Catholic bishops: Pray for ‘blasphemers’, ‘murderers’ masked as crime fighters
CATHOLIC prelates are being requested to replace their homilies in Masses today, Sunday, with a reading of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) pastoral letter that asks for prayers for those who have “blasphemed” God’s name and who have “committed or justified murder as a means for fighting criminality in our country.”
“We are requested to read this letter in all Masses on the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The reading of the letter may replace the homily,” said Fr. Reginald R. Malicdem, chancellor of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila (RCAM), in a circular to all parish priests, rectors and chaplains of the Manila archdiocese entitled “Rejoice and Be Glad.”
In a statement, Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco also asked the parish priests in Cubao to participate in the request of the bishops who convened for the 117th CBCP Plenary Assembly and collectively crafted the letter to read the CBCP Pastoral Exhortation in either English or Filipino.
Ongtioco also invited the faithful of the Cubao diocese to join the country in the National Day of Prayer and Penance on Monday, July 16, and the three-day National Days of Fasting and Almsgiving from July 17 to 19.
Portions of the CBCP pastoral letter read:
“On July 16, 2018 on the feast of the Blessed Mother of Mt. Carmel, the mountain associated with the bold challenge of the prophet Elijah in defense of God (2 Kings 18), let us spend a day of prayer and penance, invoking God’s mercy and justice on those who have blasphemed God’s Holy Name, those who slander and bear false witness, and those who commit murder or justify murder as a means for fighting criminality in our country.”
The CBCP also said in its statement, “We admit humbly that we are a Church made of members who are ‘wretched but chosen’”.
“We hold ourselves accountable for their actions and our duty to correct them–as duly mandated by our own higher authorities in the universal letter,” the letter read.
It added that the Church was a Church of sinners who were “called to conversion and holiness at the same time”.
The CBCP said that when it would hear about the abuses of fellow clergy, it “bows in shame-especially those ordained to act in the person of Christ” and have no “reason to justify our weaknesses on the basis of our participation in the human condition”.
The letter also denied that the Catholic Church was behind destabilization plots against the government.
“Nothing could be farthest from the truth,” it said.
It reminded the angry faithful against responding to “insulting statements of people in authority”.
The CBCP said: “Vengeance is never the way of Christ. We can only conquer evil with good.”
The CBCP also maintained that the Church “has been and will always be a partner of the government, especially in the local government units and villages in countless endeavors for the common good” and would collaborate in other issues where there could be “a clash of spiritual and moral beliefs.”
“The Church respects the political authority, especially of democratically-elected government officials, as long as they do not contradict the basic spiritual and moral principles we hold dear, such as respect for the sacredness of life, the integrity of creation, and the inherent dignity of the human person.”
The CBCP also clarified that the Church teaches to not consider any human being as an enemy.
“Our enemies in this world are not fellow human beings, not flesh and blood. We do not fight our battles with gun bullets. We do not seek protection from those who might wish to harm us by wearing bullet-proof vests, because the battles that we fight are spiritual.” CATHERINE MODESTO
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