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The
Holy Father received the Philippine bishops
on their ad
limina visit, and affirmed
our charism, direction and mission.
Most important is evangelization, the
proclamation of the good news of salvation
in Jesus. Then there is our emphasis on
family renewal, inclusive of marriage,
family and life. We are an evangelistic
and missionary community that works to
help renew the family and to defend life.
Finally, there is the social dimension
of the gospel. Aside from our building
communities among the poor, our work in
prison, especially the Maximum Security
Compound of the National Bilibid Prison,
enables us to reach the poorest of the
poor. More than the poor who have no homes,
those who are in the MSC-NBP are the poorest
of the poor. Unlike those poor without
homes, these poor have lost their freedom,
family and future.
CHURCH
IN PHILIPPINES: CONTINUE TO BE A LEAVEN
IN SOCIETY
VATICAN CITY, 29 NOV 2010 (VIS) - This
morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father
received prelates from the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of the Philippines, who have
just completed their "ad limina"
visit. Addressing them in English, the
Pope referred to the close ties that for
four centuries have united thePhilippines
and the See of Peter, highlighting the
benefits the leaven of faith has brought
to the Filipino people and their culture.
"To be such
a leaven, the Church must always seek
to find her proper voice, because it is
by proclamation that the Gospel brings
about its life-changing fruits",
he said. "Thanks to the Gospel's
clear presentation of the truth about
God and man, generations of zealous Filipino
clergymen, religious and laity have promoted
an ever more just social order. At times,
this task of proclamation touches upon
issues relevant to the political sphere.
This is not surprising, since the political
community and the Church, while rightly
distinct, are nevertheless both at the
service of the integral development of
every human being and of society as a
whole".
"At the same time, the Church's prophetic
office demands that she be free 'to preach
the faith, to teach her social doctrine
... and also to pass moral judgments in
those matters which regard public order
whenever the fundamental human rights
of a person or the salvation of souls
requires it'. In the light of this prophetic
task, I commend the Church in the Philippines
for seeking to play its part in support
of human life from conception until natural
death, and in defence of the integrity
of marriage and the family. In
these areas you are promoting truths about
the human person and about society which
arise not only from divine revelation
but also from natural law, an order which
is accessible to human reason and thus
provides a basis for dialogue and deeper
discernment on the part of all people
of good will. I also note with appreciation
the Church's work to abolish the death
penalty in your country.
"A specific area in which the Church
must always find her proper voice comes
in the field of social communications
and the media", Pope Benedict added.
"It is important that the Catholic
laity proficient in social communications
take their proper place in proposing the
Christian message in a convincing and
attractive way. If the Gospel of Christ
is to be a leaven in Filipino society,
then the entire Catholic community must
be attentive to the force of the truth
proclaimed with love".
Finally the Holy Father turned his attention
to "a third aspect of the Church's
mission of proclaiming the life-giving
word of God: ... her commitment
to economic and social concerns, in particular
with respect to the poorest and the weakest
in society". The Church in
the Philippines, he said, takes "a
special interest in devoting herself more
fully to care for the poor. It is heartening
to see that this undertaking has borne
fruit, with Catholic charitable institutions
actively engaged throughout the country.
Many of your fellow citizens, however,
remain without employment, adequate education
or basic services, and so your prophetic
statements and your charitable action
on behalf of the poor continue to be greatly
appreciated. In addition to this effort",
he concluded, "you are rightly concerned
that there be an ongoing commitment to
the struggle against corruption, since
the growth of a just and sustainable economy
will only come about when there is a clear
and consistent application of the rule
of law throughout the land".
AL/ VIS 20101129 (600)
"For to me to live is Christ, and
to die is gain." (Phil 1:21)
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