We hope they could defend each of us this way if we’re caught stealing money from the country.
In the official statement of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on the indictment of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla for plunder in relation to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas made an appeal for people to curb their anger.
Villegas is the CBCP president.
But we must confess that after reading Villegas’ statement, we couldn’t help but be enraged.
We’re reposting Villegas’ full statement below:
Press Statement on the Indictment of the Three Senators in the PDAF Issue
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is a kingdom of truth, justice, love and peace. It is from this perspective that we comment on current events.
We laud the effort of government to deal resolutely with graft and corrupt practices. This is the path of righteousness. Those who have been charged must be dealt with the full force of the law. Those who are tasked to prosecute must observe total commitment to the human rights of the accused.
Everybody culpable, whatever their political affiliations may be, should be investigated and, if so warranted, indicted. When justice is selective, it is not justice at all.
Furthermore, as Christians we are exhorted to love at all times, even those who sin and err, for none of us is above human frailty. We embrace all who have wronged society as our brothers and sisters and continue to pray, that as God’s people, we may ALL walk the path of conversion and renewal. For those among us who are not accused, let us remember that the offenses with which those who now stand accused are charged could very well be the offense of any of us as well. Who are we to condemn? Let the one who has no sin be the first to cast a stone.
Let no action–official, personal or otherwise– be ever born out of hatred or a desire for vengeance. A vengeful action cannot be from God. Let everything we do be born out of sincere love for each other and concern for the common good for only then will we be recognized as disciples of the Divine Master who searches out and rescues the lost and the weak.
June 8, 2014, Pentecost Sunday
+ SOCRATES VILLEGAS, D.D.
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
