“We also assure you, our beloved people, that we shall re-examine the manner of our collaboration with government agencies for purposes of helping the poor, making sure that pastoral sensibilities are respected and the highest ethical standards are observed,” this was the statement given by former Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Nereo P. Odchimar, D.D. on 11 July 2011 posted at the CBCP website.
The pastoral statement entitled “A Time of Pain, A Time of Grace” (Karanasan ng hapdi, karanasan ng biyaya) contains the grief-stricken sentiment experiencing by the Mother Church caused by the recent anomaly involved by some Bishops and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Tandag Bishop Odchimar assured that the Bishops concerned in the anomaly are ready to accept their responsibility and to face the consequences of their action, if it would be proven unlawful, anomalous, and unconstitutional. However, the former CBCP President also assured that the action taken by the Bishops involved was done without malice.
Bishops on Basic Ecclesial Communities
Bishop Odchimar feels sorry for the pain and sadness that these events have brought upon to the society. He also cited that many of the Filipinos specially the youth and the poor –which the Church’ Basic Ecclesial Communities, have been confused because of the apparent inconsistency of their actions with their pastoral preaching.
In behalf of the CBCP, Bishop Odchimar expressed sadness and asked for an objective point of view on the issue. “We also ask you to be slow in judgment and to conscientiously seek the whole truth behind the controversy. Let us seek the truth always in charity,” the Bishop added. Yen Ocampo
