Bishops challenge the State to repent and reform 
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By: Father Shay Cullen
There are several hot issues that are causing friction between the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines and the Arroyo administration. Not long arrived back from an audience with the Pope which the presidential spin masters portrayed as an endorsement of her government, the bishops objected to the sex education teaching modules introduced into the public school curriculum.
As if that wasn't enough to cause friction between church and state, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) held its important annual retreat and meeting early July to discuss whether the CBCP would endorse the impeachment of the president for allegations of massive fraud in the last elections.
This was marred by presidential aides passing envelops stuffed with cash to the bishops during the coffee break time. Incredible as it might seem, outrageous as it was, the bishops’ condemnation of this attempt to bribe and corrupt them was answered by serious sedition accusations against six bishops. They have been accused of helping and sheltering military coup plotters in a failed attempt to overthrow president MacapagalArroyo earlier this year.
The Ecumenical Bishops Forum spoke out against the intimidating tactics of the administration calling them: "harassment being waged by the Arroyo (government) against six bishops in an attempt to silence these outspoken critics. The Ecumenical forum is a solidarity group of bishops and leaders of various Christian churches. The members are Episcopalian, United Methodists churches, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the Philippine Independent Church and the Catholic Church. The Bishops forum indicated that the allegations leveled against the bishops was in retaliation for the condemnation by the outspoken bishops against social evils. The statement said that the bishops have stood against" widespread corruption, unexplained scandals, gambling, the sell-out of our national patrimony, and above all, massive cheating on the part of President Arroyo to perpetuate herself in power-why all the attempts to cover up these.
The six bishops are known as outspoken critics led by the President of the CBCP Archbishop Angel Lagdameo and Bishops Oscar Cruz, Julio Xavier Labayen, Deogracias Iniguez, Antonio Tobias and Bishop Teodoro Bacani. These bishops are known to be long time advocate of social justice and have taken strong position against gambling, mining, the abuse of indigenous people and widespread corruption that is bleeding the country siphoning off millions of dollars for private gain and inflaming the already chronic and wide spread poverty. They are the prophetic voice of he Philippine Churches and have given great encouragement and inspiration to all those fighting for justice and human rights. The worst aspect of the administration that has earned it worldwide rebuke and condemnation is the uncontrollable activities of execution squads killing community leaders working for social justice.
Last week a leader of indigenous tribal group was gunned down a few kilometers from where I am writing this. He was shot five times by 5 men who drove up in a van. They showed no fear, panic or in a hurry to escape from the crime although the police headquarters was only a kilometer away. It is this all out war and series blatant murders of dissidents and social activist leaders defending human rights than has brought the bishops to speak out. Christians need strong outspoken leaders and whereas in the past the criticism centered on church inaction in the face of human rights violations now there are at lease six bishops willing to lead as brave and unwavering shepherds.
They are “teachers and defenders of the faith”, the Bishops forum said and that their stand was to, ”hold onto the truth and pursue it at all times and in all places.” The debate about the boundaries between the separation of church and state has never been so strident. For many, the example of Jesus is what ought to be followed. He remained the true faithful prophet and challenged the political leadership from the courtyard of the temple and according the gospel narrative he called them to repentance and to return to the true faith and spoke out against their hypocrisy and wrong doing preaching redemption and a new kingdom of God that would renew the face of the earth. Yet he was rejected, condemned and given over the execution squad.
Our bishops following in His footsteps are not likely to face that extreme prejudice as suffered by Archbishop Oscar Romero in El Salvador when he was shot by an assassin. Nevertheless they have embarked on a path of defiance and are challenging the State and it leaders to repent and reform. [End]
