Eraño Manalo Avenue (Formerly Commonwealth Avenue)

Politician lawmakers, not religious leaders who still believe in the mythical Iglesia ni Cristo "bloc vote" came up with a suggestion to rename the Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to Eraño Manalo Avenue.

Is this politicking?!

Housebill 6785 proposes to rename one of the busiest streets in Quezon City to the Iglesia ni Cristo heir (son of the founder Felix Manalo) in recognition of his "spiritual contribution" to the Filipino people.

What kind of spiritual contribution these Congressmen and women are saying? This same Iglesia ni Cristo denied Christ and accused the Catholic Church and Protestants of being "sons of perdition."

Let's not forget these "Traditional Politicians (trapos)" lawmakers who are very much influenced under the INC mythical "bloc vote" spell. They are Reps. Candido P. Pancrudo, Jr. (Bukidnon), Diosdado “Dato" M. Arroyo (Camarines Sur), Pedro P. Romualdo (Camiguin), Yevgeny Vincente B. Emano (Misamis Oriental), Jose S. Aquino II (Agusan del Norte), Antonio F. Lagdameo, Jr. (Davao del Norte) at Rommel C. Amatong (Compostela Valley).

If there's any religious leader who truly united our people, it should be the late Cardinal Jaime Sin even without his being Archbishop. No one doubts about that!

Commonwealth Ave nais ipangalan kay 'Ka Erdy' Manalo ng INC

MANILA (GMANews)– Nais ng ilang kongresista na ipangalan kay Eraño “Ka Edy" Manalo, ang pumanaw na punong tagapamahala ng Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), ang Commonwealth Avenue sa Quezon City.

Sa isang pahayag mula sa Kamara de Representante nitong Sabado, inihayag ng mga kongresista na ang pagpapalit ng pangalan ng Commonwealth Avenue bilang Eraño G. Manalo Avenue ay pagkilala sa kanyang “spiritual contribution" sa bansa.

“House Bill 6785 sought to convey Ka Erdy’s idea of Filipino ingenuity by sculpturing a religion that originated in the Philippines, which has expanded around the world," nakasaad sa pahayag.

Sa ilalim ng pamamahala ni Manalo lumaganap ang kapatiran ng INC sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng mundo. Tinatayang mayroong simbahan ang INC sa 60 bansa.

“Ka Erdy also piloted the spiritual and moral well being of the Filipino people," ayon sa mga kongresista.

Dapat din umanong kilalanin ang malaking kontribusyon ni Ka Erdy sa paghubog ng kultura ng mga Pilipino sa kanyang mga tagasunod sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mga pangaral sa pinapaniwalaang relihiyon.

“With Eraño G. Manalo’s religious leadership that transcended over political and social boundaries, Ka Erdy is worthy to be lined up with great Filipino leaders and other great Filipino achievers," idinagdag sa pahayag.

Sa ilalim ng panukala, inaatasan nito ang Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) na magpalabas ng kautusan at alituntunin upang ipatupad ang pagpapalit ng pangalan ng highway.

Ang Commonwealth Avenue ang itinuturing ng Metro Manila Development Authority na isa sa mga pangunahing lansangan sa Metro Manila at buong bansa na may pinakamaraming kaso ng aksidente.

Bagong tawaging Commonwealth Avenue, naunang pinangalanan ang highway bilang Don Mariano Marcos Avenue, na may habang 12.4 km simula sa Quezon Memorial Circle hanggang Quirino Highway sa Novaliches.

Kabilang sa mga may-akda sa panukala ay sina Reps. Candido P. Pancrudo, Jr. (Bukidnon), Diosdado “Dato" M. Arroyo (Camarines Sur), Pedro P. Romualdo (Camiguin), Yevgeny Vincente B. Emano (Misamis Oriental), Jose S. Aquino II (Agusan del Norte), Antonio F. Lagdameo, Jr. (Davao del Norte) at Rommel C. Amatong (Compostela Valley).

Pumanaw si Ka Erdy, 84-anyos, noong Agosto 31 sa kanyang tahanan dahil sa cardiopulmonary arrest. – GMANews.TV

If these lawmakers wanted to do that, let them do it in their cities, not in Quezon City. If they wish, they could name our kantos and esquinitas to him. In terms of number, the El Shaddai of Mike Velarde is more than tha affiliates of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

Stop playing politics and religion together. Keep our street names from any religious influence.

God, not Obama will bring peace to the Middle East, says Jordanian bishop

Obama wants peace but he can't achieve to do it, only God can. This is what the good Bishop of Jordan Most. Rev. Selim Sayegh said in reaction to Obama's Nobel Peace Prize.

Source Article: CNS
Amman, Jordan, Oct 9, 2009 / 02:25 pm.- The Vicar of Jordan, Most Rev. Selim Sayegh, spoke to CNA in Amman last week about the tensions in the Middle East as well as the diminishing number of Christians in the area. He noted that Catholics can assist those struggling in the region by praying for peace because “true peace comes from the Lord,” not Obama, or Israeli/Palestinian leaders.

Sayegh, who has served Jordan as an auxiliary bishop for 27 years, addressed the plight of Christians in the Middle East, particularly the ones living in Iraq. He noted that the while the situation isn’t desperate, less Christians are living in the area than is considered ideal.

“Why,” the bishop asked, are not only Christians but also Muslims leaving the area? “All of them, they are looking for peace…they want peace for their children,” he answered.

“Once peace is established into these countries...no one would think about leaving.”

He zeroed in on Iraq asking why anyone would leave – it’s “one of the richest countries in the world,” however “there is no hope.”

When Iraqi Christian’s leave, they go to Jordan or Syria, the vicar explained. But, “for the most part, the Christians don’t intend to become established in Jordan,” but they only “stay until they can obtain a visa to the United States, Europe or Australia.”

“It’s a very sad situation,” the bishop lamented, explaining that many of the Iraqis were educated, economically well-off people in their country, but when they leave, all of a sudden, “poof, and they have nothing.”

Bishop Sayegh said that Catholics around the world can help improve the situation in the Middle East not only by being “good citizens,” but also by praying for peace.

“Pray for peace because true peace comes from the Lord, it doesn’t come from Obama or from Netanyahu or from Abu Mazen,” but rather from the “Lord of peace,” the bishop remarked.

Reflecting on Christians’ role in the peace process, Bishop Sayegh said that they have their place, but that they are called to play a role by living out the faith. “That’s why every day in our churches we pray for peace,” since God is the only one who is “able to change the hearts” and to “arrive at peace” in the region.

Pope Receives Palestinian President Abbas

Disgusting Nobel Peace Prize for Obama?!

Photo Credit: AP News:

How frustrating this Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Barack Hussein Obama, President of the United States. While he is busy bridging the gap between the ever spoiled Islamic nations to the oil hungry Western societies, he is preaching hatred and "inhumanely" way of killing helpless unborn tiny human beings while still inside their mothers' womb.

Disgusting!

I can agree no more than what the American Papist said "Well, it's official, the Nobel Peace Prize is MEANINGLESS."

VIETNAM Abandoned elderly women find support at Church-run center

Among the many charitable institutions run by Catholic nuns around the world is "Home for the Aged". Once again, the splendor of Christ's love to everyone has been sowed through the works of these selfless Sisters of Charity.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (Source: UCAN -- They have had feces thrown at them, food spat in their faces, and endured verbal abuse. But all these problems have not deterred Missionaries of Charity of Christ nuns from continuing to serve elderly residents in their care.

“It is not simple to look after elderly people. We have to be patient and bear with them because they are like children,” said Sister Mary Martin Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa from the Missionaries of Charity of Christ congregation, a local Religious community.

Sister Hoa, who heads the Center for Elderly People, a home for women in Ho Chi Minh City, said half the residents there suffer paralysis and stay in bed most of the time. Only four are strong enough to help prepare meals and wash clothes.

