New CBCP prexy calls for prayers vs corruption
LINGAYEN-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, in his capacity as the new president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, called on Filipino Catholics for a deeper spirituality based on the bible and a united front against corruption.
“Since the corruption in business and in politics that we must fight against is systemic, we your pastors, urge you to unite in groups which through prayer, discernment and concerted action will renew the social and political fabric of our country,” said Villegas in his first pastoral statement dated December1 in time for the 2014 Year of the Laity.
He encouraged the laity to read the Bible “not only to study it but pray with it… It will be a lamp to guide you in your journey. It will help you resist temptations; it will help you to know and follow Jesus, our Lord”
“It is certainly a shameful proof of our failure to evangelize our country that our churches are filled with people, our religious festivities are fervent, our Catholic schools are many, but our country is mired in poverty and in corruption… Many, perhaps the majority of the corrupt people in politics and in business are graduates of our own Catholic schools and are ‘practicing’ Catholics,” he said admitting that the church has its shortcoming in inculcating among its followers the correlation between Catholic values and the other aspects of living.
STAND UP
Villegas also rallied lay people to stand up for Jesus not only in religious activities but in their private and public life.
He noted that the country’s elections are notoriously noted for violence and vote-buying and for the lack of proper discernment in the choice of candidates.
At the same time, he cited how recent developments have put the spotlight on the corruption connected with the pork barrel and how public funds are misused for political patronage.
“The greed for power is the twin brother of greed for money. Those who have money easily get into power, and when they are in power, they can protect and increase their acquisitions,” the Catholic leader said.
“To get money and power, to keep money and power, to increase their money and power, people have recourse to lies and cheating,” he said, continuing that the country’s renewal requires a “return to truthfulness”.—Eva Visperas
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