The head of the Catholic bishops’ leadership challenged fellow bishops Wednesday to ensure their pastoral statements reach struggling Filipinos beyond regular churchgoers, urging them to accompany people rather than simply issue declarations.
Opening the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ 132nd plenary assembly, Archbishop Gilbert Garcera said the Church must proclaim the Gospel more effectively, especially among poor, marginalized, and vulnerable people living in society’s peripheries.
“A question raised by some brother bishops during one of our meetings continues to challenge us,” Garcera said. “Are our pastoral statements reaching only our own ‘church choir’?”
He said the question should push bishops to examine whether they are truly accompanying their people, ensuring the Church’s message reaches grassroots communities and speaks to their daily struggles.
“Whenever we issue pastoral statements, our desire is that they reach beyond official channels and truly touch the hearts of our people,” Garcera said.
“Our statements should not only respond to political developments but also illuminate the many dimensions of Filipino life,” he added.
Looking ahead to this month’s State of the Nation Address and continuing political debates, Garcera said public life and governance remain urgent pastoral concerns for the Church.
“Our mission is neither partisan nor ideological,” he said. “It is fundamentally pastoral and moral. We are called to help form citizens whose consciences are shaped by truth, justice, solidarity, the common good, and responsible participation in public life.”
He urged bishops to continue promoting civic engagement rooted in Gospel values, citing their collective witness against corruption, political dynasties and abuses of public office.
Garcera said he hopes the bishops’ conference will be known “not merely as an opinion-maker but as a genuine moral influence” through faithful witness to the Gospel and Catholic social teaching.
He also pointed to initiatives led by bishops on national concerns, including Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David’s Truth Commission, Archbishop Socrates Villegas’ governance programs, and advocacy for ecology, Indigenous peoples, victims of extrajudicial killings and the West Philippine Sea.
Garcera also identified rising cases of sexual abuse, incest and rape, worsening mental health and suicide, and declining fertility as urgent challenges requiring compassionate pastoral responses and coordinated action across the Church.
More than 80 bishops from across the country are attending the July 8-10 plenary assembly at AMORAP in Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental. Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown attended the opening and later celebrated Mass at the Ozamis Cathedral.
