Archbishop to devotees: Go, rally for sanctity of life

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines --- Palo Archbishop John Forrosuelo Du on Sunday urged members of the Archdiocesan Federation of Medalla Milagrosa, or Marian devotees, to go out and rally on the value of life.

The Dumaguete-native prelate expounded on the important role mothers take in bearing children's lives in their wombs for nine months but which in these days have become "cheap."

Du said the mothers, who cared for their children, are represented by the Blessed Virgin Mar—also named Medalla Milagrosa (the medal of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception)—in the same way that they ought to be Mary's representatives on earth. He however lamented how life's value is disregarded nowadays.

"Here comes death penalty and life now has become very cheap," Du sadly said in his homily at the Mass during the 48th Annual Pilgrimage of Medalla Milagrosa "Visita Domicillaria" at the Redemptorist Church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish) in Tacloban City.

"Life is equivalent, if you do wrong, or has become nothing," Du said, as he urged the Marian devotees to air their collective cry for the protection of life, which is "sacred and precious." These days, while President Rodrigo Duterte momentarily put on hold his war against drugs, extra-judicial killings still did not stop, he said.

On February 18, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines led thousands of Catholics to the "Walk for Life" at Luneta Park to dramatize the church's repugnance to the reimposition of the death penalty, abortion, the unabated extra-judicial killings and corruption in government. "Life is from God and no one has the authority to kill simply because he is wrong," said the archbishop.

Du underscored Christ Jesus' humility, who in spite of him being the Son of God, lowered himself and became a poor man in order to save mankind and give man the opportunity "to live the best of (his) life.”

He emphasized the challenge to all to help others experience the fullness of life or for a person to have the opportunity to share the best he can offer to others. "That is why a child needs love and support and assistance," Du told the faithful. "The Lord is telling us 'Give him (her) the opportunity to make his (her) life better and offer himself (herself).'"

The archbishop reiterated God's call for mankind to be holy and live the fullness of life "because life is beautiful." He said that “we have to make extra effort to help our brothers and sisters who are being misled or lost in their lives.”

“Offer no resistance to what is evil. Don't give what is evil another evil because there is no end to 'evil begets evil,'" he said. "If there is evil, share love; if there is wrong, forgiveness; be patient because eventually you will get back that love you have offered to that person," he said.

"But if you will kill the person you will miss the point of the renewal, the transformation and the fullness, the best that he can offer to you, to your family and to our community," Du added. “For every person killed, a mother's heart is gripped and weeping because if there is one person who loves most the person killed and not given the chance to reform, it is his (her) mother. (FREEMAN)