Panahon nin Pagsakit, Panahon nin Balaog

Sarong Kapahayagan Pastoral

Namomotan niamong Banwaan kan Dios:

            An satong Inang Simbahan nakulgan na gayo huli kan mga kontrobersya sa Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office kan nakaaging duwang semana. May mga myembro kan Simbahan na nagtutubod na daing sala digdi an mga obispo, igwa man ki iba na dai nagtutubod. Alagad sa bilog na Simbahan namamatean an labi-labing kamundoan. Kami na saindong mga pastor nakikisumaro saindo. Bilang mga pastor na naghihingowa na mamoot saindo siring ki Hesus an Marhay na Pastor, ikanakamundo niamo an sakit asin kamundoan na namatean nindo huli kan pangyayari na ini.

            Ikinakamundo niamo na kadakul saindo, orog na an mga jovenes, an mga dukha, asin an satong mga saradit na Kristyanong komunidad, nalilibongan nin huli kan garo baga pagkasalungat kan samong mga gibo asin kan samong mga katukdoan bilang mga pastor.

            Mantang ipinapahayag niamo an samong kamundoan, minahagad kami saindo na dai tulos maghusga asin maigot na hanapon an bilog na katotoohan sa likod kan kontrobersya. Danay niatong hanapon an katotoohan na may pagkamoot.

           Sinisiguro niamo saindo na an mga obispong kaiba digdi andam na akoon an responsibilidad kan saindang mga gibo asin hampangon an mga kaipuhan simbagon kun mapapatotoohan na ini pagbalga sa ley, maanomaliya asin bako susog sa konstitusyon. Sinisiguro niamo saindo na an saindang gibo daing maraot na katuyohan. Hale sa saindang odok sa boot na kamawotan na tabangan an saindang mga pinaglilingkodan, dai ninda natimbang nin marhay an mga maraot na epekto na posibleng magin bunga kaini. Nagpahayag man sinda nin kaandaman na gibohon an gabos na maninigo nganing mabulong an lugad na ini tanganing gabos kita makapadagos na may paglaom.

            Siring man sinisiguro niamo saindo, samong namomotan na banwaan, na samong rerepasohon an mga paagi nin pakikipagtabangan sa mga ahensya kan gobyerno para sa pagtabang sa mga dukha, nganing masiguro na marespeto an mga sensibilidad pastoral asin maotob an mga pinakahalangkaw na sukol etikal. Samong paghohorop-horopan an samong mga pinapahalagahan sa liwanag kan samong bokasyon bilang mga disipulo ni Hesukristo. Idinudusay niamo an samong mga sadiri sa halawig na paglakbay pasiring sa personal asin pangkomunidad na pagbabago na kinakaipuhan sa gabos na disipulo kan Kagurangnan. Minahagad kami saindo na maglakaw kaiba niamo sa dalan nin danay na pagbabago.

            Sa liwat ipinapahayag niamo an samong labi-labing kamundoan sa sakit na idinulot kan mga pangyayaring ini sa saindo, samong namomotan na banwaan. Aram kan Kagurangnan an samong pagkamoot sa saindo. Samong narurumdoman an mga tataramon kan parasurat kan psalmo: “Espiritung nagsosolsol an sakong atang; mapakumbaba asin nagsosolsol na espiritu dai mo isisikwal” (Ps 51). Siring kan ipinapahayag sa Kagurangnan kan parasurat kan psalmo, kita man nagsasabi sa pagpakusog asin pag-agyat sato: “Mawot mo an katotoohan sa puso nin lambang linalang kaya panoa ako nin kadunungan.”

Para sa Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, D.D.

Obispo kan Tandag

Presidente, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

Hulyo 11, 2011

A TIME OF PAIN, A TIME OF GRACE

A Pastoral Statement

Our Dear People of God,

            Our Mother Church has been deeply wounded by the controversies in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office that have erupted in the past two weeks. Some members of the Church believe in the innocence of the bishops involved in the issue, while others do not. There is no doubt that everywhere in the Church there is great sorrow. We your pastors are one with you. As shepherds struggling to love you like Jesus the Good Shepherd, we are sorry for the pain and sadness that these events have brought upon you.

            We are saddened that many of you, especially the youth, the poor, our Basic Ecclesial Communities, have been confused because of the apparent inconsistency of our actions with our pastoral preaching.

            As we express our sadness, we also ask you to be slow in judgment and to conscientiously seek the whole truth behind the controversy. Let us seek the truth always in charity.

            We assure you that the bishops concerned are ready to accept responsibility for their action and to face the consequences if it would be proven unlawful, anomalous, and unconstitutional. We assure you that their action was done without malice. Out of their sincere desire to help their people, they failed to consider the pitfalls to which these grants could possibly lead them. They have also expressed their readiness to do everything that is necessary to heal this wound so that we can all move forward in hope.

            We also assure you, our beloved people, that we shall re-examine the manner of our collaboration with government agencies for purposes of helping the poor, making sure that pastoral sensibilities are respected and the highest ethical standards are observed. We shall examine our values in the light of our vocation to be disciples of Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves to the long journey of personal and social transformation required of all disciples of the Lord. We plead with you to walk with us in this path of constant renewal.

            We express again our deep sorrow for the pain that the recent events have brought to you our beloved people. The good Lord knows our love for you. The words of the psalmist come to our mind: “My sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn” (Ps.51). As the same Psalmist addresses the Lord, we take his words as our own to encourage and challenge us: “Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.”  

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, D.D.

Bishop of Tandag

President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

July 11, 2011