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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is establishing a working group charged with developing spiritual, pastoral and policy advocacy support for immigrants and refugees.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, USCCB president, has named members of the working group, with the mandate of closely following developments related to immigrants and refugees in the United States. The USCCB Public Affairs Office announced formation of the group Dec. 16.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB vice president, will chair the group. Members include the chairman of USCCB committees and subcommittees involved in immigration concerns: Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, Committee on Migration; Auxiliary Bishop Nelson J. Perez of Rockville Centre, New York, Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs; Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Committee on Domestic Social Development; Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Yakima, Washington, Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants; and Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Committee on International Justice and Peace.

The groundwork for the working group was set during the bishops' annual fall general assembly in Baltimore when several bishops suggested the conference closely monitor actions by the federal government that affect immigrants and refugees.

In announcing the working group, the Public Affairs Office said the bishops and USCCB staff will be ready to respond to any executive orders and legislation that the new Congress and President-elect Donald J. Trump may introduce.

The working group will inform the efforts of individual bishops in their pastoral responses to immigrants and refugees and recommend appropriate additional efforts as needed, such as the recent day of prayer on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago outlined some of the responsibilities of the working group in a column in the Dec. 11 issue of Catholic New World, archdiocesan newspaper.

He said the group will look at what is being done pastorally in U.S. dioceses and will share best practices with bishops.

"Particular attention will be given to addressing the economic struggles, alienation, fear and exclusion many feel, along with the resistance to the church's message regarding migrants and refugees," Cardinal Cupich wrote. "Emphasis will be given to ways we can build bridges between various segments of society."

The working group will also spearhead advocacy, building on existing USCCB efforts and to engage constructively with the incoming administration and Congress, the cardinal said.

The formation of the new entity, which Archbishop Gomez planned to convene weekly, "will send a message to those who live in fear that the Catholic bishops of the United States stand with them, pray with them, offer pastoral support and speak prophetically in defense of their human dignity," Cardinal Cupich wrote.

He added that the Chicago Archdiocese will continue to "walk with all who, given our broken immigration system, live in the shadows. We will advocate for them as well as for refugees seeking a better life for the families."

On Nov. 30, at the end of Mass at St. Agatha of Bohemia Parish in Chicago, Cardinal Cupich told the congregation he had been invite to meet with President Barack Obama Nov. 29 "and the only issue I discussed with him was the executive order granting temporary protection for a large number of undocumented persons."

He told Obama the U.S. Catholic bishops "favor this action but see if only as a first step" to comprehensive immigration reform. The cardinal said he and Obama discussed the need to have some confidentiality provision the church" for if they register for protection, that information would not be used against them.

"I wanted to tell you today about my discussion with the president," Cardinal Cupich told the congregation, "so that you will know that you can count on me as a good friend of the immigrant community."

National Migration Week is Jan. 8-14.

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Editors: More information about the U.S. bishops' observance of National Migration Week in January and links to various resources can be found at http://bit.ly/1cWdELM.

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Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Ben Nelms

By Alicia Ambrosio

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (CNS) -- Two figures dressed as Mary and Joseph made their way down the center aisle of Vancouver's Holy Rosary Cathedral. At various points, they stopped and asked a parishioner playing the part of an innkeeper for a place to stay. Invariably the reply was negative. Finally, the two figures reached the foot of the altar and asked the congregation if they had any room for Christ. The congregation said they did have room for Christ, and only then did the entrance procession for the first Simbang Gabi Mass of the year begin.

Simbang Gabi refers to nine Masses in honor of Mary, traditionally celebrated in the nine days before Christmas by Filipino Catholics around the world. The Filipino community of Vancouver began the novena with a Mass celebrated Archbishop Michael Miller at the cathedral.

The scene of Mary and Joseph asking for a place to stay was a standard feature on the first night of Simbang Gabi. It would help the faithful focus on making room for Christ in their hearts.

Archbishop Miller told the congregation Mary and Joseph repeatedly heard that there was no room to spare because the people they met did not want to be bothered. The world was in darkness and needed the light of Christ, he said.

"In the ancient church, baptism was called the sacrament of light. In baptism you became children of the light. You all have a light," he said, adding, "someone is waiting to see that light."

"They see the light of Lord shining through you simply because you celebrate the birth of the Son of God," Archbishop Miller said before he asked the congregation to pause and silently ask themselves: "To whom should I bring this light this Christmas? Who is waiting for you?"

