Villegas : The wicked rule when Christianity is removed from politics
LINGAYEN-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a pastoral letter that when Christianity is removed from politics, the wicked rule, the egoists reign, the poor suffer and sin prevails.
In his homily for the solemnity of Christ The King , titled “Christ The King and Philippine Politics”, copy of which was also read by priests in all the parishes in the archdiocese, he said that a silent Church that proclaims the Kingship of Christ but is blind, deaf and dumb to godless politics is a contradiction.
A deaf and dumb and blind Church has a millstone waiting for her to be tied around her neck to be drowned in the depths of the sea, he said.
Quoting an encyclical of Pope Francis (Fratelli Tutti, 197), he said. “ Politics is something more noble than posturing, marketing and media spin. These sow nothing but division, conflict and a bleak cynicism incapable of mobilizing people to pursue a common goal”.
Villegas said that among all the facets of Filipino Catholic life, “it is Filipino politics that needs most the Kingship of Christ so that the heavens may hear our prayers, forgive our sins and heal our land”.
In the early part of his homily, Villegas pointed out that when a nation sets God behind, death happens to the nation too. “We sin personally. But sin becomes easier because there are structural sins. There are situations that encourage and reward sin. These structures of sin must be destroyed if Christ is truly King,” he said.
“When we ignore the miserable plight of human beings, we are anti-Christ,” he said.
Villegas stressed that when politics is godless, political leaders turn to wickedness and the people groan in pain, God responds with His help by sending teachers to teach calling for repentance, he said.
However, he noted that when churchmen preach painful messages that call for conversion, “we shoot the messengers”.
He asked: “Should men of God leave politics to politicians? No. Politics is a human invention. It is not naturally godly. It needs to be taught God and formed in God.”
He emphasized that the separation of the Church and State does not mean separation of religious beliefs and public life; it does not mean separation of moral principles from political policies.
A Church that lives by this has betrayed Christ the King, he said. (Eva Visperas)
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