By Bishop Francisco F. Claver, S.J.
"How naive can they get?"
That was how a religious superior judged the Catholic bishops on their last pastoral statement dealing with the current political situation. He continued: "Two years ago they asked the President [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] to look into herself to see what part she played in the problems we were going through then. Nothing happened. And now they ask her to lead the fight against corruption in government!"
Yes indeed, how naive can they get? I agreed with the man: the bishops were naive. But I went on to add: "Naive with the naivete of the one who called himself the Good Shepherd and who is determined to keep looking for the lost sheep"--even when the sheep might be just as determined to remain lost...
...The message in that last pastoral statement of the bishops was the soul of simplicity: "Change your ways and lead the fight against corruption." In other words: "Be converted." Or was that message too subtle even for professional religious to grasp? Or worse, impossible in its intent of change?
Click here to read full text.
That was how a religious superior judged the Catholic bishops on their last pastoral statement dealing with the current political situation. He continued: "Two years ago they asked the President [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] to look into herself to see what part she played in the problems we were going through then. Nothing happened. And now they ask her to lead the fight against corruption in government!"
Yes indeed, how naive can they get? I agreed with the man: the bishops were naive. But I went on to add: "Naive with the naivete of the one who called himself the Good Shepherd and who is determined to keep looking for the lost sheep"--even when the sheep might be just as determined to remain lost...
...The message in that last pastoral statement of the bishops was the soul of simplicity: "Change your ways and lead the fight against corruption." In other words: "Be converted." Or was that message too subtle even for professional religious to grasp? Or worse, impossible in its intent of change?
Click here to read full text.