Suggesting ways one could bring Christ's light to others, the archbishop said the faithful could bring someone struggling with their faith to Christmas Mass. "Don't leave them alone," he said. "Through you, Christ wants to reach out and touch them.

"We've all received so much from him, let's not hoard that light," he said.

The remaining eight Simbang Gabi Masses would be celebrated in a different Vancouver parish each night. Host parishes would assemble a special choir for their evening of Simbang Gabi. Celebrating the Masses in the evening was a slight deviation from tradition. Normally, Simbang Gabi Masses would be celebrated at dawn.

Michael Goco, a member of the Filipino Catholic organization Sambayanang Pilipino Society of British Columbia, which organized the novena, said the decision to celebrate Simbang Gabi Masses in a different parish each night was practical and symbolic.

"In a practical way, traveling from parish to parish gives more communities throughout the archdiocese an opportunity to experience this gift and tradition of the Filipino community" and at the same time "puts us, the 'pilgrims' who attend this Mass as well, in the place of Mary and Joseph, who invite these parish communities to open their hearts for Christmas."

The tradition of Simbang Gabi Masses could be traced back to the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the Americas and the Philippines. At the time they had a tradition of celebrating pre-Christmas novena Masses in honor of the Annunciation. Those Masses were known as "Misa de Gallo" or "rooster Mass," because they were celebrated at dawn.

Pope Sixtus V gave Augustinians in the Americas permission to celebrate the Misa de Gallo on the nine days leading up to Christmas. Spanish evangelizers in the Philippines continued their tradition of celebrating nine days of Misa de Gallo and found it was a good way to spread the faith to the people.

The same evening as the Vancouver Mass, thousands of Filipino Catholics from throughout Southern California celebrated with a special evening Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez was the main celebrant of the liturgy, sponsored by the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Mass was preceded by the traditional "Parade of Parols," or Christmas lanterns, of more than 100 parishes.

Since 1986, Filipino Catholics have organized an annual Simbang Gabi novena throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago. Every novena, which takes 12 months to plan, becomes more popular, with an average of 45,000 people attending over the nine days. Six percent of the archdiocese's population is Asian, and many of those are Filipinos.

This year, 66 churches in all parts of the archdiocese will participate in Simbang Gabi. Unlike in the Philippines, where the novena Masses are held at dawn, the Masses in Chicago are held in the evening. Children usually carry parols in opening processions during the service, and many people wear traditional Filipino clothing. One of the highlights of the novena follows Mass when participants partake of traditional Filipino food.

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has an extremely active Filipino Catholic community, and last year nearly 30 parishes from Conroe to Nassau Bay, Texas, offered Masses for Simbang Gabi, leading up to an archdiocesan Mass. In Houston, like Chicago, the Masses are in the evenings.

"This beautiful longstanding tradition of the Filipino community ... is a beautiful influence you can have on the diocese," said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo.

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Contributing to this story were Joyce Duriga in Chicago and James Ramos in Houston.

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Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

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Nigerian Bishop, Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of Oyo Diocese and President of the Social Communications Committee at SECAM has issued the following Press Release, on behalf of the Bishops of Africa, to mark the 80th birthday of Pope Francis which falls on 17 December 2016.

SECAM stands for Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar and has its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The Social Communications Committee of the continental association of Catholic Bishops is known as CEPACS, it French acronym which stands for the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (Comité Episcopal Panafricain Pour Les Communications).

PRESS RELEASE FROM SECAM ON THE OCCASION OF POPE FRANCIS’ 80TH BIRTHDAY

16 DECEMBER 2016

BISHOPS OF AFRICA CONGRATULATE POPE FRANCIS ON HIS BIRTHDAY

On behalf of the President of SECAM, Most Reverend Gabriel Mbilingi; the Standing Committee of SECAM and on behalf of all the Bishops and Conferences of SECAM in Africa, I send the Holy Father Pope Francis filial greetings on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

The African church deeply appreciates the Holy Father's apostolate on marriage and love in the family and pledges to stand firm for the integrity of Christian marriage and the family at all times. May God grant the Holy Father Pope Francis abundant grace and wisdom still to continue to fulfil his Petrine mandate faithfully.

To the Holy Father, congratulations and ad multos annos.

Most Reverend Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo

President of CEPACS

SECAM

Bishop of Oyo Diocese

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Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 16, 2016 / 10:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Christian governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, could face stiff penalties if convicted of insulting the Quran – a charge he strongly denies.

