Catholic clergy, religious and laity came out in droves at an anti-corruption rally in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday that drew tens of thousands of protesters. Source: Catholic Review.
This and other nationwide protests were spurred by a pledge from Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr in July to expose and pursue prosecutions for dishonest projects in the typhoon- and monsoon-prone island nation’s flood control works. They were found to be rife with corruption.
Mr Marcos is the son of the predominantly Catholic country’s former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, whose amassed billions have been ascribed to questionable practices.
The president urged the public to demonstrate peacefully and express outrage over being robbed by the government. Indignant over the nearly 10,000 seriously problematic – some non-existent – flood-control projects worth billions, he told reporters at a news conference last week that if he were not president, he would march.
In the days leading up to the demonstration, Manila’s Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the Philippine bishops’ conference and other Church leaders also called on the faithful to attend the rally, held on the 53rd anniversary of martial law instituted by Ferdinand Marcos.
Cardinal David, the bishops’ conference president, rallied the crowds from a stage by the shrine.
The cardinal wore white clerical attire, with a white baseball cap, and was leaning on his bishop’s staff. He asked liturgists to forgive his use of the crozier (outside of Mass) to steady himself because of a weak knee.
“This staff is what we use as a hook to rescue little sheep that have fallen off the edge of a ravine,” Cardinal David said.
“We have many fellow citizens who have fallen into the ravine of corruption. They can still repent, and with this staff if they need the protection of the church, we will open our churches up as sanctuaries to those brave enough to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.”
“It can also strike a blow at the wild dogs and crocodiles who’ve wasted the people’s money,” he added, to loud cheers and a steady chant of “Jail the corrupt (those plunderers) now!”
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Philippine clergy support massive anti-corruption protests in Manila (By Simone Orendain, OSV News via Catholic Review)
