A Catholic bishop has urged consecrated men and women to stand with Indigenous peoples and farmers facing displacement, saying the Church must defend their dignity and protect their land.
Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalinao of Bayombong said listening to communities resisting the loss of their land is a prophetic act that requires the Church to move beyond institutional concerns and work for justice.
“Prophetic presence listens, discerns, accompanies, and acts with the boldness of Christ,” Mangalinao said during the Conference on Mutual Relations at Manresa Retreat House in Quezon City on Oct. 21.
He said cooperation among clergy, religious congregations, basic ecclesial communities, Indigenous leaders, legal experts, scientists and grassroots advocates could strengthen efforts to protect vulnerable communities.
“When diocesan clergy, religious congregations, Basic Ecclesial Communities, Indigenous leaders, legal experts, scientists, and grassroots advocates unite, the Church becomes a formidable network of solidarity, protection, and moral truth,” he said.
Mangalinao also called for justice rooted in peace and human dignity, warning against responding to hatred with hostility or defending rights by humiliating others.
“We cannot oppose hatred through hatred or defend dignity through humiliation. Christ’s peace must first transform our hearts,” he said.
He linked the Church’s mission to integral ecology, which addresses both environmental destruction and the suffering of the poor, particularly Indigenous peoples whose culture and identity are closely tied to their ancestral lands.
Mangalinao said consecrated life must translate faith into concrete action to defend life, protect livelihoods and uphold the integrity of creation.
“We are called not only to sustain institutions, but to make the Kingdom of God visible,” he said.