Prosecutors in the Muslim-majority nation charged that he insulted Islam by misusing a particular Quranic verse that suggests Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by the name Ahok, was in tears as he denied the allegations in court.

The governor insisted that his use of the verse was aimed at politicians who were misusing the verse against him. He cited his relationship with his adoptive parents, who are Muslim.

“I am very saddened that I have been accused of insulting Islam because this accusation is the same as saying that I am insulting my adoptive parents and siblings,” Purnama said at a Dec. 13 hearing, according to Reuters.

He has repeatedly apologized for his comments but denied charges of blasphemy.

The governor could face up to five years in jail if convicted.  Almost all blasphemy cases in Indonesia have ended in convictions.

Hundreds of protestors gathered in the streets outside the court to call for the governor’s immediate imprisonment.

A smaller crowd of the governor's supporters also gathered. His supporters have said that a popular video of his remarks was edited and subtitled to make it seem he was criticizing the verse, rather than political opponents who misuse it.

The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 20.

Massive crowds estimated at more than 150,000 people had twice previously demonstrated against the governor. The group Islamic Defenders Front is playing a major role in the protests. It engages in protests and sometimes violence against Christian and Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim groups and congregations.

However, the country’s largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, has told members not to participate in the protests, BBC News reports.

Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, is the first non-Muslim to govern Indonesia’s capital in 50 years. He took over his post when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014.

He had been the frontrunner in February's gubernatorial election before the controversy, but appears to have slipped to second place.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation in population, but it also has significant Christian and Hindu communities. Discrimination and attacks on religious minorities occur not infrequently; a priest in Sumata was injured in August while saying Mass by an Islamic State-inspired terrorist.

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Vatican City, Dec 16, 2016 / 11:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met Friday morning with Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón and former president Senator Álvaro Uribe Vélez, as the country works to finalize a peace accord which would end a 52-year conflict between the government and rebel groups.

Meeting first with Santos, “the discussions took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, confirming the existing good relations between the Holy See and Colombia,” a Dec. 16 communique from the Vatican stated.

“Appreciation was expressed for the Pope’s support during the peace process, along with the hope that such peace be stable and lasting.”

Pope Francis afterwards met with Uribe individually and then together with Santos, where they spoke about the “culture of encounter” and “emphasized the importance of sincere dialogue between all members of Colombian society,” the communique related.

The importance of encounter and unity were also discussed in the meetings, as well as the contribution the Church will be able to offer in support of national reconciliation and education in forgiveness and harmony.

Santos also met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States.

The country is still working to finalize a peace accord between the Colombian government and the country’s largest rebel group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), following four years of negotiations in Cuba.

Pope Francis had expressed approval of a proposed peace deal when it was approved by Colombian government and FARC leaders in August, though it was narrowly rejected in a referendum Oct. 2.

The proposed peace accord was to have incorporated some of FARC’s leadership into the government in exchange for their disarmament and renunciation of kidnapping and drug trafficking.

Many Colombians who voted against ratification charged that it was too lenient on FARC. Members who confessed to crimes were to have been given more lenient sentences, and not face conventional jail time. Opponents of the deal, including Uribe, wanted to renegotiate the agreement, with fewer concessions made to FARC.

Despite the deal’s rejection in the national referendum, Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Oct. 7 for his efforts to secure peace with FARC.

A revised agreement was signed Nov. 24, and then sent to Colombia’s Congress for approval, rather than being submitted to a popular vote. The legislature approved the reformed accord Nov. 30. Revised features of the agreement include the FARC's handing over assets to be used for reparations, a 10 year time limit for the transitional justice system, and FARC rebels' providing information about their drug trafficking.

Five regional leaders of the guerrilla movement have been expelled for refusing to demobilize and join the peace process.

Since 1964, as many as 260,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in Colombia’s civil war. Pope Francis has voiced his support for an end to the violence in the country on several occasions.

In accepting the Nobel Prize Oct. 7, President Santos said he was “infinitely grateful for this honorable distinction.”

“I accept it not on my behalf but on behalf of all Colombians, especially the millions of victims of this conflict which we have suffered for more than 50 years.”

“It is for the victims and so that there not be a single new victim, not a single new casualty that we must reconcile and unite to culminate this process and begin to construct a stable and durable peace,” he added.

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