Catholic bishops call for charity, warn against opportunists

Members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo rally near EDSA Shrine. INQUIRER PHOTO/ REM ZAMORA

Don’t spread rumors, respect the Edsa Shrine as a Catholic “center of worship”—and beware of politicians seeking opportunity.

The influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Sunday offered a set of guidelines for Catholics to consider in dealing with the ongoing protest action on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Mandaluyong City by “our brothers and sisters of the Iglesia ni Cristo.” The guidelines included reminders about charity: “No Catholic should fan the flames of dissension by rumor-mongering and by inflammatory statements.  Let all be kind in disposition, respectful in speech and prudent in action.”

And respect: “The EDSA Shrine is a Catholic center of worship.  It is a church.  There is a Catholic priest assigned to it.  We ask that all respect the sacred character of the Edsa Shrine.”

The guidelines were issued by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, CBCP president, on behalf of all Catholic bishops in the country.

Two of the six guidelines dealt with the law—its meaning and its enforcement. Guideline No. 2 enjoined the faithful to “seek enlightenment.” Villegas wrote: “We appeal to our Catholic lawyers, jurists and law professors to contribute to the on-going discourse in a constructive manner, without condemnation. We seek to be enlightened on what the fundamental law of the land provides, the boundaries of the freedom of religion and the rights and the prerogatives of State.”

And Guideline No. 4 called on all to abide by the law. “Unless it is convincingly shown that a law offends moral precepts, obedience to the law is a Christian duty. Sons and daughters of the Church cannot be less observant of the law than other citizens of the Republic.”

The guidelines, which began with an appeal to “pray without ceasing,” ended with a strongly worded warning against political opportunists: “No politician should gain political ground by abetting dissension or, worse, fostering disregard of the Constitution and the law.” JN