RENEWING
OUR PUBLIC LIFE THROUGH MORAL VALUES
A Pastoral Statement
Beloved People of God:
We, your bishops, have collectively discerned in the light of the
Gospel what our mass media, our political leaders and, above all,
you parishioners in our various dioceses have been telling us.
What clearly emerges is the continued and urgent need for renewal
in the public life of our country.
I. Our Pastoral Situation: What Our People are Saying
We have all observed the failure of political processes to make
public servants accountable for wrongdoings. What we have seen
instead are acts of evasion and obstruction of the truth, as in
the case of the wiretapping and Garcillano tapes controversy.
While we acknowledge that patriotic and sincere Filipinos have
heeded our call in July 2005 for accountability in public office
and sought means for the truth to emerge, we also witness those
who seem to use ?the search for truth? as a means of furthering
their political ambitions. Pressure is thus brought on the
ordinary citizen to take sides on the basis of speculation,
whether this be with regard to destabilizing alliances, armed
insurgency, or a brewing coup d? etat. Have we become a nation of
rumors and untruths?
As a result of all this, there seems to be a paralyzing gridlock
in the political sphere, as partisan interests prevail over the
demands of the common good. Enough of this destructive politics,
we hear our people declare. In this situation of widespread
confusion, it is not surprising that apathy and cynicism with
regard to politics have taken hold of the minds and hearts of many
Filipinos. Tragically, many Filipinos have lost trust in political
leaders from left, right, and center, and worse still, in the
political institutions themselves which are perceived by many to
be corrupted. Among an increasing number of our people, there is a
sense of hopelessness about our country and the possibility of
genuine reform.
While the economy at the marcro-level seems to be moving along,
the benefits are not sufficiently shared by the poor. What the
people in our dioceses are experiencing and saying informs us that
their most immediate and urgent priority is their daily struggle
to earn a livelihood. Poverty remains the heaviest burden our
people bear. They wonder if the political priorities that
preoccupy our leaders are merely ?Manila-magnified? problems
foisted upon those in the provinces. They are seriously concerned
that in 2006 we shall be repeating the same kind of chaotic
politics that we all suffered in 2005.
II. The Root of the Crisis: Erosion of Moral Values
As bishops, we believe that at the bottom of our political chaos
is a crisis of moral values, a crisis of truth and justice, of
unity and solidarity for the sake of the common good and genuine
peace. Truth has become a victim of political partisanship as well
as of transactional politics. Moral accountability and justice for
crimes, such as the killings of journalists and labor leaders, are
yet to be realized.
Because of this crisis of values in our public life, the common
good and the plight of the poor are being ignored. We witness the
anguish of poor farmers affected by rising prices of farm inputs
and decreasing prices for their products. Indigenous people,
farmers and fishermen in our dioceses are filled with anxiety
about the negative effects of mining, commercial logging, illegal
quarrying and fishing, and the continual threat of displacement
from one?s ancestral lands. More regrettable is the common
knowledge that many of our politicians are behind such ventures
that disregard the common good.
As Bishops, we realize that the root cause of our debilitating
situation is the erosion of moral values. Its external
manifestations are deceit and dishonesty, corruption, manipulation
and a deadening preoccupation with narrow political interests,
perceived in practically all branches and at all levels of
government. Pope Benedict XVI cites St. Augustine?s observation
that ?a State which is not governed according to justice would be
just a bunch of thieves.? (Deus Caritas Est, 28)
But we also recognize that our situation is not one of utter
darkness. We are encouraged and inspired to see so many good and
decent Filipinos, of different faith traditions, working
selflessly and sincerely to build up our nation. We see public
servants struggling for integrity and the authentic reform of the
corrupted institutions they are part of. We acknowledge groups of
dedicated laity, religious and clergy, NGOs and various
associations, including police and military personnel, giving of
themselves to improve the governance, education, health, housing,
livelihood and environmental conditions of our people. These
people, united by a vision of heroic citizenship, are reasons for
hope, even in the midst of the political crisis we find ourselves
in.
III. What We Need to Do
The mission of the Church includes the renewal of the social order
and public life through the teaching and inculcation of the values
of the Gospel. Because of the moral dimensions of our political
and economic life, ?The Church has something to say about specific
human situations, individual and communal, national and
international.? (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,
No. 521) ?Any authentic search for peace?, the Holy Father
stresses, ?must begin with the realization that the problem of
truth and untruth is the concern of every man and woman.? (In
Truth, Peace, no. 5) Let us all therefore address the urgent
issues facing our country from this moral standpoint:
* We recommend that the search for truth be relentlessly pursued
through structures and processes mandated by law and our
Constitution, such as the Ombudsman, the Commission on Human
Rights, the Sandiganbayan, and Congress itself as well as other
citizens? groups. This requires that such bodies be led and run by
credible people, persons of integrity and probity.
