Stand up for right, bishops exhorted

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged its bishops to stand up for what is right and preach Christ’s teachings even “in the wilderness with only a handful listening.”

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Soc Villegas made the statement as he called for a more committed Catholic Church when the CBCP opened its plenary assembly on Saturday in Manila.

“We will stand up for the moral right, and resist the moral wrong. We will defend every person’s life and dignity, and shield the weak from harm. We will protect the confused from error,” he said.

A plenary assembly is the Catholic Church’s highest governing body during which bishops address a host of social issues as well as internal and church matters.

In his message, Villegas noted that though “the Church may be a voice gone hoarse proclaiming Christ in the wilderness with only a handful listening,” the best shines forth in the wilderness.