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AMID TROUBLED TIMES
In the midst of so much hatred and violence, leaders of the Catholic Church in the Philippines offered peace, joy and forgiveness.
In his Pastoral Exhortation issued on Monday, the Conference of Catholic Bishops Filipinos (CBCP) called on Filipinos to be peacemakers amid troubled times in the country, "to bring love where it there is hatred, forgiveness where there are wounds and faith where there is doubt. " are not human beings, not flesh and blood & # 39; (Eph 6:12). We do not fight our battles with rifles and bullets. We are not trying to protect ourselves against those who would harm us by wearing bullet-proof vests, because the battles we are fighting are spiritual, "said Archbishop of Davao Romulo Valles, president of the CBCP [19659004] In these times of darkness, where there is so much hatred and violence, where murder has become almost daily, where people have become so used to exchanging insults and hurtful words in social media, we urge the faithful to remain firm in our commune. "Valles met President Rodrigo Duterte at the Palais Malacañang around 4 pm. Monday. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the president had accepted a "moratorium on declarations" against the Catholic Church.
Bitter criticism of the Catholic Church, President Duterte drew the wrath of religious groups after denouncing and calling the god of Catholics as "stupid".
Faced with a violent reaction against his harsh remarks against the Church, President Duterte formed a committee to dialogue with the Catholic Church and other religious groups.
On July 16, the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Valles urged the entire nation to spend a day of prayer and penance invoking God's mercy and righteousness on "those who have blasphemed the Holy Name." from God, those who slander and bear false witness, "
For the next three days, from July 17 to 19, 2018, he invited everyone to" fast, pray and give alms to the poor " .
Valles says that priests are murdered to testify of Christ, slandered and ridiculed because he has fulfilled his pastoral duties is nothing new in the history of the Church .
"Have you forgotten that the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians? This is what kept the church alive after two thousand years. Our master did not say: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but can not kill the soul. Rather afraid of one who can destroy both the body and the soul in Gehenna "(Mt 10:28)? He said. "What does the Lord say to his disciples when they are persecuted or humiliated for him? He tells them to "rejoice and be happy" (Mt 5, 12), "he added.
Pray for those who mistreat you
To those who have been irritated by the insulting statements of Valles authorities urges them to remember the words of Jesus to his disciples: "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
"Revenge is never the way of Christ. It is not Jesus' way to return evil for evil; no, we can conquer evil only with good. Until the last moment of his breathing, he had nothing but words of mercy towards his executioners: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do," he said. he says.
In their attempt to be holy, Valles says there are members of the Church who do not meet expectations.
"We are a Church of sinners called to conversion and holiness at the same time. We fall ashamed when we hear about abuses by some of our church leaders – especially those who are ordained to "act in the person of Christ," he said.
. Valles says nothing can be further from the truth.
"Our concern is never the establishment of earthly realms. The worldly realms come and go. We work only for the kingdom of God that is beyond this world – so that we can begin to learn to live life "on earth as it is in heaven", "he said
Respect for life
says, respects political authority, as long as they do not contradict fundamental spiritual and moral principles such as respect for the sanctity of life, the integrity of creation and the inherent dignity of the human person.
"We are not political leaders, and certainly not the political opponents of the government.The Church has coexisted, throughout history, with innumerable forms of government. Church has always been and will always be a partner of the government in countless companies for the common good, "he said.
Cebuano elders stand up
Meanwhile, a group of elderly people in Cebu denounce the tirades of President Rodrigo Duterte against the Catholic Church and God, saying it offends religious feelings and encourages his followers to pursue priests and lay people.
In a statement, Paul del Mundo, interim spokesman for Samahang Demokratiko in Kaakbay, called Filipinos, regardless of religion, to stand up and defend their faith.
"An army of all religions directly or indirectly affected by Duterte's virulent attack should walk shoulder to shoulder and brandish the banner of truth." In other countries, blasphemy is punishable by death It is a crime under the revised Penal Code known as offending religious feelings, "he said.
"Christians, the cross is your only sword, Shun violence, Duterte's weapon against the poor and helpless citizens," he added.
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