by Santosh Digal

After the Pauline Year Catholics are urged to pray to “build peace” and encourage “lay participation in social change”. Bishops’ Conference chairman says the initiative is designed to help the “moral regeneration” of the country ahead of the May 2010 presidential elections.

Manila (AsiaNews) – A year of work to build peace and encourage lay participation in social change is part of a pastoral exhortation issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). After the year dedicated to Saint Paul, the country’s bishops urge the faithful “to start preparing spiritually for another crucial transition in the life of our nation—namely, the elections in May 2010”

Filipino Catholics are urged to pray every Sunday from June 2009 to June 2010, focusing especially on the future of their society and next year’s presidential election.

Mgr Angel Lagdameo (pictured), CBCP Chairman and archbishop of Jaro, said in the exhortation that the initiative is a call for “moral regeneration” and greater awareness of the importance of working to build society.

“The participation of the laity in moral leadership pertaining to every specific discipline and institution in the Philippine society is most essential, if we want the Gospel and the social teachings of the Church to have a tangible and positive impact on our life as a nation,” he explained.

In order to support this initiative the bishops are going to involve a network of NGOs whose task will be to educate the public. This should enable people to take greater political responsibility and ensure that the upcoming elections will be fair and transparent.

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• bishops’
• conference
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• cbcp
• angel
• lagdameo
• saint
• paul
• elections
• may
• 2010
• moral
• regeneration
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• awareness
• gospel
• catholics
• political
• responsibility
• transparent