"The Church should remain even more resolute in being the conscience of society, staunch defender of the oppressed and guardian of civil liberties."

This was the message of Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra who quoted from Synod II Decree No. 94 in calling on the faithful yesterday to join a multi-sectoral prayer rally for peace in the country.

The rally to be held at the Bacolod Public Plaza is spearheaded by the Diocese of Bacolod and will start with a march from four assembly points at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

"We must guide our people in Negros during these times of confusion and turmoil despite the president's lifting of the state of national emergency," Navarra said.

In his Circular Letter 2006-04, the bishop called on all parish priests, parochial vicars, chaplains and rectors of churches, superiors of seminaries, religious congregations, secular institutes and apostolic life, heads of schools and lay associations and the Christian faithful of the Diocese of Bacolod to help organize a "remarkable number of delegates" for the prayer rally.

Felipe Levy Gelle, Bayan Negros secretary general, in a statement issued yesterday said "The lifting of the state of emergency may be lip service, after all. To prove her sincerity Arroyo must stop political persecution of dissenters."

Meanwhile, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday said a documentary on the events leading to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's declaration of a state of national emergency on Feb. 24 proved beyond doubt the existence of a conspiracy among Leftist, Rightist and hardcore political opportunists to overthrow the government.

Had the president not acted swiftly to foil the anti-government conspiracy by issuing Proclamation 1017, "we would in all probability find ourselves now under the clutches of a civilian-rightist-leftist junta which would soon be fighting among themselves for supremacy," Bunye said.

FORTICH REMEMBERED

Meanwhile, Navarra reminded the faithful to reflect on the need to help uplift the lives of the poor as the Christian world marks the season of Lent, at a mass to mark the 62nd anniversary of the priesthood of the late Bishop Antonio Y. Fortich at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City Saturday.

The Negros Occidental Historical Council Saturday also launched a book, "Remembering Bishop Fortich," which is a compilation of articles on the life and work of Fortich to sustain his memory, Roque Hofileña said.

Navarra, in his sermon, said Fortich, by proclaiming the rights of the poor, disturbed the conscience of those who oppressed or were indifferent to them.

For being the voice of the poor, Fortich was misunderstood and maligned by many but was the giver of the good news of salvation. Today we continue to witness how effective his work had been, Navarra said.

In 1966 the Bishops of the Philippines added a social dimension to Lent by launching their Alay Kapwa program to remind the faithful of the need to help the majority of their countrymen who live in sub-human conditions because of the structures in Philippine society that continue to cause poverty, Navarra said.

The Alay Kapwa at Lent reminds the faithful to share what they have with the poor and creates an awareness of the who and what causes the majority of Filipinos to live marginalized lives, he also said.*CPG

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