Cardinal Rosales: Choose best possible leaders

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales called on the priests and faithful to vote for the best possible leaders who, he said, should possess at least six qualities this coming May elections.

The Cardinal released the pastoral statement to all his priests gathered at an assembly at the Arzobispado de Manila on Tuesday (April 17) and ordered that it be read in all masses in the Archdiocese of Manila on Sunday, April 22, 2007.

The six qualities of a good leader enumerated by the Cardinal are:

The leader must:

• Love and fear God.
• Be guided by well-formed conscience, always sensitive to the choice of what is good.
• Live and serve consistently with moral principles.
• Honest, non-violent and compassionate.
• Respect and protect the limited sources in nature and require others to do the same.
• Be ready to sacrifice personal, party or group interest for the sake of unity.

He also called on the faithful to safeguard the sacredness of the elections by not selling or bartering their votes for favors, and not allow themselves to be coerced to vote for certain candidates.

He encouraged the members of the Armed Forces, the youth and citizen volunteers help the COMELEC to ensure that voting is peaceful and that votes are accurately counted and properly turned over to national canvassers.

The Cardinal led his priests in a prayerful reflection on the pastoral statement and urged them to likewise reflect on it with their parishioners and flock. ##