* Confidence and trust in our political processes have to be
restored. As a first step we strongly urge our political leaders
to undertake electoral reforms posthaste. The Commission on
Elections has to be transformed into a competent and reliable body
beyond reproach. The call for resignation or even prosecution of a
number of the Commissioners should not be lightly brushed aside.
The electoral process, including counting of votes, needs to be
reformed and modernized before the next elections.
* Elections in 2007 should not be cancelled. The Church recognizes
that in a democracy power emanates from the people?i.e., that ?the
subject of political authority is the people considered in its
entirety . . . This people transfers the exercise of sovereignty
to those whom it freely elects . . . but it preserves the
prerogative . . . [of] evaluating those charged with governing,
and replacing them when they do not fulfill their functions
satisfactorily.? (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,
No. 395)
* While we agree that certain aspects of our Constitution may need
amendments and revisions, we do not support hasty efforts to
change this fundamental law of the land without the widespread
discussion and participation that such changes require. We
continue to believe, as we did in our Statement on Charter Change
in 2003, that changing the Constitution involving major shifts in
the form of government, requires widespread participation, total
transparency, and relative serenity that allows for national
discussion and debate. This is best done through a Constitutional
Convention. The reasons for constitutional change must be based
on the common good rather than on self-serving interests or the
interests of political dynasties.
* We reiterate our stand in our July 2005 statement that we do not
condone any move resorting to violence or counter-constitutional
means in resolving our present crisis. These measures would only
bring about new forms of injustice, more hardships, and greater
harm in the future.
* We are aware that the renewal of the Philippine public life will
require the transformation of cultural values and structures, and
will require more intensive efforts on the part of the Church. We
therefore commit ourselves to the following:
* To adopt a more systematic program of promoting the moral values
that are indicated in seven (of the nine) pastoral priorities
drawn up at the 2001 National Pastoral Consultation on Church
Renewal. These are: integral faith formation; empowerment of the
laity towards social transformation; the active presence and
participation of the poor in the Church and in society; the family
as the focal point of evangelization; the building and
strengthening of participatory communities that make up the
parish; integral renewal of the clergy and religious; and our
journeying with the youth.
* To continue the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities and
other faith-communities at the grassroots, towards a deeper
spirituality of heroic Christian citizenship, and towards
encouraging the laudable efforts of these communities at
nation-building, such as the monitoring of the IRA, bidding of
public works projects, etc.
* To promote a spirituality of public service, integrity and
stewardship among public servants and citizens? groups alike.
These forms of social spirituality should counteract the
persistent evils of gambling, drug-pushing, usury, destruction of
our environment, and corruption in public office.
* To bring together various concerned citizens? groups that are
working for good governance in order to encourage better
collaboration among them in the mobilization of the governed to
check graft and corruption and to work for better public services.
* To declare this year 2006 as a ?Social Concerns Year? under the
auspices of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. The Social Teachings of the Church, as summarized in the
recently-printed Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,
may be discussed, internalized, and acted upon in all our
dioceses, parishes and Catholic schools.
* To accompany our efforts with prayer and penance and a deep
trust in the transformative power of God?s grace in the lives of
individuals as well as of societies. ?Restore us to Thee, O Lord,
that we may be restored? (Lam 5:21)
Conclusion
In all we have been saying here, we, your Bishops, are seeking to
be faithful to the Lord’s command of love, and his call to his
followers to care for all peoples, especially those whom he sees
as the least of my brothers and sisters (Mt. 25, 40). It is this
Gospel mandate we wish to see making a quantitative difference in
our efforts at healing and renewing our flawed political culture
and corrupted public life. In doing this, we show our solidarity
with the poor who suffer most from the present state of public
life and politics.
May the love of God in Christ, poured out upon all of us in the
Holy Spirit, give us the courage and hope to renew our public life
and to build up a truly moral society. And may Mary become our
guide and model in this renewed pilgrimage towards Truth, Justice,
Freedom and Love?the pillars of genuine peace in our Land.
For the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines:
+ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, D.D.
Archbishop of Jaro
President, CBCP (29 Jan. 2006)
