CBCP invokes prayer power vs Cha-cha

Catholic bishops are calling on the faithful to use "prayer power" to persuade top government officials to drop plans of amending the Constitution.

Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, chairman of the National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said only God’s intervention can "guide the hearts" of people advocating Charter change (Cha-cha).

In a statement, Gutierrez said Catholics should pray the rosary every day as Pope John Paul II has reminded them in his apostolic letter.

"We must pray that our government officials, to whom the Filipino people have entrusted the task of governing the destiny of this nation, be guided by God’s loving light," the statement said.

Gutierrez said Catholics should pray the rosary to persuade Cha-cha proponents to forgo their plans as it is premature at this time when the country is experiencing financial difficulties.

"Charter change will further deplete government resources," he said. "It will cost the government millions of pesos that should otherwise be intended for social services."

Gutierrez said changing the Constitution will not solve the country’s problems because the new fundamental law could fall prey to the "clutches of seasoned politicians" with vested interests.

"Instead of financing Cha-cha, the priority of the government should be to improve the lives of poor Filipinos whose lives are expected to worsen with the move to amend the Constitution," he added.

On the other hand, Archbishop of Cotabato Orlando Quevedo, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said amending the Constitution would be counter-productive since it could distract the attention and interest of lawmakers and the people from the country’s real problems.

"Just like the previous position of the Church, the time has not yet come for Charter change," he said. "But when the time comes, there should be widespread participation among the people and it must be done with transparency and directed to the common good."