Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Fides Service) - Rejection of violent solutions; call for serious discernment, based on criteria of transparency and justice; prayer that the common good may prevail in politics. The requests were contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines with regard to the present political crisis. The statement, ‘Restoring Trust: A Plea for Moral Values in Philippine Politics’ issued by 85 Bishops meeting in Manila 8 to 11 July, examines the situation of crisis but takes no position against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who is faced with a difficult political moment.
The message was awaited given the importance and traditional social influence of the Church in the Philippines where 85% of the population is Catholic. The bishops do not side with any of the various social and political segments calling on the President accused of electoral fraud and facing widespread social malcontent over rising prices to resign.
In the statement the Bishops note yet another political crisis which threatens of polarise the country and has caused confusion among the people. “At the center of the crisis is the issue of moral value, particularly the issue of trust. The people mistrust our economic institutions which place them under the tyranny of market forces whose lack of moral compass produces for our people a life of grinding, dehumanizing poverty. They also mistrust yet another key institution—our political system. This mistrust is not recent. For a long time now, while reveling in political exercises, our people have shown a lack of trust in political personalities, practices, and processes. Elections are often presumed tainted rather than honest. Congressional and senate hearings are sometimes narrowly confined to procedural matters and often run along party lines. Politics has not effectively responded to the needs of the poor and marginalized”.
The document recalls the position of academics, intellectuals, politicians and members of civil society towards president Arroyo: some demand her resignation or impeachment. They Bishop recall that they are not “politicians” they do not intend to interfere with strictly political matters, they offer an opinion of social activity and “from the moral point of view that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God”.
Referring to President Arroyo, the Bishops say: “in a spirit of humility and truth, we declare our prayerfully discerned collective decision that we do not demand her resignation. Yet neither do we encourage her simply to dismiss such a call from others. For we recognize that non-violent appeals for her resignation, the demand for a Truth Commission, and the filing of an impeachment case are not against the Gospel.
The Bishops’ Conference says the constitution must be respected and that politicians must make decisions in the light of the Gospel values of truth, justice and the common good. “We urge our people in our parish and religious communities, our religious organizations and movements, our Basic Ecclesial Communities to come and pray together, reason, decide, and act together always to the end that the will of God prevail in the political order.”.
The Bishops call for dialogue with transparency and moral principles recalling the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church Populorum Pogressio, and Pacem in Terris documents.
The Bishops end their statement calling for greater commitment to evangelise social and political life for form men and women who are competent and authentic Christians who live with moral integrity as they expercise political leadership.
The statement was signed by Archbishop Fernando Cavalla of Davao, outgoing President of the Bishops’ Conference who will be replaced by the present vice-president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro in January 2006 elected by the Bishops’ Conference.
President Gloria Arroyo has been accused of electoral fraud last year and members of her family and her husband - who decided to go in exile to the United State sto avoid embarassement to his wife, are suspected of taking money from clandestine gambling centres. On 25 July the Philippines parliament will discuss an opposition motion to accuse Ms Arroyo. The motion will probably not be approved because the President has a majority in both houses. But social tension and malcontent remain.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/07/2005 Righe: 40 Parole: 402)
