On the occasion of our Independence, I invite you to reflect on the message of the late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II to the Filipino nation when he visited our country in 1981. He is one of the popes who truly loves Filipinos, calling them “a phenomenal people!” Read his message slowly, perhaps even a second time. It’s a prophetic one, a sure guide for our times!
Dear People of the Philippines,
In my desire to know
personally the peoples of Asia, I wanted my first papal visit to be to the
Philippines. I come here retracing the steps of Paul Vl, whose memorable visit
to this land is still recalled, I am sure, with love and gratitude, and whose
inspiring presence still lives on in the hearts and the minds of the Filipino
people. I come here because it is my heart's desire to celebrate with my brothers
and sisters the common faith that unites the Catholic population of this land
with the See of Peter in Rome. At the same time I mention with satisfaction and
pleasure the friendly relations between the Philippines and the Holy See. These
relations are indeed a worthy expression of the special affection of your
people for the Bishop of Rome.
The Philippine nation is deserving
of particular honor since, from the beginning of its Christianization,
from the moment that Magellan planted the Cross in Cebu four hundred and sixty
years ago, on April 15, 1521, all through the centuries, its people have
remained true to the Christian faith. In an achievement that remains
unparalleled in history, the message of Christ took root in the hearts of the
people within a very brief span of time, and the Church was thus strongly
implanted in this nation of seven thousand islands and numerous tribal and
ethnic communities.
The rich geographical and human
diversity, the various cultural traditions, and the people's spirit of joy and
sharing, together with the fruits of the missionary efforts, have successfully
blended and have shaped, through periods which were sometimes not devoid of
shadows and weaknesses, a clear national identity that is unmistakably Filipino
and truly Christian. The attachment to the Catholic faith has been tested under
succeeding regimes of colonial control and foreign occupation, but fidelity to
the faith and to the Church remained unshaken and grew even stronger and more
mature.
Due homage must be paid to this
achievement of the Filipino people, but what you are also creates an obligation
and it confers upon the nation a specific mission. A country that has kept
the Catholic faith strong and vibrant through the vicissitudes of its history,
the sole nation in Asia that is approximately ninety percent Christian, assumes
by this very fact the obligation not only to preserve its Christian heritage
but to bear witness to the values of its Christian culture before the whole
world.
Although small in size of land and
population compared to some of its neighbors, the Philippine nation has
undoubtedly a special role in the concert of nations, in order to consolidate
peace and international understanding, and more particularly in maintaining
stability in South East Asia, where it has a vital task.
The Filipino people will
always draw the strength and inspiration that they need to carry out this task
from their noble heritage—a heritage not only of Christian faith but also of
the rich human and cultural values that are their own. Every man and
woman, whatever his or her status or role, must strive in all earnestness to
preserve, to deepen and to consolidate these values—these priceless
gifts—against the many factors which seriously threaten them today.
Preserve, through your lucid and
deliberate efforts, your sense of the divine, your prayerfulness and your
deeply religious consciousness. Preserve and reinforce your respect for the
role of women in the home, in education and in other challenges of life in
society. Keep and strengthen your reverence for the aged, the disabled and the
sick. Above all maintain your great esteem for the family.
Preserve the indissolubility of the
marriage bond. Keep inviolate the right to life of the unborn child and uphold
firmly the exalted dignity of motherhood. Proclaim vigorously the right of
parents to be free from economic, social and political coercion, as they
endeavor to follow the dictates of an upright conscience in determining the
size of their family in accordance with the will of God.
Establish firmly the serious
responsibility of parents to raise their children in accordance with their
human dignity. Defend the children from corrupting influences and uphold the
structures of family life. A nation goes the way that the family goes, and when
the integrity and stability of family life is imperiled, so will be the
stability of the nation and the tasks it must assume before the judgment of
history.
The challenge that faces each
nation, and more particularly a Christian nation, is a challenge to its own
internal life. I am sure that the leaders and the people of the Philippines
fully realize their responsibility to construct an exemplary society and that
they are willing to work together to achieve this end in a spirit of mutual respect
and civic responsibility. It is the joint effort of all the citizens that
builds a truly sovereign nation, where not only the legitimate material
interests of the citizens are promoted and protected, but also their spiritual
aspirations and their culture.
Even in exceptional situations that
may at times arise, one can never justify any violation of the fundamental
dignity of the human person or of the basic rights that safeguard this dignity.
Legitimate concern for the security of a nation, as demanded by the common
good, could lead to the temptation of subjugating to the State the human being
and his or her dignity and rights. Any apparent conflict between the exigencies
of security and of the citizens' basic rights must be resolved according to the
fundamental principle—upheld always by the Church—that social organization
exists only fοr the service of man and for the protection of his dignity, and
that it cannot claim to serve the common good when human rights are not
safeguarded.
People will have faith in the
safeguarding of their security and the promotion of their well-being only to
the extent that they feel truly involved, and supported in their very humanity.
It is my hope and prayer that all
the Filipino people and their leaders will never cease to honor their
commitment to a development that is fully human and that overcomes situations
and structures of inequality, injustice and poverty in the name of the
sacredness of humanity. I pray that everyone will work together with generosity
and courage, without hatred, class struggle or fratricidal strife, resisting
all temptations to materialistic or violent ideologies.
The moral resources of the
Philippines are dynamic, and they are strong enough to withstand the pressures
that are exercised from the outside to force this nation to adopt models of
development that are alien to its culture and sensitivities. Recent initiatives
that are worthy of praise augur well for the future, since they manifest
confidence in the capacity of the people to assume their rightful share of
responsibility in building a society that strives for peace and justice and
protects all human rights.
In closing these brief
remarks, I wish to praise the special qualities of the Filipino people, steeped
in a solid Christian tradition of faith and love for neighbor. Throughout your
history, you have heeded the appeal of the Gospel, the invitation to goodness,
to honesty, to respect for the human person, and to unselfish service.
Your commitment to the ideals of
peace, justice and fraternal love holds the promise that the future of this
land will match its past history. But the challenge is great and it faces each
individual of this land. Nο one is exempt from personal responsibility.
Everybody's contribution is important. Now that we are approaching the end of
this second millennium, you must be ready to continue on the road that faith in
Christ and his message of love have charted for yοu.
May God's grace sustain you. May
the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoked under innumerable titles and honored in
shrines and institutions all over the land, remain forever the loving and
caring Mother of the Filipino people. And may her Son, Jesus Christ, the loving
and merciful Saviour of mankind, give yοu the great gift of his peace—now and
forever.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas ! (Long live
the Philippines !)
From
Manila, 17 February 1981
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