“Do not offend the lord our god anymore, because he is already so much offended” (Our Lady of Fatima)
Statement of Support of the Olupan na Laiko ed Arkidiosis na Lingayen-Dagupan (ONLA-ALD) to the Stand of the Catholic Church Against Blasphemy, Sacrilege, and Murder
June 17, 2018
We, the Lay Faithful of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, represented by the Olupan na Laiko ed Arkidiosis na Lingayen-Dagupan (ONLA-ALD), strongly affirm our support to our Bishops and Priests. We, the Laity, find courage and solace in the wisdom of our Church leaders and the teachings of the Catholic Church. The incessant happenings of killings of persons allegedly involved in illegal drugs and the recent events of slayings of priests are deeply disturbing and greatly alarming. This has caused fear and alarm to the majority of the populace, who cannot escape to think, “Who is safe now or who will be the next target?”
We, the Faithful, cannot just wait and see the next event. We cannot afford to be passive or numb and dumb when our immediate families or loved ones, or even ourselves, can be the next target. We cannot just hide and flee when we encounter everyday news of killings that add fear and anxiety to each one of us. We cannot just cross our fingers all the time, but we must do some actions in the name of justice to uphold the rule of law. Because, when we keep silent and do nothing, we are accomplices to the crimes and we consent to the devil’s machinations!
We, the Faithful, believe in the power of prayer and the authority of God. If they kill priests, just because they want to kill the Church, then, they are also killings us, because we are the Church. We cannot simply let these things flourish, for these will collectively become a norm and precedence and reason for doing these again. We are outraged, deeply hurt and utterly dismayed! We denounce in the strongest possible terms this culture, and if it demands mass and street actions in order that our voices be heard, so be it. We cannot afford another Fr. Nilo or Mang Jose to shed blood to open our eyes.
We, therefore, enjoin all the laity in the Archdiocese to:
- Be one with the whole Church in Lingayen-Dagupan in the observance of the Day of Reparation on Monday, June 18, 2018, as declared by our Church leaders. “Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended,” Our Lady of Fatima said in her apparition 13th October 1917. This call to stop offending God must ring aloud once more during these times! Let us seriously observe, and count ourselves in, in the following June 18 acts of reparation:
– The dawn penitential pilgrimage on foot from San Jacinto Parish Church at 4:30am to the Basilica of Manaoag. “ONLA” tayo’d Manaoag!
– The Masses which will be offered as reparation for the sins of blasphemy against God, the sins of sacrilege and calumny hurled against our priests and bishops; the murders that continue without relent.
– Fasting and abstinence, in the spirit of Reparation.
– The Eucharistic adoration in our parishes, with confessions.
– The ringing of parish church bells for fifteen minutes at six o’ clock in the evening on June 18th to commemorate the time when Father Richmond Nilo was killed.
– The procession of the Santo Entierro or the Black Nazarene in the evening, in our parishes.
After June 18, let us continue being “a people of reparation” in prayer and in our personal witness to Christ in society. May we have the courage to renew our lives—“manpasimbalo,” beginning with ourselves.
- Be one with our shepherds, the priests and bishops. Let us stick to them. Their voice is the voice of God. Their voice is the voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. The crises and evils surrounding our country today can be traced back to our refusal to listen. We did not listen to our pastors. We have not heeded their call. We have rejected the voice of God, and we are now seeing the consequences. It’s time we acknowledge God in our bishops and priests. They are Christ among us. It’s time we listen.
May Mary, Our Lady of Manaoag, Help of Christians, and Queen of Martyrs “grant us the shield of her mighty protection.” Amen.
Von Ryan C. Torio
ONLA-ALD President
