Manila (AsiaNews) – Filipino bishops are using every tool at their disposal to reach the faithful, including the internet and blogs.

From the website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), internet users can access three blogs managed by three prelates who talk about a variety of issues such as catechesis, today's society and Christian life. Each blog is different but all are regularly updated—even on a daily basis.

Mgr Jose R. Manguiran, Bishop of Dipolong, manages The Meaning, whose subtitle is 'Life is meaningful only when it begins and ends with Christ'. And for this, he focuses on how one can lead a Christian life in an ever-speeding society. He also develops arguments on various philosophical issues and lays out his personal thoughts for all to read.

Viewpoints is the diary of Mgr Oscar V. Cruz, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan. In it, Archbishop Cruz carries on his personal battles against what he calls society's cancers, namely gambling and illiteracy—battles that have earned him death threats, which he dismisses on his blog for "should we not take Christ as our example, He who died for the truth".

Last but not least is the blog Tidbits by Mgr Leonardo Medroso, Bishop of Borongan. Unlike his fellow prelate bloggers, who focus on discussions and reflections, Bishop Medroso gives technical advice and spurs his readers to follow the right path. For instance, in one of the latest updates, he urged young people to go to Cologne (Germany) for the 2005 World Youth Day.

Readers can also find a ready-made form to request funds from the CBCP that can be printed and filled out by the country's dioceses.

By a simple click of the mouse, readers can easily access other interesting pages within the CBCP site as well as external sites

On the CBCP's homepage, one can view the President's page, which presents the views of Mgr Fernando Capalla, Archbishop of Davao and CBCP President.

In his own corner of cyberspace, Archbishop Capalla speaks directly to the faithful but also provides general information about the Filipino Church. (VFP)