“…the LORD requires of you: to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:8)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We, your bishops, gathered together for the 130th CBCP Plenary Assembly, have deeply reflected on some issues confronting our people and the world today, among which: the violence in Gaza, the plight of workers seeking fair wages, and the call for impeachment for accountability in governance.
On the violence in Gaza
We urge the faithful to pray, fast, and offer sacrifices for peace in Gaza and throughout the world. War spares no one and there is no victory in war. The innocent suffer the most. We condemn the weaponization of starvation. Let food and badly needed humanitarian aid benefit all. We appeal for immediate ceasefire so that serious negotiations can take place for a long lasting solution to the problems of Palestine. We advocate for a sustained culture of peace rooted in justice, mercy and our shared humanity, transcending race, religion and politics.
On Just Wages and the Dignity of Work
We are aware of the plight of workers in our country that the salaries they receive are much below the living wages that enable workers to meet their needs and support their families. We recognize that justice begins at home. The Church must lead by example in ensuring fair salaries, benefits and dignified treatment of workers in our church institutions. We appeal for dialogue among employees, employers and the government to arrive at mutually acceptable solutions on just wages and security of tenure as the workers rightfully demand and the Church’s social teachings advocate.
On Accountability and Good Governance
We are disturbed by the delay in the Senate in executing the constitutional demand for the impeachment process of the Vice President. We affirm that impeachment, when pursued with truth and justice, is a legitimate democratic mechanism for transparency and accountability in governance. We call our faithful to combat moral indifference, listen to all sides with openness, and foster a culture of engaged citizenship rooted in our Christian faith.
A Call to Action
We invite all clergy, laity, workers and political leaders to join hands in building a just and peaceful society as we do justice, love goodness and walk humbly with our God. In this Jubilee Year, let us enkindle our hope, strengthen our solidarity and remain vigilant in our stewardship of truth, justice, and the dignity of every human person. May Our Lady of Peace intercede and pray for us, to be instruments of God’s justice and love.
For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
+Pablo Virgilio S. Cardinal David, D.D.
Bishop of Kalookan
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
