PASTORAL LETTER
“Go Out and Vote for Those
Who can Advance the Common Good”
April
01, 1978
To my dear People of God in the Archdiocese of Manila:
Friday, April 7, is election day. On that day, all qualified citizens are expected
to go to the polling places and there, by secret ballot, signify their choice
on who should represent them in the Interim Batasang
Pambansa.
At this point, I wish to make
it clear that I am addressing you as Archbishop of Manila, not as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines. The views I express are my own and not necessarily
those of any other bishop, and they are meant for
you, the members of my flock in the Archdiocese, and for nobody else.
I am happy that the elections
has been called, and not only because of “normalization.” I am happy primarily
because the Church teaches that — and I quote — “when the exercise of right
is temporarily curtailed on behalf of the common good, it should be restored
as quickly as possible after the emergency passes” (Gaudium
et Spes, Art. 75).
On April 7, you have a solemn
duty and a sacred obligation to do two things: first, you must
vote in accordance with the dictates of your conscience; and second, you must
be vigilant so that the true will of the people will be expressed.
Why a solemn obligation? Because
the same article of the same document tells us — and again I quote — “that
all citizens should be mindful of their simultaneous right and duty to vote
freely in the interest of advancing the common good.”
It is not my intention here,
my dear People of God, to favor any particular candidate or party. My aim
is to insure the advancement of the common good.
Under martial law, our right
to choose our leaders through election was withdrawn from us. Now that opportunity
is given to us to elect some of our leaders, we have good reason to cherish
this and protect it even more.
Suffrage, however, is not merely
a right that must be exercised, it is also a duty
to be fulfilled. Every qualified citizen has a duty to vote, and to vote for
those who, in his honest and unbiased opinion, can best discharge the duties
of the office they are running for.
His conscience must be his
sole guide He should not allow personal or party loyalty, gratitude for favors
received or promised, to becloud his judgment. But
his conscience must be formed after a careful study of the candidates’ political
record, their private and public life, their policies and views, their sincerity
and their integrity.
Elections, however, will be
free and fair only if no candidate and no election worker violates
the sanctity and the secrecy of the ballot and tampers the election results.
Anyone who does so, strikes a blow at the very heart of the present political
system, endangers the freedom we hold dear and incurs moral culpability.
It is to remove that possibility,
my dear People of God in the Archdiocese of Manila, that I now call on all
of you to be vigilant, to do everything possible to protect the sanctity of
the ballot.
In the interest of justice,
therefore, let the voice of the people be heard. And, in the interest of charity,
after the election is over, let everyone —victor and vanquished — join hands and work for the country under the
brotherhood of Christ and Fatherhood of God. Let the winners be humble in
victory, and let the losers be gracious in defeat.
I repeat, on April 7, go out
and vote according to your conscience. And, after you have voted, be vigilant
so that your vote is counted the way it was cast. That is the only way we
can hasten the process of “normalization..” This is the democratic way, this
is a good way.
May the good Lord bless
you all. Remember, I love you all very dearly.
(SGD.) +
JAIME L. Cardinal SIN, D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
Manila, April 01, 1978
