On World Mission Sunday, a Catholic bishop stressed the duty of the Church to be the voice of the poor and the oppressed, reported CBCP News.
Bishop Broderick Pabillo, administrator of the Manila archdiocese, said it is not the role of Church and Christian believers to be neutral or impartial in the face of injustice.
“There is no neutral ground in front of injustice, oppression, and lies,” Pabillo said in his homily at the Santa Cruz Church.
“We cannot be silenced because the duty of the church is to proclaim and act for truth, justice, peace, and love,” he said.
The bishop warned that silence means allowing oppression to continue and lies to further spread.
Pabillo asked the faithful to pray for the missionaries so that they always have the courage to continue the work of Christ.
“In this Holy Mass, as we pray for the missionaries, let us also pray that we may be faithful in our mission in life,” he said.
The prelate also reminded citizens that loyalty to God is paramount, and this requires giving due respect to their government leaders.
“But if this authority is no longer according to and contrary to the way of God, we must obey God rather than man,” Pabillo said.
He particularly called on public servants, including those in the police and military, to give their loyalty to God and “not to any political or military leaders”.
“When what they do or are asked to do is against God’s law, what they should serve and fear is God,” he said.
