Bishops' Call for Communal Action

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines headed by its President, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, expressed a statement and stand on the issue concerning the present state of our country, Febrary 10.

The CBCP challenges the people for a “communal action” by praying together, reasoning together, deciding together and acting together “towards a more vigorous work for good governance and a more active promotion of responsible citizenship in our society in the light of the Gospel and the Social Teachings of the Church,” as what was said in their January statement.

In an interview with Lagdameo at Church-run Veritas 846, he explained that communal action comes after prayers, discussions and reflections on the prevailing issues affecting the country. “Various activities in the form of people’s response to calls for communal action are borne out of discussions in the parishes, groups and associations for truth, justice and accountability,” says the Archbishop.

In a statement made by Lagdameo he expressed that “the call to communal action is a challenge to ‘political conscience’ which would admit creative, imaginative and democratic response to political problems. Many good things have started to happen.”

He further said that “the Church is guided by its Social Doctrine which instructs: ‘The lay people (civil society) are called to identify steps that can be taken in concrete political situations in order to put into practice the principle and values proper to life in society. This calls for a method of discernment at both the personal and community levels’ (no. 568).”

On the other hand Novaliches Bishop-Emeritus Teodoro Bacani explained that “communal action comes from a process and no one should make hasty decisions.” “Communal action was tried and tested in 1986, immediately after the snap presidential elections, which pitted then strongman Ferdinand Edralin Marcos with Mrs. Corazon Aquino,” he added.

As a sign of support to the Bishops, PPCRV Chair and former Ambassador to the Holy See Henrietta De Villa said her group is organizing the Catholic faithful in various dioceses and key cities to take part in various communal activities beginning with the noise barrage scheduled Friday, February 22.

(Rodney Vertido)