Catholic Church, Corruption and Morality

[FK]

---

sir i have already apologize... what else do you want?

You want me to write a public apology?

[PissKhanXXX]

i do not need your apology. i was just wanting to get a point across you.

back to the topic.

[vern]

Just a little plug ... Instead of running and hiding and whining, etc about how a moderator bullies you, I suggest everyone either concede defeat or stand with their arguments. It's sickening how so many try to make every argument that a moderator feels strongly about to be a user vs moderator issue. You will get more respect from us and from everyone else with any brains that way.

[FK]

O.T. and I suggest also that let us just present our argument... and stop insulting other people.

[mannyamador]

RESTORING TRUST: A PLEA FOR MORAL VALUES IN PHILIPPINE POLITICS

The Pastoral Situation

1. As a people we seem to have passed from crisis to crisis in one form or another. For many analysts, reinforcing these crises are ambivalent cultural values such as palakasan, pakikisama, utang na loob, and family-centeredness. As Bishops we have long contended that the crises that we have suffered are basically moral – the lack of moral values in ourselves, in our relationships, in our social structures.

2. Today we are beset with yet another political crisis of such magnitude as to polarize our people and attract them to various options ranging from the extreme right to the extreme left. In this grave situation, various groups take advantage of one another, manipulate situations for their own agenda and create confusion among our people sometimes by projecting speculation or suspicion as proven fact, with the aim of grabbing power.

3. 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 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.

4. This question of trust in national institution has taken a critical urgency with the resignation of some key Cabinet members, the realignment of political parties and the creation of new alliances. Amid this realignment of forces we commend the clear official stand of our military and police authorities who reiterated their loyalty to our Constitution that forbids them from engaging in partisan politics.

5. Moreover within academe, business, professional and civil society varied positions have been taken with regard to President Macapagal Arroyo. Some want her to resign; others want her to go through due process. Some want a Truth Commission. Others impeachment. Some want a constitutional process and others an extra-constitutional process. On the other hand there is also a wide manifestation of support for the chief executive by a cross section of society.

6. Today we ask ourselves, “As Bishops what can we offer to our people? Can we provide some clarity and guidance in the present confusing situation?� We can only answer these questions from who are. We are not politicians who are to provide a political blueprint to solve political problems. Rather we are Bishops called by the Lord to shepherd the people in the light of faith. With Pope Benedict XVI we do not believe in the “intrusion into politics on the part of the hierarchy.� But we are to interpret human activities such as economics and politics from the moral and religious point of view, from the point of view of the Gospel of Jesus and of the Kingdom of God. We are to provide moral and religious guidance to our people. This is what we offer in the present crisis. Not to do this would be an abdication of our duty.

Our Pastoral Role and Our Stand

7. In the welter of conflicting opinions and positions our role is not to point out a specific political option or a package of options as the Gospel choice, especially so when such an option might be grounded merely on a speculative and highly controvertible basis. In the present situation we believe that no single concrete option regarding President Macapagal Arroyo can claim to be the only one demanded by the Gospel. Therefore, 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.

8. In all these we remind ourselves that a just political and moral order is best promoted under the present circumstances by a clear and courageous preference for constitutional processes that flow from moral values and the natural law. Hence, we also appeal to the people, especially their representatives and leaders, to discern their decisions not in terms of political loyalties but 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. People of good will and credibility who hold different political convictions should come together and dialogue in order to help move the country out of its present impasse. We believe with Pope Benedict XVI that through prayer the Filipino people and their political representatives and leaders, guided by moral principles, are capable of arriving at decisions for the common good that are based not only on political realities but above all on moral precepts.

9. Yet having said this we wish to subject specific situations to moral inquiry to guide our people in deepening their moral discernment.

Restoring Moral Values

10. On Moral Accountability: “Political authority is accountable to the people. Those who govern have the obligation to answer to the governed� (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 40. President Macapagal Arroyo has admitted and apologized for a “lapse of judgment� for calling a COMELEC official. The admission further eroded that people’s trust on the already suspected electoral system and raised serious questions on the integrity of the elections. Beyond apology is accountability. Indeed, with forgiveness is justice. To restore trust would require a thorough, credible, and independent process to examine the authenticity of the so-called Garcillano tapes, verify any possible betrayal of public trust, and mete out due punishment on all those found guilty. Punishment should also be imposed on those duly found guilty of corruption and illegal acts, such as jueteng and wire-tapping. Moral accountability calls for radical reforms in various agencies of government to make them more responsive to the requirements of integrity as well as to the needs of the poor.

11. On Constitutionality: In the present crisis some calls are being made for measures that are counter-constitutional. The Constitution enshrines cherished values such as human dignity and the common good, freedom, the rule of law and due process. On this basis, we reject quick fixes that cater to selfish political agenda and advantage rather than to the common good. We deplore the attempts of those groups who seek to exploit our vulnerable national situation in order to create confusion and social chaos, in order to seize power by unconstitutional means. We reject calls for juntas or revolutionary councils. Our political leaders have to be the first to observe and faithfully implement the Constitution. Resolving the crisis has to be within the framework of the Constitution and the laws of the land so as to avoid social chaos, the further weakening of political systems, and greater harm in the future.

