COMMENTARY
One of the 9 percent
by John J. Carroll, S.J.
I write as one of the 9.2 percent of adult Catholics in the Philippines who, according to the recent Social Weather Stations survey, have sometimes thought of leaving the Catholic Church. These instances occurred mostly in the “bad old days” before Cardinal Jaime Sin gave a new face to the Archdiocese of Manila. There have been similar moments since then, but I have learned to see Christ through the mist as His disciples did on the Lake of Galilee, and to recognize that with all of its faults, it is the Catholic Church that gives me direct contact with Him. Even the Gospels in which I find Him were written within the local church communities of the first century and authenticated by the broader Church.
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CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGS
A Catholic Vote or a Conscience Vote?
by Eric Marcelo O. Genilo, S.J.
There have been a variety messages coming from bishops, catholic lay groups, and organizations regarding the involvement of the Church in politics for the coming May 13 elections.
While organizations like PPCRV and Simbahan Lingkod have continued to work for non-partisan voters’ education, some coalitions of Catholic lay groups have taken a more partisan approach. The Catholic Vote Philippines urges voters to vote against candidates who supported the passage of the RH Bill. The White Vote Movement, spearheaded by the Catholic group El Shaddai, has endorsed several pro-life (anti-RH Bill) candidates.
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TALKING POINTS
The Golden Mean in Mining
by the Society of Jesus Social Apostolate (SJSA)
Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus
In the Philippines, mining has become a contentious and controversial activity. On one hand, there are those who believe sincerely that mining offers a solution to poverty and that it can be done responsibly. On the other hand, many are of the opinion that mining, at least in the way we have experienced it in our country, has been destructive of the environment and has had principally negative impacts on rural communities.
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PUBLICATIONS
Becoming a Church of the Poor
Produced by the JJCICSI staff, Becoming a Church of the Poor is a collection of essays which provide a glimpse into how the Philippine Catholic Church has sought to fulfill the goals she set for herself in the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II), convened twenty years ago in 1991. Among the issues tackled in the book deal with family and life, agrarian reform, environment, and electoral politics.
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