CBCP asks faithful to be instruments of peace
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday called on the faithful to remain steadfast and work for peace amid trying times in the country.
In a pastoral exhortation entitled “Rejoice and Be Glad,” the bishops led by CBCP President Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles urged everyone to constantly strive to be peacemakers.
“Always strive to bring love where there is hatred, pardon where there is injury, faith where there is doubt, hope where there is despair, light where is darkness, and joy where there is sadness,” read the exhortation.
“When there’s so much hatred and violence, when murder has become an almost daily occurrence, when people have gotten so used to exchanging insults and hurting words in the social media, we admonish the faithful to remain steadfast in our common vocation and mission to actively work for peace,” it further read.
This, the bishops said, is because our enemies in this world are not fellow human beings adding that the battles that we fight are “spiritual.”
Offering the other cheek As to those who have been angered by the insulting statements of people in authority, the CBCP asked them to remember what the Lord had taught his disciples” But to you who hear I say… bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well…”
“Vengeance is never the way of Christ. It is not the way of Jesus to return evil for evil; no, we can conquer evil only with good,” the bishops said.
‘No politics’ In the pastoral statement, the CBCP also addressed those who accused them of getting involved in political moves to destabilize the government, they said: Nothing can be farthest from the truth.
“Our concern is never the establishment of any earthly kingdoms. Worldly kingdoms come and go. We work only for God’s kingdom which is beyond this world,” said exhortation read.
They added that the Church respects the political authority, especially of democratically-elected government officials, as long as they do not con- tradict the basic spiritual and moral principles we hold dear, such as respect for the sacredness of life, the integrity of creation, and the inherent dignity of the human person.
“We are not political leaders, and certainly not political opponents of government,” said the bishops.
They said the Church has, throughout history, coexisted with countless forms of government.
Partner of gov’t
“The Church has always been and will always be a partner of government (especially in the LGUs and barangays) in countless endeavours for the common good, especially in addressing the needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of society,” the CBCP said.