they might have looked elsewhere for Paul VI's successor. But they did not. Hence, to his own horror and disbelief, he was elected to the papacy. The surprise of his election is captured in his official portrait, his hair is clumsily brushed back, because unlike papabili cardinals who expect their election, he had not had his hair cut for the conclave. When he was asked if he accepted his election, he stated "May God forgive you for what you have done". Moments later, hesitating, he said: "I accept".

Vincent Browne's claim
The belief that Luciani's election was a decision not made until during the conclave was challenged by senior Irish journalist Vincent Browne, who in 2005 revealed that he had been told by a senior Vatican source, whom he declined to name, that a number of cardinals had already decided informally amongst themselves to elect Luciani pope (though Luciani himself was unaware of it) during the sede vacante period between Pope Paul VI's death and the conclave. The source told him to expect a quick election. Browne recounted discussing this with sociologist and priest Father Andrew Greeley, who dismissed the claim, the idea of a short conclave and Luciani's chances of election. Their discussion was cut short by the crowd reacting to the traditional white smoke issuing from the Sistine Chapel's chimney, the conclusion of what indeed had turned out to be an abnormally short conclave. To Greeley's visible astonishment Luciani was announced as the new pope.

The smiling pope
After his election, John Paul quickly made several decisions that would "humanise" the office of pope, admitting publicly he had turned scarlet when Paul VI had named him the patriarch of Venice. He was the first modern pope to speak in the singular form, using I instead of we, though the official records of his speeches were often rewritten in more formal style by traditionalist aides, who reinstated the royal we in press releases and in L'Osservatore Romano. He was the first to refuse the sedia gestatoria until Vatican pressure convinced him of its need, in order to allow the faithful to see him. Vatican officials tactfully did not mention to him that his awkward flat-footed walk, which they felt was "unregal" and ungainly, also embarrassed them.

John Paul was the first pope to admit that the prospect of the papacy had daunted him to the point that other cardinals had to encourage him to accept it. He strongly suggested to his aides and staff that he believed he was unfit to be pope. Though Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo explicitly required that John Paul be crowned, he controversially refused to have the millennium-old traditional Papal Coronation and wear the Papal Tiara.[2] He instead chose to have a simplified Papal Inauguration Mass. John Paul I used as his motto Humilitas.

New Pope, new rules
As a theologian, he was regarded as being on the conservative side. However, he raised considerable worry within the Vatican when he met with representatives of the United Nations to discuss the issue of overpopulation in the Third World, a controversial issue in light of the Church's anti-contraceptive stance. Some critics of Humanæ Vitæ [1], Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical on sexual mores which restated the Catholic Church's opposition to artificial birth control in the age of the first contraceptive pill, [2] [3], expressed the hope that a new pontiff would somehow reverse this traditional teaching.

John Paul I intended to prepare an encyclical in order to confirm the lines of the Second Vatican Council ("an extraordinary long-range historical event and of growth for the Church", he said) and to enforce the Church's discipline in the life of priests and the faithful. In discipline, he was a reformist, instead, and was the author of initiatives such as the devolution of one per cent of each church's entries for the poor churches in the Third World. The visit of Jorge Rafael Videla, president of the Argentine junta, to the Vatican caused considerable controversy, especially when the Pope reminded Videla about human rights' violations taking place in Argentina during the so-called Dirty War.

John Paul may have impressed people by his personal warmth, but within the Vatican he was seen as an intellectual lightweight not up to the responsibilities of the papacy. In the words of John Cornwell, "they treated him with condescension"; one senior cleric discussing Luciani said "they have elected Peter Sellers". Critics contrasted his sermons mentioning Pinocchio to the learned intellectual discourses of Pius XII or Paul VI. Visitors spoke of his isolation and loneliness, and the fact that he was the first pope in decades not to have had either a diplomatic (such as Pius XI and John XXIII) or Curial role in the Church (such as Pius XII and Paul VI).

Death
John Paul's sudden death, only 33 days after his election, caused worldwide shock. The cause of death as officially reported by the Vatican was "possibly associated to a myocardial infarction" (a common form of heart attack). However, a degree of uncertainty accompanies this diagnosis because it is the tradition for Popes not to have an autopsy. This uncertainty has led to a number of conspiracy theories about the pope's death.

