from The Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Archbishop of Manila Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales called yesterday on the Filipino people to elect God-fearing and morally upright candidates.
Speaking to reporters at the start of the 2nd National Congress of the Clergy (NCC), Rosales said many people remain apprehensive about the automated elections.
“Someone told me that the automation is just the counting (of the ballots), but what is important is that we discern in choosing our leaders... the names that you would bring to the (polling) precinct, you should assess and study carefully their qualifications,” he said.
Rosales said it would be pointless for the automated machines to be working well while people are selling their votes.
“They would then complain about the bad government services and end up marching toward EDSA,” he said. Rosales said the people should pray for guidance for their decision on election day. “What is important is the ballot that you would put inside the machine,” he said.
Some members of the clergy might practice partisan politics in violation of Catholic Church rules, he added.
Rosales said the holding of the congress was not an indication that the Catholic Church is encountering problems.
“All of us, priests and non-priests, have problems but this congress does not mean that we (priests) have problems,” he said. “There are a lot of people who go on retreats, but they do not have problems.”
Yesterday, more than 5,000 priests from all over the country gathered at the World Trade Center in Pasay City to attend the NCC.
The congress carried the theme “Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests.”
The five-day retreat, from Jan. 25 to 29, is in line with the one-year celebration of the Year of the Priest that started last June 2009.
One of the problems facing the Catholic Church today is the insufficient number of priests, with about 80,000 Catholics per priest.
Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone sent a message from Pope Benedict XVI, which was read at the opening of the NCC.
In his homily, Papal Nuncio Edward Joseph Adams reminded Filipino priests that through prayer they would be able to achieve conversion and fulfill their mission to bring God closer to people.
“Prayer is the first element and conversion is the preliminary to mission,” he said.
“A change of heart is essential not only to become a disciple of Jesus but to carry out the mission to humanity.” -Evelyn Macairan
Speaking to reporters at the start of the 2nd National Congress of the Clergy (NCC), Rosales said many people remain apprehensive about the automated elections.
“Someone told me that the automation is just the counting (of the ballots), but what is important is that we discern in choosing our leaders... the names that you would bring to the (polling) precinct, you should assess and study carefully their qualifications,” he said.
Rosales said it would be pointless for the automated machines to be working well while people are selling their votes.
“They would then complain about the bad government services and end up marching toward EDSA,” he said. Rosales said the people should pray for guidance for their decision on election day. “What is important is the ballot that you would put inside the machine,” he said.
Some members of the clergy might practice partisan politics in violation of Catholic Church rules, he added.
Rosales said the holding of the congress was not an indication that the Catholic Church is encountering problems.
“All of us, priests and non-priests, have problems but this congress does not mean that we (priests) have problems,” he said. “There are a lot of people who go on retreats, but they do not have problems.”
Yesterday, more than 5,000 priests from all over the country gathered at the World Trade Center in Pasay City to attend the NCC.
The congress carried the theme “Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests.”
The five-day retreat, from Jan. 25 to 29, is in line with the one-year celebration of the Year of the Priest that started last June 2009.
One of the problems facing the Catholic Church today is the insufficient number of priests, with about 80,000 Catholics per priest.
Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone sent a message from Pope Benedict XVI, which was read at the opening of the NCC.
In his homily, Papal Nuncio Edward Joseph Adams reminded Filipino priests that through prayer they would be able to achieve conversion and fulfill their mission to bring God closer to people.
“Prayer is the first element and conversion is the preliminary to mission,” he said.
“A change of heart is essential not only to become a disciple of Jesus but to carry out the mission to humanity.” -Evelyn Macairan
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