Sister Hoa, 50, and another 11 nuns work from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ever day to serve the center’s 60 women who are aged 60-102. The nuns clean the rooms, bathe the women, wash their clothes, provide health care, feed them and bring the wheelchair bound to the chapel for prayers.

Sister Hoa recalled that once a resident threw feces at her as she was trying to bathe the woman. Some residents have hit and shouted at nuns, while others have spat food at them.

Sister Hoa, who started working at the center 10 years ago, said many residents who have such negative attitudes had been “neglected or abused by their relatives or others.”

Father Paul Nguyen Van Khi, who founded the center near Tan Thong church in the city’s Cu Chi district, said many residents have no children, homes or money and feel lonely. “They really need love care from others.”

The center opened in 1988 and provides accommodation and food for elderly women who had been abandoned by their families. The women come from the city and the neighboring provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Long An and Tien Giang.

Residents UCA News spoke to said they are grateful for the nuns’ care, although they did not fully appreciate it at first.

One 74-year-old woman recalled how she used to vent her anger at the nuns when she first arrived. At the time she thought no one loved her.

“My only son forced me to leave home,” she said. However, “after living here for one year, I have found true love from others and have changed my attitude.”

Agnes Nguyen Thi Kim Chi, who used to sleep on sidewalks seven years ago, said, “I am very happy to live here. I am given accommodation, food and health care.” She added, “I might have died without this center.”

Rita Lam Tieu Nhi, another resident, said she has made many friends since coming here in 2004. “I am loved and much respected here,” she shared. The 63-year-old said she helps the nuns to clean the center and wash clothes of the other residents.

Father Khi said he spends one hour a day visiting and talking with those women. “I bring them joy just by shaking their hands, smiling at them or talking about their health.”

The priest said the center’s monthly operating costs are 32 million dong (US$1,800) which comes from donations by benefactors and local Catholics. About 300 local families donate at least 5,000 dong each a month, he said.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has around 8 million elderly people, nearly 10 percent of the population. Many of them have to work for a living.

This is the challenge all professing Christians should do.

Geert Wilders' Speech in NY

Source: lefleurdelystoo or visit Geert Wilder's site HERE!

'In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: who lost Europe?'

Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands, at the Four Seasons, New York, introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem.

Dear friends,

Thank you very much for inviting me.

I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States is the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.

First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem.

The Europe you know is changing.

You have probably seen the landmarks.. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.

All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.

There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe. With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.

Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam, Marseille and Malmo in Sweden.In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.

In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims.

Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils.. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear 'whore, whore'. Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin. The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.

In England Sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels, because he was drinking during the Ramadan.

Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II.. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya, Israel. I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.

Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France. One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have Muslim official state holidays.

The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept Sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey.

Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies, they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.

Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored. I

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.

Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology.. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is Sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.

…….
So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a danger greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem.

Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe's children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us.. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.

Geert Wilders is a Dutch Member of Parliament.

Dieu le Roy!
Brantigny

Support Geert Wilders, click HERE!

Pastor and Flock Convert to Catholicism

(Source from Catholic Education): When Pentecostal minister Alex Jones came into the Church this past Easter he was not alone. He brought much of his congregation in with him.

When Detroit-born Alex Jones became a Pentecostal minister in 1972, there was little question among those who knew him that he was answering God's call to preach.

Now, many of his friends and family have dismissed the 59-year-old pastor as an apostate for embracing the Catholic faith, closing the nondenominational church he organized in 1982, and taking part of his congregation with him.

At this year's April 14 Easter Vigil, Jones, his wife, Donna, and 62 other former members of Detroit's Maranatha Church, was received into the Catholic Church at St. Suzanne's Parish. For Jones, becoming a Catholic will mark the end of a journey that began with the planting of a seed by Catholic apologist and Register columnist Karl Keating. It also will mean the beginning of a new way of life.

Jones first heard Keating, the founder of Catholic Answers, at a debate on whether the origins of the Christian church were Protestant or Catholic. At the close, Keating asked, "If something took place, who would you want to believe, those who saw it or those who came thousands of years later and told what happened?"

"Good point," Jones thought, and tucked it away. Five years later, while he was reading about the church fathers, Keating's question resurfaced. Jones began a study of the Church's beginnings, sharing his newfound knowledge with his congregation.

To illustrate what he was talking about, in the spring of 1998 he re-enacted an early worship service, never intending to alter his congregation's worship style. "But once I discovered the foundational truths and saw that Christianity was not the same as I was preaching, some fine-tuning needed to take place."

Soon, Maranatha Church's Sunday service was looking more like a Catholic Mass with Pentecostal overtones. "We said all the prayers with all the rubrics of the Church, all the readings, the Eucharistic prayers. We did it all, and we did it with an African-American style."

Not everyone liked the change, however, and the 200-member congregation began to dwindle. Meanwhile, Jones contacted Detroit's Sacred Heart Seminary and was referred to Steve Ray of Milan, Mich., whose conversion story is told in Crossing the Tiber.

"I set up a lunch with him right away and we pretty much had lunch every month after that," said Ray. He introduced Jones to Dennis Walters, the catechist at Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor, Mich. Walters began giving the Pentecostal pastor and his wife weekly instructions in March, 1999.

CROSSROADS

Eventually, Jones and his congregation arrived at a crossroads. On June 4, the remaining adult members of Maranatha Church voted 39-19 to begin the process of becoming Catholic. In September, they began studies at St. Suzanne's.

Maranatha closed for good in December. The congregation voted to give Jones severance pay and sell the building, a former Greek Orthodox church, to the First Tabernacle Church of God in Christ.

Father Dennis Duggan, St. Suzanne's 53-year-old pastor, said the former Maranatha members and their pastor along with about 10 other candidates comprise the 750-member parish's largest-ever convert class.

UNITY AND DIVERSITY

Although not all parishioners at predominantly white St. Suzanne's have received the group warmly, Father Duggan, who also is white, said he considers the newcomers a gift and an answer to prayer.

"What the Lord seems to have brought together in the two of us — Alex and myself — is two individuals who have a similar dream about diversity. Detroit is a particularly segregated kind of community, especially on Sunday morning, and here you've got two baptized believers who really believe we ought to be looking different."

Father Duggan hopes eventually to bring Jones onto the parish staff. Already, he has encouraged Jones to join him in teaching at a Wednesday night Bible service. And, he is working on adapting the music at Masses so that it better reflects the parish's new makeup.

The current European worship style at St. Suzanne's has been the most difficult adjustment for the former Maranatha members, Jones said, because they had been accustomed to using contemporary music with the Catholic prayers and rituals. "The cultural adaptation is far more difficult than the theological adaptation," he said.

PROTESTANT ISSUES

Jones said the four biggest problems Protestants have with Catholicism are teachings about Mary, purgatory, papal authority, and praying to saints. He resolved three of the four long ago, but struggled the most with Mary, finally accepting the teaching on her just because the church taught it.... Read More...

Fatima Apparition now in Film

New movie about Our Lady of Fatima to be screened in major U.S. cities

San Francisco, Calif., Oct 1, 2009 / 06:39 am (Thanks to CNA).- A new film about the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, based on the memoirs of visionary Sister Lucia and the accounts of thousands of eyewitnesses, will be holding pre-release screenings in at least seven major U.S. cities.

“The 13th Day” is the first major motion picture by directors Ian and Dominic Higgins. According to the film’s U.S. distributor Ignatius Press, their film tells the story of the Virgin Mary’s appearances to Lucia Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

Over a six month period in 1917, the Virgin Mary gave prophecies and warnings to children that included a harrowing vision of hell, the spread of communism and the attempted assassination of a Pope.

The film was shot on location in Portugal and in the United Kingdom. It has a cast of hundreds and three young Portuguese actors will play the roles of the young visionaries.

