ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Bishops: "We are grateful to God for the judgment on the South China Sea"

Thursday, 14 July 2016 politics   international politics   peace   justice  

Manila (Agenzia Fides) - "We have welcomed the court's decision with favor and with gratitude to God. We ask everyone to be magnanimous and not to brag, but to take it with simplicity and humility": with this spirit the Bishop of Balanga Ruperto Santos, President of the Episcopal Commission for the pastoral care of migrants and itinerant People, commented the ruling favorable to the Philippines in the existing dispute with China for the jurisdiction in the South China sea. The Bishop in particular urged Filipino workers living in China to "avoid engaging in debates on the judgment, for their safety", urging them to "continue in their work, with a sense of responsibility, respectful and tranquil". The Bishop also asked not to form groups and talk about the decision on social media.
In recent months, the Bishops' Conference had invited all the faithful Filipinos to start a "Oratio Imperata" to seek a peaceful solution with regards to the territorial dispute between Manila and Beijing. In recent days the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines in the dispute that opposes China on the control of strategic atolls and reefs in the South China Sea, saying China has no title on the stretch of sea and violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/07/2016)


Share: