Catholic Church to give 'moral guidance' for 2016 polls – CBCP head 

Leading up to the 2016 elections in May, expect the Catholic Church to "give moral guidance for the prospective candidates, for the youth who cannot vote," the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said at the launch of a book that documented the apostolic visit of Pope Francis to the country last January.

 

"Everybody should receive moral guidance because that is the duty of the Church,"  Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said.

 

Villegas also observed that while political controversies are hot topics in Manila, the same cannot be said elsewhere.  "Sa inyo lang naman sa Manila, sa Pangasinan, di naman mainit," he said.

 

Archbishop Villegas described the book as the second best documentation of the papal visit...as the best documentation would have to be the one hundred million Filipinos touched by Pope Francis himself.

 

He added that the only way to keep the papal visit fire glowing is to keep the 3Hs (humanity, humor and humility) within us.

 

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle also shared his thoughts on the papal visit saying our encounter with the pope has not only been a privilege but a mission.

 

"In buying a book we are receiving a mission. By reading the book, I hope that our hearts will be stirred again, be disturbed and return to the Word of God."

 

The Cardinal also shared his conversation with Pope Francis in his most recent visit to Rome this week.

 

Pope Francis, he said, reiterated that his visit to Asia made him see a future for the Church of Asia.

 

"Its is not just flattering, not just to console us but it has become a conviction for him. We receive the message with trembling but with a great sense of responsibility", Tagle said.

 

At the book launch, there was a symbolic presentation to special guests. Among them were namely Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, Bishop Pablo David of Pampanga, Undersecretary Jess Yu of the Office of the President, and Fr. Matthieu Dauchez, Executive Director of Tulay Ng Kabataan Foundation where the pope made a surprise visit after his mass at the Manila Cathedral, and the "Inspirational Diva" Jamie Rivera, who sang the papal visit theme song during the program.

 

Archbishop Soc said copies of the book will also be sent to Pope Francis himself as a way "to share with him our feelings of pride and gratitude. That he came amongst us and we saw Jesus in him. His visit was a visit of Jesus to the Philippines."

 

Another but smaller book launch of "I Am Here To Be With You" will be held on Saturday at 12:15pm at the EDSA Shrine.  — ELR, GMA News