Anthony Ryan, Director of Marketing for Ignatius Press, described the film as an “antidote” for our times.
“It is a reminder that a thin veil exists between our world and the next. The Message of Fatima is a relevant wake-up call to a culture torn apart by abortion, war, and injustice. Every Catholic, perhaps every person, should see this film,” he said.

Screenings of “The 13th Day” are scheduled for October 13, the anniversary of the final apparition. They will be held in Atlanta, New York City, Denver, Chicago and Oakland. Other cities with screenings include Orlando, Florida and Austin and Fort Worth, Texas.

Interested Catholic leaders can sign up for a screening in their area at the site Catholic Screenings.

The movie’s website is at http://www.ignatius.com/the-13th-day/

An Iglesia ni Cristo Member quoting anti-Catholic articles which believes Christ is God

I came accross a very interesting rhetorical anti-catholic article which was posted by a member of the cult of Felix Manalo, the Iglesia ni Cristo. The owner's name was hidden by the penname "READ ME" whose blog is found at readmeinc.blogspot.com/2009/10/rosary-from-pagan-practices.html

"Read me" wanted to make a score thinking that by posting such an article that attacks the Catholic Church would advance the Iglesia ni Cristo's teachings against the Catholic Church. The said anti-Catholic article is about the Holy Rosary which is a devotional prayer for Catholics to the Mother of the Lord.

As I was about to post a comment, at the end of his post, I found out that he provided his/her source which he took from godsonlygospel.com. Checking his source, the site is just one of the many anti-Catholic protestant owned sites which also espouses the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is God (a teaching they so dispised). Iif I'm "readme" I'd rather shy away or stop quoting from some sources that contradicts my belief as a devout Iglesia ni Cristo.

If "read me" thought that by posting an anti-Catholic article would advance his cult's claims against the Catholic Church, I am sorry but he quoted from a wrong source from a wrong reason.

What a shame!

Synod launches with focus on issues facing Church in Africa

Vatican City, Oct 4, 2009 / 04:01 am (thanks to CNA).- Over two hundred bishops and dozens of experts and observers are gathering in Vatican City today for the Second Special Assembly for Africa, where they will discuss the continent’s evangelization as well as food security and the situation in Darfur.

The assembly’s theme is related to Pope John Paul II’s 1995 apostolic exhortation “Ecclesia in Africa.” That document collected the results of the First Special Assembly for Africa held in 1994. The first assembly had as its theme the Church in Africa and her “evangelizing mission towards the year 2000.”

Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, speaking on Friday at a Holy See Press Office briefing for journalists, explained that the Church in Africa is “very dynamic.” He reported that the number of African Catholics increased from 55 million to 146 million between 1978 and 2007.

“Vocations to the priesthood and the religious life also saw a notable growth in numbers,” he said.

The archbishop also lamented that 521 pastoral workers have been killed in Africa between 1994 and 2008.

The Second Special Assembly will take place Oct. 4 to Oct. 25. It will be attended by 244 Synod Fathers, of whom 228 are bishops. A reported 197 of the Synod Fathers are from Africa while 34 are from Europe, ten are from the Americas, and the rest from Asia and Oceania.

“Fraternal delegates,” representatives of six other Churches and ecclesial communities with a significant presence in Africa, will also attend. Another 29 experts and 49 observers will participate in the event.

Archbishop Eterovic listed three “special guests” invited by Pope Benedict: Patriarch Abuna Paulos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church; Rudolf Adada, former head of the Joint U.N./African Union Peacekeeping Mission for Darfur; and Jacques Diouf, director general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Patriarch Abuna will take part in the synod’s Third General Congregation. Adada will speak about the efforts for peace in Darfur while Diouf will discuss FAO efforts to ensure food security for Africa.

List of Attendees for the African Synod

Other related news:

1. Benedict XVI discusses building a vibrant parish, ethnic unrest with Nigerian bishops
2. Kidnapped Catholic sisters freed in Kenya

Famous Cibeles Square to welcome Benedict XVI for WYD 2011

Article Source: Thanks to Catholic News Agency

Madrid, Spain, Oct 2, 2009 / 07:04 pm.- World Youth Day organizers in Spain announced yesterday that they are expecting some two million to attend the international youth event in 2011, a number “ten times greater than the Olympic Games.”

WYD 2011 Director of Communications, Yago de la Cierva, said Pope Benedict would be welcomed at the Cibeles Square in Madrid, where he will celebrate the opening Mass. Madrid's Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon said the Mayor’s office building would be turned into “the great sacristy of Madrid” for the one thousand bishops expected to concelebrate.

On Friday, the Way of the Cross will take place along the city's famous thoroughfare the “Paseo de la Castellana,” where the fourteen stations will be decorated with renowned artistic pieces. The city’s central park, known as “Parque del Retiro,” will host the “Festival of Forgiveness,” where young people will be able to receive the sacrament of Confession.

On Saturday, the Cuatro Vientos stadium will host the vigil, “a cultural and musical event that will transform itself as the hours pass in the prayer vigil.” After spending the night under the stars, the closing Mass will be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday morning.

The organization of WYD 2011, is being spearheaded by Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid and Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Six teams of organizers and some ten thousand volunteers will be involved in the execution of the event.

Vatican to Pakistan: End discrimination of Christians

Article Source: Rome Reports

October 1, 2009. The pope welcomed Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari to Castel Gandolfo.

In the exchange of official gifts, President Zardari gave the pope a rug from his country, and in return the pope gave him a portrait of St. Peter’s Square and medals from his pontificate.

During the meeting, the president and the pope touched on issues like the fight against terrorism and the role of the Church in Pakistan in providing health and education services.

They also talked about the wave of recent violence against Christians in the country which has grown increasingly worse in the last months.

In August, Benedict sent a telegram to the Bishop of Faisalabad expressing solidarity after seven Christians were burnt alive in Pakistan.

The Vatican has asked Pakistan to make an effort in putting an end to discrimination against Christians and in respecting the human rights of all citizens.

About 2.8 million people, just over 1% of the total population of Pakistan, is Christian making it a vulnerable demographic to extremist groups in the country.

RS

Other news, "Islamic extremists in Somalia hunting Christians" thanks to Mission Network News:

Somalia (MNN) ― Somalia's Muslim militants are hunting down converts to Christianity. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Al-Shabaab members have murdered 14 believers since July 15.

Compass Direct News reports the September 15 shooting death of 69-year-old Omar Khalafe, an underground Christian who had Bibles in his possession.

On the day of his death, Khalafe was carrying 25 Somali Bibles he hoped to deliver to an underground fellowship in Somalia. At a checkpoint controlled by al Shabaab--a rebel group linked with al Qaeda which has taken over large parts of the war-torn country--bus passengers were ordered to disembark for inspection.

Voice of the Martyrs Canada and Compass Direct reports agree on the events following the discovery of the Bibles.

The assailants used photos they found to determine if they could match the faces to any passengers. When they noticed a resemblance to Khalafe, they asked if the Bibles were his. The radicals shot and killed him when he did not respond.

Militants then displayed his body in Merca along with the Bibles as a warning to others. Later that day, a militant reported Khalafe's death on a radio program.

Khalafe, who had been a Christian for 45 years, was active in sharing the Good News and baptizing converts from Islam.

Khalafe's family is in mourning, but due to the risk of exposure, his wife and seven children were unable to participate in his burial because of the risk of being killed by militants, reports Compass Direct.

Despite the shock and brutality of Khalafe's death, the hope of the Gospel is still going forward through the underground church. Keep praying for wisdom for the workers who continue to follow Christ.

Another news of persecuted Catholics in a Muslim-dominated country. Thanks to AsiaNews for this article.

Catholic university student attacked by Muslim extremists in a public park in Dhaka

Dhaka (Asia News) – Members of an Islamist group, Hizbut Tawhid, attacked a Christian student in Dhaka, after they accused him of criticising Muhammad. Last Sunday Anup Rodrigues, a 25-year-old Catholic university student, had just left the Holy Rosary Church after evening Mass.