12. On Non-Violence: Violent solutions, as Pope Paul VI taught us, “produce new injustices, throw more elements out of balance, and bring on new disasters� (Populorum Progressio, 31). There are today, on different sides of the social and political spectrum, those who would instigate violence in order to promote their own agenda or causes. We reject the use of force and violence as a solution to our problems. Such cannot be an option of the Gospel, for we know that Jesus the Lord taught a Gospel of love and non-violence.

13. On Effective Governance: “Public authority in order to promote the common good… requires also that authority be effective in attaining that end� (Pacem in Terris, ch. IV). Together with competence, personal integrity is one of the most necessary requirements of a leader. Ineffective governance may be due to a lack of personal integrity or lack of competence. It could also be the result of a confluence of factors that have eroded trust and credibility and hence effectiveness. In our present situation we recognize that blame could be attributed to many, even to all of us. Yet we would ask the President to discern deeply to what extent she might have contributed to the erosion of effective governance and whether the erosion is so severe as to be irreversible. In her heart she has to make the necessary decision for the sake of the country. We all need to do the same. Indeed, moral discernment is very difficult since it is not based on political allegiances and alignments but no moral considerations.

Conclusion

14. Dear People of God, sadness and anxiety were our feelings when we as Bishops first met to study the various aspects of the crisis. To confront the fears and hopelessness that at the daily companions of our poor is to realize that we of the Church likewise contributed to them by our neglect, our bias, our selfishness.

15. To respond to the pastoral situation we commit ourselves to a more effective evangelization in word and deed so that moral values might become dynamic forces of human life in economics, politics, and culture. We especially commit ourselves to the formation of men and women endowed with competence and integrity and empowered to effective leadership in the economic and political spheres. With the Gospel of truth, justice, peace and love in their hearts they might, indeed, be a leaven of social transformation for our country.

16. This Year of the Eucharistic reminds us of the abiding, loving and healing presence of the Lord Jesus in our midst. By the grace and mercy of God and the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we pray that a deep sense of hope will prevail in these dark moments of our history. Our loving God will not abandon us no matter what pit of evil have fallen into. We shall emerge stronger from this crisis. We shall rise endowed with greater integrity. We shall be witnesses to the power of God’s grace to transform us into a noble nation, a holier Church, a united people.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines:

+FERNANDO R. CAPALLA, D.D.
President
Archbishop of Davao

[rikimaru_uzumaki]

im glad the bishops didnt join the bandwagon...or else this will be a one-way ride to hell!!!adding more fire to the already burning ones could realy take toll not only in our country economy but the whole nation as well.

[HoundedbyHeaven]

(From: http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/11/news/phils.php )

Vatican silences Philippine bishops
By Carlos H. Conde International Herald Tribune

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2005

MANILA. The refusal by the Roman Catholic bishops' conference here to join calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the result of an admonition by the Vatican, which told them to stop meddling in politics.

The Vatican's reprimand, which stopped the bishops from asking Arroyo to resign, was first reported by the Manila newsmagazine Newsbreak and was independently confirmed Monday by several bishops, who declined to be named because of the secretive nature of their deliberations.

The office of the papal nuncio to the Philippines did not deny Monday that the envoy, Antonio Franco, had conveyed the displeasure of Pope Benedict XVI in a speech delivered to the bishops Saturday.

Reached for comment, the nuncio's office merely said that Franco had "shared some fraternal considerations with the bishops" at the weekend meeting. Franco declined to make other comments or to release copies of his speech, a member of his staff said.

After days of deliberations, the bishops issued a statement Sunday calling for constitutional ways to resolve the political crisis that has beset the country for more than a month. The neutral position surprised many Filipinos, many of whom had expected the church to add its voice to the growing calls for Arroyo's resignation.

On Monday, former President Corazon Aquino, who continues to wield considerable moral influence here, repeated her call for Arroyo's resignation, saying the election-fraud scandal is "crippling the government and endangering the nation." The palace responded that the president will never resign.

The church here has long provided political guidance to a people whose political system has not quite blossomed into a mature democracy. The church was instrumental in the uprisings that toppled two previous presidents. By declaring its neutrality this time, the church threw Arroyo a lifeline that reduced the likelihood of her ouster.

She praised the bishops' position Monday, calling it a "collective voice of moderation and temperance at this time of national soul searching."

The Vatican's strong expression of displeasure toward the Filipino bishops' "interference" could be a signal for their conference to start withholding its voice in political affairs. In the short term, this could mean that Arroyo need not worry too much about the church, although many of its leaders have been vocal as individuals in their criticism.

In a special edition circulated on Monday, Newsbreak, a small but respected journal, reported that Franco, the papal nuncio, gave the bishops a "tongue lashing" on Saturday.

The bishops were having their annual meeting, which the papal nuncio always attends, and wound up tempering what would have been a stronger statement calling for Arroyo's resignation, the journal said.

