Faith leaders in the Philippines called on Christian Churches in the country to foster unity for the benefit of the poor and vulnerable “amidst injustices and the pandemic.”
The religious leaders made the call at the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity observance on January 18.
Bishop Broderick Pabillo, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila, said unity is needed “all the more in this time” when “there are so many people in need.”
He said Christian churches need not just pray for unity but to “put our resources together” to help the poor.
“We should have a common voice to make [COVID-19] vaccines available to the poor and vulnerable,” said the Catholic prelate.
He also called on various faith groups “to have one voice to prevent government abuse of power,” citing proposals to amend the Philippine Constitution and the so-called red-tagging of activists.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos in the central Philippines said God’s message this week is “plain and simple, that all may be one.”
“We are one family, we rise and fall as one,” he said. “By this, all will know we are Christ’s disciples,” added Bishop Alminaza.
He said Filipinos, regardless of religion and political affiliations, “are interconnected, interrelated, (and) interdependent.”
“The sooner we wake up from the differences and injustices that imprison us, the faster we reach our deepest dream,” added the bishop.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed every year from January 18 to 25. In some places, the observance falls during Pentecost.
The tradition has become an opportunity for different Christian denominations around the world to jointly pray for Christian unity and move closer towards the fulfillment of Jesus’ Last Supper prayer “that they all may be one.”
Protestant Bishop Modesto Villasanta of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines said the observance compels Churches to “fulfill the works of Christ for justice and peace.”
“We pray and act for unity not only between and among Churches but for genuine and meaningful union with the common people,” said the Protestant prelate.
Bishop Villasanta said Christian unity is “an endeavor that serves the interest of those who are persecuted because of their faith or ideological beliefs.”
“The world that is under a pandemic needs care brought about by solidarity that Christians can and should provide,” said Archbishop Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao.
He said people are looking for “a new story of hope, a narrative that can help them relate to these present difficulties.”
In a pastoral letter, Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga said that during the pandemic “no one must be ignored and forgotten nor left behind.”
Bishop Roberto Mallari of San Jose said the need for unity is not just among Christians but for all members of the human family.
“As followers of Jesus, we should be the first to be one and witness to this unity that Jesus desires for the whole of humanity,” said the prelate.
This year’s observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is being held online due to mass gathering restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
