Let us face challenges with sobriety and faith
We the members of the CBCP Permanent Council, just held our regular meeting which had been scheduled during our Permanent Council Meeting last December 2004.
In response to recent developments affecting our country’s governance, we are hereby issuing a sequel to our Pastoral Statement of July 2005. In view of the prevailing situation in our country today which threatens our integrity as a nation, we have deemed it best to state that:
1. The search for truth must continue and must be guided by the principles of the rule of law provided for in the Constitution, and by the moral principles of justice and the common good as we stated in our July 10, 2005 Pastoral Statement.
2. We should now move forward and address the more important and urgent problem of grinding poverty of our people – poverty which has to a considerable extent been caused by excessive politicking. Let us not further contribute to this poverty by our inordinate involvement in activities that further oppress the poor and divide our people.
3. As stated also in our July 10 Statement, we remind our people – especially our Basic Ecclesial Communities, lay organizations and movements – that the political arena is their responsibility as baptized Catholics.
4. We again exhort our people to intensify prayer – sustained communal and personal prayer which will open our hearts to the God among us.
5. Finally, as your pastors, we appeal to the people to meet our present trials with sobriety and faith in a God who loves and cares for us. Let us see our present situation as a God-given challenge to grow and mature as a people.
(SGD)+FERNANDO R. CAPALLA
Archbishop of Davao
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
September 13, 2005
