November 6, 2008 in News

Call for Fasting and Prayer

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ PEACE!

With joy we salute Archbishop Lagdameo, Archbishop Cruz, Bishop Emeritus Sorra, Bishop Villegas and Bishop Baylon for their courageous and inspiring message last October 28 at the Illustrado in Intramuros, Manila. They have given hope to the religious and lay people who have been struggling with the poor and the marginalized and for truth and justice all these years. It is to be expected that those whose vested interests are touched by the bishops’ clear and unequivocal condemnation of corruption would react vehemently against their pronouncement.

We wish to tell our beloved bishops that we are with them and we support them in their stand. Another happening worthy of our attention is the arrival of Jocjoc Bolante on October 28, the former Undersecretary of Agriculture who was involved in the Fertilizer Scam. He is now in the hospital and no one knows whether he will have the courage to tell the truth or if he would simply bury it along the many unresolved scandals that have happened in our society. We understand his fear, anxiety and predicament about telling the truth but with God, nothing is impossible. We are sure you also have heard of the incident that happened at dawn on October 31 when about 13 armed men forcibly entered St. Scholastica’s College, disarmed the security guards, taking their arms, cell phones and radios. Fortunately they were not able to enter any building because a mobile patrol arrived and the armed men made a quick get away through a side gate.

The motives maybe a mixture of robbery harassment and intimidation. All these recent incidents call us to reflection. We are truly fighting against principalities and powers that can only be vanquished by prayer and fasting and so we propose that we ask our communities to go on a 3 day prayer and fasting beginning November 10 till the 13th for the following intentions:
1. To strengthen and protect our Bishops so that they may continue inspiring and leading us to courageously fight against corruption in our country.
2. To enlighten and embolden Jocjoc Bolante to tell the TRUTH about the Fertilizer Scam.
3. To protect our communities and apostolates from harm and to give us courage not to be cowed by harassments and intimidations but continue in our struggle for truth and justice.

Sincerely yours,
Fr. Jesus Malit, SSS and Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB
AMRSP National Co-chairpersons