CBCP: Politicians welcome at prayer rallies

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Orlando Quevedo said the Church will allow anyone, including politicians, to participate in peace rallies so long as they are there to pray for peace and not for another person’s downfall.

"As long as one does not pray to beseech God for the downfall of this or that person, rather pray for the conversion of hearts and minds, that is what I would encourage," Quevedo said in an interview over the weekly radio program "CBCP on Air."

Prayers for peace often have political dimensions, but Quevedo stressed there is no problem with the Church if one does not ask God for another person’s downfall.

Last week, President Arroyo was criticized by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) for putting political color in what was supposedly a non-partisan prayer rally for world peace.

The INC said that with the unwelcome presence of politicians and their speeches, the prayer rally held in Luneta was turned into a political circus.

But Quevedo reminded organizers and participants of peace rallies to make sure the event does not become a venue for people of different ideologies to gather and fight with each other.

"Prayer rallies are for peace-minded people working toward peace by way of peaceful means. It should not be a place of controversy," he said.

Quevedo also called on Catholics to gather daily, in churches or in their homes, to pray the rosary and seek God’s intervention in averting the impending war in the Middle East.

"We must pray for peace not only in the Southern Philippines but peace in the world. As a body of citizens in the Philippines, we must cry out (for) peace rather than war," he said.