STAND FIRM IN YOUR FAITH, BE COURAGEOUS, BE STRONG
(1
Corinthians 16.13)
We view with grave concern the
accusation lodged against six members ofthe Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines that they have conspired with the ‘Left’
and the ‘Right’ to topple down the current dispensation in this country. We abhor the way by which those who are
opposed to or critical of the Arroyo regime are either tried by publicity
without the benefit of proving their innocence or, much worse, are abducted,
tortured, illegally detained or salvaged.
The concerned Bishops are known to us
in one way or another. They are highly respected leaders of the Church whose
moral integrity are beyond reproach and whose deep
compassion for the poor, deprived and oppressed are known far and wide. On many
occasions we have crossed our paths and journeyed together in our common
pursuit of peace based on justice. The accusations thrown against these men of
the cloth by questionable people and magnified in the media by the Arroyo
regime have shocked our senses. In this regard,
we in the leadership of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente are expressing our outrage against these
false accusations in the strongest possible terms.
We can only ask ourselves why even
bishops are not spared from intrigues and false accusations. Is this a
deliberate effort by a regime, whose legitimacy is being questioned on all
fronts, to divert public attention from the unsolved abduction and salvaging of
people who are critical of the present dispensation? Is it an attempt to
diffuse the mounting outrage against purported bribery initiatives coming from
the seat of power in this country? Is it
a way to deflect the ever-increasing restlessness snowballing across classes
and sectors of Philippine society, which, at any time, would erupt across the
archipelago? Is it a crime to work for
the common good and promote the welfare and well being of human beings created
in the image of God and of the integrity of creation?
We can only express our solidarity and
all out support to the Most Reverend Antonio Tobias when he say
that ‘he has committed no crime and that he would abide by the verdict or
judgment of the Filipino people’. We also urge the faithful to pray for our
bishops that they may never waiver from their commitment to serve justice and
peace to the beleaguered people of our country. May their commitment to the
message of the Gospel of Christ continue to be the source of their joy as they
are being led to trial. Let us also find inspiration
in their courage to confront the darkness that is engulfing the very soul of
our nation and with them continue to thread the path towards the establishment
of just society under a government that genuinely serves the interest and
welfare of the Filipino people.
Pro Deo et Patria,
† THE MOST REVEREND ALBERTO B. RAMENTO, DD
President, Supreme Council of
Bishops
23rd July 2006
Obispado Maximo
City of