Simbang Gabi reaches Vatican
I must admit that in my life, I’ve attended only a few Simbang Gabi (dawn masses) because waking up at this unholy hour is a great problem for me. I also studied a bit of its history. Simbang Gabi originated in Mexico when the Mexicans converted into Catholicsm because of the apparition of our Lady of Guadalupe to San Juan Diego. Back then, there were very few priests and many towns or villages in Mexico could not be served their Christmas mass. So they sent priests to these vilages very much earlier than Christmas and so Misa de Gallo, as it was known, helped Mexicans have their Christian mass.
Since the Philippines belonged to the Archdiocese of Mexico in the olden days, we somehow followed the Misa de Gallo as a Catholic tradition and changed its title to Simbang Gabi. Ever since, this has become a very Fil-ipion tradition. What recently made news was when Pope Francis celebrated Simbang Gabi at the Vatican a few days ago. This was the first time ever that Simbang Gabi was officiated at the church of St. Peter led by no less than Pope Francis.
Fr. Ricky Gente, chaplain for the Filipino community in Rome, quoted Pope Francis after the Mass as saying: “Italy is home to some 167,000 Fil-ipinos, according to its labor ministry. We carry with us everywhere we go the torch of faith and of the Gospel in the world, the same faith and Gospel that have been transmitted to us.” In my social media network, you could see the numerous photos of members of the Filipino community attending the Simbang Gabi officiated by the pope to the love of the Filipino community.
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Look at the title of Senate Resolution 142: “Condemning the Govern-ment of the Philippines for its continued detention of Senator Leila De Lima, calling for her immediate release, and for other purposes.” These are amendments favorable to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that condemned the Philippine government for the arrest and detention of human rights defenders and political leaders who exercise their rights to freedom of expression. It also condemned the continued detention of Senator Leila De Lima. In my book, this is nothing but blatant interference of Philippine sovereignty. The American Senate has no right to condemn our justice system, as we are truly a fully independent nation.
The Senate resolution also urged the Philippine government to drop all charges against Rappler and its CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa.
However, the Palace said that, contrary to the committee’s findings that the law was being weaponized in the Philippines to suppress media and rights groups, De Lima and Ressa faced “criminal prosecution for transgression of Philippine laws.”
This is the American Senate that was ultra quiet when then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was also illegally detained by then Pres. PNoy Aquino, III and when Pres. Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte became President he had her released and later on the Judiciary found out that she wasn’t libel for the charges hurled against her by the same Leila de Lima. Now they have the gall to tell the Philippine government that we are wrong? If I’m not mistaken, the US Senate is ruled by the Republicans led by President Donald Trump and I would like to believe that Trump should take the lead that his Senate has gone down to become just like our misled Yellowtards.
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Today, the Supreme Court has ordered Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 to release the result of the infa-mous trial of the Ampatuan massacre that happened 10 years ago. The same judge ordered the return of former regional governor Zaldy Ampatuan to his jail cell in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City a few days before the expected promulgation of the verdict in the Philippines’ worst political massacre. Zaldy Ampatuan, who has been under hospital arrest since October after suffering a stroke, can undergo rehabilitation while in detention.
A decade ago, 58 people, including 32 media workers, were killed in broad daylight and dumped into roadside pits during an attack that was also dubbed as one of the world's worst mass killings of journalists. We all hope that finally justice would prevail!
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