01/07/2018
PASTORAL LETTER
[TO MEMBERS OF CATHOLICS FOR FAMILY AND LIFE]
CFL is not a political organization that concerns itself with matters of governance. It is not our
business to tell government officials how to run the government. Whatever opinion we may have on any
political matter is purely our own and deserves respect, but it does not reflect the view of CFL. In
short, our Community is apolitical and steers clear of politics because it is divisive.
But there are situations when CFL must publicly speak up as a faith-based community. It is when the
very foundation of our faith is shaken by a vicious assault directed no less than against our God. It
is when He is mocked, ridiculed, disparaged, and blasphemed by people—reminiscent of the horrible
sufferings our Lord Jesus endured hours before he was crucified. It is also when our constitutional
right to exercise our faith freely and without fear is seriously threatened.
As believers in the One True God who created all things, we condemn in the strongest terms the
unprovoked insults and attacks being hurled against God and the Catholic Church by President Duterte.
We oppose all derogatory remarks that tend to undermine and threaten the free exercise of our religion.
As peace-loving citizens of this country, we appeal for respect of our civil liberties, including our
right to believe in the same God whose aid the Filipino people had implored in the establishment of our
nation (see 1987 Constitution, Preamble).
What makes the attacks against God more abhorrent is the fact that they are based on a distorted
interpretation of the Bible by a person with a strong bias against the Catholic Church. In this regard,
Bishop Ambo David clearly and logically expose the glaring errors of the attacks and present the true
meaning of the Story of Creation as follows:
Ang binatikos ng pangulo ay ang sarili niyang interpretasyon sa Bibliya. Hindi naman ganoon ang turo ng
pananampalatayang Katoliko. . . Ang Adam and Eve story ng book of Genesis ay nasa Bibliya, hindi lang
ng mga Catolico. Nandun din ito sa Jewish Bible, Protestant Bible, Orthodox Bible, INK Bible.
Nagkakaiba lang sa interpretasyon. Yung paraan ng interpretasyon ng pangulo ay may pagka-
fundamentalist. Napakalayo tuloy sa ibig ipahiwatig ng malalim na palaisipan na nakapaloob sa salaysay
ng Genesis chapter 3.
Tungkol ito sa taong nilikhang malaya ng Diyos at may kakayahang gamitin ang kalayaan sa mali.
Palaisipan nga kasi ang kuwento. Alam din ng manunulat na walang ahas na nagsasalita sa totoong buhay.
(The text is literary, not literal.) Matalinghaga ang linggwahe niya. Wala ring sinabi ang Bible na
nilikhang “perfect” ng Diyos ang mundo. Hindi rin sinabi na pinadala ng Diyos ang ahas para tuksuhin si
Eba. . . Ang kasalanan ay hindi lang tungkol sa pagkain ng isang bawal na bunga (wala ring binabanggit
na mansanas sa kuwento) na nagdulot daw ng malisya. Ito’y may kinalaman sa pagnanasa ng tao na “maging
katulad ng Diyos”, o “magdiyos-diyosan”. (Genesis 3:4-5 “But the
snake said to the woman: ‘You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes
will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.’”) Dito madalas natutukso at
nahuhulog ang tao. Ganito ang nangyayari sa taong nahuhumaling sa kapangyarihan. Imbes na matulad sila
sa Diyos, mas lalong nalalayo sa anyo ng Diyos.
Itong karupukan na ito ang taglay nating lahat sa ating pagkatao. (1 Corinthians 15:22 For just as in
Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life...) Ang bagong Adan para kay St Paul ay si
Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:45 So, too, it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being, ” the
last Adam a life-giving spirit.) Sa pagpapakumbaba at pag-bubuhos ng sarili lamang nakakatulad ng tao
ang Diyos (Philippians 2). Ito ang ibinigay na halimbawa ni Kristo, ang Anak ng Diyos na nagkatawang
tao, at naging bagong Adan, huwaran ng bagong sangkatauhan.
Attached for your reference are copies of the corrective statements of Bishop David and Bishop Soc
Villegas on the issue. Please take time to read.
Make no mistake about it: No less than Jesus desires us to stand up for Him. He cautioned that if we
deny Him before men, He will also deny us before His Father who is in heaven (Mt. 10:33). The martyrs
obeyed and are now glorified in heaven.
At this critical moment in the history of human salvation, every CFL member is called upon to do the
following:
1. As an evangelistic and missionary Catholic community, we must intensify our evangelization efforts
by bringing as many Couples, Maidens, King’s Men, and Singles as possible into our BFFs. It is our
mission to help them return to the sheepfold. Acts of blasphemy and apostasy are being committed due to
ignorance of the Scriptures and the absence of pastoral care of the flock. The raging spiritual warfare
is about the hearts and minds of all members of the family where, according to Sister Lucia of Fatima,
the final battle for humanity will be fought. They include the youth and kids, for which reason our
programs for them (e.g., Break-Free and Road to Damascus) must run at full speed.
2. Stand up for the truth of our faith by correcting any false information being spread about God and
the Catholic Church. This is part of our goal to be the “salt of the earth and the light of the world”
(Mt. 5:13-16). But we cannot teach what we do not know. Accordingly, we must immerse ourselves in the
Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and other teachings of the Church, with the guidance of
our spiritual advisers. We must consistently attend our Community assemblies and household meetings,
where such teachings and learnings take place.
3. Pray for the conversion of sinners, and for the enlightenment of our President. Our Mother Mary
exhorts us to do so as part of our obligation to love our neighbor.
4. Pray for our clergy and other religious persons. Contrary to popular expectations, they are not
super beings who are impervious to human frailties. They too are vulnerable to temptations. Our prayers
will
help them strengthen their fortitude and perseverance in their efforts to remain faithful to their
sacramental vows and duties as shepherds to the flock.
5. Pray for our beloved country, which is experiencing economic difficulties, natural calamities, and
social division. Let us plead for God’s mercy and protection during these trying times, mindful of his
promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and
pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive
their sin and will heal their land.”
God has raised CFL for a specific purpose: to bring families under the Lordship of Jesus Christ through
the pathway laid out by the Catholic Church, aided by the purifying grace of the Eucharist and the
other sacraments, and nurtured by the caring intercession of Mother Mary. The fight for marriage,
family, and life rages, and CFL is at the forefront of this spiritual battle. May the Holy Spirit
accompany, guide, and protect us always!
29 June 2018.
Approved for release by the CFL Board of Trustees and Governance Council