Anup was sitting at a bench in Farmgate Park, waiting for friends when four unidentified men, dressed in traditional Muslim garb, attacked him from behind. In the course of the assault, one of the attackers began accusing him of insulting the prophet, describing Christians as a “curse on the nation”, who want to convert Muslims.

“They started beating me with iron rods and bamboo sticks, without letting say a word,” the student said. “As they were pounding away at me, I prayed to Our Lady to save me. When they relented for a moment I was able to get away.”
“After the attack I stopped to think about what had happened and why they attacked me,” the young man told AsiaNews.

“I remembered then that a week before I was in the park with friends where we talked about prophets in the various religions. One of the men who attacked me was sitting across from us. He told us that he belonged to Hizbut Tawhid and that they had a duty to carry out jihad to punish people like us.”
Now Anup is afraid for his life, that of his friends and his two brothers who, like him, attend university. A month ago, someone killed a Baptist Christian named Swopon in the same area.

For this reason, Anup and his mother, Monica, have not filed a complaint with police. They place little trust in law enforcement since the young man’s father, Peter, and uncle, Paul, disappeared at work on 17 August 2006.

Monica Rodrigues turned to police after she received a ransom note, but the investigations have led nowhere.

Now, after the attack against Anup, she fears she might lose her sons, and remains at a loss as to who might help her

.

You are always in our prayers brothers and sisters. We also pray for our persecutors and love our enemies for this is how the world recognizes our being Christians.

God bless you.

MACAU Local Church gets new seminarians after 17 years

Source: Thanks to United Catholic Asian News

MACAU (UCAN) -- Thomas Aquinas Hoi Ka-tak's parents originally opposed his entering the seminary to become a priest. They were worried it could be a bad decision after reading international media reports of priests who sexually abused children.

However, they changed their minds after seeing how being a Catholic has changed him for the better, and after realizing that the seminary training would help him become a better person.

Hoi, 18, is the only Catholic in his family. He said he was impressed by the priests he knew during his years of study in a Salesian school in Macau, and longed to be one even before his baptism three years ago.

In late August, he and his 20-year-old friend Domingos Cheong Iau-chong, became the first two seminarians for Macau diocese in 17 years. The two have been studying at Holy Spirit Seminary in neighboring Hong Kong diocese since late August.

Macau diocese's St. Joseph's Seminary closed in 1994 due to a dearth of local seminarians. The last diocesan priest who studied at the seminary, Father Domingos Un Wai-meng who now chairs the Macau Diocesan Vocations Commission, was ordained in 1992.

Hoi and Cheong told UCA News they hope that their entering the seminary would encourage more young local Catholic men to take up the priestly vocation.

Cheong, whose family has been Catholic for the past three generations, said he was inspired to become a priest during a trip to South Korea in 2007. Macau diocese and Serra Club, a worldwide lay organization that promotes priestly and Religious vocations, organized the trip to expose Catholics to these vocations.

During the trip, Cheong learned that Macau diocesan priests are aging and that there had been no local seminarians since 1992. He said this inspired him to become a priest.

Hoi also went on this trip in which participants visited various churches, seminaries and Religious orders.
In early 2009, both wrote letters to Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng of Macau asking to enter the seminary.

Hoi also went on this trip in which participants visited various churches, seminaries and Religious orders.
In early 2009, both wrote letters to Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng of Macau asking to enter the seminary.

Hoi says he would like to serve in a parish as he feels that local Catholics are "devout and simple" in their faith, but do not fully put into practice Christ's command to "love one another." He said he strongly feels called to "nurture them to live according to the Gospel spirit."

Father Un says he is heartened to see new vocations, especially during the Year for Priests. He noted that Cheong has served as an altar boy since childhood, while Hoi joined Church-run voluntary services for the poor in Macau and mainland China.

Cheong and Hoi attribute the shortage of local priestly vocations to young Catholics preferring a materialistic life than the simple life of a priest. They added that for many people, the married life also seems more attractive than celibacy.

Hoi said he hopes his decision would encourage other hesitant young men, who feel called to the priesthood, to respond to the call.

Cheong said he knows of other young men who are considering the priesthood and believes they will enter the seminary in the coming years.

The two also say they hope laypeople would pray harder for priestly vocations and share in the task of promoting such vocations.

Macau currently has 22 diocesan and 40 Religious priests serving about 20,000 Catholics.

What's in the INC Logo?

Finally we found an attempt to explain the INC Logo. Note, this explanation from one of its members (probably a Minister himself) is not official. See below. (Thanks to readmeinc dot blogspot dot com).

1. The bird is the dove or Holy Spirit
2. The flame is the light of salvation
3. The shield is the shield of faith
4. The scale represents the equality of the justice of God;
5. The crown is the crown of eternal life
6. The lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ
7. The book is the Bible
8. The two scrolls seen in the Bible represent the OT and NT;
9. The upside down triangle means the equality of the members or brotherhood (Mt. 23:8);
10. White is holiness
11. Green is love
12. Red is courage
The logo of the INC has been used since 1919 but only appeared on its buildings of worship since the 1950s

On the contrary, here's what was thought about their logo (source: PinoyExchange.com)

On this image below, you’ll see a craftily “hidden” pattern of a “pentagram” on the compass and square. Observe really closely.
On this image below, you’ll see the scale, interlaced compass and square, and the craftily “hidden” pentagram. Now, this is a third coincidence already between the stark similarities between INC and Freemasonry. What do you call a 3rd coincidence? Is there such a thing in this world? Deliberate, copied, or just coincidence? Or, perhaps, they are the same institution!
Now, we see here on the image below a torch on top of the compass. Combining the craftily hidden pentagram here with the torch we have this, observe closely and take note:
We see here on the image below, a torch on top of the pentagram, with the torch in “drawing form”. Observe and take note.

And here is another from PinoyCatholic

Which is fairly explained by MonksHobbit.

The interlaced square and compass denotes Freemasonry
1. The crown at the center denotes the Order of Amaranth, a fraternal organization of master masons and their properly qualified female relatives
2. The compass, inverted triangle, and legs denotes the Order of the Eastern Star
3. The light rays at the background denotes the sun god.
4. The scales of justice denotes the Scales of Maat, the Egyptian goddess of truth, order, balance, and justice
5. The bible inside the inverted triangle and compass refers to the use of the bible in masonic lodge for swearing oaths
6. The dove and the color white denotes purity and innocence
7. The color red denotes courage, zeal, and blood of life–the color of Royal Arch Masonry
8. The color green denotes spiritual initiation into the high mysteries of life and god
9. The color blue recalls the dome of the heavens which denotes universal brotherhood and friendship
10. The inverted triangle points to the 22nd ray which probably signifies a 22nd degree mason–Knight of the Royal Axe.

To be fair to INC, I’ll try to provide a biblical meaning to the INC logo, with their doctrines in mind:

1. The dove is the dove of Noah. Just as the evil world was washed away by the flood and a new world was born, so was the apostate Catholic Church was abandoned by God and He established a new church, Iglesia ni Cristo, at the end of time.
2. The sun’s rays and the bible denotes the Prologue of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1:1-5) Surprisingly, this passage proves the divinity of Christ, which INC does not believe.
3. The lamb and dove denotes the Baptism of Christ: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’” Surprisingly, the INC also does not believe on the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
4. The Triangle denotes the Dogma of the Holy Trinity, which states that there are three Persons in one God. Christ himself gave the following Trinitarian formula for Bapstism: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19-20). Surprisingly, INC does not believe on the Trinity.

Thus, INC uses Christian symbols, but does not believe on the meaning of the symbols. (The INC has not still provided an official interpretation of their logo).

Now, where is the Sign of the Cross? I cannot find any.

