IN a statement issued on Sept. 14 on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said prayers are offered for “divine fortitude and wisdom to guide all enforcers of the law so that human rights may everywhere be respected, human dignity always protected and the nobility of every human person shine forth despite the scar of crime and sin.”

Villegas said, “We know your grief and sorrow. We feel your pain and anguish. Your tears are our tears too. Your sadness is ours too.”

He said that “death by terror and violence, death in the hands of our fellowmen is a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance”.

He said that with willful murder, the CBCP also grieves the sins of sexual perversion, oppression of the poor and the defrauding of laborers of their wages. Like murder, these sins cry to heaven for divine justice, he said.

“We are not numb to these other offenses against human life,” he added.

He said the bishops mourn with the people at the deaths that they have seen in

communities.

He said they plead for divine mercy on behalf of their dead sons and daughters.

The CBCP also begs for divine mercy from the bereaved and grieving families of the dead, he said.

Villegas said. “Seek justice but not revenge. Let the tears of Jesus Forsaken wipe every tear from your eyes. May Mary who knew the pain of losing a child in a violent death lend you her courage, peace and hope”.

He said their hearts reach out in love and compassion to those suffering from drug dependence and addiction.

He added that drug addicts are children of God equal in dignity with the sober ones. Drug addicts are sick brethren in need of healing deserving of new life, he said.

“They may have behaved as scum and rubbish but the saving of love of Jesus Christ is first and foremost for them. No man or woman is ever so unworthy of God’s love,” Villegas stressed. (Tita Roces)

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