Activist priest calls for ‘silence’ in church-state bickering

Fr. Robert Reyes: Pray for 13 minues. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

SAN PABLO CITY, Philippines–Activist priest Robert Reyes called for an end to the continuing ”word war” between the Church and government leaders, as this does not help the Church and its flock.

Reyes called for “silence” in politics and said political bickering should be replaced with “contemplative politics.”

“It is (a kind of) politics that prays. It is politics that has a god,” said Reyes before taking off for a 3.5-kilometer “prayer run” around the Sampaloc Lake here on Wednesday.

Reyes, who just ended his six-month noviciate under the Franciscan Order in Liliw, Laguna, led the public launch of a movement he called “131313 PolitikKALINISAN.”

The movement was first launched on Feb. 13 in Manila to encourage voters and candidates to stop and reflect on the 13th hour of each day for 13 minutes until May 13, Election Day.

At exactly 1 p.m., around 150 volunteers, recited the “13th-Hour Prayer Para sa Isang Mapagnilay na Pulitika” that Reyes wrote. Reyes also talked about the “10 Ds” to achieve a clean and contemplative politics through divinity, discipline, detox of the body, mind, heart, and spirit, detour, discernment, detachment from things that hinder God”s will, discipleship, dedicated service, determination, and devotion.

Local and national politicians were invited to join the run but only a few came, Reyes said. They were lawyer Resty Mendoza and Martin Ilagan, two of the four candidates for vice mayor of this city. They belonged to opposing parties.

Also present was nurse Anna Kapunan, who is running as representative of the Ang Nars partylist.

“Politics is all talk but no action while the church is all prayers and no action.”

“The church and state should stop attacking each other when they don’t agree on an issue, for instance the RH (reproductive health) bill. That’s why I’ve been critical of those ‘Team Buhay/Team Patay” because they don’t help at all. …,” he said.

Tarpaulins and posters that discouraged citizens from voting for senatorial candidates who supported the RH law were posted in churches in Bacolod and in Quezon.

Hitting back at the Church, texts about priests who allegedly sired children also started circulating.

Reyes, who became known for being openly critical of the government, said he himself realized the importance of spending time in silence.

“Before, I (had) been too loud that the words that came out of my mouth came with hatred and pride. They were all about myself.”

Similarly, “when politicians speak, what do they talk about? All they talk about is themselves,” he added.

The 13th hour prayer, Reyes said, is symbolic. He said people are encouraged to observe quiet time for 13 minutes and reflect on their lives, not only during elections. “This is my humble way of bringing spirituality into politics,” he said.