Begins funds for the poor of the diocese of Manila
Manila (AsiaNews) "Funds of the Filipinos", (Pondo ng Pinoy) was launched at the Manila Inter-diocesan General Pastoral Assembly at the Folk Arts Theater June 11th and 12th. The majority of Filipinos live on less than P 52 (Filipino pesos) a day or less than . About 52 percent of Metro Manila's population are poor, and nationwide, 63 percent of the country's population are poor, Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales reported during his homily last Friday. "We are going to move towards the full development of our brothers and sisters, especially the poor who can no longer afford another misadventure of any kind by any group", he said. "An educational component, catechesis, will always accompany the witnessing to the values of Pondo ng Pinoy," explained Mons. Rosales. Added to this, as reported by the World Bank, 40 percent of the government's annual budget is lost to graft and corruption. "Our politics are full of self-ambition, pride and greed." Mons. Rosales said. "The greatest tyrants on the Filipinos are the country's leaders, not the foreign colonizers."
For this reason, the Archdiocese has spearheaded the "Pondo" a community foundation wherein the,
The Church was motivated to launch the movement based on the "Theology of the Crumbs", from the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16: 19-31) which begins, tells of a rich man who lived in luxury while Lazarus, a poor suffering man wished for the crumbs which would fall from the rich man's table.
Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Imus, explained the 'Theology of the Crumbs', and paralleled many government leaders with the rich man in the Gospels: their relationship with money and riches, the marginalization of the poor; and a religion of alienation with an "occasional God."All of these, according to Mons. Tagle, align politicians with 'the rich man'.
The Archdiocese, together with its 12 Ecclesiastical provinces, is urging the faithful to set aside "a crumb", 25 centavoes (circa Euro 0.005) daily. The collected coins for the Pondo will be brought to the parishes, where receipts will be issued, for the sake of accountability. These funds will then be used primarily for livelihood projects of the poor.
"In our society," said Father Anton Pascual of Caritas Manila "the poor are in a disadvantaged position, because they are not given opportunities in finding work in the country; they do not have any security and lack influence on those in power."
Professor Ernesto Gonzales of the University of Santo Tomas Social Research Center stated that in the country the middle class is decreasing, and the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing. (S.E.)