The Diocese of Bacolod is staging a prayer rally on Dec. 10 to stress that development is a human right, and oppose moves by President Gloria Arroyo’s allies for Charter change, Fr. Anecito Buenafe, director of the Diocese of Bacolod Social Action Center, said yesterday.

“I am against Cha-cha now as concocted by pro-administration congressmen,” Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra said yesterday. 

Aside from the issue of Cha-cha, Buenafe said the prayer rally will tackle the Church opposition to the Energy Development Corp. entry into the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park buffer zone for geothermal development, and concerns over growing poverty.

Buenafe reiterated that the Church will do all it can to stop the Arroyo administration from pushing for Charter change.

Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5th District), reacting to the Church position on Monday, said, the “Church should take care of our souls.”

In reaction to the solon’s statement, two priests yesterday said that, by opposing Cha-cha, they are taking care of souls.

Christ said that if you have money and power, you should help the poor, not take advantage of the poor for your own interest, Fr. Abenir Pineda said.

The Church takes care of the souls of people by reminding them of their obligations to Christ teachings, Fr. Alfonsito Arrojo said.

“Jesus taught us to feed the poor…to take care of the poor and homeless,” Arrojo said.

If those in government push Cha-cha for their own interest to stay in power and promote the interests of a few, they are not acting according to the teachings of Christ, he also said.

The Church believes that those pushing for Cha-Cha are not doing it for the common good but to perpetuate their own interests and power, Arrojo said.

Rep. Arroyo said he is thankful for the feedback from the priests but said they are mistaken. “We are not pushing Cha-cha for our own agenda, it’s the welfare of the people that we are thinking of,” he said.

There is no personal agenda behind the push for Cha-cha, he added.

“We are not pushing for term extension, in fact I will oppose any move for term extension,” he also said.

Whether Cha-cha is done by Constitutional Convention or Constituent Assembly that will be debated on in Congress, he added.

But Navarra said the two priests gave a moral explanation on why the Diocese of Bacolod and the Catholic Church should get involved in giving guidance to the faithful in making their common stand against “issues that jeopardize the common good of society and pervert the moral conscience of the people.”

Buenafe said the public does not trust the word of the present administration.

The people want any change to the Constitution to take place after the 2010 elections, he said.

The elections are fast approaching why can’t Arroyo’s allies wait? Buenafe asked.*CPG

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