A couple of weeks ago, I answered a knock at the door and found two eager young evangelists. I was watching my young son at the time, and was unable to invite them in, but I let them ask their lead-in question: "Do you think that the scandals in the various churches have affected their ability to minister effectively?" (I’m paraphrasing here; knowing a bit of JW theology, it’s possible–even likely–that their question may have ended in a slightly different phrase than "minister effectively" and they might have had another word for "churches".)
"I’m not sure what you mean by the scandals," I said, thinking at the time that they were from evangelical and evangelistic church down the street. (They were dressed too casually to be Mormons.)
"You know, like pedophile priests," said the woman evangelist, the only one who talked during our brief conversation.
Fr. Z on Pope Benedict’s speech to the Italian bishops’ conference today.
Keep up with John Allen’s recent posts on the CELAM meeting.
Caritas Manila, the social service agency of the Archdiocese of Manila, wants to educate 10,000 poor students by 2010 as part of an ambitious plan to help 300,000 families in the Filipino capital. Fr Anton C.T. Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila, said that the plan covers the whole of Metro Manila—the Archdiocese of Manila itself plus the suffragan dioceses of Cubao, Kalookan, Novaliches, Paranaque and Pasig—and includes education at every level: elementary, high school, college, and vocational training.
“We need to catch up if we really want to make a major effect against poverty here in the city,” said Analyn Julian, an officer with the Education Assistance Programme.
But while the plan needs 32 million pesos, only 12 million have been raised so far. Yet this has not discouraged those involved.
“Work hard, pray, and have faith; God will provide,” said Sheila Conti, a resource mobilization officer, but “we certainly need help,” she acknowledged.
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