Speaking through its president, Pablo Virgilio S. Cardinal David, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines called on the Filipino faithful to uphold justice amid the “flood of corruption” engulfing the nation and the body politic. In a pastoral letter, Cardinal David, who also spoke out against extrajudicial killings during the previous administration, urged the people to take it upon themselves to personally commit to fight corruption, underlining the need for vigilance and righteous indignation.

The proposed action agenda includes specific political measures, as well as citizen-centric initiatives in partnership with the clergy, the laity and civil society.

Echoing the call for an independent probe commission that is now taking shape, the CBCP head cited civic and parish initiatives in support of “good governance, ecological justice, and social renewal.” These should converge in the building of communities of truth that would “share verified information, counter disinformation, and support accountability” in light of egregious anomalies and corrupt activities.

The pastoral letter declares further: “Demand justice, not impunity – Let us insist on legal action, including criminal charges against those guilty of systematically plundering public funds.”

Cardinal David advocated leadership by example: “Let our dioceses, parishes, and Church institutions model transparency and accountability, instituting reforms where needed.”

Moreover, the CBCP called for modest living: “To our leaders in government, business, and the Church, we appeal: let us reject extravagance and mindless consumerism, and embrace a life of simplicity and solidarity with the poor.”

Notably, the pastoral letter accentuated the role of the youth, focusing on the vital role of basic education in values formation among the young through the teaching of Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC). Also quoted was Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” which espoused simple lessons for living well: “‘Share what you have, play fair, clean up your own mess, don’t take things that aren’t yours’…Such values, instilled in the young are essential in building a culture that abhors and resists corruption.”

The Catholic Church is a significant force, considering that according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2020 census data, “there were 85.65 million Roman Catholics in the Philippines, which accounted for 78.8 percent of the country's household population.”

Beyond relying on the sheer strength of numbers, the CBCP trains its sights on the vast potential of the youth. Hence, it sounded this call to them: “To our young people: you hold the keys to a new culture. You live in the digital space where truth and lies battle daily. Use your platforms not only for outrage, but for vigilance. Expose injustice, share facts, demand reforms. Make corruption shameful again.”

Amid a gathering storm of public protest and indignation, the Catholic church stands as the voice of reason as it calls for purposive action. Recalling a prophetic injunction on the fulfillment of God’s promises: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” (Isaiah 43:2).

Expect the Catholic youth to rise to the challenge and demonstrate their capability to discern and implement actions that would effectively address the bishops’ call to “rebuild our nation on truth, justice, and the common good.”