pastoral letter
“OUR NATIONAL REVERENCE FOR LIFE”
July
16, 1984
To our beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
At this moment of our nation’s
history when the conscience of every citizen is deeply concerned over the
many problems that afflict our lives — the Church must speak out calmly but
firmly — exercising a God-given right which Vatican II stresses in these words:
It is always and everywhere legitimate
for the Church to preach the faith with true freedom, to teach her social
doctrine and to pass moral judgments even on matters touching the political
order, whenever basic personal rights or the salvation of souls make such
judgments necessary (Gaudium et Spes, 76).
On the basis of this principle,
we speak out from our moral perspective and pastoral responsibility regarding
recent events that have brought anguish to our people.
Because we believe life to
be a sacred gift from God, we are justly horrified when violence in any form
leads to the taking away of life — no matter whether the twisted body on the
tarmac be that of a senator or be it the tatooed
corpse of a suspected murderer.
It might not always be easy
for some Christians to acknowledge it , but our faith
clearly teaches that even a thief and a murderer are children of God. No amount
of human wretchedness or viciousness can erase that identity which the Creator
gave to all men and women. As children of God, criminals hold a claim on our
mercy and love, so much so that Christ identifies Himself with them in prison:
“I tell you, in so far as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you
did it to Me” (Mt 25:40).
The violent death of any individual
adds to the weight of grief and brokenness in our afflicted land. If we remain
silent and indifferent, the circle of violence will widen even further, eventually
to engulf us and our families. Every act of violence displaces and devalues
our Christian culture and our claim to being a civilized nation since it
transforms our society into a sinister environment resembling a jungle. Sooner
or later, our children will virtually forget that once upon a time, their
parents formed part of a civilized nation whose mode of life was characterized
by justice, decency and civility.
We need to redefine ourselves
once more as a people with an abiding reverence for life. As Pope Paul VI
stated: “If you wish peace, defend life.”
It is, therefore, the hallmark
of a Christian society that her legal organizations should demand that police
respect the constitutional rights of suspected and accused persons. For life
is not possible without justice.
It is only fitting and proper
that students demand knowledge of those onerous conditions
imposed on their future by international agencies. For life is not possible
without truth.
It is likewise a noble patriotic
act for citizens to demand a general amnesty for all political dissidents
and for the abolition of all authoritarian decrees and powers. For life is
not possible without freedom.
Every act of injustice, every
deceitful propaganda, every decree that diminishes civic freedom — are unjustifiable
assaults against the life of our poor, the life of our children, the life
of our nation.
In these critical times when
the supposed exigencies of national security are once more poised like the
proverbial Damocles sword over the nation’s heart, let us call to mind the
talk given by Pope John Paul II on February 17th, 1981, at Malacañang Palace before the President, his Cabinet and the officers of
the Armed Forces:
The challenge that faces each nation,
and more particularly a Christian nation, is a challenge to its own internal
life. I am sure that the leaders and the people of the Philippines fully realize their responsibility
to construct an exemplary society and that they are willing to work together
to achieve this end in a spirit of mutual respect and civic responsibility.
It is the joint effort of all the citizens that builds a truly sovereign nation...
Even in exceptional situations that may at times arise, one can never justify
any violation of the fundamental dignity of the human person or of the basic
rights that safeguard this dignity. Legitimate concern for the security of
the nation, as demanded by the common good, could lead to the temptation of
subjugating to the State the human being and his or her dignity and rights.
Any apparent conflict between the exigencies of security and of the citizens’
basic rights must be resolved according to the fundamental principle — upheld
always by the Church — that social organizations exist only for the service
of man and for the protection of his dignity, and that it cannot claim to
serve the common good when human rights are not safeguarded.
I ask you to reflect deeply
and take to heart these wise words from the Vicar of Christ which he addressed
specifically to our leaders and people. If we follow these guidelines set
by the Pope, our nation will find true redemption and lasting reconciliation.
Let me conclude with some reflections
on Our Lady. It has been the historical tradition of Filipinos to turn to
Mary in times of personal or national crisis. If our people’s life is characterized
by affection and hospitality, by joy and laughter even in the midst of problems,
by a keen sense of justice and love of freedom — these national traits find
their origin to a large extent in our Marian devotions. Through Mary, our
people came in touch with a model of fidelity, an exemplar of tenderness and
compassion, a Mother who withstood despair at the foot of the cross. Filipinos
see in Mary’s life style, a commitment to the poor and the oppressed; they
listen to her Magnificat as a canticle against the
injustice of the powerful; they see her flight into Egypt as a mother’s valiant effort to preserve the life and
freedom of her Child.
Bearing in mind the primacy
of Mary in the hearts of our people, we solicit her help in these trying times,
praying to her:
Dear Mother of God, be the patroness
of our national reconciliation. Enlighten our people so that we might turn
our weapons of death into implements of peace. Bless and transform our hearts
so that we might become a people renowned for their cultivation of justice
and charity, a people who proclaim their praise and gratitude to God by reverencing
above all His gift of Life. Amen.
(SGD.) + JAIME L. CARDINAL SIN, D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
July 16, 1984
