EDITORIAL - A plea from the Pope

Under normal circumstances, we should discourage foreign leaders from poking their noses into Philippine internal affairs. But people in this predominantly Catholic country will probably make an exception in the case of Pope John Paul II.

Receiving the credentials of the Philippines’ new ambassador to the Holy See, Leonida Vera, the pontiff urged Philippine politicians to shun corruption and help make the elections on May 10 honest and fair.

How you wish the word of the head of the Roman Catholic Church would have the force of law among the devout in this country. Many Philippine politicians take pains to project themselves as pious Catholics. With an eye to their political fortunes, national leaders – especially those up for re-election – avoid confrontations with the Church on controversial issues including population control and divorce. Only a public outcry against rising criminality prompted the approval of the return of capital punishment.

Yet for all their piousness, Philippine politicians think nothing of stealing from public coffers or getting fat commissions from government contracts even if it means passing on the costs of corruption to the public. The country always ranks high in every global corruption index. Many of our politicians think nothing of cheating their way to election victory. Some of our politicians can even reconcile their piousness with murder. The attitude seems to be, confess your sins today and all will be forgiven; then you can sin again tomorrow.

Now the Pope is urging Philippine politicians to avoid corruption. We’ll probably be seeing a number of them asking in the coming days: You talking to me? And making a mad rush to churches or their favorite charities, giving generous donations duly recorded by their public relations staff or even, if they are prominent enough, by the press. Such is faith, Philippine style, for certain Filipinos: an admonition from the head of their Church is not seen as marching orders but dismissed as wishful thinking.