1. “Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him: Pass through the city (through Jerusalem) and mark an X on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it. To the others I heard him say: Pass through the city after him and strike! Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy! Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the X; begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men (the elders) who were in front of the temple.” The Hebrew letter X is Tav (or Taw) whose ancient form is the cross †, from which came the Greek letter Tau .
2. “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily 11 and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Lk 9:23-24)
3. “If anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told it to you beforehand. So if they say to you, ‘He is in the desert,’ do not go out there; if they say, ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For just as lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels 18 with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Mt 24:23-31) The sign of the Son of Man is the cross because his corpse hung there.
4. “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside.” Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor 1:17-24)

So why is there no Sign of the Cross in the INC logo? Is INC inviting the wrath of God to destroy its members starting from its temples? Does INC wish to follow Christ but without a cross in its temples to carry? Does INC await the coming of Christ but thinks that the Sign of the Son of Man is not the cross but a compass? Does INC wish to proclaim the cross of Christ like St. Paul or rather the message of Felix Y. Manalo, whom they consider as an angel? As St. Paul said: “But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!” (Gal 1:7-9). Lucifer is also an angel of light because in Latin, the word “Lucifer” means “Light-Bringer” (from lux, lucis, “light”, and ferre, “to bear, bring”). Lucifer is he whom the Freemasons worship. As Christ said: “And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” (Mt 6:23)

And lastly, here's what Pinoy Catholic notices in the INC Logo: here and pasugo-1914.  Any originality in their logo?

Muslim Demographics: The Islamic Tidal Wave

Are we ready for the "take over"?

Benedict XVI in Czech Republic: “We need credible Christians”

(Article Source: Rome Reports) September 28, 2009 - Czech Republic - On the final day of his trip to the Czech Republic, Benedict XVI visited the tomb of Saint Wencenslaus the patron saint of the country.

The tomb sits at Stara Boleslav Cathedral about 35 kilometers from Prague. Saint Wencenslaus Was a Bohemian King and died as a martyr in the year 935.

After visiting his crypt, the Pope greeted a group of priests who are ill.

Then, he left in the famous Popemobile to an area where he celebrated the most significant ceremony of the trip: a feast in the name of the nations patron saint.

Forty thousand pilgrims were in attendance. Many of the faces in the crowd were young and staked out overnight to attend the ceremony.

During mass, Benedict XVI reminded all Catholics that they too can be saints in their own personal lives.

Benedicto XVI
“Today there is a need for believers with credibility, who are ready to spread in every area of society the Christian principles and ideals by which their action is inspired”

The Pope explained that it is not enough to appear like a good and honest person. He said you need to BE a good and honest person to be like a saint.

During the ceremony some teenagers gave the Pope an album with photos of the types of activities they carry out at their parish and a donation to Africa.

In response, the Pope encouraged them to take their Christian faith seriously.

Benedict XVI
“The Pope asks you to live your faith with joy and enthusiasm; to grow in unity among yourselves and with Christ; to pray and to be diligent in frequenting the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession; to take seriously your Christian formation.”

Among the teens, the Pope recalled last years World Youth Day in Sydney and called on them to attend the summit which will take place in Madrid in 2011.

MC/JMB

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PHILIPPINE FLOOD VICTIMS

Photo Credit: Thanks to SMH.com
The recent typhoon that hit the Philippine Capital City of Manila has damaged properties and human lives. In this moment of need, I am emploring everyone with goodwill to spare us a little of your time and say a little prayers for the affected families and for the souls of their dead that they may rest in God's peace.

For those who survived this catastrophic disater, I am appealing to you personally to share with us some of your comforts by donating some money or used clothes, can goods, blankets, beddings or anything you think our people need.

Contact Bro. Bo Sanchez of Kerygma Family. This holy man has been so busy preaching but he is also busy doing good works for our suffering kababayans.

Or you can contact GAWAD KALINGA of the Couples for Christ to these places:

1. GK Camacho, Marikina (Bodoy 0917-888-8276)
2. GK Tatalon, Quezon City (Bobby 0918-906-9075)
3. GK Brookside, Quezon City (Rabbi 0906-462-7232)
4. GK Sitio Ruby, Quezon City (Benjie 0906-286-4447)
5. GK Sitio Pajo, Quezon City (Mar 0919-208-8784)
6. GK Selecta, Cainta (Dolphy 0928-604-4632)
7. GK Caliuag, Pasig City (Ryan 0922-859-6453)
8. GK Pinagsama, Taguig City (Raul 0919-229-1416)
9. GK PBA, Pateros City (Cesar 0905-235-7929)

For your cash donations, here are the following ways to transmit :

1. Gawad Kalinga Philippine Peso Current Account 3101 0977 56
BPI EDSA Greenhills

2. Gawad Kalinga US$ Savings Account 3104 0162 34 with Swift code : BOPIPHMM
BPI EDSA Greenhills

(Should you need receipts, please fax your deposit slip to : Delfin Mangona, Operation GK Walang Iwanan at 632-726-7405. Kindly indicate name of donor and contact number.)

3. For donations outside the Philippines, you can choose from the following :

ANCOP USA
You can send your checks to ANCOP USA, PO Box 10095, Torrance, CA 90505.
Or go to www.ancopusa.org if you prefer to do it online via credit card.

AYALA FOUNDATION USA
You can issue checks payable to Ayala Foundation USA with project noted (Gawad Kalinga Ondoy Relief) and send to :

Ayala Foundation USA
255 Shoreline Drive, Suite 428
Redwood City, CA 94065
Tel. no. 1-650-598-3126
Fax No. 1-650-508-8898
Email info@af-usa.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or you can donate to Ayala Foundation USA via credit card by visiting http://www.af-usa.org/donate_now_form.asp. In "choosing organization to receive the donation", please choose "Gawad Kalinga-Community Infrastructure Program" for now. By tomorrow, September 29, Tuesday Philippine Time, you will be able to choose "Gawad Kalinga-Relief"..

DONATE ONLINE AT http://www.gk1world.com/

Click on "Operation GK Walang Iwanan (Click to Donate) at this website. This facility can accept donations from all over the world.

Daily updates on the needs of affected communities will be posted here so we can respond quickly and appropriately. Thank you for all your prayers and all the efforts in doing as much as you can for the people in need.

Source: Gawad Kalinga

Or respond to a volunteer posted by Palaisip.blogspot:

Ateneo is mobilizing to help deliver flood boots for cleanup. Volunteers and vehicles are needed to deliver them. Please proceed to CERVINI DORMITORY to drop off donations and sign up as volunteers. For cash donations, please deposit to Gawad Kalinga, BPI C/A # 3101-0977-56. Your financial contributio

Pope warns against attempts to marginalize Christianity from public life

Prague, Czech Republic, Sep 27, 2009 / 03:58 pm (CNA).- During a meeting held this Sunday afternoon at the Archdiocese of Prague, Pope Benedict XVI warned members of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in the Czech Republic that in a country where about half the population claim to be “non-believers,” there is a risk that Christianity will be marginalized from public life.

“Europe continues to undergo many changes. It is hard to believe that only two decades have passed since the collapse of former regimes gave way to a difficult but productive transition towards more participatory political structures,” said the Pope at the beginning of his address.

“During this period,” he continued, “Christians joined together with others of good will in helping to rebuild a just political order, and they continue to engage in dialogue today in order to pave new ways towards mutual understanding, cooperation for peace and the advancement of the common good.”

“Attempts to marginalize the influence of Christianity upon public life, sometimes under the pretext that its teachings are detrimental to the well-being of society, are emerging in new forms,” the Holy Father warned, saying that this phenomenon “gives us pause to reflect.”

“We may ask ourselves: what does the Gospel have to say to the Czech Republic and indeed all of Europe today in a period marked by proliferating world views?”

