A
PASTORAL LETTER ON OUR MOST RECENT
BELOVED PEOPLE OF GOD:
Greetings in the
name of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.
We, your servants, have been gravely appalled
by the blinding darkness that has engulfed the society we live. Many have been
stirred into confusion and ceaseless debates while the pain of worsening hunger
and poverty remains a day-to-day experience for the majority of our people.
It is in this context that we are
sharing with you the result of our collective reading of the signs of the
times. We fervently hope and pray that we may let the light shine for our
people to see, reflect, and eventually decide on what should be done (Luke
12:56-57). This is not a matter of choice for us bishops but a matter of
obligation in complete obedience to God. It is in this spirit that we speak to
you on the important issues of our day.
On Charter Change and Globalization
We have witnessed that in recent years,
previous administrations have repeatedly tried to change the 1987 Philippine
Constitution. The most obsessive of such initiative is currently being pursued
by the Arroyo administration that is letting no stones unturned to have its
way. One could easily conclude that her efforts to change the Constitution
embodies a scheme to insulate her administration from questions surrounding
legitimacy, graft and corruption, internal division, and violent repression of
legitimate political opposition.
The proponents of charter change are
blaming the bicameral legislature for the country’s chronic economic and
political failures to justify the unicameral alternative as a solution. Its
advocates even invoke the common good and the people’s interest, enticing the
public with their deceptive promises of national recovery, development and
growth. Yet we know that while neo-liberal policies continue to dominate our
domestic economy, such a change will solely benefit the tiny ruling elite of
landed gentry and big businessmen whose interest is to perpetuate their
economic and political stranglehold, and further deprive the vast majority of
the Filipino people who clamor for genuine social change. Our Lord Jesus has
warned us against these people who will come to mislead us:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to
you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by
their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, of figs from thistles? In the
same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.”
(Matthew 7.15-17)
Any move to change the constitution at
this time without observing time-tested democratic and participative processes,
and without due respect to the genuine interests of the vast majority of our
people can only be rightly construed as self-serving to the political elites
and their foreign masters.
We do agree that the 1987 Constitution
needs some changes. However, changes in fundamental law of the country must
ensure the well being of the Filipino people and the environment and uphold
civil liberties and national sovereignty over property and profit. Yet we know
that the main agenda of charter change is to virtually amend domestic laws to
conform to the exploitative demand of the World Trade Organization by removing
the remaining hindrances to the destructive schemes of liberalization,
deregulation, and privatization; and unprotect human rights, the peoples’
welfare, environment, and the country’s national sovereignty. We must therefore
be vigilant and strongly oppose the Arroyo administration’s scheme to change
the Constitution.
On Political Repression and Persecution
of Church People
We also share the pain and rage of our
people and raise our voices even as we bow our heads in prayer over the brutal
killing of our soft-spoken and courageous priest Rev. Fr. William Tadena and the ambush and wounding of Rev. Fr. Allan Caparro and wife Aileen about a year ago which remain
unsolved until this day. Our clergy and church workers continue to suffer
unabated and intensified harassment from state agents as in the cases of Fr.
Wendy Sediego of the Diocese of Negros Oriental and Siquijor, Fr. Marco Sulayao of
the Diocese of
We also feel the anguish and shed tears
with the families and friends of hundreds of unarmed human rights advocates, ournalists, development workers, and political
oppositionists nationwide who have been murdered by cold-blooded and well armed
men in fatigue uniforms. We hold our
hands together over the continuing death threats and harassments to a number of
our bishops, priests, lay workers, and the people who bravely took the side of
life against the instruments of death.
Those whose hands are filled with blood
may be thinking that by persecution they may be able to maim the peoples’
struggle for truth, freedom, and justice.
They should be informed that despite the violent persecution of
Christians in the early Church, the preaching of the Gospel persevered and
spread throughout the world. While in
prison,
“Now I want you to know, brothers, that
what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it becomes clear throughout the
whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in
the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and
fearlessly.” (Philippians 1:12-14)
We will always be with the people in
deploring in the strongest means the use of violence against the unarmed and
the defenseless. We likewise abhor the use of violence for the purpose of gain
or profit and done in any form depriving our people of resources and resulting
to hunger and poverty, may it be in the guise of anti-terrorism, benevolence
and development. Let us strongly denounce the intensifying violent political
repression in the country, remain vigilant against tyranny and terrorism of the
state and the military, and resist military infringement of civilian authority.
On Peoples’ Confusion and Public
Opinion
In a confusing environment, everyone
should come to acknowledge that there exist in the world today and since time
immemorial, forces of exploitation and oppression, ‘for our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 6:12).
These dark powers are in a dominant position against the now resisting
oppressed and exploited peoples of the world.
The mass media and the modern
information technology are the most decisive arena of conflict today and no
longer in the battlefields. It is where
the oppressed peoples are trying to reveal to the world the truth about the
evils of globalization and the unjust wars of aggression against smaller
nations in the guise of war on terrorism.
However, the tale-spinners of oppression easily cover the truth as their
influence over channels of information has been well entrenched. Given this reality, public opinion via mass
media and information technology has become highly subjective and does not
necessarily hold the truth.
It is not surprising therefore that
many people criticize us your bishops for raising ‘unpopular opinions’ and that
we are becoming ‘too political’ in our actions.
Yet our decisions are based on field-level realities and in the light of
the Gospel. We are also aware that whatever we say, if our words speak of the
truth, we will always be criticized.
Jesus also experienced the same way:
“For John came neither eating nor
drinking, and they say, ‘he is a demon’. The Son of Man came eating and
drinking, and they say, ‘here is a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners. But wisdom is
proved right by her actions.” (Matthew. 11: 18)
It is action that can prove the
preciseness of wisdom. Furthermore, Jesus also told us that to know a tree, one
should see its fruits (Matthew 7:17).
When in 1994 we rejected the Ramos administration’s NIChood
2000 that spoke of the
Our Call
With the important issues and concerns
briefly shared above, please allow us your servants to also share with you the
following calls to action.
Let us be one with the people in
opposing the Arroyo government’s efforts to change the 1987 Constitution,
obviously aimed at perpetuating her questionable presidency and impress her
foreign masters by conforming our charter to
imperialist globalization.
Continue to seek the truth and justice
surrounding the presidency of Ms. Arroyo and support investigations on the
alleged election fraud and related graft and corruption.
Defend human rights and seek justice on
the killing and harassments of church people, media and lawyer advocates, human
rights advocates, and the legitimate political opposition.
Be in constant prayer and solidarity
with each other and with other groups in the continuing pilgrimage and struggle
for peace leading to the full realization of the
Thank you sisters
and brothers for your patience and interest in listening to our views and
renewed calls to action. We shall always be with you in your
individual journeys of faith and in our common pilgrimage towards the
fulfillment of God’s reign.
Respectfully yours in behalf of the
Supreme Council of Bishops,
† THE MOST REVEREND ALBERTO B. RAMENTO, DD
President, Supreme Council of Bishops
† THE MOST REVEREND GODOFREDO J. DAVID
Obispo Maximo
8th
May 2006
Obispado Maximo, City
of