SCJ Philippines

Lay people appeal for moral, pastoral support of clergy

Faithful, who compose 99.06 % of the Philippine’s Catholic Church, seek from clerics continuous guidance to be able to properly perform its mission in the Church and in the world.

“We need you, our bishops, priests and religious, to hold high the moral compass that will light our way, and to provide the prophetic pastoral accompaniment that will strengthen us in fulfilling our role and mission as sons and daughters of God,” the group stated in an online petition letter to priests.

The group also asked for an improved pastoral scheme by the Church to be able to bring “real change.”

“We look forward to new directions and a new pastoral approach within the Church that will bring real change in ourselves, our communities and our nation,” read the letter which was obviously timed for the upcoming clergy congress that will start on January 25, 2010 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

The lay faithful enjoined the clerics to work with them in attaining peace that “honors human dignity, protects human rights, and condemns institutional violence/forms of cruelty.”

“Together let us protect the most vulnerable among us (the least, the last and the lost) by providing access to justice, livelihood, health, education and all other basic human needs, as well as promoting the livelihood of the poor instead of bailing out big business and granting corporations exemptions from wage increases,” the laity wrote.

The group also hopes to collaborate with the Church in promoting a culture of integrity and stewardship in society and in the Church by condemning abuse of power and the culture of impunity.

Meanwhile the same group of lay people called on the public to actively participate in the forthcoming national elections to make it clean and credible.