“Christianity,” Pope Benedict explained, “has much to offer on the practical and ethical level, for the Gospel never ceases to inspire men and women to place themselves at the service of their brothers and sisters. Few would dispute this. Yet those who fix their gaze upon Jesus of Nazareth with eyes of faith know that God offers a deeper reality which is nonetheless inseparable from the ‘economy’ of charity at work in this world: He offers salvation.”

The Holy Father said that Christians must take confidence “in knowing that the Church’s proclamation of salvation in Christ Jesus is ever ancient and ever new, steeped in the wisdom of the past and brimming with hope for the future.”

“As Europe listens to the story of Christianity, she hears her own. Her notions of justice, freedom and social responsibility, together with the cultural and legal institutions established to preserve these ideas and hand them on to future generations, are shaped by her Christian inheritance. Indeed, her memory of the past animates her aspirations for the future,” he added.

Pope Benedict then said that Christians today must open themselves to present realities and affirm “all that is good in society.” They “must have the courage to invite men and women to the radical conversion that ensues upon an encounter with Christ and ushers in a new life of grace.”

“Dear friends, let us ask the Lord to implant within us a spirit of courage to share the timeless saving truths which have shaped, and will continue to shape, the social and cultural progress of this continent,” he concluded.

What is the History of Your Church?

Many Christian denominational Protestant sects and cults claimed that they are the original Christian Church accsusing the orginal Church which Christ founded (the Catholic Church) of being "apostatized". Thanks to the creator and owner of the website Scripture Catholic for sharing us this valuable table.

What is the history of your church? Here's a brief overview:

Church	Year Established	Founder	Where Established
Catholic	33	Jesus Christ	Jerusalem
Orthodox	1054	Schismatic Catholic Bishops	Constantinople
Lutheran	1517	Martin Luther	Germany
Anabaptist	1521	Nicholas Storch and Thomas Munzer	Germany
Anglican	1534	Henry VIII	England
Mennonites	1536	Menno Simons	Switzerland
Calvinist	1555	John Calvin	Switzerland
Presbyterian	1560	John Knox	Scotland
Congregational	1582	Robert Brown	Holland
Baptist	1609	John Smyth	Amsterdam
Dutch Reform	1628	Michaelis Jones	New York
Congregationalist	1648	Pilgrims and Puritans	Massachusetts
Quakers	1649	George Fox	England
Amish	1693	Jacob Amman	France
Freemasons	1717	Masons from four lodges	London
Methodist	1739	John and Charles Wesley	England
Unitarian	1774	Theophilus Lindey	London
Methodist Episcopal	1784	60 Preachers	Baltimore, MD
Episcopalian	1789	Samuel Seabury	American Colonies
United Brethren	1800	Philip Otterbein and Martin Boehn	Maryland
Disciples of Christ	1827	Thomas and Alexander Campbell	Kentucky
Mormons	1830	Joseph Smith	New York
Methodist Protestant	1830	Methodist	United States
Church of Christ	1836	Warren Stone and Alexander Campbell	Kentucky
Seventh Day Adventist	1844	Ellen G. White	Washington, NH
Christadelphian (Brethren of Christ)	1844	John Thomas	Richmond, VA
Salvation Army	1865	William Booth	London
Holiness	1867	Methodist	United States
Jehovah's Witnesses	1874	Charles Taze Russell	Pennsylvania
Christian Science	1879	Mary Baker Eddy	Boston
Church of God in Christ	1895	Various churches of God	Arkansas
Church of Nazarene	c. 1850-1900	Various religious bodies	Pilot Point, TX
Pentecostal	1901	Charles F. Parkham	Topeka, KS
Aglipayan	1902	Gregorio Aglipay	Philippines
Assemblies of God	1914	Pentecostalism	Hot Springs, AZ
Iglesia ni Cristo	1914	Felix Y. Manalo	Philippines
Four-square Gospel	1917	Aimee Semple McPherson	Los Angeles, CA
United Church of Christ	1961	Reformed and Congregationalist	Philadelphia, PA
Calvary Chapel	1965	Chuck Smith	Costa Mesa, CA
United Methodist	1968	Methodist and United Brethren	Dallas, TX
Born-Again	c. 1970s	Various religious bodies	United States
Harvest Christian	1972	Greg Laurie	Riverside, CA
Saddleback	1982	Rick Warren	California
Non-denominational	c. 1990s	Various	United States

There are still many many Protestant sects mushroomed in the 20th century, not only in the United States but also in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world. In the Philippines alone there are other churches claiming to be Christ's "true" church.

Church	Year Established	Founder	Where Established
Members of Church of God International or Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path)	1922	Teofilo Ora, Nicolas Perez, Eliseo Soriano	Philippines
Jesus Miracle Crusade	1960	Wilde E. Almeda	Surigao Sur, Philippines
Jesus is Lord Church	1978	Eddie Villanueva	Philippines
True Jesus Church	1980	Ernesto Torres	Philippines
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name	1985	Apollo Quiboloy	Philippines

Source: Wikipedia

...and a lot lot more...

Surely, who can deny these historical facts written in the pages of history. Or who can claim catholicity, holiness and apostolicity of their church? Their own founders proved that they are man-made religions claiming to be the original church Christ built. Praise to Jesus Christ!

Manual for New Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo

Since the Iglesia ni Cristo (Manalo) has no official teachings available in print and in the internet, let's consider these information from a website by a member of the cult accurately true and correct:

Source: INCWorld

FOREWORD

Thanks be to God, now you are a member of the Church of Christ! You are welcome to the community of God's chosen people in these last days. Now you are a part of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ--the Church of Christ--with the privilege to serve God and with the earnest hope that on Christ's second coming you shall be among those who will meet Him to receive God's eternal promises.

For you to remain in such graces, you should strive to keep the faith which you received from God once and for all. Let your spiritual life develop while in the Church of Christ. Strengthen your relationship with God by continuing in your praise and worship of Him, by your confidence in what He can do in your life, and by always praying to him. Let your love for god grow by actively participating in Church activities, for doing so you shall increase as well your devotion to your calling.

If there shall arise obstacles and trials in your faith, remember the words of god relayed to you through His messenger of these last days. Remain immovable on what those words stand for, because God awaits you to make such a firm resolve.

What you should do right after baptism

Please see the local secretary who will officially register you as a full fledged member of the Church of Christ.

You shall be assigned a permanent tag listing your name and the number of the district and group you belong to. This tag will be found at the chapel lobby or entrance. Remember your tag number and where it is located. Everytime you attend the worship service, please turn your tag to indicate proof of your attendance. Be careful not to turn somebody else's tag. If the day of the worship service has ended and you have not turned your name tag, it will be presumed that you were absent or you have attended in another locale. Therefore please expect a visit from your overseer who would ask why you were absent or where you attended services. He will remind you and counsel you not to neglect this extremely important duty to god. If perhaps the reason for your absence is that you were sick, it would be better for the overseer to pray for your recovery and anoint you with oil as the Bible teaches. If there were other reasons, like any of life's problems, the overseer would be there to counsel you. You can likewise seek guidance from God through prayer.

The local secretary will give you the name of the overseer assigned to your group. Please see your overseer as soon as possible. He is your closest link to the Administration of the Church. He will preside over the weekly prayer meetings of your group in designated homes of the brethren. Please try not to be absent in such prayer meetings.

Eventually, you will be asked to have the prayer meeting done in your home. You should consider it a blessing, because it shall bring abundant spiritual graces which you need to increase your faith. In such occasions you will also receive significant messages from the Church Administration concerning local activities which you must join.

You should also know the pastor or minister assigned to your locale, as well as brethren comprising the local leadership.

To what organizations of the church of Christ should you belong?

Within the Church, the Administration established organizations to foster closer ties among brethren and to strengthen their faith.

All married brethren should belong to the BUKLOD. Those who are single, aged 18 years or more, are members of the KADIWA. The youth from 13 to 18 years of age are to be included in the Binhi. Whatever organization you shall belong to, please know

Who are the president and officers in your locale;

When the regular meetings of the organization are held in your locale. Oftentimes you will hear announcements after the worship service as to the date and time of the monthly meetings;

What projects and activities are being sponsored by the organization so that you may actively participate in them.

