CBCP pastoral letter does not discourage protests vs Arroyo

While it does not call for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines' (CBCP) latest pastoral letter is not discouraging protests against her either, a bishop said. Manila bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr made this clear Tuesday night after Malacañang claimed the CBCP's pastoral statement was in its favor. Radio dzBB reported that Bacani, spiritual adviser of the influential El Shaddai, said the statement gives the faithful a free hand to decide what action to take against corruption. He said the Church is leaving it to the people to decide what action to take, even if it could be another EDSA-type revolt. In a separate interview aired over GMA's Unang Balita, Bacani said the bishops are leaving it up to the people as to what concrete actions to take in order to find resolution to corruption allegations being thrown against the administration. "Wag nyo kami hintayin na kami’y magdikta nyan. Kami’y magbibigay ng prinsipyo, kami’y magbibigay ng moral imperatives, pero yung konkretong pagkilos, kayo na," Bacani said. On the other hand, he said the CBCP refused to actively call people to a revolt like the late Manila archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin because the country is under a democracy. Bacani said Sin came out only because the people at the time were under a dictatorship and afraid to act. But now, he said there is relative freedom to decide on what communal action to take. - GMANews.TV