Newsbreak reported that in his speech, Franco reminded the bishops that they are "out of their place when they get into direct action, attending rallies on political issues, siding with one group or another, being used by parties with hidden agenda for purposes of grabbing power."

Franco said he was "convinced that this direct action is being exploited for partisan politics and it is wrong for the church and for the country," the magazine reported.

"Instead of being the prophetic voice that urges institutions of state to work for the good of the people, bishops become the ones who prevent institutions to work," Franco reportedly said.

Archbishop Oscar Cruz, one of those who attended the meeting, denied on television that they had been pressured by the Vatican to go soft on Arroyo. He said, however, that the Vatican had always had a "common doctrine not to interfere in political matters."

The Vatican has long been uncomfortable about the partisanship of the church in the Philippines but tolerated it nonetheless because of the seriousness of the political problems being faced by Filipinos, such as the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

Moreover, the late Cardinal Jaime Sin, who embodied this political activism because of his high-profile involvement in the campaigns against Marcos and President Joseph Estrada, who were toppled in church-supported uprisings in 1981 and 2001, had been close to the late Pope John Paul II.

The Filipino bishops hinted Sunday that the ascension of a new pope had also been a factor, when they said in their statement that they agreed with the view of Pope Benedict XVI that the church should not intrude into politics.

According to the Reverend Joe Dizon, an activist priest, the Filipino bishops were likewise reprimanded by the Vatican during a visit to Rome about the political activism of the local church. "They were asked what was wrong with the priests and bishops in the Philippines who were participating in demonstrations," Dizon said.

Whether the Vatican's action will douse the activism of Filipino priests and bishops, several of whom have joined demonstrations demanding Arroyo's removal, remains to be seen. But many are now concerned about its implications.

Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, one of those who are critical of Arroyo, defended the church's involvement in politics. "It can be taken and viewed in different ways, but the bishops are always called to guide the people," he said. "It is our obligation to give proper moral guidance to the people."

Iñiguez explained that during crises like this "when political matters are heightened, moral concerns always crop up."

"So the bishops will have to speak out and guide the people," he said.

Iñiguez said that in the context of the Philippines, political activism by church people "may be called for," pointing out that a bishop is also a citizen. He said Filipino bishops can always listen to the Vatican but they should not be prevented from forming their own minds about political matters.

Dizon, the activist priest, said the Vatican is coming from what he called the "European point of view." The Vatican has to understand, he said, that the Roman Catholic faith, owing to the country's three centuries of experience under Spanish colonial and clerical rule, has been woven into the Philippines' political fabric.

"The church has always had an immense influence on us and on practically every aspect of our lives," Dizon said. "The Vatican is out of touch with reality if it cannot understand this."

The Reverend Jerry Sabado, a spokesman for the Promotion of Church People's Response, a group of church people that has joined demonstrations against Arroyo, said that the Vatican's move to discourage the bishops could, if pursued, end up emasculating the Philippine church.

"The church will become a gagged and blind prophet and, hence, it won't be effective in ministering to the poor," Sabado said. In the Philippine context, he said, that might make the church irrelevant.

Precisely because of the weaknesses and defects of Philippine democracy and governance, Sabado said, the church has long appropriated for itself a political role. In fact, all across the country, church people lead movements to protect the environment, investigate human rights violations, protect the interest of indigenous peoples, even push for the peace process between the government and Islamic insurgents.

Nothing illustrates the church's engagement in politics better than the Marcos dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s, when church people actively engaged in the struggle against the regime. Many of them marched in the streets and joined underground groups. Several ended up in the mountains, joining the Communist movement to fight the government; many of these former priests eventually become leaders of the Communist insurgency. To this day, church workers are common inside the Philippine left.

Many in the Roman Catholic hierarchy may not be comfortable with this history, Sabado said, but that is exactly the kind of context that makes the Philippine church such an important force in the lives of Filipinos. To ask the church to ignore this history, particularly the aspects of it that compel priests to fill the leadership vacuum that is quite common in this country, is unfortunate, Sabado said.

Joaquin Bernas, an expert on the Constitution who is also a Jesuit priest, said, however, that the church would become assertive once again if the political crisis deteriorates to the level that precipitated the downfall of the Marcos regime.

"These are men of goodwill who are divided on secular matters about which they are not experts," Bernas said of the bishops' neutral stance on Arroyo.

"They are not telling Filipinos what they should do but what they should not do," he added.

[FK]

the new CBCP pastoral letter wants to see an end... a clear answer to the crisis.

I hope when the impeachment this time will prosper, because it is the most legal avenue to know it all. And I hope EO 464 will be scrap.

[randy111979]

arang-arang ni na balita ...... naa pa diay ni na isyu noh? hehehe. ..

Conclusion

14. Dear People of God, sadness and anxiety were our feelings when we as Bishops first met to study the various aspects of the crisis. To confront the fears and hopelessness that at the daily companions of our poor is to realize that we of the Church likewise contributed to them by our neglect, our bias, our selfishness.

Lead the way Bishop. Set example through your priests.

[samamar21]

God
bless
all the
bishops!