Catholics urged to repent for silence vs social ills

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo on Ash Wednesday urged the Catholic faithful to repent not only for sins committed but also for keeping mum against the issues confronting the country.

Pabillo stressed that the faithful should also ask for forgiveness for things that they should have done but failed to do.

“Most of the time when we think of sins, we think of the personal sins we committed, like lying, cursing … but we also commit a sin for not doing what we’re supposed to do. It’s called the sin of omission,” said Pabillo during his homily at the Arzobispado de Manila in Intramuros, Manila.

“And one of the greatest sins of omission we commit as Filipinos is when we neglect our country, we do not protect or watch over it,” he said in Filipino.

“It seems okay for us that there are corrupt people. It seems okay for us if there are killings all around us, we’re not involved anyway. It seems okay for us when people curse, we don’t do it anyway,” he said.

“We just keep mum, we don’t do anything, that’s why we became the laughing stock of other countries,” the prelate lamented.

“’We thought you’re a Christian nation? Why is there a lot of extrajudicial killings? Why are human rights not given importance? Why do you let your leaders curse?’ Nobody’s talking, nobody’s opposing it that’s why they continue doing what they’re doing,” Pabillo said.

The prelate said it is the Filipino people’s social responsibility to speak up against these issues.

“That is one of the things we should be sorry for especially in this time of Lent,” he said.

“Nilalapastangan na tayo sa kanilang Charter Change. Alam nyo ba nakalagay don? na sila’y mananatili sa poder, na magiging bahagi ng Konstitusyon ang pork barrel, na tatanggalin ang mga limitasyon at mabubuksan ang ating bansa sa mga dayuhan,” he added.

Pabillo also urged Filipinos to know and get involved with what’s happening in the country “because we can only speak if we know the issues.”

Catholics had their foreheads applied with ash during Mass on the first day of Lent as a reminder of human sinfulness and mortality and as a sign of mourning and repentance.

The ash came from burned palms, which priests blessed on Palm Sunday last year.

Lent, a season of fasting, reflection and prayer, culminates in the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter.