STATEMENT OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES

We, the members of the CBCP Permanent Council, just held our regular meeting which had been scheduled during our last Plenary Assembly January 2005.

Although the present political situation is not in our agenda, we have to say something on it since many, we are told, are expecting it. This is what we would like to say:

1. The search for truth must continue and must be guided by the principles of the rule of law and moral principles of truth, justice and the common good as we stated in our July 10 Statement.
   
2. More important and urgent for us now is the economic survival of our people – this is why I said recently “Let us move forward.”
   
3. As stated also in our July 10 Statement, we remind our people, especially our Basic Ecclesial Communities , lay organizations and movements, that the political arena is their responsibility as baptized Catholics.
   
4. We again exhort pure people to intensify our prayer – intense personal and sustained prayer which will open our hearts to God among us.
   
5. Finally, as your pastors, we appeal to the people to meet our present trials with
   sobriety and faith in a God who loves and care for us. Let us see our present situation as a God-given challenge to grow and mature as a people.

FERNANDO R. CAPALLA
Archbishop of Davao
President, catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
September 13, 2005