Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Mass at Rome’s Pantheon

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One of the best masses I have attended in my life was at the Pantheon in Rome.

And it was by chance that I learned about it on a Saturday afternoon.

The Pantheon was originally built to honor the Roman gods but when Rome became Christian, it was converted to a Church. It is probably one of the oldest churches in the world that is still in use as such to this day, despite the fact that it is best known as a tourist site. (Entrance is free but you can rent an audio guide.)

It occurred to me at that time that the ancient Church was quite savvy about putting on a multi-sensory show to the multitudes every Sunday: the music, the drone of prayers, the bells, the robes, the smoke and musky smell of frankincense. It transported mass goers – many of whom probably lived in hovels – to another world.

This was the same kind of mass that the friars brought to the Philippines in 1521. It is no wonder the natives were entranced.

To me, the mass at the Pantheon was symbolic of what the Catholic Church is today – two of the three priests were old and Italian while the third was young and from the Third World.

The future of the Church lies with the Third World.

I’d like to share with you two of the videos I took before and during the mass.

Comments

  1. SARO or sorrow…

    ‘Goodbye Saros.
    The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced Thursday the demise of special allotment release orders (Saros), which were faked last year as part of what it called a “well-established and highly coordinated racket.”

    That’s because the General Appropriations Act (GAA) is now considered the government’s “official budget release document.” As a result, departments and agencies “will no longer need to secure Saros to obligate funds,” the DBM said.’

    GOODBYE sorrows or SARO…

    But that DBM never had a hint the money was going to somewhere else is a gratuitous statement never admissible…to taxpayers or even a court of law.

    MONITORING THE MONEY is a must. Where it goes. Who gets it. How it is spent. How much of it. Etc. It is not enough to disburse the money. Monitor it is still a work. A task. Remember THIS IS MONEY!

    Sec. Abad used the word “thwart’ rather than ‘stop’ . Juan de la Cruz a taxpayer may not immediately know what is ‘thwart.’

    ““We also mean to thwart those who’ve made the budget implementation process a hotbed of graft and corruption. This is part of our deliberate, focused campaign to facilitate greater transparency and accountability in the expenditure process, so that every peso spent by government will indeed benefit all Filipinos.”

    http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/556747/dbm-scraps-saro-system

    • SAME BANANA…….

      In a statement, Sec. Abad said an agency could instead begin OBLIGATING funds as soon as the 2014 GAA was implemented on the first working day of the fiscal year.

      Obligating and Implementing are two important words in the budgeting process that must be understood by the public.

      In simple terms, the P2.265 Trillion GAA is the national budget for 2014 but the implementation of projects is DEPENDENT on the availability of funds or the actual collections of BIR taxes, custom tariffs, etc. which are estimated to be collected throughout the budget year.

      Agencies like the DPWH, DSWD, etc. will still need the go-signal, or whatever, of the of Bureau of the Treasury, or whatever, if their obligated projects have sufficient funds for actual implementation.

      What is eliminated is the graft-ridden SAROS and in its stead, a new term would be coined to signal the availability of funds for any obligated projects – and that’s where the old racketteers will be reborn.

      • Our leaders lacks intuitions! Go, get our Mamas, Tias, Lolas, atbpa! These class are good at it where racketteers are lurking.

        In USA, the secret NSA/CIA just get groups of young people TO THINK how to deal with the enemy. THINK. And create scenarios for it, back and forth. DEAL WITH IT.

        Different in our land. Act Without Thinking. Thus, A Mess Without Thought.

        That’s why, on New Year, we have TOROTOOT fireworks already!