You and the Church Administration

The Church Administration The local church you belong to has a local leadership headed by a minister or worker. The leadership also comprises five head deacons, the presidents of the local organizations, and the local secretary.

The locales of a province (or state, or region, as the case may be) compose a division being supervised by a minister who is entrusted the office of division (or supervising) minister. The division minister is directly responsible to the Executive Minister concerning all Church activities in his division.

The present Executive Minister of the Church of Christ is Brother ERANO G. MANALO. Every locale is divided into districts (each administered by a district leader), which are further subdivided into groups (each supervised by a group leader who may be a deacon or deaconess, or an overseer being groomed for deaconship).

Every group is comprised of several families in the Church and that where you belong. Thus, your closest link to the Church Administration is your group leader, then your district leader, finally the local leadership.

To the brethren mentioned above, please bring any problem regarding your faith and membership, for they are God's instruments in helping you.

Worship Service in the Church Of Christ

Twice a week the Church of Christ holds a congregational service. This is normally done every Thursday and Sunday (some local churches, mostly in the West, have Wednesday or Friday services instead of Thursdays). There are occasions when the Church observes special worship services on days other than Thursdays and Sundays.

You are required to attend these assemblies. The Bible says: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of Some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

The Lord God shall expect your presence in the house of worship every worship service day: "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23)

What activities comprise our worship service?

Our worship service begins with congregational singing led by the choir members and ends with the benediction.

This is the order of activities during a regular worship service:

Congregational singing

The sermon

Prayer

Collection of offerings

Doxology

Benediction

You are expected to participate in all these activities during the service. That you may perform them with dedication:

You are supposed to arrive early at the chapel every worship service. You should participate at the very first hymn to be sung by the congregation. Sing with all your heart and soul.

While the sermon or the Study of God's words has not begun yet, be at peace in meditation and silent prayer.

Open your heart during the assembly's prayers, whoever may be leading. Please stand properly and close your eyes all throughout the prayer. Remember that we stand in the presence of God, therefore we should act with extreme reverence. Indicate your participation by responding at proper intervals with "Yes, Father or "Amen."

Follow intently the course of the preaching of the words of God. Strive hard against falling asleep and against other hindrances to receiving the message. The best question you can ask yourself, to guide you during the study, is: "What is God's will that I should be doing?" thus, your efforts will be concentrated at fully understanding the message at hand.
Your contribution must he prepared in advance, so that during the collection you may give it as a voluntary offering and not as something forced on you. Do this act with all your heart and soul.

If you shall happen to attend in another locale, you should obtain a certificate of attendance from the secretariat of said locale. They will ask your name, the locale where you are registered, and the number of the district and group you are assigned to. Please provide the information requested, for these will appear in the certificate of attendance. Do not lose this certificate because you are expected to turn it in to your group leader when he visits you. He will definitely visit you if you are unable to attend the services in your locale. Be joyous about this, for it is a proof of care and interest for your welfare.

During the worship services, as mentioned before, you stand in the presence of God; not as a spectator in a theatre audience but as an active participant-- as a worshipper. You are there to please God for allHis goodness to you and to offer worship. He waits for you to entrust all your troubles and anxieties unto Him; and it is when you worship that He is ever willing to answer all your pleadings.

It is only befitting that you stand in deep reverence before God. Your entire appearance, including your attire, must compliment the holiness and majesty of our God. The finest and most appropriate clothing we possess must be worn when we worship God.

Likewise, when we walk, sit, and stand inside the house of worship, we must be truly dignified. Please follow the instructions of the of the deacons and deaconesses who are charged with orderliness of the occasion.

Avoid any damage to any part of the chapel and do not litter.

Yet, if beyond the physical cleanliness that must be accorded the worship service, should be the spiritual purity, that is, of our lives. Be earnest to achieve a righteous way of living you have been taught, so that the worship you offer shall always be pleasing to God.

Every worship Service must result in the strengthening of your faith. Thus, overtime you attend, you should feel the power of God that will fortify you amidst your weaknesses, comfort you in times of sorrows and miseries, encourage you to overcome all trials and make you endure in your calling.

All these you shall experience when you steadfastly devote yourself in worshipping God and when you fully prepare yourself to receive God's abundant blessings.

How you should obey the teachings you received

As a review of the basic doctrines you have just learned, here is a summary together with the instructions on how to implement them.

About the Bible.

The Church of Christ believes that the words of God are written only in the Bible. Thus, the Bible should be the sole basis of service to God; it comprises the truth and it teaches man how to be saved from punishment on the Day of Judgment.

Therefore, renounce all belief in cathecism books, the Book of Mormon, and books by other religions, because God prohibits it (I Cor. 4:6; Rev. 22:18-19).

Follow steadfastly all teachings from the Bible which you have learned in the Church of Christ.

About God

The Father alone is the true God, the creator of all things.

You should now reject the doctrine of the Trinity; this runs contrary to the Bible. Do not worship images, for these- are not the true God.

You should acknowledge the Father as the only true God. But this is not the extent of how you should recognize Him. Your relationship with him should grow, He should be your rightful Father and friend, and you should walk in His presence daily.

About Christ's state of being

You must discard the idea that Christ is the true God. This is sinful thinking because it is contrary to Bible teaching.

You should also deny the belief that Christ is both true man and true God.

Those who preach that Christ is God use the Bible also. Be not deceived by them because nowhere is it recorded in the Bible in which Christ said that He is the true God. But why do they quote verses from the Bible? They either give those verses a wrong interpretation or they rely on those passages that have been erroneously translated.

Never believe that there is at least one Bible verse (correctly translated) which states that Christ is God. Whoever preaches such is a false teacher (II Cor. 11:3-4).

You must reject the doctrine that there are three persons in one God. The Father is the only true God.

You should, however, acknowledge and worship Christ, recognize Him as our only Mediator with God and the only man who is holy and sinless.

About the true religion.

The prevailing belief that all churches belong to God is false. Christ founded only one Church -the church of Christ. Therefore, you should value the Church because therein you are able to do the kind of service which God shall accept and in which you shall be saved.

About the Church of Christ.

You should always appreciate and assert the significance of the Church in the matter of salvation.

Keep believing that Christ will save the Church of Christ.

Do not let others deceive you when they say that to believe alone in Christ is enough to gain salvation.

About the Church Founded by Christ in the first century.

The first century Church established by Christ went into apostasy. Most of the members were led astray from the truth by the false prophets who arose within the Church with the passing away of the Apostles and the rest, those who remained faithful, were slaughtered by the ravenous wolves.

Those who were forewarned as leaders who would mislead the Church were no other than the Catholic priests. They introduced false beliefs into the Church until it was no more the true Church, until it became the Catholic Church -- a religion vastly different from the Church of Christ recorded in the Bible.

Thus, the Catholic Church is not of Christ and definitely not of God, and there is no salvation in it.

If you are a former Catholic, do not make the sign of the cross anymore. Renounce all Catholic teaching for it is against God's word.

If you used to be a Catholic, remove all images, crosses, crucifixes, and idols,.

Do not listen to mass anymore, neither receive communion.

Do not confess to a priest anymore.

Do not say prayers for the dead and never celebrate "All Saints Day" or any Catholic feast day anymore. Do not participate in any celebration to honor a Catholic saint.

Moreover, remove all superstitions.

About the Church of Christ's emergence from the Philippines.

The Church of Christ that appeared from the Philippines (in the Fat East) during these last days is the fulfillment of the prophecies made by God and Christ. This is the third part of the Church founded by Christ. It arose in these last days after the Church built by Christ in the first century was completely led astray by the false prophets. This Church's later extension into the Far West is equally the realization of God's prophecies in the Bible.

