Even amid corruption, show mercy–Cardinal Tagle

MANILA, Philippines–The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday called on the faithful to go beyond the feeling of euphoria and thanksgiving and prepare for the visit of Pope Francis next year by resolving to make an act of mercy daily even in the midst of corruption hounding the nation.

At a press conference on the last day of the CBCP plenary assembly, the Church hierarchy officially announced the papal visit in January 2015 with the main objective, as wished by the Pope, to bring Christ’s compassion to the people still struggling to rise from the devastation brought about by the earthquake and typhoon that hit Visayas late last year.

“Accordingly, it is not the logistics, security and infrastructure that best prepare us for the papal visit. Let us be like Pope Francis in his humility and his compassion. Let us make his apostolic journey of mercy to be ours even before he arrives,” said Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, reading from the four-page pastoral letter issued by the CBCP.

The Vatican will announce the Pope’s itinerary probably by the end of July or the first week of August while the detailed plan of the visit will be known in November, Tagle said.

Earlier, the coordinator of Sri Lankan migrants in Italy, Msgr. Nevin Perera, told the Catholic News Agency that Francis was flying to the Philippines on Jan. 15 after a two-day trip to Sri Lanka.

Prepare spiritually

In the pastoral letter, the Church hierarchy advised the faithful to prepare spiritually for the coming of the Pope by becoming a “people rich in mercy.”

“Usually, our first reaction to the news of a papal visit is understandably one of euphoria and thanksgiving. The excitement of seeing Pope Francis in the Philippines is rising as the year 2015 gets nearer,” said Tagle.

“However, we must prepare the nation to receive the Holy Father by setting our minds and hearts in communion with our dear Pope Francis, the messenger of peace, love and the apostle of the poor,” he added.

Courage to be honest

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the CBCP president, said the most distinctive way to prepare spiritually for the Pope’s arrival was for the Philippines to become a people rich in mercy. “Let us make mercy our national identity,” he said.

But how can Filipinos practice acts of mercy in their everyday lives amid the massive corruption in the government?

It is easy to point a finger at other people for their crimes but it takes a lot of courage to be honest, Villegas said. “Of course, we are offended by people in government, people in authority using money that is not theirs for their own convenience and for their own comfort,” he said.

Examine conscience

“But in all of us, there is a little disposition to take somebody else’s money without somebody knowing it,” he added.

“Instead of focusing on the sins of other people, I think this is the time to examine personally our consciences and to resolve that if there should come a time in our lives when there is easy money available that is not yours, even if nobody sees it you are not going to use it, you are going to be a person of integrity even if nobody sees it,” said Villegas.

“It takes a lot of courage and honesty to be able to say ‘I also have a remnant of that disposition that I carry in my soul.’ So, maybe it is time for individual soul-searching and to purify our consciences, attitudes and dispositions,” he added.

Corruption systemic

For his part, Tagle stressed that while the problem of corruption has become systemic and structural, people can still change this because it is people who create systems.

“I’ve always been asked about how to be merciful in the midst of this scandalizing injustice we see before us… first of all, we must realize that an act of injustice is an act which is merciless,” said Tagle.

“Realizing that, restoring justice in the world also means restoring mercy for it is mercy toward the neighbors especially toward the poor that will hopefully prevent me from even thinking of doing unjust acts to somebody else,” added the prelate.

Acts of mercy

The acts of mercy one can make every day include reaching out to a lonely stranger, telling the story of Jesus to a child eager to understand and feel God’s love, giving advice to a confused coworker, giving food to a hungry beggar and forgiving someone who has wronged you, said Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, chair of the CBCP Commission on Social Communications.

“You can show mercy by making it a habit to say ‘please,’ ’thank you’ or a kind word of appreciation. Refraining from cursing and using hurting words is an act of mercy. Being polite to children and infants, to the sick and elderly are great acts of mercy,” added Vergara.

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