Dear People of God:

“Prince of Peace.” That was how the Prophet Isaiah called Christ who was to come to save the world. (Isa. 9, 6). “On earth peace to men of good will,” the angels sang when they announced the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. (Lk. 2,4) The message of peace is relevant and pressing today as it was around two thousand years ago.

VATICAN CITY – A woman jumped the barriers in St. Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI at the start of Christmas Eve Mass, but the 82-year-old pontiff got up unhurt and proceeded as planned with Thursday's service.

Witness video obtained by The Associated Press showed a woman dressed in a red hooded sweat shirt vaulting over the wooden barriers that cordoned off the basilica's main aisle and rushing toward the pope before being swarmed by bodyguards.

The video showed the woman grabbing the pope's vestments as she was taken down by guards, with Benedict then falling on top of her.

The commotion occurred as the pope's procession was making its way toward the main altar and shocked gasps rang out among the thousands who packed the basilica. The procession came to a halt, the music stopped and security rushed to the trouble spot. ...

- News from ARIEL DAVID, Associated Press Writer Ariel David, Associated Press Writer – Thu Dec 24, 9:14 pm ET

(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_christmas)

Raw Video can be watched here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpDffQJjm9c

BEFORE we get lost in the exchange of increasingly bitter words over who was to blame for the disappointing outcome of the Copenhagen climate change negotiations, let us reconsider what was at stake—in particular, for a developing country like the Philippines.

We are not among the worst sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Far from it, as President Macapagal-Arroyo noted in her speech before the UN forum, we emit an estimated 1.6 tons of CO2 equivalent per capita. In contrast, the global average is currently 6 tons per head, and one objective of the two-year negotiations which culminated in Copenhagen was to lower this world average to 3 tons per capita.

AFTER the destructive typhoon Ondoy that hit Manila and Central Luzon, and with still on-going work of compassion and rehabilitation, we are warned by the news of possibly stronger typhoons in the coming days or weeks. We are still facing a litany of storms, according to Pag-asa.

We are impelled to pray that the Lord save our country from further calamities due to typhoons, floods, drought, volcanic eruption and other calamities occurring in increasing number and intensity.

SELDOM does someone consciously choose to stop growing. Yet we all know people whose influence has leveled off or gone into decline. Why do hard-working, well-intentioned leaders plateau? How can people ascend the levels of influence throughout their careers, but then suddenly stop climbing?

About five years ago, I facilitated an all-day roundtable with 15 leaders. During the Q&A, a very successful leader, a man who had done wonders with his organization, spoke up to voice a concern. “John,” he said, “the last two years I’ve hit a plateau. For the first time in many years, I’ve stopped growing as a leader. Could you help me?”

DEFENSE SECRETARY NORBERTO GONZALES already gave the nation “Oplan Bantay Laya,” the administration’s master plan for liquidating leftists, unleashing Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan to do its dirty work. When domestic and international public opinion loudly condemned her administration, President Macapagal-Arroyo responded by decrying extrajudicial killings while hailing Palparan in her 2006 State of the Nation Address. To this day, the disappearance of Jonas Burgos exemplifies the essential indifference and impunity the administration demonstrates towards the issue of extrajudicial killings.

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) Second Division has denied a motion filed by Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio seeking its members’ inhibition from the election protest case filed against the governor, and instead threatened to cite one of his lawyers in contempt for acting with “disrespect” toward division members.

In an order dated Dec. 17, the three members of the Second Division said there was no proof they acted with bias against Panlilio in the election case filed by losing gubernatorial candidate Lilia Pineda. The case is set to be promulgated soon.