Consumers Domain
What's happening to the CBCP?
"Well I guess you left me with some feathers in my hand
Did it make it any easier to leave me where I stand?"
--from "Angels of the Silences" by the Counting Crows
I have been staunch critic of those who assert that the Church should not interfere in the political sphere. I strongly oppose the argument that religion or religious institutions should not meddle in politics and the material world; and stick purely on the spiritual matters. I am fed up with this shallow interpretation of the separation of Church and the State.
The fact is -- the material and the spiritual spheres are not mutually exclusive realms. You can't simply kneel down and pray, oblivious of a child dying of hunger in front of you. You can't simply preach about God's love but remain blind to the blatant injustices surrounding you.
Religion and spirituality teach us to love and respect one another. Religion and spirituality teach us to share. Religion and spirituality teach us what is wrong and what is right, what is just and what is unjust. When there is hatred and discrimination, disrespect of basic rights, greediness, corruption, social injustice; do we expect our religious leaders to simply keep quite and turn the other cheek?
I admire priests, bishops, pastors, nuns, imams, ministers and other religious individuals who opt to open their eyes to social inequities and fight alongside the people for justice and freedom. They are laudable.
I was happy of the earlier statement coming form the CBCP that while they are not signatory to the impeachment, they respect and even defended Bishop Yñiguez in his act of filing an impeachment case against Arroyo.
Archbishop Lagdameo is also right on target when he chided Malacañang for applying double standard to the meaning of separation of Church and State -- that when a Church's action or statement is favorable to them, they praise the Church, but when it is not they invoke the "separation" mantra.
However, today I posed the question above -- What is happening to the CBCP? This is in the light of the recent pastoral letter of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. I do not know why this recent CBCP position falls short once again of strongly condemning electoral fraud, corruption, and the abuses of Gloria Arroyo and her administration. Contrary to its statement, it falls short once again of issuing a "clear and unambiguous" position to arrive at the truth.
Below I am quoting an excerpt of the pastoral letter:
"We wish to make the CBCP position clear and unambiguous on the present impeachment plans:
24.1. We are undoubtedly for the search for truth. Therefore, in all sincerity we respect the position of individuals or groups that wish to continue using the impeachment process to arrive at the truth.
24.2. But as Bishops reflecting and acting together as a body in plenary assembly, in the light of previous circumstances, we are not inclined at the present moment to favor the impeachment process as the means for establishing the truth. For unless the process and its rules as well as the mindsets of all participating parties, pro and con, are guided by no other motive than genuine concern for the common good, impeachment will once again serve as an unproductive political exercise, dismaying every citizen, and deepening the citizen's negative perception of politicians, left, right and center."
Now, if an impeachment proceeding is not the proper venue to arrive at the truth, then what is? The CBCP did not support the massive people's call and protests for the resignation or ouster of Arroyo despite overwhelming facts, now it does not even support a legal, constitutional, peaceful process. What is indeed happening to the CBCP?
And why is the CBCP questioning the motives of all those who signed the impeachment complaint? For sure there are those with different motives other than for the common good. That cannot be denied -- knowing the system of patronage politics in the country.
During the impeachment proceedings against Erap, did the CBCP really think that all those who attached their signatures in the complaint have principled motives? For what is important are the issues and facts at hand. Let the administration defend itself despite the motives of the opposition.
The CBCP is wary of the motives of the opponents of the administration, but it is not wary of Malacañang and its allies in their continuous effort to hide the truth; utilizing all the legal and technical tricks as well as the resources of the country in the process.
The CBCP, in trying so hard not to be "used" by the trapos in the opposition, is inadvertently aiding the trapos of the administration. And it is we, the Filipino pipol, as always, who continue to suffer.
Once again, what is happening to the CBCP?
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