About God's Last Messenger.

God's messenger of these last days is Brother Felix Y. MANALO. He did not establish the Church of Christ, but Christ Himself did that through prophecy.

Brother FELIX Y. MANALO became God's instrument in preaching the gospel of salvation in these last days. He was the first one to proclaim about the Church of Christ in the Philippines. That is why this Church which you joined is of God and of Christ.

Do not ever believe those detractors who claim that it was only Brother Felix Y. MANALO who founded the Church in the Philippines; that this is supposedly the Church of Brother Manalo. Those are simple lies and slanderous statements. Resist being called a member of the Church of Manalo.

Believe instead in the calling of Brother FEIIX Y. MANALO as God's messenger.

About persecutions

You cannot avoid persecutions because your victory over them become foundation for inheriting the kingdom of heaven. You should not give up when you encounter harasments. Instead, pray to God for help so that you may overcome stiff persecutions.

About enduring as a member of the Church of Christ.

You should strive to obey all Church regulations, for doing so, you prove that you are a true member of the Church of Christ. It should never be your motive that you joined because of your patents, spouse, brothers, sisters, friends, employers who are Church members, or out of personal profit,

About renewing your life.

It is not enough just to be in the Church; you must undergo a full renewal of life.

Those members who have turned a new life truly belong to Christ and to God. We should put into practice the commandments we received.

If you used to get drunk or you used to drink liquor or take drugs, you must refrain from any of these acts now. God forbids them.

If you used to gamble, you must know that all forms of gambling are prohibited in the Church of Christ, like: racing, lotteries, card or dice games, slot machines, etc.

If you are involved in an adulterous relationship, you should stop this right away. God forbids adultery.

If you are employed in a dishonest occupation, committing fraud or any illegal acts, this is not allowed. We should live decently and righteously.

You must cease from any vice or sin in your life.

Refrain from swearing or using foul language and do not perform the kind of dances popularized in the world, characterized by provocative and sensuous behavior.

About the worship service.

As previously discussed in a separate section, you must, out of love, always attend the worship service.

To neglect the worship service is considered a serious trespass. From now on never miss attendance, unless you are seriously ill and incapable.

You must not be hindered by your employment or profession or any personal interest, in performing this duty. God should have priority over everything in the world.

When you attend the services in your own locale, do not fail to turn your own name tag (not somebody else's) before you enter the house of worship.

If you shall attend in another locale, do not forget to obtain a certificate of attendance from the Secretaries before you leave.

This certificate must be given promptly to your group leader or secretary so that you will not be placed among the absentees.

About the offering.

The giving of offering or construction in the Church of Christ is not a rule created by the ministers but it is the will of the God. It should not, however, be given like alms for the poor.

Every member of the Church of Christ is responsible to give offerings.

Do this with all your heart, willingly, and joyfully.

The offering should be saved and set aside. Do not offer only what is in excess or whatever is left of the money you earned after spending it for yourself.

As you budget your personal needs, be more concerned about setting aside you offering to God.

It is likewise the duty of the Church of Christ members to perform thanksgiving to God and to bring thanksgiving offerings every end of the year.

We have to prepare our thanksgiving offering for one year. Be like many members of the Church of Christ who save regularly through the Church's system. This is the most convenient method, because without realizing it, we are able to save.

About brotherly love.

The members of the Church of Christ have a very unique relationship. They constitute a brotherhood established by Christ and willed by God.

You should call all members of the Church, including ministers, as your brothers (or sister as the case may be). We treat each other as equals within the Church. Follow Christ's command that we should love one another.

You should avoid doing evil to brethren in the Church.

You should not defraud anyone.

If somehow your brother has wronged you, do not sue him in court. God does not allow this.

Bring all your complaints to the Church Administration, for they shall be the ones to settle and decide.

Anyone who will bring his brother to court or who will refuse reconciliation shall be expelled from the Church.

Brethren who have disputes should settle their differences at once. They are expected to forgive one another.

About miscellaneous prohibitions.

In the Church of Christ, we are forbidden to eat blood (or food using blood as an ingredient) and we are banned from intermarriage with a nonmember.

When preparing or dressing fowls and animals prior to cooking, make sure to pour out the blood.

Is it a sin before God for a Church member to marry a nonmember?

Courting or being engaged with a non-member is already prohibited by God. If you are still single, do not many an unbeliever.

Do not elope just to get married. Be sure to get permission from your parents.

You are also commanded to avoid joining organizations or labor unions whose principles run in conflict with Bible teachings.

About baptism.

Baptism is an act of burying sins; thus after baptism you should walk in the newness of life.

If you have children or will have some in the future, do not have them baptized because that is against God's law.

In the Church of Christ, infants and children who still have innocent minds are never baptized but simply offered to God to dedicate them into His service. In due time, when they reach the right age in which they could be taught and they are able to believe, shall they then be baptized.

While these children are growing up (from 4 to 12 years of age), they are required to attend the children's worship services held once a week (or twice weekly in some locales) at designated times and places.

If you have children whom you want to raise in the Church, have them offered and when it is the proper time, let them attend the youth worship services. When they become of age, with adequate minds to make intelligent choices, let them receive instructions in basic doctrines of the Church so they could be baptized.

About prayer and missionary work.

He who engages in missionary work and knows how to pray properly, eventually becomes stable and strong in faith. These works are both commanded by God and should be valued by all members of the Church of Christ.

Therefore, you should help in the growth of the Church by inviting people to attend the Bible studies and distributing reading materials like pamphlets, leaflets and our magazine,

"God 's Message."

In the church, the Administration organized the Light of Salvation.

This organization is composed of missionary helpers in every locale. You could join this group, to further enhance your participation in the dissemination of faith.

In every aspect of our life, we should walk with our God.

You should learn how to pray in order to effectively communicate with God. You must pray:

Before you eat

Before you leave home for work or school

Upon reaching home from work, school, or any other place

Before you sleep at night

Upon walking up in the morning

When you ask to be forgiven of sins and to be strengthened in your faith; when you need help in your livelihood

And when you plead to be saved from temptations and innumerable troubles in life.

And in every moment, as the need and opportunity may arise.

About being registered.

If your name does not appear in the Church's registry on earth. It does not appear in the registry in heaven (the Book of Life). If you are not listed with the Church, you are not considered a member and therefore you will not be saved on the Day of Judgment.

The following are the occasions when a member may be delisted from the rolls of the Church:

When he is expelled by the Church Administration because of sin.

When he stops attending the worship services and become inactive.

When he leaves his locale without telling the Church, by not obtaining a certificate of transfer

When he obtains a certificate of transfer but he fails to register with the locale he moved to.
Always remember: the moment you are not registered, you are not a member of the Church of Christ anymore, and one who is not a member will not be saved.

About unity.

Unity in the Church is quite significant, because our unity includes God and Christ. It is wrong to destroy this unity. Thus, God discourages factionalism and division in our midst. We become one not only in voting but also most importantly in our services to God.

Show your best efforts to preserve Church unity, for the sake of glorifying God.

Do not attempt to violate Church unity, whether in voting or in other activities, for this is a sin that will lead to expulsion from the Church.

About continuing in our hope. Remain in the Church of Christ, obedient till the end. that you may receive that great hope of those who are in Christ when He comes again.

Continue to come to the worship services, join other Church activities, and endure much sufferings.

Do not withdraw from membership in the Church of Christ, whatever may happen to your life or to this world, so that you may not lose the privilege to inherit God's promises.

May our great God bless you all the days of your life.

Felix Manalo ALONE formulated all these teachings by himself according to his authority as the "Last Messenger". In truth, Christ's Church has never apostatized as he promised "the gates of hell (and the lies of Felix Manalo's Corporation Sole) will never prevail against it [Christ's original Church]" Mt. 16:18. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Mt. 24:35)"

How dare Felix Manalo belie Jesus being untrue to his words!