Bishops tell Filipinos not to gamble with nation’s future

Bishops tell Filipinos not to gamble with nation’s future

Philippine bishops have urged voters not to gamble with the country’s future in national elections in May by voting for corrupt and incompetent candidates.

Their call came as senior Catholic officials, together with religious congregations and laypeople, gathered in Manila on April 6 for a solidarity Mass on the Catholic Church’s role in the polls.

The “Solidarity Mass for Moral Choice,” held at the National Shrine of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, Manila, was presided over by Manila archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

The prelates said the aim of the Mass was to have one heart and mind as priests, religious and laypeople on the Catholic Church’s role in politics.

“If faith cannot guide us in our role in politics, then perhaps we have not done enough in our duty. It is easier to just name a candidate to vote for rather than to teach our people how they should vote,” Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the bishops’ conference, said in his homily.

He said that there is no division between faith and politics, especially when issues in politics are moral in nature such as truth and falsehood.

“Truth is like lime pressed on one’s wounds. It hurts but it keeps us awake. But sometimes, if the truth hurts and causes us inconvenience, we choose to be blind and deaf … we choose to be neutral”

“As moral and spiritual leaders, it is our duty to listen to God’s whisper as to how a disciple of Christ must vote. This role has become more important than ever, especially now that the issue in politics is the truth,” Bishop David added.

Catholics were asked to shun lies and Satan — the prince of lies — who every Catholic is asked to renounce during their baptism, he said.

The prelate also reminded Catholics of a pastoral letter released by the bishops’ conference on Feb. 25 urging them to fight disinformation and fake news.

Bishop David pointed to hit propagandists who recently praised the martial law period during the time of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and claimed it was a golden era in Philippine history.

He lamented that while some were confronted with the truth, not everyone had the will to pursue it.

“Truth is like lime pressed on one’s wounds. It hurts but it keeps us awake,” he said. “But sometimes, if the truth hurts and causes us inconvenience, we choose to be blind and deaf … we choose to be neutral.”

“Let us fight indifference. Let us be concerned for the welfare of others. We are all interconnected. What’s bad for them is bad for us”

Bishop David said neutrality could lead to inaction that was detrimental in the growth of the nation.

“Our low regard and inaction in politics will not bring development. Let us not gamble with the future of our country. Let us fight indifference. Let us be concerned for the welfare of others. We are all interconnected. What’s bad for them is bad for us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sorsogon Bishop Jose Alan Dialago has suspended a clergyman from his ministry for running in the May polls.

Father Emmanuel Alparce of Sorsogon Diocese is prohibited from celebrating Mass and conducting other priestly functions after declaring his intention to run in local elections to become a councilor in Bacacay town in Albay province in the Bicol region.

Father Alparce does not hold any office and is not connected to any parish or institution in the diocese, Bishop Dialogo said in an April 4  circular.