Manila (AsiaNews/CBCP) - In a pastoral letter issued on the occasion of Lent, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on Filipino Catholics to "imitate the example of Christ" and lead a life of "simplicity" that "sanctifies" poverty as Jesus taught in the Beatitudes. Tomorrow, 5 March, is in fact Ash Wednesday, a time for the Christian community to celebrate the beginning of the period of prayer and fasting that precedes Easter.
In his message about the "poverty that dehumanizes, [and] the poverty that sanctifies," Mgr Socrates Villegas, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan (Luzon) and president of the CBCP president, calls upon the faithful to practice "material poverty" through the "simplicity of life".
Lent, the prelate notes, is a time when Jesus calls on "all of us, especially the laity" to fight poverty and destitution, which strip people of their "humanity".
For the CBCP president, Christ "invites us to imitate his example" in order to replace a human and holy face on real "material, moral and spiritual poverty."
In addition to the simplicity of life, Mgr Villegas calls on fellow Filipinos to practice charity and justice towards the poor. Although the Philippines, as a country, has experienced rapid economic expansion, about 28 per cent of its population still live below the threshold of survival.
Hence, people must exercise material poverty, he notes, through solidarity towards the neglected in society, denouncing "all forms" of injustice and inequality. At the same time, we must deepen our "rootedness in Christ, whose poverty alone enriches us."
At Lent, the prelate warns, Christ calls upon all of us, especially the laity, to fight destitution and poverty, which devalue human life. He urges people to fight "the ever-growing influence of consumerism". For the archbishop, the Gospel is the "real antidote" against such material and spiritual destitution.
In concluding, the Bishops' president issues a dire warning against corruption, a "pervading cancer" that has brought the country to its knees, adding further misery to a society with poor medical care, housing and development prospects for those who are on the margins of society.