Our vote- our spiritual oath to the Lord!

Together with more than 130 electors, Filipino Cardinal Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David is now preparing and requesting for prayers to the Holy Spirit to guide them in choosing the next pope.

In a recent letter to fellow Catholics, Cardinal Ambo reminded all that “the election of a pope is not a political contest but a spiritual discernment.

“While it is natural to have hopes or preferences for certain personalities, we are ultimately invited to trust in the work of the Holy Spirit and the solemn responsibility entrusted to the College of Cardinals.

“The conclave is a sacred moment, guided not by popularity or strategy, but by prayer, humility, and the collective listening of the Church’s shepherds to God’s will.”

Cardinal Ambo asked that this “sacred discernment (not be turned) into a worldly spectacle (which) inadvertently may pressure or politicize the conscience of the electors, and distract from the silence and prayer needed to truly hear the voice of the Spirit.”

Instead, Cardinal Ambo requested all - “electors (be accompanied) with our prayers, not our preferences, to fast from speculation and feast on hope, to encourage one another to deepen our faith, trusting that the Lord will once again raise up a shepherd after His own heart, and above all, to keep our gaze on Christ, the true Head of the Church, who alone can give us the Pope we need—not the one we think we want.”

Very recently, Cardinal Ambo shared A VOTER’S OATH --an elector’s oath before casting his vote-- in these three languages:

In Latin: “Testor Christum Dominum, qui me iudicaturus est, me eligere in votum quod do illum, quem secundum Deum iudico eligi debere.”

In English: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.”

In Tagalog: “Saksi ko si Kristong Panginoon na siyang hahatol sa akin, na ibinibigay ko ang aking boto sa taong, sa harap ng Diyos, ay pinaniniwalaan kong nararapat mahalal.”

Cardinal Ambo remarked – “imagine if every Catholic Filipino voter can say the same oath before casting his/her vote in the coming elections?”

We agree.

This voter’s oath is a very beautiful, timely guide/reminder to all our Filipino May 12 voters that one’s vote is really one’s oath to God, that voting is a personal/individual, solemn/sacred/spiritual pledge/vow of the voter before, for the Lord.

Between now till the May 12 election day, can the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines which Cardinal Ambo heads issue an urgent circular asking all priests/church authorities/the laity to discuss, disseminate and encourage/persuade/convince all believers to read, understand and take this Voter’s Oath to heart and be guided by this pledge to the Lord when one casts his/her vote?

The Voter’s Oath inspires a process of prayer, spiritual discernment to “gaze on Christ” and “truly hear the voice of the Spirit” and elect “the one who, before God, should be elected.”

Before polls open or throughout election day, church bells can be tolled all throughout the country to remind all about their voter’s oath before, with the Lord.

Perhaps preceding and accompanying this year’s election with spiritual discernment, church bell tolling and this Voter’s Oath may be the long-awaited miracle from God to have his genuine public servants finally chosen, elected honestly by the voters and the voters’ choices genuinely/completely declared as winners!

We enjoin all Filipinos to unite together to make this year’s elections a real, spiritual period/exercise of discernment and prayers for God-centered/God-chosen leaders to be honestly/genuinely elected and proclaimed winners!