Arroyo to meet 300 Catholic bishops, priests in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will attend the Pontifical Mass here Wednesday for the opening of the Luzon North Regional Rural Congress (LN-RRC), a consultation initiative of the Catholic Church to address poverty in the country. Some 300 Archbishops, Bishops, priests and nuns are expected to attend in the Holy Mass, a press statement posted on the Office of the Press Secretary website said. After the homily, the President is expected to deliver a message to acknowledge the effort of the clergy in helping the national government to resolve the problem of poverty in the country. Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) members have been in the forefront of the bid to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program which ends on June 12. On Tuesday, Mrs. Arroyo had certified the bill calling for the CARP extension as "urgent" but CBCP president Angel Lagdameo said it was still too early to rejoice, and that the Church's advocacy for genuine agrarian reform is an uphill battle. "It's not yet time to rejoice. We still have to monitor the response of the Congress and the Senate on the call of the President (Arroyo)," Lagdameo said in a statement Tuesday night. The President is scheduled to fly here Wednesday afternoon after her engagements in Minalin, Pampanga and inspection of the ongoing reconstruction of houses damaged by typhoon Cosme in Bugallon, Pangasinan. Organized by NL-RRC convenor and Bayombong (Nueva Vizcaya) Bishop Ramon Villena, the two-hour Eucharistic celebration at the Atonement Cathedral (Baguio Cathedral) will be officiated by Papal Nuncio to the Philippines His Excellency Edward Joseph Addams. The NL-RRC is the last of the five regional consultations held in five regions prior to the convening of the National Rural Congress in Manila on July 7-8, 2008. Four rural congresses were held in Mindanao-Sulu, Central and Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas and South Luzon regions early this year. With “The dignity of the Rural Poor – a Gospel Concern" as its theme, the objective of the congress is to address poverty issues through consultations with basic rural sectors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). According to Sister Eden Orlino, the revival of the NL-RRC is both very significant and historic because the last rural congress held by the Catholic clergies was 40 years ago. Immediately after the Holy Mass, the President will host a dinner for the Bishops at the Mansion House. - GMANews.TV