MANILA (PNA) — The Catholic bishops on Wednesday said they will reject donations from politicians even if these are intended for the Lenten Season.
“I will not accept any donations for “Alay Kapwa” especially from politicians. It’s not right for the Church to accept donations from politicians, in view of the upcoming elections,” said Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad, in an interview over Radio Veritas 846.
With this, he urged politicians to go and donate directly to those who are in dire need of financial assistance, if they really want to donate.
“If they are really sincere and they really want to be one with the Church’s Alay Kapwa, they should go to the victims of calamities, go to a hospital and provide medicines to those who can’t afford it or go to the orphanages and feed the people there. That is real Alay Kapwa,” Ju-moad said.
Alay Kapwa, a Lenten evangelization program of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, was estab-lished in 1975.
The group’s objective is the evangelization of the Catholic communities towards Christian awareness of their social responsibility with preferential option for the poor.
Being implemented in all dioceses, the Alay Kapwa Sunday or Caritas Sunday, on March 28, requires the Catholic faithful to share their time and talent with their neighbors.
On the other hand, Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez and Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon of Baguio said they will not accept donations from those who are working for public office. “It’s a big no. We won’t accept donations that we know came from an evil deed,” said the Marbel prelate.
For his part, Cenzon said, “If we know that the source of the money is evil such as gambling, drugs or from graft and corruption then we should not accept it.” |