In addition, Vatican healthcare had been notoriously poor for some of his predecessors. Pope Paul VI's poor healthcare is generally agreed to have hastened the approach of his death. There is no evidence to suggest that the standard of Vatican health care had improved by Pope John Paul I's 33-day reign. Nor, given his apparent lack of heart problems (as attested to by his own doctor, who flatly contradicted the rumours that came from the Vatican in the aftermath of the pope's death) was there any apparent immediate requirement for a review of medical services. In contrast, John Paul I's successor, Pope John Paul II, always had access to excellent medical services, a fact that saved his life after the assassination attempt made upon him in 1981.

The Pope's body was embalmed within one day of his death. Wild rumours spread. One rumour claimed that a visiting prelate had recently died from drinking "poisoned coffee" prepared for the pope. A visiting prelate actually had died some days earlier, but there was no evidence of any poison. Another unsubstantiated rumour described the Pope's plans to dismiss senior Vatican officials over allegations of corruption. The suddenness of his embalming raised suspicions that it had been done to prevent an autopsy. The Vatican insisted that a papal autopsy was prohibited under Vatican law. However one source (the diary of Agostino Chigi) reports that an autopsy was carried out on the remains of Pope Pius VIII in 1830. On November 11, 2006 the first part of his beatification process concluded at the Belluno cathedral.

Legacy of Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I was not in office long enough to make any major practical changes within the Vatican or the Roman Catholic Church (except for his abandonment of the Papal Coronation). His impact was twofold: his image as a warm, gentle, kind man captivated the world. The media in particular fell under his spell. He was a skilled orator. Whereas Pope Paul VI spoke as if delivering a doctoral thesis, John Paul I produced warmth, laughter, a 'feel good factor', and plenty of media-friendly sound bites. Secondly, the manner of his death raised many questions about the conduct of senior Vatican figures. Even among those who dismiss conspiracy theories, there are some that admit that the Vatican mishandled the circumstances of his death. For others, the suspicion remains that the 'smiling pope', who charmed the world, died in a manner that has yet to be explained adequately. He was regarded as a skilled communicator and writer, and has left behind some writings. His book Illustrissimi, written while he was a Cardinal, is a series of letters to a wide collection of historical and fictional persons. Among those still available are his letters to Jesus Christ, the Biblical King David, Figaro the Barber, Marie Theresa of Austria and Pinocchio. Others 'written to' included Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Christopher Marlowe.

A number of campaigns have been started to canonize Pope John Paul I. Miracles have been attributed to him. On June 10, 2003 the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints gave its permission for the opening of the beatification process of Pope John Paul I, Servant of God. The "diocesan phase" of this process began in Belluno on November 23, 2003; a miracle has already been alleged, of an Italian man cured of cancer.

John Paul II on his predecessor
Karol Józef Wojtyła was elected to succeed John Paul I as Supreme Pontiff on Monday, 16 October 1978. The next day he celebrated Mass together with the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. After the Mass, he delivered his first Urbi et Orbi (a traditional blessing) message, broadcast worldwide via radio. In it he pledged fidelity to the Second Vatican Council and paid tribute to his predecessor:

"What can we say of John Paul I? It seems to us that only yesterday he emerged from this assembly of ours to put on the papal robes—not a light weight. But what warmth of charity, nay, what 'an abundant outpouring of love'—which came forth from him in the few days of his ministry and which in his last Sunday address before the Angelus he desired should come upon the world. This is also confirmed by his wise instructions to the faithful who were present at his public audiences on faith, hope and love." (source: L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, 26 October 1978, p.3)

goodbye Tita Cory

January 25, 1933 - August 1, 2009

Prayer For A Happy Death by Cory Aquino

Almighty God, most merciful Father

You alone know the time

You alone know the hour

You alone know the moment

When I shall breathe my last.
So, remind me each day,

most loving Father

To be the best that I can be.

To be humble,

to be kind,

To be patient,

to be true.

To embrace what is good,

To reject what is evil,

To adore only You.

When the final moment does come

Let not my loved ones grieve for long.

Let them comfort each other

And let them know how much happiness

They brought into my life.

Let them pray for me,

As I will continue to pray for them,

Hoping that they will always prayfor each other.

Let them know that they made possible

Whatever good I offered to our world.

And let them realize that our separation

Is just for a short while

As we prepare for our reunion in eternity.

Our Father in heaven,

You alone are my hope.

You alone are my salvation.

Thank you for your unconditional love, Amen.